Which enclosure??

[tammarak]

We currently shoot with our Lumix in an Ikelite enclosure, but we are fairly accoplished terrestrial photographers and own 3 Nikon digital SLR bodes (D70, D80 and D700) and quite a few good quality lenses.

What enclosure are people using with decent equipment like ours?

Thanks for the suggestions,

Tammy

 

[Searcaigh]

A lot depends on budget.

If possible have a look at the selection available on the market, Aquatica, Sea & Sea, Hugyfot, etc etc.

Never heard of the term "enclosure" being used before, "housing" is a more common term.

I would look at local availability first and find somebody to talk to face to face who can show you the housing, how it works etc.

 

[scuba e]

I am a big fan of the Nauticam Housing I am using with my D90. But it only fits the D90.
The 70 and 80 you may be looking at used housings. I am not sure if new is still available.
You mentioned you had a few quality lenses. Is that for the 70/80 and the 700? The 700 is Fullframe (FX format) while the others are DX format.

 

[tammarak]

We started buying FX lenses some time ago since we knew we would be acquiring a full frame camera at some point. We have the D700 now, which we really enjoy and we are considering buying the follow on model when it is available.

I have been keeping an eye on the local Craigslist ads as well as eBay for used equipment, but haven't seen anything yet. Is there another good source for used gear? I don't believe we have a shop in the Seattle area that stocks much for this market.

 

[dbh]

This is probably the closest dealer to you:

Camera Housings, Strobes, Arms, Trays & More! - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!

The D700 is a new enough camera that I doubt you will find a used housing for it. For the other 2, check Reef Photo & Backscatter's website for used gear.

HTH

 

[derway]

The ikelite housings are thousands of dollars less than all the fancy aluminum ones, and work perfectly well. They allow wired strobe connections, so you don't have to use the on camera flash, and get more battery life. They have a full set of port options, for all the lenses used underwater. And they have the genius security of having transparent walls, so you can see the o-ring seals after it is closed. To me, this makes them worth thousands of dollars more than the competition, but they are far far cheaper.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The ikelite housings are thousands of dollars less than all the fancy aluminum ones, and work perfectly well. They allow wired strobe connections, so you don't have to use the on camera flash, and get more battery life. They have a full set of port options, for all the lenses used underwater. And they have the genius security of having transparent walls, so you can see the o-ring seals after it is closed. To me, this makes them worth thousands of dollars more than the competition, but they are far far cheaper.

I don't think the price difference is that great. When Adm. Linda bought a housing for her D40, the Aquatica housing was actually cheaper because she could reuse her Nikonos synch cords. With Ike, she would have had to buy two new cords. It's certainly not "thousands".

 

[Maule]

10 characters

 

[HollywoodiversImaging]

For the Nikon bodies you listed, the only one really worth housing would be the D700. That being said, your best options would probly be Nauticam or Aquatica. Sea and Sea has been out of them for over a year. Ikelite is a nice price point, but for that caliber camera and lens, I would be looking at an aluminum enclosure. If money is no object, then you have options like the Subal and Seacam...however they are significantly more than Nauticam or Aquatica, as are the ports and accessories.

 

[CoralKisser]

Nauticam!!