Good deal on brand new Ikelite D7000 FL housing - worth upgrade?

So my wife and i have been out of diving for a while, had a kid 7 years ago and no more scuba trips. But I do have the opportunity on an upcoming business trip to spend about four days diving, so planning to go to Tulamben for wreck and muck diving.

I have an aging but sturdy D70s Ikelite housing and DS51 strobe setup. It's worked reliably in the past, never flooded. I've had a D7000 camera for several years, and saw a good deal on a brand new Ikelite D7000 housing, about 35% off retail. My strobes and old ports (60mm, 105mm, Tokina 11-18) should all be compatible, since this is still their legacy FL (four lock) system. It's still over $1000 for the new housing though.

I noticed that Ikelite has in recent years introduced their DL housings and DL dry-lock port system. Question is, is it worth it to upgrade from an ancient camera to a slightly less ancient - but still aging - camera, with the legacy FL system?

I expect that after this trip, I may only have a couple of dive opportunities in the next few years, but as my kid gets older we'll be able to go to vacation places where my wife and I can dive again, and eventually my daughter will be able to dive after that. My worry is that by that point the D7000 will be pretty ancient, the Ikelite FL system may be pretty ancient history as well, and if I do start getting more diving trips, that I'd be wanting to upgrade regardless of D7000 vs D70s.

Another question, the D7000 appears to be brand new - and comes with the orange tray handles. However, the orange foam has whitened somewhat, and I think this housing may have been manufactured 5-7 years ago and has been sitting in a warehouse for many years. I'm worried whether the o-rings and seals have become dry or brittle with that much time. I can do a dunk test, but I'll have no chance to test it at pressure or depth til I get to Indonesia.

Do folks think it's leak integrity is still sound sitting for many years? (Similar could be said for my current setup, but at least I don't worry if I flood my D70s at its age.)

I believe that your concern about the age of the housing is well founded. If the housing has been closed and locked for this period of time, the housing o-ring is probably flat as a pancake. Add into the price the cost of a complete overhaul by Ikelite to insure no problems on your trip. Also I don't feel that 35% off of list is much of a bargain. I have a D7000 with an Aquatica setup and am seeing used housings being offered a far better pricing that what you cite. And most likely these housings have been used recently, so may not need any refurb. although it's always a good idea with resale gear.

Also I would never take a new UW rig on a major trip without thoroughly testing it at pressure. Maybe someone has a pressure pot you could use if you can't do a local dive or two.

divengolf makes very valid points. While the D7000 is still a capable camera, I would question the expense of housing a DSLR that's 7+ years into it's life cycle. By the time you purchase all the components of an underwater rig, the camera itself is not the most expensive part.

IMO, the value of D7000's & related housings are dropping. Nikon is on it's 4th generation of the D7XXX model line. If you 'have to' have something for this trip, go with divengof's recommendation on purchasing a well maintained housing on the used market. Then maybe sell it quickly upon return to get back something on the resale and put the proceeds towards a newer/current camera. Think of it like a rental.

Another option is get an 'action camera' for the upcoming trip and continue to save for a current model.

Agree with all that has been said above, as I am a twice owner of the Nikon D7000, an excellent camera, which I still use underwater and on land together with a D800 and an Olympus Tough TG4.

If it was me, I would not buy an unused for 7 years housing with an obsolete port locking system. I would use the money instead to buy a simple all around camera with housing, such as the Olympus Tough. The Tough T 3, 4 and 5 cameras are all excellent. That way if I am not diving I can still use the camera.