5D MkII housing/lens choice

[jstamets]

I am fairly new to diving but I enjoy photography and video. I currently use a 5D MkII for both on land, but would like to use the camera for underwater shooting as well. I see that housings aren't particularly cheap and there are a great many of them. I was curious to know what housing and lens combinations any other DSLR users (especially mine) might use. Any suggestions? Anything not incredibly expensive - maybe just really expensive?

Thanks!

John

 

[matt215]

I have a 5D mkii and it is in an ikelite housing. most of the time i use a 17-40 lens, but i also have a 100mm macro and recently got a 15mm fisheye that i love.
i would like a subal, but it's out of my price range. so far it has worked well for me, and i like the option to have flash exposure compensation on the ikelite, which i don't think is an option with other models.
on some trips i'll have other photographers look at me with a look that says "amateur" because i'm using a bagrin basement housing, but my pic are WAY cooler than theirs : )

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I also use a 17-40 F4L and 100mm macro in Ikelite, though I only have a lowly 5D mk I. For non-pro work, I don't see the advantage of spending twice as much or more on many of the other housings. If you really want a moisture alarm, you can get one for $75 and add it to the Ikelite.

I was close to getting a 15 fisheye last year when a local shop was going out of business, but I ended-up passing. It can make for some great effects.

 

[matt215]

here's the advantage of a higher end housing: more compact and better access to controls, so you can look through the viewfinder and adjust shuteer speed or aperture and it's right at your finger tips.

 

[jstamets]

Thanks, I appreciate the input. I didn't realize that a housing might not provide full access to all of the camera's controls. How is vignetting at the wide end of the lens? Or do you tend to use the lens more at the other end? I have the 24-105f4/L, but it is too large for the few housings I have looked at.

 

[Becca_007]

I'm not familiar with the 5D MKII but the Ikelite housing for the 40D provides access to all controls. Even my small Canon housing for my Canon point and shoot provides access to all controls.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I can't think of any settings that I cannot access while my 5D is in the housing. It does take some time to learn the feel of all the settings so that I can do them without looking while holding the housing, but I don't see how that would be any different with any other housing. I suppose a cast metal housing could be slightly more compact, but I can't see spending an extra $2000 for a slightly more compact housing.

 

[bvanant]

The benefits and comparisons between plastic and metal housings go on forever, kind of like mac vs. PC in the computer world. If you are constrained by $ then Ike is the way to go, but for most people Matt above said it right, I would like to have a Subal but am price constrained. If cost is not an issue at all then Seacam is the top of the line. Next is probably Subal, then Aquatica,Sea&Sea,Watershot etc. As for lenses, the 17-40 or 16-35 are great, the 100 macro is clearly necessary for macro.

The biggest advantage of the smaller, more ergonomic housings is the ability to make fast adjustments on the fly without thinking so the once in a dive opportunities get captured. The quality of the pictures you take won't be different (or barely different) but the ease with which you get them will be. If you can find a store that has some of these play with them. If not make a trek to Backscatter or Reef or H20Photo pros and play. You won't go wrong with any housing, some are just a bit simpler to use than others (and they hold their resale value better than the larger Ike's) at least in my opinion.
So it comes down to budget, if you are constrained then the Ike is your only real choice; the rest are a lot more money.

Bill

 

[bvanant]

Just for reference
Seacam $5670
Subal $4500
Sea&Sea $3499
Aquatica $2899
Ikelite $1519

These are all without ports, or strobes or arms
etc
Bill

 

[matt215]

sorry, i mis-spoke. you can access all the controls on the ike housing, but i played around with a subal housing for the 5D mk 2 and the controls are much easier to access without having to let go of the handles on the side. in other words, it's smaller, so it's more like holding the camera in your hand. with the ike, it's big and bulky, so it's tough to be looking through the lens and reading the meter, and then just reach over with your thumb to adjust settings. this hasn't been a problem for me, but i didn't know how it could be better until i played with a higher end housing. my advice would be to get the ike, and just ignore the others. you don't miss what you don't know...