Nikon SLR Housings With The Vertical Grip/Battery Pack

ok, so I've had this quandary ever since I first started diving with a Nikon film camera years ago. I'm interested in a housing that might actually accommodate my vertical grip for the D700. Not so much because it's useful for the additional trigger, but because the shutter fires at blazing speeds with the optional attachment. Do housing manufacturers ever take this into consideration? It would be great if they did as it would be awesome to have the full 8 fps speed when something cool swims on by where I can just shoot in ambient light. Does anyone know if such a manufacturer exists?

thanks everyone!

Jake

ok, so I've had this quandary ever since I first started diving with a Nikon film camera years ago. I'm interested in a housing that might actually accommodate my vertical grip for the D700. Not so much because it's useful for the additional trigger, but because the shutter fires at blazing speeds with the optional attachment. Do housing manufacturers ever take this into consideration? It would be great if they did as it would be awesome to have the full 8 fps speed when something cool swims on by where I can just shoot in ambient light. Does anyone know if such a manufacturer exists?

 

thanks everyone!

 

Jake

I do not believe any housing manufacturer makes a housing for this combination; it would make little sense to make two different D700 housings and a D3 housing. The D700 with grip is also larger than the D3, making for an even larger housing. If firing speed is a priority clearly the D3 is the way to go. 5 fps on the D700 is still pretty fast for underwater and faster than most strobes can recycle.

http://www.ewa-marine.de/

As far as I know - there are not actually any D700 housings finished and available to buy yet. But I am sure that when we start to see them next week, none will have space for the vertical grip. High frame rates are rarely of use underwater since so most shots are taken with strobes - and the strobe recycling cannot keep up with the frame rate anyway.

If you must have a blazing (cool word) frame rate then I would suggest housing a D3.

Alex

Alex, FYI We are in full production and shipping the D700 starting post DEMA, and nope, our housing will not accomodate the grip. the grip (and blazing frame rate) is not usually very high on the wish list of underwater photographer.

I am in full agreement with the D3 option if you want to machine gun your frame rate to the max while staying Nikonized.

I do not believe any housing manufacturer makes a housing for this combination; it would make little sense to make two different D700 housings and a D3 housing. The D700 with grip is also larger than the D3, making for an even larger housing. If firing speed is a priority clearly the D3 is the way to go. 5 fps on the D700 is still pretty fast for underwater and faster than most strobes can recycle.

good point, thanks for the reply.

Thanks everyone for the reply. Think I'll check out the Aquatica housing when it comes out. I've got all my ports from my old F5 housing so I think that might make the most economic sense out there. Considering I'm a limited grant budget for this project, that probably makes most sense. Thanks everybody!

Jake

I bought a D3 a few months after it was introduced, and prior to the announcement of the D700. Full-frame capture was the primary attraction for me. But with the fast introduction of the D700, I wish I'd waited a bit longer. From my standpoint, as a film and TTL shooter, the D700 has one feature, lacking in the D3, which I feel is an over-riding factor. An independent Flash Compensation control. This would allow the user to vary i-TTL flash output WITHOUT affecting the ambient light metering. Both cameras have programable controls that would allow you to quickly turn strobe lighting off, IF the housing has a control for this button. This is worthwhile with regard to fast frame rates for a passing big fish when no flash is desired. If you have to reach up and turn off your strobe(s) manually this may take enough time that you miss the opportunity. A second issue is whether the housing allows allows a quick change from single frame shooting, which is more appropriate for flash images, to the highest frame rate for that ambient light sequence. If you just leave the camera set on the highest frame rate - 9 fps, you may fire off two or three or four shots each time you push the trigger for a flash shot.

I looked briefly at several D3 housings at DEMA. Briefly because I had already decided that the D700 is the camera I want to house. And don't recall that any of them had a control for frame rate.

I feel that looking at D200 and D300 housings gave me a good idea of the manufacturer's basic control design philosophy and a good preview of what a D700 housing might be like.

Fred