Calling All Canon A720 Users!

[annasea]

If you've been sitting on the fence as to whether you should:

a) buy an underwater housing for your A720
b) upgrade from the Canon housing to the Ikelite housing

now is your chance!

B&H Photo has dropped the price of the Ikelite housing by $100 to a mere $199! Plus free shipping within the US! (Ikelite's website lists the MSRP as $400 and Adorama sells it for $349.)

I've been wanting to upgrade from the Canon housing for months but was deterred by the low CAD dollar. Now that the dollar is creeping back up... I anxiously await the arrival of my new housing! Next up, an Inon strobe...

 

[tripntx]

I'm considering purchasing one of these housings. The main reason I want this housing is to attach wide lens.

Can S&S and Inon fisheye/wide angle lens be used with this housing? Or do can only Ikelite lens be attached?

 

[annasea]

From B&H's website:

Wide-Angle
The port accepts the 67mm threads of a wide-angle conversion lens without an adapter

I take this to mean any lens with a 67mm thread will work. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[NWDiverBob]

That's a great price. I wonder if Ikelite is considering dropping this housing like they did with the A570. If I had the A720, I would have already placed my order!

 

[Nemrod]

My measurements and test I made earlier this year indicate to me that the 720 is a good candidate for wet mount lenses.

However, it is listed as a housing that Ikelite no longer makes. With these cameras since they are on a one year product cycle you should purchase the housing with the camera. The 570/640/720 are discontinued cameras and housings. Only the A590 still is in production with an Ikelite housing.

N

 

[tripntx]

My measurements and test I made earlier this year indicate to me that the 720 is a good candidate for wet mount lenses.

N

What test?

 

[Nemrod]

What test?

I own all of the Inon AD series and two Inon 100WAL and one is fitted with the dome (I just got the dome a few months ago). I used these lenses to optically line up with various cameras to see if the optics, at least with optimal housings and geometry, would operate with said cameras. While not completely conclusive I was able to rule out a number of common cameras as not being ideal. The various things I investigated was the compatibility without vignetting with the lens full wide and fully zoomed, vignetting with minimum aperture and optimal distance from the face of the lens element (camera) to the rear element of the wet mount lens. Here I discovered that most camera ports were to long or at least so long that vignetting could be expected. I used this information then to guide me into a selection of a compact camera. That is right, I bought the lenses first and then selected the camera and housing to function with them. I realize this is opposite of what most people do but I am not unfortunately most people much to my dismay. I have reported at numerous times my findings, don't care if others agree or not, they have not gone to the effort I did to see what works BEFORE spending money.

Yes, I have compared the optical alignment of the Canon 570, 590, 640 and 720 cameras with various wet lenses that I own. The ultimate test however is where the rubber meets the road, plunk down the cash, buy the rig and see if it works, that is the ultimate test and I cannot help you out there.

The lens element diameter of the 720 and the zoom ratio of the camera prevented me from getting a workable alignment with the 105AD and 165AD fisheye lenses given the port geometry of the Ikelite housing. The Inon Type II 100WAL did function with only marginal edge dimming but since I only had housing measurements that were somewhat theoretical (a semi-WAG with some critical measurements) the distance I placed the wet lens from the camera lens may not be exactly correct. I also found that the "sweet" spot distance is very small and that being off on my measurements just a little bit could make the difference between marginal and unacceptable.

After purchasing my Ikelite and Canon 570 I used the information to then make several adapters that allow the AD series lenses to function with the 67mm port. Here is the Inon 165AD adapted to the Ikelite 67mm port:

That would be the "test."

N

 

[tripntx]

Thanks for replying. I own an A720is with cannon oem housing, ucls tray arms, and inon D2000 strobe. Had been thinking about spending the money on something new (maybe the new S&S DX-2G), but with the price of this ike housing, seems it is time for me to order one, keep what I have, improve upon it, and become proficient with it.

I will be ordering the IKE housing in few minutes. Wide angle lens will have to wait for another month. Plenty of time to decide which one, although I'm certain I want to use Inon glass. Also plan on adding a second Inon strobe by summer 2010.

With brings me to my next question: How did you adapt Ike 67mm thread to accept Inon fisheye AD mounted lens?

In your opinion, what would be better:
Adapt port to accept 165fisheyeAD or use 100 with dome? I do now which is the more expensive route, just courious about your thoughts.

 

[tripntx]

Ordered the housing a few moments ago, then ordered some magic filters. What to plan around with them some in Mammoth Lake this summer.

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks for replying. I own an A720is with cannon oem housing, ucls tray arms, and inon D2000 strobe. Had been thinking about spending the money on something new (maybe the new S&S DX-2G), but with the price of this ike housing, seems it is time for me to order one, keep what I have, improve upon it, and become proficient with it.

I will be ordering the IKE housing in few minutes. Wide angle lens will have to wait for another month. Plenty of time to decide which one, although I'm certain I want to use Inon glass. Also plan on adding a second Inon strobe by summer 2010.

With brings me to my next question: How did you adapt Ike 67mm thread to accept Inon fisheye AD mounted lens?

In your opinion, what would be better:
Adapt port to accept 165fisheyeAD or use 100 with dome? I do now which is the more expensive route, just courious about your thoughts.

I believe that what you have is a better combination than the S&S outfit.

In my opinion, now having used both enough to understand them, the Inon dome corrector with the Inon Type II 100WAL is the better option, it needs to be given the price premium.

You will never get the 165AD to work with that camera, JMO.

You may be completely satisfied with the 100WAL alone but I have to tell you that the dome corrector is awesome and I hate applying that word but it is simply the correct adjective.

N