Ikelite 8" Port Availability

[dbh]

missed part of your earlier statement:

shooting a 60mm thru a dome may work OK for fish shots....but not for macro. I will only shoot mine through a flat port. You can also add a "Woody" to a flat port for more magnification.


Dave

 

[Cacia]

Has anyone gotten any information on availability of the new 8" port from Ikelite for Nikon housings? Last I heard it would be available in November but now they are saying it will be another month or so.

Cheers

I spoke with Ikelite yesterday because I had these same questions. (I wanted a good reason to spend 400 dollars, VS 140) I did not see this thread until today....

Anyway they told me they will be filling orders in February.

I am still not sure what I want to do. I wish I could see some examples of pictures with both ports using the 10.5.

I am sort of not too thrilled about the extension ring, just seems to add failure points for a flood.

I think it adds acouple o-rings to the whole equation.

 

[fdog]

Catherine, FWIW it seems like just about everything I shoot has an extension ring of some flavor, instead of a plain port.

I wouldn't be too concerned, it hasn't been an issue for me.


All the best, James

 

[Diver Dennis]

I too use the 6" dome right now for my Canon 10-22mm. It seems to work well and Ike says the 8" dome results are not necessarily better. Have you guys used one? I'm thinking of ordering one.

 

[Cacia]

That's pretty much all I needed to hear. I just don't want to spend 400 dollars for one port. But, Dennis you could give it to me for my birthday, since you do own a hockey team and all.

I love splits....thats the only tempting thing.

 

[gstroupe]

Anyone out there gotten a new 8" port and care to comment on pro's and con's?

 

[f3nikon]

I use a 17mm (non-digital) lens with the 6" dome. It's fine at small aperatures (f16), but anything wider than that leaves the edges of the picture blurry, because the lens can't focus on the whole curved virtual image. A wider dome should correct for this. Almost $400 seems pretty steep though.

That's correct. 6" domes will blur the edges on 20mm lens or wider, 28mm or shorter is the limit for the 6". The difference is the curve on the lens port doe not match the curve on the lense. That is why Ikelite had to make the 8" port, Aquatica and others were making the 8" for years already.

 

[Rooster]

B&H has 8” dome in stock. Just got an e-mail from them yesterday letting me know that they have come in. Don't know how many they got, so they may go fast. I'm still on the fence with this. I haven't decided how I'm going to house my lost in the mail D-200, so I'm holding off on the $375. Ike port. If I go with an Ike housing for the D-200, than I'll definitely get the 8" dome. If I go with the Aquatica housing, I already have the 8" dome from my F-100 set up. IMHO 8" is the only way to go for WA.

 

[Cacia]

thanks!

 

[Ryan]

Seems that Ikelite is all caught up, because we have them too.

In my experience, the optics of the 10.5 arel not noticeably different behind either the 6" or 8" ports. Fisheye lenses are incredibly tolerant of different dome ports.

The 8" Dome handles poorly underwater, w/ a pronounced backwards roll.

The 8" Port is better for over/under shots, as the water line will be less pronounced in the photograph.

If you plan to add a 12-24 later, the 8" port is noticeably better with that lens.