I'm shopping for a new SLR and housing and would like to know your experience with servicing your housing. The initial outlay is easy enough to find info on but I'd like to know about maintenance.
For instance: I currently own a Canon G2/Ikelite housing/DS125 strobe. I've been happy enough with the performance but after much use I needed to do an overhaul on the sticky controls. I was disappointed to discover that I could not get parts to do it myself nor could my local distributor get parts to do it for me. I had to return the housing to Ikelite (at my expense) to have the service performed. Oh - and it took a month of diving 'naked' before I got it back and it now has a shiny new crack in it... (still working on that)
So I already know how Ikelite deals with service issues can anyone please tell me about other manufacturers. The next time I buy a housing I dont't want any surprises!
Button "O" rings are hesitation on above posting by ladybird. We have had several people with leakage after they serviced their own buttons. Button O" rings are available if customer insists. "Shiny new crack" does not sound good and should come back for replacement.
Hi Ike,
How does a customer insist? I would have liked that option.
The housing will be making another trip back for the crack. I understand that problems can arise but in the meantime I'm without the housing for another 3-4 weeks and out another $60 for shipping.
Aren't there enough Canadian customers to warrant a couple of repair depots here? Maybe choose a trusted distributor on each side of Canada?
We sent it back for $18.50 shipping so can't explain your sixty dollar expense. The crack may indicate it was damaged in shipping? Will know more when it arrives.
Hi Ike,
The box arrived undamaged (and nicely packed I might add) so I don't think it was during shipping. As for the cost for shipping it was $21.00 to get it there, $18.50 to get it back and $25.00 for broker fees.
Have you thought about a Canadian service depot?
Ike
How about European service depot?
Lack of service is the biggest drawback of Ikelite housings for me.
Sending it to US is not cheap. Also, last time it took 4 weeks to get a strobe through customs (even though I agreed to pay what the greedy people wanted right away).
Now I really get worried when I think I might have to send something for service in the future
Andrzej
Hi Ike,
The box arrived undamaged (and nicely packed I might add) so I don't think it was during shipping. As for the cost for shipping it was $21.00 to get it there, $18.50 to get it back and $25.00 for broker fees.
Was this sent by UPS? UPS in Canada uses the brockerage company that charges astronomical brockerage fees.
I learnt my lesson a month ago when one of my strobes travelled back to Ikelite for repairs and the brockerage fee was half of the repair price. So, for my next repair, i made a note to Ikelite to use anything but UPS - they did not seem to have any issues with that.
Unfortunate problem with Canadian Customs is we can not send a free replacement for something defective. We should be able to send a free replacement if a bulb burns out immediately on a flashlight for example, but it isn't that simple............
