Billet Aluminum Housing for GoPro - WOW

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RockyHeap

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Just found this on the web, a pre-production start-up company is raising funds to start production of total billet aluminum GoPro housings, with quartz glass flat port front and LCD backs.

Red Anodized Aluminum and stainless steel hardware.

NINE, yes I said NINE 1/4-20 mounting points on the housing edge for any conceivalble mounting needs........that kicks butt over the OEM single point frail undercamera twin-plastic-tab.

Something definately interesting to check out. Supposed to start production Sept 2012.


Very Very cool looking product.



Go Pro underwater housing for the GoPro Hero and Hero2 by Marc Ellis — Kickstarter
 
Looks similar to the unruly housings.
UNRULY
I do like the red anodizing though.
Thx for sharing
 
Yeah, I've been watching these for a week or so. The first batch at $99 was a pretty good deal but I still couldn't justify it. (Even at $149 they are still a pretty good deal.) Only two problems I see are there is no way to tell if the camera is running without turning it around and checking the display as the red LED's are not visible and you also have to go all the way up to the $249 version to get the door for the LCD bacpac. It does appear they will accept the older model backscatter red filter.

The unrulys aren't for diving. These are good to 100m.
 
Depends on which unruly you are talking about.
They have some that still use the oem housing inside the unruly housing.
But for 249$ for lcd compatible they can keep it.
Cool idea though.
 
At $250 or even $300 it's a steal.

Maybe you guys are used to cheap plastic crap housings and complain about paying $10-15 for moisture absorbants from GoPro.....

But lets see, lots of photographers should also beatch / boycott Nauticam or Aquatica for selling $1800-3000 housing for a DSLR or other camera rig?


This GoPro Billet aluminum takes a heck of a lot of CNC machine work, planning, CAD work, and no I'm not affiliated with the company, it's COOL to see someone as a small independant tool up and machine these parts.

so you guys whining about paying $250 for a Pro-Quality Billet Aluminum GoPro housing, have no problem paying $50 for a simple Backscatter red PLASTIC lens? Take a step back and look at the material and engineering costs. Once again, this billet aluminum housing is cheap and a steal for anything under $500.


Many OEM makers of housing for point-n-shoot cameras, Sony, Olympus, Canon, all make cheap plastic housings, with an "affordable" price point............guess that's what is the difference between the "picture taker" and the "photographer".

I've flooded or had too many cheap crap housings fail on me. And if Billet Aluminum cost's a bit more than OEM, then so be it, but at least my camera will keep working on a $5000 vacation somewhere, instead of me cutting corners and thinking a $49 GoPro housing will be just as good.

No worries, I'm just glad to share this guys new billet housing. It's very unique and a one of a kind as far as I know..........
 
LOL -And who is to say that this housing won't flood also. Just like the 49$ housing or a 3000$ housing.
Orings are orings.
There is a huge difference between a pro rig camera and housing and a cheap gopro setup.
Not trying to argue, i just dont see the point of spending the same amount on a housing as the 300$ cheap camera itself
To each his own i guess.
 
I agree that it's overkill.
"Cheap plastic crap" is far less fragile than some people think, more than adequate for the 130' dives most of limit ourselves to. That plastic ain't your hardware store plexiglass but something more like Lexan, the stuff they use for bullet proof windows. Just because it's aluminum doesn't mean it doesn't leak. From what I've seen, damn few of any of the housings, aluminum or plastic, flood because they were defective. It's operator error that'll bite yer butt.
The only flood I've ever had (operator error), was with an aluminum housing, and I've had none with the 3 different plastic housings I've used since. Probably because I make sure that the O ring is at least in the housing before I dive:dork2:
 
...so you guys whining about paying $250 for a Pro-Quality Billet Aluminum GoPro housing, have no problem paying $50 for a simple Backscatter red PLASTIC lens? Take a step back and look at the material and engineering costs. Once again, this billet aluminum housing is cheap and a steal for anything under $500.

Please don't think that I am dissin' this housing in any way. I'm just not in the water enough to justify it. I really did consider grabbing one when they were still $99, hoping I could get the clear bacpac door later at a reasonable price. But again, I'm just not in the water enough. I also have the feeling it's not going to fit the next model of GoPro so I wouldn't get much use before it became obsolete. As far as having a problem with $40 for the Backscatter filter, not really. The problem is with the $12 they charge to ship that little piece of plastic.

Regarding your sub $500 parameter for billet aluminum housings, the Patima housing is only $400 and it is good to 200m. Patima GOPRO Housing for GoPro HERO / HERO2 #PH-GOPRO
 
My sole intent, it to get the interest growing into consumer price point of higher quality rigs.
 
so you guys whining about paying $250 for a Pro-Quality Billet Aluminum GoPro housing, have no problem paying $50 for a simple Backscatter red PLASTIC lens? Take a step back and look at the material and engineering costs. Once again, this billet aluminum housing is cheap and a steal for anything under $500..

Suppose someone comes out with a solid gold housing, would the material and engineering costs justify the high price tag if the product functionality is basically the same? In the same line, think of gold watches, or gold teeth - they all do the same job but some cost more.. Both housings can still leak due to a bad/misplaced o-ring, both can fog and need the inserts, both have flat lenses, both can be attached to trays, etc.

Still, there are people that appreciate the craftsmanship and may find it worth the $300, just like some people still wear gold teeth.
 

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