Subal or Nauticam?

I have a vacuum seal on my housing

Alex

This sounds like something I will need if I decide to get a new housing.

Is this something that must be installed by the manufacter or is is added later in distribution?

Hey Don

I can really recommend them for the peace of mind they give you. I've had mine for about 4 dive trips now. For me, I no longer do a camera-free initial dive with the housing after travelling; and usually only do a minor, or no, dunk test. The only issue i have experienced is that I have had a couple of false alarms underwater which is "somewhat unnerving" but is usually the result of one too few pumps to create the vacuum.

One or two manufacturers offer a built-in system (the Nauticam one sounds good from reviews I've read but I've got no personal experience of it); and you can fit one easily yourself such as the Vivid - which is what I have on mine. http://vividhousings.com/custom-fit-leak-sentinel.php

Well worth the cost, I'd say!

I'm on my 3rd Nauticam DSLR housing, my current has the Nauticam vacuum system as did one other. My first had the Backscatter vacuum.

Both work great. I do like the gauge on the Backscatter vacuum a lot, but I prefer the valve setup Naticam uses.

I'm on my 3rd Nauticam DSLR housing, my current has the Nauticam vacuum system as did one other. My first had the Backscatter vacuum.

 

Both work great. I do like the gauge on the Backscatter vacuum a lot, but I prefer the valve setup Naticam uses.

Thank you, this is useful info. I wouldn't even consider a housing without a vacuum systems these days.

I have not upgraded since a D-200?Subal system. I shoot a D-300 D-700 and D-800 on land but I was never quite willing to bite the bullet for a new housing.

I wonder if any one has a reasonable guess how long it will take Subal or Nauticam to come out with a housing for the D-500?

My next trip to a dive location is coming in mid June, I am kinda hoping for a new setup before then. Does it seem realistic to hope for the D-500 by then?

(here is an odd forum quirk, under my portrait it list my name as "Guests" but I am loged in and when I edit this post it says "edited by diverdon")

Nauticam is typically MUCH faster in coming out with housings for new camera models than Subal is, and I think it's realistic for you to hope to get one in time for your trip in June. It might be worth it to start thinking about all the odds and ends like sync cables that you'll need to go with it, sooner rather than later, in anticipation of it.

Thank you, Funkyspelunker that's somewhat what I was hoping to hear. I would have prefered the Subal so that I could salavge my eyepiece and perhaps ports.

Re: the sync cables, I am currently shooting dual Ikelight DS-160's, do you see any reason I could not just bring that part of the system along?

What kind of sync cables are you using for those? As long as you have that type of bulkhead in the new housing then it should work.

If you prefer Subal then it would be worth it to contact them to see about timing and such. For me I wouldn't go with a different brand just to have it sooner, but only if I liked that brand of housing better.

I am a longtime Subal user and am looking to switch to Nauticam this next time around. They have some really nice looking improvements that differentiate them from Subal, whose build quality and ergonomics I've always liked but things like vacuum seals I would have to go aftermarket.

Funkyspelunker, You are really making sense. I started studying this thread to decide what housing I needed next. At that Time I was thinking about a housing for a D-810. Now it seems like the D-500 might be a better way to go. I loved the Subal for the D-200. I felt that for me the camera actually worked better and more naturally underwater than it did on the surface. That camera has 45,000 shutter trips on it, about 95% of them UW. It is probably the only piece of UW photo gear I have ever really got my moneys worth from.

Hi,
i was using a lot of differnt housings on my way to the upset now.
Ikelite for FE2 ( F2 rebuilt ), Light & Motion for Nikon CP5000, Subal for CP5400, Sea & Sea GX1, Hugy and UK Germany for Nikon D300 and now Nauticam for Oly OMD E5. My girlfriend was using Ikelite for Canon G9 and now Recsea for Sony RX100.
None had a vacuum valve. The only housing i wouldnt use or choose without is the Hugy....
Mine for the D300 had none, and the lock system with the two screws is in my eyes not a good idea.
I had two times a small drowning when coming up the second dive a day....
Could see some bubbles coming from the upside, quick holding the setup above surface....
Maybe combination of temperature changing, boat vibrations.....
Both times lenses had no problem, one time the camera had afterwards a problem with the card reader, cheap repair...
There is a lot of different ways to the same goal, and its a question of personal choice, what you need or not.

A setup i am thinking off at the moment would be for Sony A7ii.
Nauticam offers an adapter for my old Nikonos lenses, thats great.
Subal is only 1,5kg in housing weight, thats fantastic.
Ikelite is cheap ;-))

For none of the above i have ports at the moment....
An vacuum valve is not my first important point on a wish list....

The new Nikon D500 is now completly squirrling up everything ;-))

Regards,
Wolfgang

Diverdon,

May I suggest you play with both housings before you purchase one. I bought a Nauticam EM 1 housing only to find I did not like the feel of the shutter, was hard to feel the half shutter. Since you live in New York state, why not visit Beneath the Sea this March and play with Subal and Nauticam housings. Both Reef Photo and Backscatter will have booths there.

I have had 3 Subal housings and I am very pleased with their ergonomics. I can feel every click of a f stop or shutter speed change. The half shutter feel is also excellent.

I have had the Nauticam vacuum system installed in my D800 and D7200 Subal housings by Reef and I am very pleased with how they work. It is a peace of mind to have a green light showing that the housing has a negative pressure and is sealed.

Elmer

I'll second what Elmer says; trying them out is a better way to decide than just looking at them. I also love the controls on my Subal. If the Nauticam's are clunky in comparison that might send me back to Subal again. Also the strong dollar sure helps.