Scuba Diving roped Stephen Frink into writing a round-up of the hottest new products for the underwater shutterbug. Of the 11 items on his list, we’ve already covered half of them – the best half, of course. However, if you want Frink’s take on the rest of the goods – including Fantasea’s FD-70 Housing for the Nikon D70 and Light and Motion’s Mako Underwater Video Housing for Sony’s DCR PC 1000 – then head on over to Scuba Diving and see what he has to say. Frink's Favorite New Underwater Photography Gear
Scuba Diving roped Stephen Frink into writing a round-up of the hottest new products for the underwater shutterbug. Of the 11 items on his list, we’ve already covered half of them – the best half, of course. However, if you want Frink’s take on the rest of the goods – including Fantasea’s FD-70 Housing for the Nikon D70 and Light and Motion’s Mako Underwater Video Housing for Sony’s DCR PC 1000 – then head on over to Scuba Diving and see what he has to say. Reader Comments
(Page 1)5. Is it unreasonable to ask the dealer if they have a bucket of water? It seems like many shops would do a lot to get you to make off with a high ticket item, especially if you approach it in the right way.
I realize that a bucket isn't the best test, but it's better than just drooling over it.
Posted at 8:57PM on Oct 18th 2005 by mccand
6. I have to say that there's much more to a good housing than just being water-tight. You want to know how it's balanced; is it positive or negative; does the dome port make it want to rotate upward? How well do the external controls mate to the camera controls, and are you able to access all of the important camera features? Are the controls easy to operate, even with gloves in cold water? Or will they make you spend so much time fumbling around that you'll miss that great dolphin shot? For the long term, you also want to know what kind of service the manufacturer offers, or what shops in your area can service your housing if there's a problem. Some shops and dealers have demo units that you can rent, and while this does cost money, it can be a reasonable way to try out a housing before you commit to a whole system. Also don't forget to check out the forums at Wetpixel (http://www.wetpixel.com) ; there's a lot of good info there.
Posted at 10:31PM on Oct 18th 2005 by Anat Grant
7. "Do you think somebody will front me a camera housing to play with underwater before I pay for it?"
Actually that's what happened to me ;)
I got the housing to write a review in some magazine but not the camera (I'm a Canon user). I had the housing for a month, trying to find someone who'd be willing to loan me a D70 but that never happened.
However I did get a chance to use it (with a camera inside) out of the water. I was never concerned about it (not) being waterproof but the controls were awful.
It was difficult, if at all possible, to access most controls, some didn't even align properly (or barely touched but didn't press the buttons etc.)
I couldn't see anything through the viewfinder and all other kinds of usability mistakes.
Sure it could go underwater and I might even have taken a few shots that would turn out great but it's definitely not a housing I'd be willing to spend any money on.
8. I care about easy of use/ergonomics and depth rating in a camera housing. I've had 3 of them at this point, canon, Ikelite/Olympus and Light and Motion (LM)/Olympus and LM was hands down the best in all areas.
I now have a 20D in addition to my video camera but just can't justify getting a housing for it. However, the Ikelite with the eTTL integration looks pretty cool. Sadly, LM doesn't make housings for Canon DSLRs, so really my only real choice is Ikelite. The best SLR/housing that i've seen to date is the Nikon D100/Titan combo, my buddy AG has one and it rocks.
Posted at 4:41PM on Oct 20th 2005 by Bill Reals
9. Bill, my friend Joe recently got the Ikelite housing for his 20D and he's really happy with it. The TTL is a great feature, and the ports are not super-expensive, so if you happened to scratch one (doh!) it wouldn't cost you and arm and leg to replace it. Like your buddy, I've shot with my D100 in the Light & Motion Titan housing and I really liked it: well-balanced, easy controls, and lots of control over the strobes, even though it isn't TTL.
Posted at 1:42PM on Oct 20th 2005 by Anat Grant
1. I hate to dissagree but that FantaSea housing for D70 is crap. Haven't had a chance to use it underwater (was missing a D70 at the time) ;) but just by handling it above water I could tell it's absolutely useless. Maybe it was just the one they gave me but I honestly don't know if I'd dare use it with my own camera.
Posted at 12:41PM on Oct 18th 2005 by Jernej