Panasonic LX3 in 10Bar housing

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HenrikBP

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I've searching quite a bit lately and came across some good information about the Panasonic LX3 used in the new 10Bar housing:

10Bar Underwater Housings for Panasonic LX3

The user manual gives more info than the web page:

http://www.10bar.com/manual/InstructionManual_LX3.pdf

and here is a Wetpixel thread with more description, pictures, hands-on comments, and on the second page you'll find in-shop wide angle picture "tests":

10Bar LX3 Housing - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums

henrik
 
I also posted this on Wetpixel...

First impressions with this set-up.

I brought my LX3 and 10bar to the Los Coronados Islands near San Diego for a day trip. A couple of things that I've immediately noticed is that the joystick and setting white balance are a pain.

While I didn't have any problems with the joystick being too tight or not operable (as previously posted here), the fact that it's so close to some of the other controls poses a problem. With 5mm gloves on, it was nearly impossible to move the joystick down without accidentaly hitting another control which would take me out of the quick menu. I'm contemplating fashioning something onto the end of the joystick so it protrudes a bit more away from the other controls. If anyone has any other suggestions or has a DIY solution, I'm all ears.

Setting white balance at depth was difficult. With the joystick you have to enter the quick menu, select custom white balance and then select the Display button to enter the interface to be able to take a reading. Once in this interface, you have to select the center Menu/OK button in the middle of the four directional buttons. The way the housing was built, there is a single control for all four directionals, so you have to rotate it to precisely that spot in order to hit the correct directional button. This isn't too big of an issue, since because of the quick menu/joystick there really isn't a reason to use the directionals while underwater. The problem is using the other control to select the middle Menu/OK button. It also must be rotated to exactly the correct sweet spot in order to hit the middle. It's not easily viewable which position it's in from the back of the housing and I found myself accidentaly hitting one of the directional buttons on occasion (completely taking me out of the white balance set-up)... very frustrating. Also if the control that's used for the four directionals hasn't been rotated out of the way, you can't even rotate the Menu/OK control to the center at all. This is another thing I'm considering rigging to keep the directional control out of the way at all times and holding the Menu/OK control exactly over the button. Again, if anyone has run into similar frustrations and has a DIY solution, let's hear it.

Other than these issues, I know it's just a case of getting used to some of the other controls. I have to say that I like the shutter and zoom controls much more than the previous Ikelite housing I've had. The shutter is a button vs. the lever on the Ikelite (which I always had trouble with pressing the shutter half way to focus prior to shooting. The zoom has a spring which brings it back into neutral after moving it either way. This is leaps and bounds over the Ikelite housing I had where you had to manually move it back into neutral after zooming in or out. Which ended up causing me to zoom the other way and struggle with stopping exactly where I wanted to.
 
There is one Japan maker for underwater housing Nautilus (http://www.dive-tail.com/) for LX-3. I've tried both 10bar and Nautilus. I can say Nautilus would be a bit easy for the most of the button. Its a custom made so you can ask for what ever spec u need. They also have English speaking salesperson.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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