Housing improvements for the digital age

Would like to start a discussion on housing technology, and how it could improve for digital imaging. Dr. Mustard's thread on 25 different SLRs got me thinking about it; I posted something similar there, but wanted to start a separate thread.

It seems to me that a lot more could be done to take advantage of digital technology. For example, why are housing designs constrained by the physical camera design/button placement? We're wrapping a digital tool in a pre-digital interface. I can get Nikon software that allows me to control my camera remotely from my laptop - I don't have to touch the camera. Why can't I get that same technology in a housing? You could design a housing with no constraints other than the physical size of the camera, since you'd never need to touch a button on the camera. Your controls, electrical rather than mechanical, could be ergonomically placed, rather than dictated by their location on the camera body. Instead of buying a new housing with a new body, you'd just buy a software update. The housing manufacturers, freed from the constraints of tiny production lots and elaborate mechanical gearing, might be able to hard-tool the camera body, ensuring tighter tolerances and lower cost.

I'm interested to hear your ideas on this. What would you like to see in 2/5/10 years? What changes will new features like wireless bring?

Light & Motion do this but many people sacrifices ergonomics over budget. This should be the future, just plug an usb port to your camera and control your camera by the housing ergonomic placed buttons. But first you need to solve the battery drain issue and the cost...

And of course, housing electronics should be waterproof... BTW, how difficult can be made actual housing electronics water proof? (Ikelite TTL, alarms, etc...)

I don´t see cameras like Nikonos back on the market again...

I don´t see cameras like Nikonos back on the market again...

Do not say that!!! One of my dreams is a digital camera in the Nikonos body. Small, portable, light (man did not realize how easy those were, thought carrying them and a stobe was alot, LOL) couple of nice lenses. Did I mention small portable and light? Sea & Sea seems to be trying and a couple of others. Who knows, maybe we can be suprised.

Light & Motion do this but many people sacrifices ergonomics over budget. This should be the future, just plug an usb port to your camera and control your camera by the housing ergonomic placed buttons. But first you need to solve the battery drain issue and the cost...

 

And of course, housing electronics should be waterproof... BTW, how difficult can be made actual housing electronics water proof? (Ikelite TTL, alarms, etc...)

 

I don´t see cameras like Nikonos back on the market again...

What's the battery drain issue? If you put batteries in the housing, would that fix it? As far as cost, I can see that up-front development expense would be higher, but long-term, costs should be lower, since you wouldn't have to invest nearly as much to support new cameras. For Nikon, it might be as relatively simple as writing a USB keyboard emulator, and porting their existing x86 software to run on an embedded processor with a small Linux kernel. If the housing manufacturers agree on standards, they could probably farm out a lot of this design work and OEM it, further reducing cost.

I'm not convinced moving the electronics to the housing means not changing out the housing, just upgrading software. Even within a camera line, body sizes do change, at least subtly. I also don't really WANT a perfectly form-fitted housing, since a leak is instantly dangerous...and requires more buoyancy compensation.

I do think they could do some things to improve housings for the digital age. A USB passthru for example, to a waterproofed external port, so you could DL your shots without cracking the seal between rapid repetitive dives. A DC passthru for those whose cameras let them charge the battery via a wall adaptor (mine doesn't).

I do like the idea of external electronics, even screens, but don't see them as an absolute requirement. But it would be cool to have the shutter button on the 'handles' so to speak, and aperture or timing on the opposite handle, so you never need to switch your grip. I'm sure there are times (shooting portrait or whatnot) that would become counterproductive as well though.

As of right now, the direction DSLRs seem to be going with more and better features available at the lower end pricewise while the existing 3rd party housings like Ike aren't really changing in price (isn't $1400 their standard list for everything, period? ), that the housings are already more expensive than the bodies. So I'm not terribly eager to making that equation even more imbalanced. I can see pros wanting more and better ergonomics, but for a newbie if it prices me out of even starting it doesn't help.

Do not say that!!! One of my dreams is a digital camera in the Nikonos body. Small, portable, light (man did not realize how easy those were, thought carrying them and a stobe was alot, LOL) couple of nice lenses. Did I mention small portable and light? Sea & Sea seems to be trying and a couple of others. Who knows, maybe we can be suprised.

After all Nikon is a business and if Nikonos V after 20 years or so was discontinued for the market and RS wasn`t what they expect to be, then I think the gave up.

What's the battery drain issue? If you put batteries in the housing, would that fix it?

Yes that`s what I`m talking about.

For Nikon, it might be as relatively simple as writing a USB keyboard emulator, and porting their existing x86 software to run on an embedded processor with a small Linux kernel.

Dude don´t "Schwartz" me...

If the housing manufacturers agree on standards, they could probably farm out a lot of this design work and OEM it, further reducing cost.

But you´ll always have to upgrade the housing, at least to mantain the nodal ponit aligned.

Dude don´t "Schwartz" me...

Oh man, the ultimate Wetpixel flame. Come on man, that's a low blow. Sorry, I work with a bunch of computer engineers and sometimes that stuff just slips out. Basically, all I'm saying is it's technically achievable with existing technology.

The last thing id want in a housing is too much electronics. There is just no way you can field repair a flood in one of those things unless you bring spares of all that electronics. Bringing a spare camera is bad enough.

Cor

Do not say that!!! One of my dreams is a digital camera in the Nikonos body. Small, portable, light (man did not realize how easy those were, thought carrying them and a stobe was alot, LOL) couple of nice lenses. Did I mention small portable and light? Sea & Sea seems to be trying and a couple of others. Who knows, maybe we can be suprised.

You are not kidding! With the current state of varied airport weight rules on hand luggage I'd love something small and light. My quote of the year so far comes from a security lady at Dunedin airport who was perfectly happy to see our bags crammed with camera housings/bodies/lenses/chargers/etc. in the x-ray machine and when asked if she wanted to have the bags opened (as most do) smiled and said that everything looked fine in the x-ray and that South Island common sense suggested that we were seriously into photography! What a refreshing attitude, but am I glad the bags weren't weighed!

The thread poses a serious question but again you really have to think about what improvements could be made to result in image quality improvements rather than just adding electronics or something just for the sake of it. My suspicion is that using our existing equipment more would probably be a more effective way of improving imagery.

Do not say that!!! One of my dreams is a digital camera in the Nikonos body. Small, portable, light (man did not realize how easy those were, thought carrying them and a stobe was alot, LOL) couple of nice lenses. Did I mention small portable and light? Sea & Sea seems to be trying and a couple of others. Who knows, maybe we can be suprised.

It would seem that with a full frame sensor now in the Nikon lineup, a remake of the Nikonos RS would be feasible. Leica are doing a similar thing with the M*. Sure would be nice.

The thread poses a serious question but again you really have to think about what improvements could be made to result in image quality improvements rather than just adding electronics or something just for the sake of it. My suspicion is that using our existing equipment more would probably be a more effective way of improving imagery.

Not really talking about image quality - I'm not sure a housing can improve the quality of the image much. More about the user of the housing, and secondarily what's in it. It's just a tool, but I think it's appropriate to look at how to improve the tool.

Fair point by various people on adding electronics/complexity - maybe I'm not so smart after all. A housing that failed after a flood would probably not sell well .

Oh man, the ultimate Wetpixel flame. Come on man, that's a low blow. Sorry, I work with a bunch of computer engineers and sometimes that stuff just slips out. Basically, all I'm saying is it's technically achievable with existing technology.

LOL, I kind of understood that.

The last thing id want in a housing is too much electronics. There is just no way you can field repair a flood in one of those things unless you bring spares of all that electronics. Bringing a spare camera is bad enough.

 

Cor

But if you made electronics watertight, you don´t have to worry more than you do now about flooding, in fact on a second thought, I´ll be happier with systems evolving to be more watertight and fool proof.