Ikelite vs. the rest

I just got a 5D mkII and am looking for a housing for it. I have used Ikelite in the past primarily due to budget and lack of knowledge/newbie status. I did have a flood wit hthis housing, but I am quite sure that it was user error (changing from macro to wide angle port). Basically the housing was sent to me and I had to figure it out on my own. Mistakes can be costly.

So now I have a new camera and more knowledge. I would like a "better" housing, but am again limited by budget, but I would like to know what makes the higher end brands like subal worth the thousands of extra dollars. I mean, I've been pleased with the performance of the Ikelite housing, but are they that much more likely to have a flood? Personally, if they are more likely to flood, then obviously that's a problem, but otherwise I don't see the difference?

I can say that I am tired of people giving me looks on a dive boat that seem to say "amateur", then later look at these people's shots and they aren't that great.

Am I missing something? Is ignorance bliss? No intended offense to those who use brands other than Ikelite, but for those of us who do (and maybe limited by budget) what are we missing?

I would like to know what makes the higher end brands like subal worth the thousands of extra dollars. I mean, I've been pleased with the performance of the Ikelite housing, but are they that much more likely to have a flood? Personally, if they are more likely to flood, then obviously that's a problem, but otherwise I don't see the difference?

I don't think Ikelites are any more prone to floods than other housings. I think the principal difference is ergonomics.

I'm sure you'll get lots of comments from those with far more experience than I.

I can say that I am tired of people giving me looks on a dive boat that seem to say "amateur

I think you need to get over your insecurities! I really think that's all in your head.

A "better" housing won't guarantee better photos. It may however provide better egonomics , more security for the camera (type of seals, port attachment method, etc), smaller size & less in-water weight. Keep in mind that a 5DMkII in an aluminum housing is not compatible with a "budget". Depending on what new parts you will need, I'd plan on at least $10K. You have a Platinum Card...right??

I have a Ikelite video housing and a Sea and Sea DSLR housing and dont mind either of them. As Jeremy has said " ergonomics " are very important. The housing must feel right in your hands and you must be able to control all the buttons and dials that you may use once it is housed. My Ikelite housing did not allow for me to manual WB, but a couple of minutes re shaping a lever soon sorted that problem. I would not get too het up on what other photographers have on dive boats. "all the gear - no idea " is sometimes the case. The main difference in price is materials. Usually top end housings are machined out of solid blocks of aluminum. The CNC milling costs for such operations is very expensive.

What does interest ( annoy ) me in manufacturers and dealers prices is why a housing for a 5D MK2 would cost £2,000 more than a housing for the 50D even though the amount of materials used for the larger housing is minimal. I think that they seem to think that because you have a 5D MK2 that you will be prepared to spend a whole lot more to house it.

Before you buy, try and get to a dealers where you can hold them to see what feels natural to you.

Hope this helps

Stew

So now I have a new camera and more knowledge. I would like a "better" housing, but am again limited by budget, but I would like to know what makes the higher end brands like subal worth the thousands of extra dollars. I mean, I've been pleased with the performance of the Ikelite housing, but are they that much more likely to have a flood? Personally, if they are more likely to flood, then obviously that's a problem, but otherwise I don't see the difference?

People will have different experiences with different brands, and as others have pointed out from time-to-time, if you poke around enough it would be pretty much impossible to find a brand that someone would not have an issue with. Alot of the things will be ergonomics as Jeremy pointed out. The most obvious difference with Ikelite is that the are not metal compared to others, which means usually less cost and shallower depth rating, but if you do not plan to dive past the limits (think Ikes are 200 feet) probably a moot point. Ike also has TTL built in on their housings (for the most part, some older one no) which is a possible big plus.

Personally I had one set-up that gave me fits the first few trips (yes, it was an Ike, problem with strobes and the housing), finally got it straightened out after returning it a couple times, got it working properly. It has gone on many dives since then and provided alot of enjoyment with very nice results - I passed it onto my wife to use and to a friend who also used it. At this point my bias is more to metal housings (use Aquaticas now) because I like the way they feel and handle. To me the Aquatica hits the sweet spot between cost and features, but that does not mean a year from now my mindset may change.

I can say that I am tired of people giving me looks on a dive boat that seem to say "amateur", then later look at these people's shots and they aren't that great.

Again, as Jeremy mentioned, don't sweat it. Everyone has different equipment and you will find the snob thing happening everywhere. If you like what you are doing and what the results are, that is all that matters. There are some here who if I recall correctly use Ikelite. David Haas uses them exlusively AFAIK from what he has posted, and if you see things he shoots ( with what some of those people you ran into "snub") Some shots I think one would be hard pressed to call him an "amateur."

If you put a $200 Point and Shoot in the hand of Alex, Eric or many others, I am sure the results will be fine. Take a look for Ed shots with a G10 around here. It is not even a dSLR. The results are amazing. And I would put money on the fact that any of those guys will not ever look "down" on someone on a boat. I

Bottom line is you will run into those types and there is always the need/want for the latest greatest (I admit I am not above that feeling ) but you cannot let it drive you too crazy. There will be a time when you will out grow whatever you are using where it becomes a limiting factor, but people's looks should not be indicative of that.

I guess it's the guys saying "why do you use that Ike-leak?" It's very clever but would be a lot more funny if I had a subal : ).

Thanks for the replies though.

I guess it's the guys saying "why do you use that Ike-leak?" It's very clever but would be a lot more funny if I had a subal : ).

That's not a 'look' ... that's a really obnoxious comment ... and if anyone ever tried that one on me, I'd find 101 ways to bury them in shame and embarrassment ... but that's just me.

matt215,

First, thanks to "therealdrew" for the compliment As he states, it is, and will always be more photographer than gear

I've got myself in trouble commenting on this issue regarding "high cost gear snapshots" but it's the truth. Plus I truly believe people don't continually learn to edit and pick their best shots out of any event. (Sigh......)

Housings are all just boxes with o-rings keeping water out. Some have extra depth capability and ergonomics so one shooter will choose a particular brand over another. And that's fine.....

As far as any comments on your possible choice of brand maybe you just haven't been on trips with like minded shooters (photo attached

YMMV of course and to each his own!

dhaas

>>> As far as any comments on your possible choice of brand maybe you just haven't been on trips with like minded shooters

David ... I think you meant 'ike-minded' ...

>>> As far as any comments on your possible choice of brand maybe you just haven't been on trips with like minded shooters

 

David ... I think you meant 'ike-minded' ...

 

People have been put in jail for lesser trangressions than that pun...I like puns

The Port lock system can be a bit fiddly - once its locked its locked, but you can think its locked when it isnt if its a bit stiff, and it only has to happen once. I had a very narrow escape once when my port literally fell off just before I got in the water, and needless to say I always check twice now which I should have in the first place.

There are also limits on maximum lens diameter that come up most often with full frame cameras, not sure how much thats an Ikelite only issue but I see it mentioned more often with that brand than others. I do find the ergonomics a bit annoying sometimes, but I have fairly small hands for a guy.

As to anyone judging you on equipment alone, there are nouveau rich type idiots anywhere if they meant it as opposed to a bit of ribbing for the sake of conversation. Think of it as a useful shortcut to finding that out about them that you wouldnt get if you had a Subal.

Otara

The "ike-leak" comment was actually made by the dive master and he said it pretty much every time we loaded the gear into the pangas to go to the dive site. i shouldn't let it bother me. i got great photos though so it doesn't matter.

The "ike-leak" comment was actually made by the dive master and he said it pretty much every time we loaded the gear into the pangas to go to the dive site. i shouldn't let it bother me. i got great photos though so it doesn't matter.

With the amount of divers a DM sees there is a good chance they have seen many leaks and issues. The may have seen a couple of more leaks with Ikelites than others, who knows, and if someone on the boat made that joke, it is one the things that the DM may have found amusing and just stuck in their heads. Also, as you noted, there are budget concerns. If you can get into a system for under $2,000, including a port and gear, while some of the other housings, without ports and gears and other things, can go $2,500-$5,000, there may just be more Ikelites out there. (Who knows though).

Next time ask them what they may have seen happen and see if they give you actual information to use - posts like Otara where you gets a heads up of things to look for (and which applies to any piece of equipment) are things to think about just from a prep side of things.

matt215,

This is something I've probably wasted bandwidth on, too. Too many snott nosed young pups (yes, I'm a crabby old diver now who think they know everything. Hell, I was jumping in the ocean before they were born

So pay them no mind and look at it as a character building encounter

Most of those "youngsters" don't mean much harm but need to be shown HOW and where to hold your system. I politely show them once and then expect them to follow through if they want a tip! As in "Please don't push this strobe arm release button, or hang on to my housing by the port, etc.

As far as handling I NEVER let anyone put my system in a rinse tank. I do that myself holding it and pumping salt water out of the buttons. 1-2 minutes maximum with gentle swishing "shake and bake" and that's it.

I could write volumes but don't have time or the inclination these days.

Get a housing, practice and go make photos Then edit and analyze and make them as good as you can on your computer to YOUR personal like. They are your photos after all!

It really is that simple ........

dhaas

Too many snott nosed young pups (yes, I'm a crabby old diver now who think they know everything. Hell, I was jumping in the ocean before they were born

 

 

Get a housing, practice and go make photos Then edit and analyze and make them as good as you can on your computer to YOUR personal like. They are your photos after all!

 

It really is that simple ........

Some pretty nice advice from a crabby old diver there, so perhaps you are not quite as crabby as you think

I have an Ike rig for my D-200 and a Seatool for my D-300.

The difference is size and weight, not leakproof. I happen to like the positive attachment that the Seatool has for ports but like the ability to see the Ike rear gasket

I haven't encountered any derision of my Ike housing. My getting antiquated Olympus (or the fact it's an Olympus in general perhaps) but not the housing. In fact, ironically enough I've been the one with the "biggest" rig on the 2 dive trips I've taken it on so far, the only one with a DSLR and dual strobes.

If it was the DM saying that bit about "ike-leak" to me, and every time, I think I'd eventually laugh and say "well, I could buy a Subal but then I couldn't afford to tip you...even if you were giving me good service." And wonder if he caught a hint.

As for more leaks, I bet they do have more: because the price is more affordable, there are probably more Ike housings overall out there than some of the higher end ones, and in a wider range of skill-level hands (myself clearly not excepted from the bottom of that range). So yes, more leaks probably happen but more due to a larger base number and more likelihood of it being someone's "first housing". Not due to poor design.

Some of us actually prefer Ikelite over aluminium. I am one of those. The pricing is a plus, but not the deciding factor (as in the grand cost of the gearbag, travel etc still racks up eventually, so no matter what brand housing you choose, you will spend a lot of $$$ in this "hobby".) For me, I really appreciate the fact that with an Ikelite you can SEE what is going on with and in you housing and with your camera. No guesswork necessary. The other cool factor (and I know many disagree with me on this, but for me this is a plus) is the ports - I can clean out any scratches is/as needed. I dive a lot (its why I live where I live). 99% of my diving is not on "trips" but right in my backyard either by myself or with good friends so what people "think" doesn't matter. Right now I happen to be on a liveabord but I can't say that what these new aquintances think about me would matter enough to make a brand choice. I try to upgrade my gear from the end where I see the most improvements to my images, and the "box" that the camera goes into really makes such a small difference as compared to upgrading lens lineup etc I have never had any problems with the port locks mentioned, but if there was one thing "to pick on" it would be that when packing an ikelite housing in a travel bag it does take more room than most other aluminium housings. Also, I must mention that I have stayed with Ikelite much due the incredible service they have provided. It seem that every time I have something that needs maintenance or modification I am on some sort of tight deadline and I ask for "weird stuff". However and every time the response from Ikelite has been "no problem, don't worry, we'll make it happen". For me that goes a long way. So, my advice would be to choose a housing (ikelite or other) not based on what you think others will "think of you" but based on what features really will matter for you making good images. A more expensive housing will not result in better images. What really matters is having the right (not necessarily = the "most expensive") equipment, aquiring the knowledge of technique of using your equipment as well as of composition, spending a lot of bottom time practicing shooting, learning as much as possible about your subjects and pre-visulizing your creative ideas. Keepin it fun, staying inspired - that is the fuel for great images.

Yes sorry should say Ive had three Ikelite housings, still using one. Think they've been good value for money, and to do 'better' will cost a fair bit more if I ever decide to change. If I won lotto Id change, but until then my focus is on lenses, cameras and travelling not housing type.

Never had a leak (knock on wood), just that user error near miss, and agree that theres always things to watch for with any equipment. I too really like being able to visually inspect the main O-ring and would miss it.

Otara

good point about visually inspecting the o-ring. i also like the ability to adjust the strobes via ettl. to my knowledge other housings don't offer this.