Question & user opinion - Canon Xti & Seatool housing

It had to happen - my beloved 5050 flooded today It's not all bad news though because now I really can upgrade to a dSLR. I want something small and compact and basically have my heart set on the Canon Xti in a Seatool housing. This also means I can keep my Inon strobes. So is anyone using this setup? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I have a question too regarding port choice. The housing can take either the Seatool ports or the Inon magnetic rotatery port system with an adapter. There is no significant different in price and no difference currently with respects to the lenses I want (neither currently have a port for the Sigma 17 - 70) but both do for the 60mm and 10 - 17. So is there any advantage in going for one over the other? What is the advantage or reason that Inon is using this magnetic system?

Thanks heaps,

Mel.b

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Hi Mel,

I recently bought the seatool/XTi setup (three weeks ago) and initially did not want to spend that much money. However, that said, when I saw the pictures and compared the housing size to my old Pt-010 I was sold. It is worth every penny. The port I have fits both my 60 mm and 18-55 (which I haven't used underwater yet). I was going to use my ses & ses ys 90 DX strobe but it didn't work when I got down to Bonaire so I used an Inon Z240. Everything worked great, no problems. I am hoping they make a port for the Sigma 17-70 too. I am not aware of a magnetic rotary port system on the housing. The port locks into place. To be honest I have no idea what you are talking about. I have been told that the Inon, optic fiber connected strobes are what this housing is designed for not to be hardwired.

I contemplated Ike and Sea & Sea but if you like the smallness of your PT housing then this is the way to go.

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for your reply With regards to the magnetic ports this is the information I have...

Port converter ring for INON

INON MRS 60mm port

INON magnet ring for EF-S60mm

And the advantage of using INON port, it is only you can use MRS system.

MRS system, it is "Magnet Rotary System", to control manual focus with

magnet ring instead the gear

This is from Yuzo in Japan. So really from reading this again, the magnetic system is just another way of controlling manual focus with the 60mm lens? Is it essential to have a manual focus option or is auto focus enough?

Thanks,

Mel.b

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Hi Mel,

I ordered my housing from Reef Photo so maybe Yuzo has some different configurations to use with the seatool which haven't hit the states yet. I would get a manual focus. There were times when my canon 60mm wouldn't lock the focus and I had to use manual. With the seatool there is a gerar ring which fits over the lens and lines up with the manual focus gear. Very simple. Mel you wouild be disappointed in this housing.

Wendy

hi mel,

i use the INON MRS port for the 60mm on a inon X2 housing (which can also support your inon strobes with fiberoptic cables) ... i am very happy with the magnetig port.

it is very helpfull when AF does not work fast enough in low light or with lots of particles in the water ...

greets, serge