DSLR Rig - Do i have to pay retail???

[danny.hightower]

Hi everyone,

I'm a long time diver/C8080 shooter but new into DSLR (strobes, ports etc).. Ive been looking around online and it seems everyone lists retail for all the gear. I'll probably go Ikelite from a cost perspective and wondering if you can help set my expectations on if ill be paying retail or very close to it for a DSLR housing / Port / Strobe setup?

Also if you have dealt with some suppliers and have recommendations please pass them along.

Thank you in advance,

Danny

 

[muzikbiz22]

In short, Yes, you will be paying retail or close to. Underwater Photography is a niche market, with slim margins for the retailers. As an underwater photographer/consumer, it would be nice to "get a deal" and purchase an Aquatica or Nauticam housing at 30% off from retail price, but it just ain't gonna happen. The dealers would probably be losing money at such a steep discount. Your "best deal" is going to be the dealer/retailer that you establish a relationship with, and provides service and "value add". As weird as this sounds, I commend the Authorized Retailers for respecting the MAP policies of the various UWP manufacturers, and holding their prices and not discount the c**p out of products. It forces them to add value and earn your business and sell you something on more than just price. Anybody in the world (or on the internet) can always sell anything cheaper. Might not always be "your best deal" though.

 

[divengolf]

If you're buying new, I agree with muzikbiz22. I used to work (volunteer) with a LDS and concur that the margins are slim when overhead, etc. are included in the dealer cost. Reef Photo and Backscatter are well respected dealers of UW photo gear and are always willing to provide free advice. PLus their service is excellent as it is with most UW photo manufacturers.

That said, unless you must have the latest and greatest. buying used gear that's a generation or two old can give you some great deals. Used gear is available on SB as well as wetpixel.com. I'd be a little more careful on EBay as those sellers don't seem to be as into UW photo as the followers of SB and wetpixel are. Hence their gear isn't in as good of shape as it could be.

My gear is Aquatica housing with Nikon camera and Ikelite strobes. PM me if you have any questions on those brands.

 

[dhaas]

Thanks muzikbiz22

As he stated price only isn't a "deal"..........Shopping VALUE is always the true best deal

I pride myself on providing service as an actual shooter with tips on set up and settings including as a service for FREE..........

David Haas
www.haasimages.com

 

[Larry C]

You're not going to find a lot of variation in price. It used to be you could get some killer deals out of China or Taiwan. I came close to buying a Seatool housing from a Chinese dealer for about 2/3's what it cost here, with very reasonable shipping. This is a bit risky, because if there's a problem, you'll pay to ship it back and wait for the return, etc. but I had really good previous experience with the seller. Lately, the dollar has been sucking badly against other currencies, so there's little or no advantage to shopping Japanese products at an Asian retailer. The price is much closer and you have to pay shipping. I'd stick with someone local and trustworthy and utilize their product knowledge and the goodwill provided by buying from them. In the long run, you're going to spend a ton of money on this, so you might as well get used to it. If there's savings available, it's probably the strobes. Some e-bay sellers, particularly out of Hong Kong, seem to have good deals on strobes, but again, a strobe is probably a ten year commitment, so if you average out your cost per year it might be 50-60 dollars. Is the extra hassle worth it for 5-10 dollars per year of savings?