What makes housings so expensive?

[chris196]

Any one remember the old Olympus pt-010.
That housing could accomodate a number of cameras C2XXX, C3XXX, C4XXX.
It had to have set some kind of record. And I serviced mine myself and used it through 2 cameras before selling it.
I've also had a Fuji OEM housing. It is the best made OEM housing I've seen and I prefer it over the Ikelites I've encountered.
I've seen the Canons, but never used one.
I have my first non OEM housing coming shortly. I got the Ikelite for the canon S95. I know I don't have access to the real control wheel, but that is not a big deal to me. I plan on being in manual with the apperture changing very little. I'll use the front control ring for the shutter.

There's nothing wrong with buying a higher dollar/quality housing, but it kind of bugs me that people without specific data as to failure rates and such just flippantly dismiss the OEM housings. They have served many people very well and most are serviceable if you have any mechanical apptitude at all.

 

[jd950]

3The Canon OEM housings are marginal at best, often leak from the start, are notoriously unreliable at depth with sticking buttons and are incomplete in terms of control function. They are essentially disposable dry cases, not serviceable marine housings, and are priced accordingly and this completely justifies the difference in price.

N

I am not looking to pick a fight and am currently using a Seatool housing with a Panasonic camera, but I have owned and used several Canon brand housings for several years, going back to a housing for a Canon S230. There are a few functional compromises with housings on those cameras with wheels instead of just buttons, but Fix and other brands have struggled with this as well.

I have never had one flood or fail to function, whether snorkeling or on scuba down to around 120'. In fact, I still have the housing for the S230 around here and it still works fine, with the original O ring. I have not had any buttons fail to operate properly or any other problems with the housings. Maybe I have just been lucky, but I think we may hear more about Canon housing leaks for two primary reasons. One is that they are probably used in greater numbers than most brands and therefore one could expect to hear of failures more often. Canon appears to have a large share of the "consumer" level housing market, as Ike has a large share of the more dedicated market, so one would expect to hear about Canon and Ike failures more often than other brands, even if quality was equal in this regard among different brands.

Secondly, I would imagine that because the Canon housings are comparatively inexpensive they are used by a wide range of users, as to a lesser extent is probably true of Ike. Some of those users may not be as meticulous in maintaining, cleaning and using the housing as those with the more expensive housings and cameras. That may lead to more "problems" than one would see with Nexus, Aquatica, Seatool, Fix, etc.

On the other hand, I also have a Fuji housing for a little compact that Fuji made a few years ago, and that housing does look a bit better to me, including double O rings.

Like I said, I am not trying to pick a fight and your experience may not be as good as mine. I don't disagree that the more expensive housings are "better" in many regards, I just don't think it is accurate to describe Canon housings as "disposable" or "not serviceable" or as little more than a dry box.

 

[Nemrod]

Like I said, I am not trying to pick a fight and your experience may not be as good as mine. I don't disagree that the more expensive housings are "better" in many regards, I just don't think it is accurate to describe Canon housings as "disposable" or "not serviceable" or as little more than a dry box.

No problem with me, I assume you were talking to me since you quoted me :kiss2:, your opinions are representative of your experience and that is a good data point for interested parties. We don't have to agree, if in fact we don't agree, does not mean there is a "fight' of any sort. Thanks for providing your excellent insight.

N

 

[Maddog59]

Like I've said before on this thread I don't believe that the OEM housings are in the same league as specialist housings but they can and are used to take some great photos down to reasonable depths!(Have a look at Gilligans photos for examples)

Try finding any infomation on the Canon OEM housings on their web site and you'll come up blank, other than Canon saying the housing is made to keep water and sand away from the camera in hazardous conditions. Iv'e just spent the last 45 mins trying to find some specs relevant to its underwater use and have basically come up empty!( If you find anything from Canon please post it here) Why won't Canon give an online manual or specs for this housing? Could it be that they don't want to be compared to specialist built underwater housings?

We all like to take underwater pictures and we all have different requirements from our gear and as such we need, by definition a variety of equipment to service those needs and requirements. So if you don't like the cost of a specialist housing don't buy one. That is the whole point of a free market economy. But when you buy your OEM housing and you find that it doesn't quite do what you want it to do, or it doesn't have that one little control that you need, or there is a drop of water on your camera that wasn't there last time you looked, don't complain about the cost of that top of the line housing that the other divers on your liveaboard 2 week dive charter have! Think about the money you saved by not buying that expensive handmade and individually checked and calibrated housing!!
Oh and then ask the other divers for a copy of their photos!! (good luck with that)


Peter

 

[ronski101]

I got the Cannon G10 OEM housing because of its small size compared to the custom housings and cost vs the benefits. If my housing leaks I will shed a tear but if my fancy high dollar housing leaks it will be a gusher.