Viewfinder question for D100/D70

so I was at my LDS picking up my drysuit, and i asked the manager what uw housing should i get for my D100.

without hesitation he said Subal for $3500.
I was planning on going Ikelite at a mere $1100. The remaining money would more than pay for a lens 12-24, and at least one if not two strobes. Budget wise, the Ikelite made a LOT more sense.

He told me that the Subal had a magnification system for the viewfinder while Ikelite didn't. I know a bunch of you guys use Ikelite. Do you guys have a problem seeing thru the viewfinder? Are there problems with viewing on the other systems? Sea and Sea, Nexus? Of course the LDS didn't have any housings in stock for direct comparison. The manager claims he doesn't make a commission. What makes the Subal worth that extra money?

I plan on going on several dive trips a year as well as wknd trips to Monterrey.
I can understand quality and the unfortunate extra expensive of that. But an extra $2400?

I trust this guy, but right now I feel like he is pulling my leg, my wallet, food out of my mouth.....

I have played with the Subal in the shop and it does do a nice job magnifying the shot, plus it is a nice housing. I don’t know if it is worth +$1000 more than everyone else. I have an Aquatica housing for my D100. The only time I wish for a larger viewfinder is when it is dark & murky and I’m trying to get a picture of a brown fish on a dark background. Depends on how much patience you have, start w/Subal, one Strobe and maybe just one or two of the more affordable lens….

thanks for the reply mjh

how much did you pay for your housing? What do you like/dislike of your housing?

I'm trying to do this on a budget. I'm trying to find a reason that would not justify buying the Ikelite.

What do Ikelite owners think about the viewfinder and the housing?

thanks.

All housings do have some kind of a little magnification system, Subal, Seacam and Sealux just happen to provide something quite a bit bigger. The Subal sportfinder is $900, not sure if that is already included in the $3500 price. It is a bargain in comparison to Seacam sportfinder. It is nice if you can afford it but not essential in most cases. I always consider Seacam the Roll Royce of housing, Subal is not far behind while the rest of us mere mortals have to stay with Toyota and Honda Ikelite, Sea and Sea, Nexus are fine. D70 viewfinder is smaller than D100 so some people (like my aging dive buddy) do complain a little bit about looking through the viewfinder on some housings but I have not heard of anyone complaining about D100.
Sea and Sea D100 housing is gigantic, D70 is smaller but still quite big.

Tough question.....I've seen the Subal and the viewfinder is very nice.....I would love to have it, but I really don't have any problem using the Ikelite viewfinder....I understand that the D100's viewfinder is a little larger than our D70's viewfinder, so you shouldn't have any trouble....I use AF exclusively, the larger viewfinder would be worth the extra money if you prefer manual focusing......personally, I'd spend the difference on another lens

Our Ikelite housings handle great underwater and are barely negative with 2 strobes and manual controllers. All camera functions work great. The aluminum housings are works of art, but I can't justify the extra cost for something that doesn't improve the quality of my shots...it's just a box to keep the water out IMHO

Karl

For me it came down to Ikelite and Aquatica ($$$). By a fluke I found an ad for a professional photographer who was getting out of the hobby selling all of his equipment, all less than 6mths old. As an amateur I don’t think you can go wrong with Ike, S&S, or Aquatica. I just prefer a metal housing, I am not always as gentle with equip as I should be. I also found I needed less gears, extensions, etc.. for the lenses I was using.

The D100 in an Aquatica housing works fine. However: as soon as there's any question about the image, I find my face smashed up against the back. Hard.

Since I was "raised" on film cameras with sportsfinders, by comparison the digital SLRs definitely are lacking in the viewfinder department. I can live with this in the D100, although my next housing will be a Subal for the D70...just because of the GS viewfinder optics. From what I've seen of the Subal D70 at Backscatter, it is not quite as good as a sportsfinder on a F4, but very close.

I'd trot down to Backscatter and lay hands and eyes on a Subal, and use that to make a decision. If you like the finder but not the price, you might consider SeaLux, which literally has identical optics.

With that said, reconfirm that the Subal D10 can be delivered with the GS finder. I have heard that there isn't enough physical space around the finder to install one, and after looking at the back of the Subal housing, I can believe it.

If you can live with the small finder, you might take a harder look at the optics (ports). I am picky about optical quality, and I would prefer an Aquatica, Sea & Sea, Nexus, or Subal, since the dome sizes are larger. You occasionally find adapters to fit these domes to an Ikelite housing; this says a bit about optical preferences.

Ikelite has an excellent reputation for build and service, and both are justified by my experiences.

All the best, James

PS: Do NOT look through the GS viewfinder. Your checkbook will become lighter in milliseconds.

thanks everybody.

James... that's what i was afraid of.... (re: my checkbook)


Just bought a house, got no more $$ !!!
darn... what did i do with that Lotto txt

Just received my Ikelite housing on the weekend. Shot 40 pictures at 70 feet in 39 degree f water here in Ontario Canada. I have been very pleased the the results of my first dive with the equipment. Viewfinder was very easy to few from.