Seacam D800 Housing

Fred -

 

You didn't buy your D700 SEACAM housings from us, so I can't speak to how yours was configured and priced, but seacamusa has never sold a Silver housing without the MSC (AF-M) control. We agree it is a crucial control.

 

The D800 offers twin bulkheads (either S6 or Nikonos V), MSC autofocus control, and moisture alarm at no additional charge. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify.

I wish there was a "LIKE" button for WP.

I wish there was a "LIKE" button for WP.

Question; is the MSC control an added charge for Seacam? Are there any added charges for controls on Seacam or is everything standard and included in the price? (Except of course the viewfinder) Are there differences in how cameras are priced and configured from country to country? Steve, is it even possible to buy a Seacam without some controls as standard?

I believe the MSC switch must be included I didn't see a separate listing on the pricing sheet on their website and they didn't ask me when I ordered. This will be my third Seacam housing. I thought about switching to one of the less expensive housings for a brief moment. What I like about the Seacam besides them being very fashionable is I don't have to spend much time fiddling with the housing between dives. Other than the short time spent changing the card, battery, lens or port I do nothing else. Don't have to worry about a loose port because they kind of snap into place. Anyway just my humble opinion. Mine should be arriving shortly. Took me four months to get the camera.

Question; is the MSC control an added charge for Seacam? Are there any added charges for controls on Seacam or is everything standard and included in the price? (Except of course the viewfinder) Are there differences in how cameras are priced and configured from country to country? Steve, is it even possible to buy a Seacam without some controls as standard?

Mary Lou is right, Jeff. The MSC is standard on the Seacam these days. About the only controls you could add as an option is the for the remote socket. There is a third bulkhead opening which can be for a remote cable release or video monitor. That could be an extra. The same socket can also be used for a new S10 bulkhead that wires a LAN cable to a computer. This is new technology developed for the pool venues at the Olympics for the D4, but it will populate throughout the Seacam Silver line-up soon. So. now you could put your Seacam housing on an underwater tripod in your pool, and sit in your loungechair with your laptop, drinking pina coladas while all those pretty girls swim in front of your dome, Jeff. You could even do local controls in Lightroom while they are still underwater holding their breath

There are some inevitable differences from country-to-country because of variables like VAT, import duties, and exchange rates; but we find that with cameras and cars too so I don't think it is unique to Seacam.

I believe the MSC switch must be included I didn't see a separate listing on the pricing sheet on their website and they didn't ask me when I ordered. This will be my third Seacam housing. I thought about switching to one of the less expensive housings for a brief moment. What I like about the Seacam besides them being very fashionable is I don't have to spend much time fiddling with the housing between dives. Other than the short time spent changing the card, battery, lens or port I do nothing else. Don't have to worry about a loose port because they kind of snap into place. Anyway just my humble opinion. Mine should be arriving shortly. Took me four months to get the camera.

No fiddling with the camera between dives? You should have got a Hugyfot with Hugycheck! I can see if all is OK just by the reflection of the winking green light on my cabin/bedroom wall!

What I like about the Seacam besides them being very fashionable is I don't have to spend much time fiddling with the housing between dives. Other than the short time spent changing the card, battery, lens or port I do nothing else. Don't have to worry about a loose port because they kind of snap into place.

I didn't know they became a fashion item. I'd try putting my Seacams on my gold chains around my neck but I can't find a matching Louboutin sneaks!

I really like the Seacam no fuss screw-in ports too.

No fiddling with the camera between dives? You should have got a Hugyfot with Hugycheck! I can see if all is OK just by the reflection of the winking green light on my cabin/bedroom wall!

John, I just pressure tested with a pump and port adapter a Nauticam, Aquatica and Seacam the other week.

John, I just pressure tested with a pump and port adapter a Nauticam, Aquatica and Seacam the other week.

Good for you!

Stephen,

You've written that the MSC control, now a M-AF control is standard on new Seacam Silver housings. You didn't answer my question about whether this control, on the Seacam D800 housing, also pushes in the button on the D800 camera thats allows switching single auto-focus to continuous auto-focus and allows changing the focus sensor groupings.

Nor did you answer whether the D800 housing has a control to allow switching between spot metering, matrix and center-weighted metering. Which the D700 housing did not. Do you know the answer to either of these questons?

I think those two controls are likely to be of far more use and to be wanted by many more D800 shooters, than the number of shooters who want an S10 bulkhead with a LAN cable to connect the camera to a computer while it's underwater.

Fred

Thanks for that info Steve; yes the extra bulkhead is helpful - it was actually standard on the D700 Subal and I used it in the pool with USB out tethered to a laptop at poolside, though the cocktails had to wait till after the shoots. Working on it for my Nauticam. I am one of those who probably does not need the optical strobe outlets.

I will say that my initial impressions on my Nauticam are excellent, though I have not dived it yet. (Hopefully next week in South Africa) I think the fit and the way everything meshes is superior to my Subal. The way the zoom rings fit onto the lenses and mesh is also much more slick.

I will say that my initial impressions on my Nauticam are excellent, though I have not dived it yet. (Hopefully next week in South Africa) I think the fit and the way everything meshes is superior to my Subal. The way the zoom rings fit onto the lenses and mesh is also much more slick.

I am shooting the Nauticam D800 at the moment in Egypt. The housing is very impressive. The multi-selector is working very well, falls right under your thumb when shooting. Nice feature.

Camera is very nice - although from time to time hangs - taking 10+ seconds to show the image you've just shot. The two other D800 owners on board - one says his camera also does this from time to time.

Sat with Peter Scoones and Mike Wong on the plane - and Peter is shooting D800s out here in his old Subal D700 housings - modified for the D800.

Alex

Camera is very nice - although from time to time hangs - taking 10+ seconds to show the image you've just shot.

What cards are you using? Seems like faster cards make quite a bit of difference.

The problem occurs randomly - usually on the first shot of a subject - when the card has been asleep. Never had the problem in the middle of shooting a sequence of shots.

Using a Sandisk Pro Extreme 32GB CF. Not quite filled it on one dive yet - although we've had some pretty amazing subject matter this week.

Alex

Fred asked, and my answers below in bold:

Stephen,

 

You've written that the MSC control, now a M-AF control is standard on new Seacam Silver housings. You didn't answer my question about whether this control, on the Seacam D800 housing, also pushes in the button on the D800 camera thats allows switching single auto-focus to continuous auto-focus and allows changing the focus sensor groupings.

 

yes

 

Nor did you answer whether the D800 housing has a control to allow switching between spot metering, matrix and center-weighted metering. Which the D700 housing did not. Do you know the answer to either of these questons?

 

Yes. Thanks for asking, Fred.

I think those two controls are likely to be of far more use and to be wanted by many more D800 shooters, than the number of shooters who want an S10 bulkhead with a LAN cable to connect the camera to a computer while it's underwater.

 

Fred

Stephen,

Thank you for posting the answers to my questions concerning the D800 housing controls.

Fred

Stephen,

 

Thank you for posting the answers to my questions concerning the D800 housing controls.

 

Fred

A pleasure, Fred. I appreciate your passion for photography, and concern for housing ergonomics. Feel free to reach out for clarification any time.

The first Seacam D800 housings should arrive to us next week, and I'll try to get some photos of the camera + housing before they ship to their owners. I'm sure those of you who shoot D800 will deduce a lot about functionalities just by looking at the photos.

The first Seacam D800 housings should arrive to us next week, and I'll try to get some photos of the camera + housing before they ship to their owners. I'm sure those of you who shoot D800 will deduce a lot about functionalities just by looking at the photos.

It is appropriate that the first D800 to arrive in the USA belongs to Mary Lou Reid, who began this thread on the SEACAM D800. So, before it relocates to Texas, and then the world of her favorite critter destinations, I shot some photos of her housing today.

Here are the exteriors:

Here are the interiors:

For those who inquired about the AF/MF functionality, lift the external lens release lever up and it releases the lens so you don't have to open the back of the housing to change lenses:

But, press the same control down and it pushes the little button that is built into the AF/MF control:

Steve,

Thanks for posting, Looks very nice.

It looks good!. I see there is room for the camera´s flash but no OF connector; is it user´s choice?

Is that a third connector plug on the bottom right of the housing?

Hi David,

I had my D300 altered by Michael Finger ( www.mike-dive.de). He used the third connector plug to make a connection for my opitcally triggered Sea&Sea flashes to the internal D300 flash, works perfekt. He will do the same for my D800 housing.

Rob