New to the forum, yet I learnt lot from you nice guys in the past couple weeks. Thanks guys!
Here I'd like to share a "mod" (if you can call it so) on the Ikelite 5D2 housing (guess it can equally be applied to many other Ikelite housings with the same dial nobs), this should make the operation of the 2 vital dials on Canon DSLRs much easier - the dials you need to change the shutter and apeture and every other settings on the camera. Topside you can have your thumb always on the "speed dial" and index finger on "command dial" whenever not on shutter. But underwater with the stock Ikelite housing, it takes me 2 fingers to operate each of the dials, and hand off the handle of course.
The "mod" here, is to use the 2 plastic caps covering the top openings of your housing handles (you don't need them underwater anyway, probably a headache where to put them and find them later). Just remove the 2 caps, and put them on the 2 dial nobs - a snap on for the speed dial, and a little bit of a squeese for the command dial because the nob's diameter is larger, but the cap is flexible enough to fit. This mod takes about 5-10 seconds to finish. And no extra material - you can figure out something to cover up the handle anyway can't you.
With these 2 caps on the 2 nobs, you can now operate the 2 dials easily with one finger each thanks to the increased friction. I can now use my thumb to apply the downward pressure and at the same time spin the speed dial without my other fingers ever leaving the handle. For the command dial, now I only need to rub it from the front side, without the push buttoms nearby getting in the way.
This extremely simple mod makes it much easier for me to operate the camera underwater. I'd encourage Ikelite housing owners to try it out and tell me if that works for you too. The worst case if you really managed to skrew it, you'll lose a precious plastic cap and you won't be able to keep dusts from falling into your handles anymore.
