Housing Size Comparison - Ikelike Compact vs. Seatool DSLR (XTi or 400D)

[f3nikon]

The cost for a new housing and strobes is more than a flat screen TV system and more than a used car, COMEON "Seatool", make it affordible for us novice photographers!.

Seatool does have a low cost alternate housing…its called an IKELITE!

I don’t see any more room for a price break with Seatool’s custom molded metal housing’s machining cost then a high quality paint or epoxy finish. Ikelite is using almost the same model as they did for their SLR housing of using a larger generic injection molded plastic housing to fit many cameras, N/C cutting of the holes and you're done!

So the question is that does one even need an expensive all metal housing to take U/W images?

 

[AUTiger]

In my IMHO why spend the thousands in going with a DSLR for U/W use?

Why go for a Porsche when an Mustang will get you 90% there? I like that final 10% (disclaimer: I don't have a Porsche, I have an Audi S4 :14. My Oly 5060 was a great camera, especially combined with my Ike housing and DS-125 strobe. With Inon wet mount macro lenses, it was even better. Still, my Nikon 60mm lens and Woody diopter is even better than those. And the camera is fast as heck. Is it all 4x better (the approximate cost differential between the two systems)? No. That final 10% is exponentially more expensive. That's all about macro.

When it comes to wide-angle, I expect that my Nikon might be 4x better (at least 2 or 3x better) because of its larger sensor, larger aperatures, and better lens selection. This is my weak area, though and I'm still learning. My wide-angle photography problems are the fault of the photographer, not the equipment.

Another reason that I take my D80 underwater is that I use it for topside photography.

I want Seatool/Sea&Sea/other aluminum housings in the same way I admire the engineering of the Porsche. Its good to look at, but not really necessary. The only big draw for me is the viewfinder attachments that are much better than the Ike viewfinder. Those attachments cost almost as much as a whole Ike housing. I'm not going to pay 3-4x times the Ike housings (which is already 2-3x more expensive than the pns housing) just for the viewfinder.

Like somebody else said (maybe f3Nikon), I don't want to buy a housing that is so expensive that I am still paying on it when it becomes obsolete. With the Ike setup, the most I'll be out is the $1200 housing if I upgrade cameras and I can probably sell the housing for $600, even then. I won't feel too bad if I decide to upgrade. That being said, I think that I'm still good for at least several more years with my D80, although I would love a D80x with live view, a dust shaker, etc., as long as the buttons were all in the same place.

David

 

[f3nikon]

Why go for a Porsche when an Mustang will get you 90% there? I like that final 10% (disclaimer: I don't have a Porsche, I have an Audi S4 :14. My Oly 5060 was a great camera, especially combined with my Ike housing and DS-125 strobe. With Inon wet mount macro lenses, it was even better. Still, my Nikon 60mm lens and Woody diopter is even better than those. And the camera is fast as heck. Is it all 4x better (the approximate cost differential between the two systems)? No. That final 10% is exponentially more expensive. That's all about macro.

When it comes to wide-angle, I expect that my Nikon might be 4x better (at least 2 or 3x better) because of its larger sensor, larger aperatures, and better lens selection. This is my weak area, though and I'm still learning. My wide-angle photography problems are the fault of the photographer, not the equipment.

Another reason that I take my D80 underwater is that I use it for topside photography.

I want Seatool/Sea&Sea/other aluminum housings in the same way I admire the engineering of the Porsche. Its good to look at, but not really necessary. The only big draw for me is the viewfinder attachments that are much better than the Ike viewfinder. Those attachments cost almost as much as a whole Ike housing. I'm not going to pay 3-4x times the Ike housings (which is already 2-3x more expensive than the pns housing) just for the viewfinder.

Like somebody else said (maybe f3Nikon), I don't want to buy a housing that is so expensive that I am still paying on it when it becomes obsolete. With the Ike setup, the most I'll be out is the $1200 housing if I upgrade cameras and I can probably sell the housing for $600, even then. I won't feel too bad if I decide to upgrade. That being said, I think that I'm still good for at least several more years with my D80, although I would love a D80x with live view, a dust shaker, etc., as long as the buttons were all in the same place.

David

So are you saying its all about being “stylish” like the difference between the Mustang and Porsche, because both cars can get you from point A to point B? How does the Porsche do it better?

The Olympus 5050 at 6mp great camera, but I am talking about the newer 10 or 12mp P&S are you saying they are the same as your 5050?

Wide-angle does come out better on the DSLR (and I said this many, many times before) because of the true removable wide-angle fish eye lens made for the DSLR. The P&S zoom does not go that wide so an add-on wide-angle has to be used, but not after sacrificing the image quality.

But does this justify spending thousands on a soon to be obsolete system? Look around some folks are already switching from a non-live view DSLR to a live view DSLR system, which is really a P&S system with removable lenses. And I see more macro images than wide-angles anyway, in low vis waters you have to, for the most part, shoot only macro.

The sensor size difference maybe an issue with your 5050 but I have seen blow ups of the newer 10 or 12 mp P&S and could not see any difference between a DSLR in terms of sharpness, contrast and color saturation.

Keep in mind that Canon had to "Dumb down" the G7 P&S by not including the RAW feature to the camera as not to hurt their own DSLR market (canon makes both).

In fact I have seen images from the same person who switched from an older P&S to a DSLR system and find that the images came out better on the P&S than the DSLR in terms of composition, color and exposure.

To sum everything up if I were shooting macro or wide-angles on LAND, I would use my SLR or DSLR system. U/W shooting with a DSLR just does not make any CENTS to me...IMHO

 

[caymaniac]

If you've ever had to haul around that bulky Ike,
with those strobes in a current you might think
about what a good idea that Seatool is. Also when
you are packing for a trip, where in the heck do I
go with that housing and strobe bulk/weight, Seatool
looks like the ticket. The price of the Seatool
however is keeping me as well as others from a
purchase. I'm not afraid of my Ike leaking as I have
sent in my housing twice for new o-rings in the time
that I've owned it and it's never failed me...since 1984!

 

[f3nikon]

I actually have hauled around an Ikelite with three strobes in strong current, if fact the current was so strong that the bubbles coming from my reg. (like your picture) was blowing sideways! And you tree huggers out there, cover your ears because the dive master/guide and myself had to jam our fins on the reef and walk on this seamount to keep from blowing away, brittle stars and anything else we dislodge would just FLY by with the current!

The size of the Ikelite housing was not the issue it’s the large surface area of the strobes extended out and acting like sails that was applying the most leverage.

And yes if Seatool give me a FREE Housing and ports for my DSLR I would not say no.

 

[Jim Ernst]

On the trip we did to Bunaken/Lembeh in September somebody put their 350D/Xt in an Ike housing next to Mary's 400D/Xti in Seatool housing on the camera table. The Ike housing is more than "slightly larger" than the Seatool housing. I took a picture and one person I showed it to who uses a 350D/Xt in an Ike housing had to be told that the the 400D/Xti in Seatool housing was actually the housing, they thought it was the camera by itself because the size difference was so big.

Before anyone says that comparing an Ike housing for a 350D/Xt and Seatool housing for 400D/Xti isn't valid because they are different cameras I'd just like to say that the cameras themselves are almost identical in size and some camera housings (Sea & Sea for instance) for the 350D can be modifided to take the 400D.

This is a very informetive thread for me!!

Gudge..!!

Just want to say thanks, you posted this picture just in time, today I went to look at the sea-&-sea housing and the ike-lite housing, but I could only see pictures and I was leaning towards the ike-lite as I have used them in the past and was very happy!!

But I now have a 400D DSLR and seeing the size differance in your picture you posted I will definatly go for the sea-sea!!

 

[Gudge]

Just want to say thanks, you posted this picture just in time, today I went to look at the sea-&-sea housing and the ike-lite housing, but I could only see pictures and I was leaning towards the ike-lite as I have used them in the past and was very happy!!

But I now have a 400D DSLR and seeing the size differance in your picture you posted I will definatly go for the sea-sea!!

The housing on the right in my shot is a Seatool housing not a Sea & Sea housing.

 

[f3nikon]

On another note, what advantage does the Seatool have in a small size when the trays that both housings are sitting on are about the same size! Is the Seatool better because it has more space between the housing and tray handles to hold your cellphone? For Thousands more...what a deal!

 

[AUTiger]

Put an 8-inch dome on any of these housings and they'll all be huge.

I'm reminded of bicyclists who spend thousands of dollars to trim pounds (or even ounces) off of their bicycles, while carrying around an extra 15 pound on their waist. There are cheaper areas to make improvements before throwing money on the problem.

I'll save my thousands and haul around my Ikelite housings, although I do still drool over the aluminum models.

David

 

[pakman]

This is a very informetive thread for me!!

But I now have a 400D DSLR and seeing the size differance in your picture you posted I will definatly go for the sea-sea!!

Jim the Sea & Sea would fit roughly between the two in terms of size. But it's not just the size that's the beauty of the Seatools but the ergonomics of it. When I had a chance to play around with the Seatool 400D housing at the Asia Dive Expo, the primary controls were pretty much all within fingertip reach with the right hand in the grip. Something you can't do with the Ike or Sea&Sea without having to move your right hand off the handle.

F3, the handles do come off... Bet you could put an entire Seatool setup, macro port + dome, 2xInon strobes, camera, and a couple lenses, all in a nice small camera carryon backpack. Try that with the Ikelite. And I'd rather have to push the Seatool/Inon setup through a ripping current even with strobes out than that Ike setup.