Which Brand of DSLR Underwater Housing

Hello everyone! I am a nature photographer and I would really love to get into underwater photography and begin to shoot aquatic wildlife in their natural habitat. I have tried using Ewa-Marine bags before, but found operating my camera through the plastic to be very difficult and unsuccessful.

I would like to purchase a hard underwater DSLR housing. I know next to nothing about underwater photography, but have noticed there are several manufacturers that produce housings, some of which are much more expensive than others. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each system? Why do some systems cost double or triple what others cost? From my understanding, the ports are not interchangable between systems, so I would like to learn as much as I can about each system and invest in equipment I will be able to grow with and use for years to come.

I currently shoot with a Canon 1D Mark II N, but hope to purchase a Canon 5D for landscape work in the near future. I am most interesting in buying a housing for a 5D, but I would be interested in housings available for my 1D2N as well. I would most likely be using the camera with my Canon 17-40mm f/4 zoom lens.

I am not interested in a surf-only housing, as I would like a housing robust enough to free dive with when snorkeling and eventually use while SCUBA diving.

I look forward to your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks for your help!

Hello everyone! I am a nature photographer and I would really love to get into underwater photography and begin to shoot aquatic wildlife in their natural habitat. I have tried using Ewa-Marine bags before, but found operating my camera through the plastic to be very difficult and unsuccessful.

 

I would like to purchase a hard underwater DSLR housing. I know next to nothing about underwater photography, but have noticed there are several manufacturers that produce housings, some of which are much more expensive than others. What are the advantages and disadvantages to each system? Why do some systems cost double or triple what others cost? From my understanding, the ports are not interchangable between systems, so I would like to learn as much as I can about each system and invest in equipment I will be able to grow with and use for years to come.

 

I currently shoot with a Canon 1D Mark II N, but hope to purchase a Canon 5D for landscape work in the near future. I am most interesting in buying a housing for a 5D, but I would be interested in housings available for my 1D2N as well. I would most likely be using the camera with my Canon 17-40mm f/4 zoom lens.

 

I am not interested in a surf-only housing, as I would like a housing robust enough to free dive with when snorkeling and eventually use while SCUBA diving.

 

I look forward to your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks for your help!

Most well known makes offer a housing for the 5D – it is a very nice camera for UW work. The biggest difference in cost, is if you chose an aluminum housing or a plastic housing. The former ones are more expensive and their major advantage is that they usually are nimbler to pack and transport and more robust. All the well known manufacturers produce good quality equipment. Most allow access to more or less the same controls with small variation, but they do have personality differences regarding ergonomics and 'feel'. The craftsmanship in details, like buttons and controls, also vary, which normally is reflected in the price tag.

Ports are mostly not interchangable, but I know that at leat one housing can take different makes with adapters (Hugyfot). But as long as you go with one of the 'proven' makes I wouldn't worry too much as they all have a good selection of ports.

From the top of my head, take a look at the following: Ikelite, Aquatica, Sea&Sea, Hugyfot, Subal, Seacam and Nexxus. For a 5D-housing, you will be looking at a span of US$1500-5000 for the mentioned brands.

good luck

Christian

Hi Kari and welcome to wetpixel.

If you can get to a dealer with all the brands on display, I would recommend doing that, even if you need to take a cheap flight. I would have love to have been able to compare many models in the flesh at the same time but can't do that here in Aus. You won't get a feel for size and ergonomics off web sites, and recommendations from other photographers should always be tempered....no use using advice on ergonomics from 7' muscle-man with giant hands if you are petite and right-handed

From the images on your site it is obvious you have a good understanding of photography and probably control your camera instinctively, so if you want to take your shooting style underwater, when you have the display housings in your hand, see which one might allow the most seamless transition.

One last ramble... if you are seduced by one of the top-of-the-price-scale housings, just remember when it comes time to upgrade your housing's main body for a new camera model, you'll might be spending big again!

darren

BTW I would encourage everyone to check out Kari's website as you will find some lovely work there.

Hi Kari, welcome to wetpixel. I'm guessing from your site your going to love macro underwater! You should consider leaving enough room in your budget for at least one macro lens like the 60mm or 100mm when your selecting your housing. As you know photgraphy is all about the light, and you'll need to take some with you so consider the strobe(s) when your looking. I'd point you towards a system you can grow with, so take Darren's advice and go talk to one of the shops that deal in U/W stuff full time. Where would you guys on the east coast send her? U/W Photo tech is in New Hampshire. Do the guys at B&H know their stuff?

Steve

i think the discussion of equipment is slightly premature

you need to get comfortable scuba diving first

taking decent pictures of reef fish snorkeling and free diving is extraordinally difficult - and in my experience an exercise in frustration and waste of time - although i'm hoping to find some whale sharks in april where snorkeling and free diving will be the only option

after you've done 50 + dives and are comfortable, then you can enjoy UW photography

as a nature photographer, you will find the investment well worth while

before you invest in equipment - also a substantial investment if you goal is quality images, try to prioritize your interest from diving experience - fish, macro critters, pelagics, UW landscape - as the lens/port requirements are different. In most cases, the cost of housing and port(s) substantially exceed the cost of the camera and it's worth thinking about a complete system compared to buying a housing and ports for the camera you have - the cost of changing housings and ports is similarly greater than upgrading to the latest camera body.

Thank you for all of your information, compliments, and advice.

As far as scuba is concerned, I am a very competent swimmer (having lifeguarded and taught swim lessons throughout high school and college) and some of the places I plan to use my housing won't require deep dives at all. While I plan to eventually dive in coral reefs and with sharks and dolphins in the open ocean, most of what I will have access to underwater includes trout, crayfish, and other small aquatic creatures in streams and ponds. I also plan to try under/over shots of ducks, water lilies, beaver lodges, and more, so I won't need the ability to dive deep. That is why I'd like to begin to look at underwater housings now.

I eventually plan to do all types of underwater shots, so I will look at the prices of the various ports available. For now, my work would consist of using a 17-40mm for underwater landscapes and aquatic life, and I'd soon like to add a 15mm fisheye and shorter macro lens to my setup as well.

I'll be away at a conference this week, but please keep your advice and suggestions coming. I'm looking forward to becoming more involved on this site.

As far as scuba is concerned, I am a very competent swimmer (having lifeguarded and taught swim lessons throughout high school and college) and some of the places I plan to use my housing won't require deep dives at all. While I plan to eventually dive in coral reefs and with sharks and dolphins in the open ocean, most of what I will have access to underwater includes trout, crayfish, and other small aquatic creatures in streams and ponds. I also plan to try under/over shots of ducks, water lilies, beaver lodges, and more, so I won't need the ability to dive deep. That is why I'd like to begin to look at underwater housings now.

FWIW, though you do not have to be a good swimmer it seems nowadays to be a scuba diver, it is definately a good skill to have. That being said a good swimmer does not mean you are going to be a good diver right away. Not saying that you will not a good diver, or even a good diver right away, but they are diifferent skill sets and getting used to diving first is a good idea. I would not go as far as saying that the only thing they have in common is that they are both in water, but ....

Also diving in open water is something different that diving in ponds and lakes, so different skills there. So start looking at equipment if you have interest, but if you have not gone diving before I would recommend doing some dives before putting out money on underwater equipment. Some people try diving and do not like it right away or after a handful of dives (though I do not understand that ) and give diving up. And some people take a little longer to get hooked on it until they get comfortable with diving. In either of those cases U/W photo gear probably not a good idea. Since you tried the EWA-Marine you may have done that diving (instead of snorkleing) so some of this is moot, but getting some dives under your belt is a good idea.

Like the shots you have and look foorward to seeing your underwater shots

Hi Kari;

You may want to take the time to attend this dive show in N.J. next month, http://www.beneaththesea.org/

several of the large sellers of U/W photography equipment will be in attendance and it would give you the chance to get a feel for the equipment.

Phil Rudin

Hi Kari-

Actually shallow-depth photography, above 20ft and especially 0-10ft, is the most difficult. Wave motion can be an issue, but more critically, near the surface buoyancy control is very difficult, especially for beginners, and even more so for beginners with cameras.

An approximate explanation of the reason for this is that near the surface, the air you breathe, and the air in your BC etc, is less compressed than when you are deep, so each bit of air contributes more a lot more lift, and that lift makes you rise, and the air expands more, creating more lift, etc. Unless you have very, very good control, it's easy just to pop right up to the surface while you're focussed on the subject...it's very frustrating.

I am a professional photographer and I waited until I'd done more than 100 dives before taking any camera with me, and another 30 or so after that with just a point-and-shoot. Believe me, it was hard to leave it behind!

However, not having the camera allowed me to focus on becoming completely at ease in the water and very, very practiced at buoyancy control, and later using the compact camera allowed me to get used to framing shots etc without the drag and awkwardness of a full SLR housing with strobe arms etc.

For my first "real" photo trip I took a month in Bonaire diving 3-5 times a day with the camera/housing and it was only towards the end of that month that I could control both my buoyancy and the camera to a satisfactory degree at the same time in the 0-10' range-and that for someone considered a "natural" by all my instructors.

Another reason to not dive with a camera right away is that you need to learn to "see" all over again. You have an advantage as you are already attuned to environments where your subjects may be completely camouflaged, but the underwater landscape takes some getting used to and being able to spot the creatures is often a matter of considerable practice. Once I learned to "see" scorpion fish, I saw them on every dive, whereas before that I only saw one when someone pointed it out.

It also helps to learn the biology of the reef and some of the fish behavior for the above...knowing where something is likely to hide is half the battle. For instance, I discovered after a while that some of the most interesting small creatures use the spines of sea urchins as hideouts..see attached pic. Now I look closely at any urchin I come across just in case there's something tucked out of harm's way underneath.

I don't mean to discourage you in any way...it's just that the results are not instant, so be prepared for a fairly long learning curve before you are bringing back photos of the quality you expect from yourself above water.

In any case, good luck!

Hi Kari,

Another thing to keep in mind is that the housing is just the beginning of the spending...all the goodies that make up a complete kit can easily cost the same again as the housing, or more. My Subal 5D housing with strobes, strobe arms, different ports, focus light, etc. came close to $10,000 US ...the housing itself was only $3200. And that's not including body and lenses of course.

again, best of luck.

Hi,

After seeing Kari's post and the thoughtful replies, I just joined wetpixel myself.

I have a Canon 5D and have a similar question as Kari. I'd like to get an underwater housing for it, and unfortunately will likely be doing so sight unseen. (I live in Portland, OR, so if anyone knows where I can see some housings, please do let me know.) Anyway, I've heard from several that the Subal is the "Rolls Royce" housing for the 5D, and worth every penny if you can afford it. I can't at this time. So I'm deciding between the Ikelite (about $2500 after the ports, etc., are added) and the Aquatica (about $5000 after ports, etc.). Does anyone have a strong sentiment one way or the other about these?

Thanks,

Scott

I live in Portland, OR, so if anyone knows where I can see some housings, please do let me know. Anyway, I've heard from several that the Subal is the "Rolls Royce" housing for the 5D, and worth every penny if you can afford it.

Hi Scott,

You just may be able to afford a Subal housing. I was able to purchase my Subal housing for the D70S at Reef Photo at a cost only slightly more than a brand new Ikelite. You might check with Ryan and see if he has any used housings for your camera. When I found out that I could purchase a Subal for a price similar to the Ikelite I jumped at the opportunity.

Since I live in Portland, I would be willing to show you my Subal housing if you would like to see one close up.

Hope that helps,

Ellen