seadweller 0 Posted January 10, 2009 i have been leaning towards getting an ikelite housing but have noticed a lot of people trashing them just wondering why and if no good what kind of housing would you recomend for my rebel xsi/450d [EDIT - topic title changed by moderator] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scuba-s 0 Posted January 10, 2009 (edited) I have had 2 ikelite housing 1 for my last P&S and 1 for my cannon 40D and am quiet happy with it ,had a little trouble with the spring coming loose on the shutter release lever on the P&S but ikelite fixed it no problems, there after sales service is great which is very important with underwater gear and the price is very reasonable compared with the hi end ali housings with the money you save you can invest in more lens Edited January 10, 2009 by scuba-s Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seadweller 0 Posted January 11, 2009 I have had 2 ikelite housing 1 for my last P&S and 1 for my cannon 40D and am quiet happy with it ,had a little trouble with the spring coming loose on the shutter release lever on the P&S but ikelite fixed it no problems, there after sales service is great which is very important with underwater gear and the price is very reasonable compared with the hi end ali housings with the money you save you can invest in more lens thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scubamoose 0 Posted January 11, 2009 i have been leaning towards getting an ikelite housing but have noticed a lot of people trashing them just wondering why and if no good what kind of housing would you recomend for my rebel xsi/450d I've heared people have had some problems with Ike strobes and sync-cords but not so much with the housings. I have Ike housing for P&S and it works great! Regards Scubamoose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KenByrne 0 Posted January 11, 2009 I'm on my third Ike housing and no problems. No problems with sync cords either. I've heard of eople having problems with the dual strobe cord but so far mine has been OK although it's a bit of a pain to route it. I believe Ikelite have made some improvements to the dual cord since I bought mine which should make it a little more robust but won't help with the routing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
breals 0 Posted January 11, 2009 I've had no problems with my Ikelite Canon 20D housing and it's gone at 180 feet and miles back into caves. I have had problems with the older dual sync cords, but the newer ones look like they address the problem of the cord getting pinched and breaking. I do worry about how deep I can really take it and if there is some flexibility that 200 ft depth rating. I have some wrecks that I want to shot in the 250 to 300 range and I'm not quite brave enough to take it that deep yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seadweller 0 Posted January 11, 2009 I've had no problems with my Ikelite Canon 20D housing and it's gone at 180 feet and miles back into caves. I have had problems with the older dual sync cords, but the newer ones look like they address the problem of the cord getting pinched and breaking. I do worry about how deep I can really take it and if there is some flexibility that 200 ft depth rating. I have some wrecks that I want to shot in the 250 to 300 range and I'm not quite brave enough to take it that deep yet. wow u like to go deep! i on the other hand dont have that concern lol. maybe some day i will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATJ 1 Posted January 12, 2009 I'm also on the my third Ikelite housing - P&S, Nikon D70 and now Nikon D300 - and I've had no problems at all. My only complaint is the size of the viewfinder port which makes it difficult to see the whole frame, but I don't know if other makes have that problem. I've had one dual sync cable fail but that was before the put the cable protectors on their cables. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnspierce 25 Posted January 12, 2009 Ikelite stuff is built very tough. Since they use the same basic housing with different control cutouts they are a little larger than the more expensive housings, but they work very well indeed. Simple to use, simple to maintain. I haven't seen too many complaints about the actual materials used, simply that they are a bit larger and perhaps not as full featured. But they aren't $4000 either JP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CADiver 2 Posted January 12, 2009 Well, perhaps being the devil advocate ... I did have problems with the dual sync cord EVERYTIME when I was on a live aboard. Fortunately I carry mutliple syn cords so I don't run into real problem. The sync cord problem I had simply related to 1, not firing 2, delay firing 3, ttl wont' fire but manual will. As soon as I swtich to my back up sync cord, no problem, so it's not a housing or electronic problem. I sent my sync cord back to Ikelite after the trip. Last year they said I 'pull'/'stretch' the cord too much. Obviously I would disagree but I didn't. I know how I assemble my system, I put a nylon cord around that big round thing and attached it to an arm. I run another 2 or 3 of those nylon strips around the ulcs arm, so there is never really pull/stretch to the sync cord. Since Ikelite services are indeed very good, they replace the cord and I don't have to dispute. I just sent one back after my Dec Galapagos trip, exact same problem. I will see if they give me any problem with this syn cord. The one I am selling now is my back up which I did have to deploy twice towards the end of the trip. Other problems I have with the housing are ergonomic. A big heavy handle bar and tray for example. It is ok for folks with big hands but I don't. Some of the buttons, critical buttons are all next to the bulk head which make it very difficult to use in water and with glove. Other folks may not find this problematic either. Severly negative weight, I have not use any floating arm, so my system was extremely negative (especially using 105VR), sink very fast if I let go which makes it impossible to shoot with 1 hand. In challenging situation, I have to rest the housing somewhere on my left arm while my left hand holding onto rocks and shoot and adjust with right hand. Because it's so heavy, the whole posture and handling gets very awakard. So I am looking for an overall more compact setup and more neutral behavior now. I guess if I go back to P&S size will not be a problem ! But I am not ready to give up yet, it's expenisve learning ... will see :-) In summary, I think the sync cord is the one piece that really gave me real problem otherwise, it's all personal perference. Also I totally agree the $/performance ratio is impossible to beat. Where else can you find a $1500 housing with ttl support ? I think if they are willing to deliver glass port, it will take them to the next level of performance. Cheers ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rtrski 20 Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) I've not had a problem with mine, in a sum of one major trip however. But I even bought it all used. (And the guy selling it was selling because he upgraded cameras, not because he had problems.) While the tray and handles are indeed pretty big, the larger housing traps more air and I suspect (?) that it is therefore a bit less negative overall than a higher end, more form-fitting DSLR housing. The addition of the the buoyancy strobe arms is enough that my rig is completely neutral underwater. Let it go during safety stops and let it bob next to me, unless the current was stronger. Edited January 12, 2009 by rtrski Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scuba-s 0 Posted January 13, 2009 (edited) i have a cannon 40D in an ike housing and i have put high density foam in the cavety in the tray under the housing and stix floats on the 2 arms with 1 ds125 strobe with a flat port with 60mm lens it is slightly negative and with the 6 inch dome it is virtually neutral,i have noticed some divers complaining that certain ali housing are to negative . Edited January 13, 2009 by scuba-s Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strmko 0 Posted January 13, 2009 Having at least 3 flooding issues with Ikelite, my answer is simple: NO! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cpadiver 0 Posted January 13, 2009 I own four Ikelite DSLR housing and I really like them. They are not perfect, but for the money you get a lot. Cross my fingers, I have not had any flooding issues. I have had dual sync cord issues, but they have been a dream to work with on replacements. Overall, they have the best customer service of any company I can remember. All in all, I give them kudos for a job well done. Not perfect, but for the money, a job well done. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vaq 0 Posted January 19, 2009 i have a cannon 40D in an ike housing and i have put high density foam in the cavety in the tray under the housing and stix floats on the 2 arms with 1 ds125 strobe with a flat port with 60mm lens it is slightly negative and with the 6 inch dome it is virtually neutral,i have noticed some divers complaining that certain ali housing are to negative . Scuba-S. I just bought the Ikelite housing for a D400 along with dual DS160s. Have been wracking my brain and surfing sites/threads/blogs regarding buoyancy -- first time I found anything that might let me know what to expect. Very helpful. What size Stix and which size buoyancy foam did you use. What did you put in the cavity? (You can tell I just received it -- getting it in the pool on Thursday) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mariozi 1 Posted January 19, 2009 From a market poll in another forum, I came to believe that DSLR wise half of the people go with Ikelite and the other half goes with an aluminum maker like Aquatica, Sea&Sea, Subal... My advice is that if you think you will be shooting underwater for a long time, just get an acrylic housing with a good port system... Ikelite might make more sense for your 450D, but in a few years you might be shooting something more expensive, and it might be a hassle to change your whole setup. D300 Sea&Sea MDX-D300 Sea&Sea user since 1999 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dhaas 32 Posted January 19, 2009 (edited) vaq, Buoyancy depends on several factors including camera body weight (a Canon 450D is certainly not as heavy as a Nikon D300 for example) plus lens being used, arm choices and of course ports. An 8" dome port will have more buoyancy than a 6" dome, etc. I'd expect your D400 (did you mean Canon 400D or as in the US called the Rebel XTi?) depending on lens and if you have the 8" dome port it will still be a bit negative. Maybe 2 lbs. with an 8" dome and dual strobes. With a macro lens and flat port a bit more. One example I use often is a Canon 450D, Sigma 15mm or Tokina 10-17mm in Ikelite's 6" port and a single DS160 with Ikelite's ball joint arm. It's barely negative and I can toss it up in the water column if need be to adjust something and catch it as it slowly sinks Best way is to simply dive it then adjust if necessary. Good luck! dhaas Edited January 20, 2009 by dhaas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vaq 0 Posted January 19, 2009 vaq, Buoyancy depends on several factors including camera body weight (a Canon 450D is certainly not as heavy as a Nikon D300 for example) plus lens being used, arm choices and of course ports. An 8" dome port will have more than a 6" dome, etc. I'd expect your D400 (did you mean Canon 400D or as in the US called the Rebel XTi?) depending on lens and if you have the 8" dome port will still be a bit negative. Maybe 2 lbs. with an 8" dome and dual strobes. With a macro lens and flat port a bit more. One example I use often is a Canon 450D, Sigma 15mm or Tokina 10-17mm in Ikelite's 6" port and a single DS160 with Ikelite's ball joint arm. It barely negative and I can toss it up in the water column if nee be to adjust something and catch it as it slowly sinks. Best way it simply dive it then adjust if necessary. Good luck! dhaas Thanks Dhaas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bertschb 0 Posted January 20, 2009 I've had an Ike housing for my 20D for 3 years and at least a couple hundred dives. Never had a problem with the housing or the two DS125's or any other Ike gear. Works great. I really like Ike housings because I switch camera bodies every 2-3 years and they are much more affordable than aluminum. So, if you get new bodies often Ike is the way to go! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lobin 0 Posted January 21, 2009 not that its a stills camera hosuing, but ikelite nonetheless. my housing for my sony HDR HC1000 was bought a good few years ago now and never had any problems with leaks, touch wood, the paint has come away from the handles, and other than that, not a bit problem really! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scuba-s 0 Posted January 21, 2009 Scuba-S. I just bought the Ikelite housing for a D400 along with dual DS160s. Have been wracking my brain and surfing sites/threads/blogs regarding buoyancy -- first time I found anything that might let me know what to expect. Very helpful. What size Stix and which size buoyancy foam did you use. What did you put in the cavity? (You can tell I just received it -- getting it in the pool on Thursday) i use the medium size stix floats made for the ultralight arms ,i will be getting the stix armand float system when i buy my second strobe a ds160 i was told they are not rigid out of the water but ok underwater,my ultralight have trouble holding my ds125 out of the water,what counts is there flexibility underwater i us a high density foam the type made for children's safety floats ,i will probably go with the jumbo foats for the next strobe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
