Why should I pay $550 more for a Nauticam housing over Ikelite housing? RX100

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I have a Nauticam housing for my Rx100. I have owned an Ikelite case in the past. The difference between them, for me anyway, is huge. Here are the big ones that I can think of
1) The big one for me is the shutter actuation on the Nauticam, as it is far smoother and easier to press because it doesn't take near as much pressure to move it half way to get focus. With my Ikelite I took a lot of photos when I was just trying to set focus!
2) Optical cable system is much better, and no need to use a bunch of tape or whatever inside a clear housing. The Nauticam has two ports the cables plug into. No velcro or additional parts to buy.
3) It's smaller - space is at a premium when traveling.
4) Leak alarm
5) M10 and shoe mount on top for a focus light, video light, GoPro, or whatever else you want.

Here's a lot of discussion on this topic. Sony RX100 housing: Nauticam vs Ikelite, pair with Inon UFL-165AD - Consumer Digicams/Housings - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums
 
I bought the RX100 and an Ikelite housing from a SB member here, and after a week in Bonaire I'm ok with the housing. It is bulky.. But I did not worry excessively about leaks with the clear housing. I'll stick with it, no great reason to spend the extra $$ in my book. I used the extra money to upgrade my strobe to the S&S DS-1.
 
I have used both and while size is relative, both seemed tiny after years of shooting a DSLR. Good points above, in addition Ike is what I consider a "Two Handed Housing" often if you want to make an adjustment it requires taking one hand off the handle to do it. In addition the buttons can be a little more finicky. Nauticam puts everything at your finger tips, and spreads out the buttons for those wearing heavy glove systems. Both are great products at their price points.

Sharkygill has an excellent point, this camera is so good at wide angle that money spent on a wet lens and/or a powerful strobe like the D1 is money well spent.
 
With a Recsea, it's much easier to press the buttons. You can also access all the functions quickly, whereas sometimes it's very difficult to access some functions on the Ikelite; this allows for much more custom settings for the Recsea. And it's easier to switch lenses underwater.

Worth the extra money, but Ikelite is still very good.
 
I am a liveaboard operator. I have seen literally hundreds of Ikelite housing floods, and have never seen a Nauticam housing flood, except for the one we took to wayyyyyy over the depth limit. I see many nauticam housings, as we host the Nauticam dealers liveaboard trip each year, so it's not just numbers of Ikelites vs number of Nauticams. It seems that the Ikelite method of attaching ports is a little weaker than aluminum housing methods of attaching ports (locking ring instead of 4 little clips). It's gotten to the point where we won't handle a Ikelite housing any more because of the number of floods. To be fair, our diving can be a little more strenuous than your average calm water liveaboard.
 
I am a liveaboard operator. I have seen literally hundreds of Ikelite housing floods, and have never seen a Nauticam housing flood, except for the one we took to wayyyyyy over the depth limit. I see many nauticam housings, as we host the Nauticam dealers liveaboard trip each year, so it's not just numbers of Ikelites vs number of Nauticams. It seems that the Ikelite method of attaching ports is a little weaker than aluminum housing methods of attaching ports (locking ring instead of 4 little clips). It's gotten to the point where we won't handle a Ikelite housing any more because of the number of floods. To be fair, our diving can be a little more strenuous than your average calm water liveaboard.

In other words, you don't personally use them or you don't assist your divers by raising and lowering their cameras to them if they are using an Ikelite housing? Kinda curious...
 
In other words, you don't personally use them or you don't assist your divers by raising and lowering their cameras to them if they are using an Ikelite housing? Kinda curious...

We'll put it in, we'll take it out, we will not put it in the rinse tank. It seems that they lose their seal between coming out of the water and the rinse tank. Most floods occur in the rinse tank, and then the camera owner gives us the hairy eyeball because we were the last to handle it. Personally, I really think it's the camera owners who leave them in the rinse tank while they go eat, shower, maybe take a nap that seem to have the most problems, but there ya go.
 
I would never leave my camera in a rinse tank....that's where a lot of problems happen! Housings don't take well to being bashed by other housings being dropped on top of them.

Get a cooler bag & you've got your own private rinse tank.
 
Thanks Wookie, that seems like a reasonable explanation and a reasonable course of action based on your experience. Some people don't understand that they are "Rinse" tanks, not "Soak" tanks. If you leave your camera in there too long they become "Smash Up Derby" and "Free Camera Parts" tanks.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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