C5050 housing PT05 vs Ikelite

[sailor025]

well, I finally got my C5050 but the store was sold out of PT015 housings. Now I have time to think whether I want the PT015 or the Ikelite.

A friend bought the Ikelite. He liked it better because it could hold down buttons--or something like that. He stated that the PT015 does not come with the equipment to attach a strobe and that when you buy the needed stuff, it ends up costing about as much as the Ikelite which apparently comes with the stuff.

I found the PT015 for $149 on the web. The Ikelite is about $499 at best.

Frankly, I want to try photography without a strobe or a flash and use the digital settings to try to get "natural" color without a strobe. But, that may not be practical here in the Texas Gulf region where I dive rigs and wrecks.

I'd like some input on the pros and cons of the PT015 vs the Ikelite. I'd also like some comments about the strobe issue and the cost comparison vs what you get.

Thanks

Rodney

 

[ssra30]

You can definitely add a strobe to PT-015. Either the Ikelite strobe like the DS50 or DS125 or Sea and Sea YS90. They either have photo sensor or optic fiber that are mounted externally and are triggered off as slave flash from your internal flash. They work very well as there is one less hard wired connection to worry about.

However Ikelite housing comes already with tray and handle. It probably would cost something like around $100 to add tray and handle to PT-015.

One problem with Ikelite housing (actually I have Oly 4040 and Ikelite housing, slightly different housing than for the 5050) is that the port is a big bigger so if you take a macro shot or pretty much anything within about 2 feet of the subject, the internal flash will not cover the entire pictures as the port will block the internal flash from parts of the picture. Not an issue with external strobe but if you want to use internal flash only, it is very annoying.

 

[Dee]

I have a c-4040 in a PT-10 housing, so I can't really comment on the pros and cons of the Ikelite. ssra's comment about the internal flash being blocked is certainly something I would strongly consider.

I say that because I recommend that you wait awhile on the strobe. Use the camera without an external strobe for a while to get used to the way it works and what the camera alone can do for you. I've found that I prefer the internal flash to that of the external strobe in some situations and use it way more than I ever thought I would. The flash being blocked on anything within 2ft. wouldn't work for me because I take alot of no strobe macro shots at 6-8 inches.

My Fisheye tray with handle was an additional $125.

 

[sailor025]

I think you just made my decision for me! I like macro and that means that the ikelite would be a problem. As I said, I want to try the camera for a while without a strobe and maybe without a flash if I can get filters and adjust the camera to the light at each depth. Thanks for the help.

Plus, you can't beat the price!!!

Rodney

 

[Dee]

sailor025 once bubbled...
I think you just made my decision for me! I like macro and that means that the ikelite would be a problem. As I said, I want to try the camera for a while without a strobe and maybe without a flash if I can get filters and adjust the camera to the light at each depth. Thanks for the help.

Plus, you can't beat the price!!!

Rodney

Don't depend on filters to provide your color for you like a strobe would...ain't gonna happen! The only time I've seen filters improve U/W shots is with wide angle reef scenes, out of the range of a strobe and in shallow depths where ambient light was very good.

Other than that i agree...you can't beat the price! And that doesn't make it inferior quality, either...just different.

 

[ike]

Port diameter is same for Ikelite and Olympus housings as both accept the same screw-on wide angle lenses. Ikelite housing includes a removable diffuser that spreads the internal flash coverage, providing the same coverage as the Olympus with its permanently mounted diffuser.

 

[ssra30]

Ike, that's true, I forgot that both Ikelite and Oly housing accept the same port. Actually I own both Ikelite and PT-010 housing.
On my last trip, my strobe flooded so I was using only internal flash with my camera/Ikelite housing. I found that the left lower connor was consistantlhy not covered by the internal flash. Depending on the distance and zoom position, the dark left lower connor could be minimal or sometimes cover almost half of the picture. I tried with the diffuser on and off the housing.

 

[ike]

Distance and zoom are the two key words. Study where the flash is on the camera and you will see lens port will block close subjects. I assume you were not using an optional external lens which certainly blocks the flash.

 

[MonkSeal]

ssra30 once bubbled...
II found that the left lower connor was consistantlhy not covered by the internal flash. Depending on the distance and zoom position, the dark left lower connor could be minimal or sometimes cover almost half of the picture. I tried with the diffuser on and off the housing.

You can notice the same thing when you take macro pictures without UW housing using internal flash.

 

[ssra30]

Ike, I did have a macro lens on at times but also no other lens just as often. Before I bought the strobe, I used the PT-010 housing with the camera alone but switched to Ikelite housing when I got the strobe. Looking back at pictures I took with PT-010 housing, I did not notice significant problems with internal flash and housing. However, this last trip was the first time I used Ikelite housing without an external strobe. You are right that distance and zoom will certainly make the problem worse or less obvious but I did not recall this to be much of an issue with PT010. Here is an example of some of the pictures I got. I was about 2 feet away from the subject, no add on lens, did not recall if I was in a macro mode or not.

Overall, I still like the Ikelite housing very much but only if I use an external strobe. Without a strobe, the PT010 might be a better choice if depth is not an issue.