Ikelite Canon 100D / Rebel SL1 : review ?

Hi,

Has anyone tried the ikelite housing for Canon 100D / SL1 ?

Do you think the sunshade could be shaved to avoid vignetting

with the 10-17 ?

Cheers

http://www.ikelite.com/housings/canon/6970.02-canon-100d.html

I have that housing. I am working on the problem of using the Tokina 10-17 lens with the supplied dome. I will post my results here once I have the answers.

Ok, keep us informed, thank you.

I am PUMPED for this housing and camera combo.

I used to have a T4i in an ikelite housing with a couple DS160's. Setup was soo DAMN bulky. Beautiful photo/video but BULKY. This looks a lot more compact, housing is about half the price of the t4i housing + dome... and I think it will perform very similar.

Having previously shot a sigma 10-20mm (rectalinear)... I don't think I'd miss the widest 2mm of the lens. So the vignetting with this unit and the tokina from 10-12mm wouldn't be a huge issue for me. Also, the Tokina is a fisheye so it would be even wider at 12mm than my old sigma.

I'm very seriously considering this setup. I'd likely run it with a single sea&sea YSD1. No TTL but I will never lug around those gargantuan ikelite strobes again. Just too bad there's no option to run optical sync on this housing.

I'm not familiar with the manta... I was just so impressed with my YS-D1. After lugging DS160's around SE Asia for 4 months thinking they were the cat's meow... Then taking a YS-D1 down to Honduras for a couple weeks... I am blown away at how well the YS-D1 performs in such a compact package. I just couldn't see switching to any other strobe. Optical firing is a big part of the "compactness" though. The ikelite double sync TTL cable is actually pretty huge. And you have to carry two because they fail all the time.

So a fiber optic connection solution would be excellent! I kind of wish Ikelite had made this housing with their standard SLR port. Likely would have come in a couple hundred $ cheaper and I could put one of your 5" ports on it. That would be a KILLER budget/compact setup.

To keep the theme of compact... anybody tried shooting macro with an 18-55mm and a diopter behind a dome port similar to this?

The Manta strobe is found here.

http://ikelite.com/lighting/4010-manta-strobe.html

While the Canon 60mm Macro and compact port will be a true 1:1 macro the new Canon 18-55mm IS STM lens even in the included dome port may be all many folks need.

These were shot at 18mm to show the test subject size then at 55mm anywhere from f22 - f25....I think they're pretty darn good......

Next testing on Bonaire in 2.5 weeks..........

David Haas

We are also working on a fiber optic connection. We are waiting for the new ikelite manta strobe so we can design around that item.

Why wait, the Manta has been pushed back enough times to warrant support for the S&S and Inon folk. I haven't bought one yet (to shoot macro only) only due to the sync cord issue.

Bill

I understand your frustration with the ikelite release. I currently do not have any fiber optic cables but I do have some ikelite ones on order. Will the S&s and Inom cables plug into the ikelite housing ports?

From the ikelite manual

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Hotshoe-MagicFiber-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B00CMF9G60

what about something similar to this? A small hot-shoe triggered LED light, then point the LED to the side of the housing, attach a fiber optic at that location and connect it to your strobe.

Anybody ever seen anything like that done?

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Hotshoe-MagicFiber-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B00CMF9G60

 

what about something similar to this? A small hot-shoe triggered LED light, then point the LED to the side of the housing, attach a fiber optic at that location and connect it to your strobe.

 

Anybody ever seen anything like that done?

This option would allow you to trigger the strobes for manual operation but will bot support TTL. The other problem is there is less than 1/4" -- 6mm between the top of the camera and the housing. There just isn't any extra room above the flash.

Bill:

I have a bunch of fiber cables both the inon and s&s type but I don't see how to trigger them from the camera (I don't care about TTL) unless you use the ike electronic to trigger adapter.

Bill

 

This option would allow you to trigger the strobes for manual operation but will bot support TTL. The other problem is there is less than 1/4" -- 6mm between the top of the camera and the housing. There just isn't any extra room above the flash.

I would be willing to sacrifice TTL if it meant being able to use fiber optic cable instead of the ikelite cable (bulky and the bulkhead leaked on mine and fried the TTL circuit).

What about using the ikelite clip that connects to the hot shoe, it is quite low profile? Ikelite would probably ship the clip with 6" of wire coming off of it so you wouldn't have to cut off the one that comes with the housing. Then you'd need to hack open that LED hotshoe light and connect the wires to the ikelite hot shoe clip. Bit of a hackjob. I'm probably gonna try it.

http://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Hotshoe-MagicFiber-Microfiber-Cleaning/dp/B00CMF9G60

 

what about something similar to this? A small hot-shoe triggered LED light, then point the LED to the side of the housing, attach a fiber optic at that location and connect it to your strobe.

 

Anybody ever seen anything like that done?

This item is a very weak video light. it is not a strobe, it doesn't flash it is constantly on. It will not produce the expected results.

Bill:

I have a bunch of fiber cables both the inon and s&s type but I don't see how to trigger them from the camera (I don't care about TTL) unless you use the ike electronic to trigger adapter.

Bill

Bill I am thinking about using the built in camera flash to trigger the strobes. I really can't elaborate on this at this time as it is a idea that I am working on.

We have this system with an Ikelite strobe and kit lens at Underwater Digital Fiesta this week. We have had nothing but positive comments from all of the students that have used the system. The only negative comments are regarding the small size of the cameras optical viewfinder a common issue with DSLR's in this size range and sensor size. I will be reviewing the system this week and I already think it is an excellent teaching tool. The Ikelite housing comes with a nifty Go Pro mounting point on top of the housing, Go Pro not included.

I have attached a photo V. two mirrorless systems to show how small the system is for a DSLR. Olympus housing with PEN camera and Nauticam housing with Olympus EM-5.

Phil

Do you have any shots with the toking 10-17 fe lens set at 10mm?

No we where only given the 18 to 55 mm kit lens and the stock port.

Thank you for this feedback ! The stock port is meant to be used with

the Tokina 10-17mm also (with vignetting).

 

 

This housing comes standard with a optical grade acrylic dome port with zoom ring. This port provides sharp images and zoom capabilities with both the Canon EF-S 18-55mm STM kit lens, plus the popular Tokina 10-17mm lens.

So if you have a chance to try it, please let us know.

I was only provided the "kit" 18 to 55mm zoom lens for students at Underwater Digital Fiesta 2014 (our fourth year) at Casa Del Mar, Cozumel Mexico. My review of the system with the KIT lens will appear at UWPMAG.com in the coming issue due out around the first of May.

This review in UWPMAG.com is now up, also checkout my article on the Nauticam housing for the I-Phone 4/5's.