a VX or HDV ike housing?

[shugar]

after a much ballyhooed purchase request for u/w camera housing at the college i teach at, purchasing still has to get their heads out of their rear ends...

well it's budget time (again) and i (again) will try to get my much-wanted housing (to teach with... of course...)

i have the budget for an ikelite VX2100 housing... and about 35 VX2100s that i can play around with...

BUUUUUUUUT... miniDV is an obsolescent system... i can get a housing for an HDV camera buuuuuut i have yet to budget that in... and i don't know what model will be future-proof for the next few years (just like sony's VX camera line... love those things)...

also i'm going to be getting an ikelite Pro Video-Lite NiMh system... do you suggest a 50w or 100w? burn time on the 100w is tiny... at least the 50w can last pretty much the whole dive... but is 50w enough for decent video? both close up and medium-range work? (no i have no intention of shooting nudibranchs from 50meters away)

thanks

Jag

 

[diversteve]

my .02

I wouldn't buy an Ikelite HDV housing. Unless you specifically know which HDR series camera you're buying. And buy two of the same camera model in case of flooding as what you buy new now will be discontinued and selling on eBay in a year.

I bought an HDR-HC1 at the tail end of it's life a year and a half ago. The HC3 has been discontinued since then for the HC5/HC7 and Sony's also released two different series of HDD models since then.

Since Sony moves controls around on just about every model change, you'd be locked into the model with the Ike housing. Better to buy a LANC controlled electronic housing which will at least be future-proofed as long as Sony sells an HDR series camcorder.

I agree about buying HDV now.