New Products, then new Housings when?

So there is much speculation on the possible new Nikon D200, and it made me want to get your take on a general question.

When a new camera hits the market and it looks like it might be desired by UW photogs, what are your experiences with waiting for available housings to come to market?

- Beth

Ikelite will be first, taking about 3 months after the camera starts shipping. Others will folllow around 6 months after the camera ships. So most D200 housings wont be available untill late summer 2006.

There is also the demand issue. If the demand for D200 housings is anywhere near the demand for D2x housings you will have a hard time getting one. All the aluminum housing manufacturers are still strugling to keep up with the demand for D2x housings, there are wait lists even now, more than 6 months after Subal started shipping the first housings.

That is why you rarely see the housing manufacturers advertising. Because they can't make the things fast enough to keep up with the demand.

I will ask at Antibes at the weekend.

I got my D2X housing the day before the camera was released (housing 24th Feb, camera 25th Feb 05)! But that was an exception.

I can't remember when the D100 was actually available, but I got my housing (subal) in December 2002. (can someone fill in when the D100 was released)

The D70 was released in March/April 04 and I did the Subal D70 review for Wetpixel in August 04. 4-5 months

Alex

The D100 was announced during the PMA 2002 (February) and became available in late June 2002.

For D70, I think Sea and Sea was the first one to come out with the housing.

I got the camera in March and I got the housing either end of May or early June. I suppose one of the factor is how closely the camera resemble the older camera. If it is very similar in shape and size, then it should not be too difficult for the manufacturer to adapt but if it is a completely new body then it would take much longer.

I expect that since Nikon does not introduce a new camera every 10-12 months and each camera is generally different enough from each other that the demand is significant enough for each model so housing manufacturers are willing to invest in manufacturing process (except for may be D50 ) unlike Canon where some models are pretty much left out with very little support.