Housing advice for Sony SR11

[TMan2]

I my eyes, with that price range, I would recommend the Ikelite unit for these simple reasons:

1) Price-matches your budget
2) Ikelite has a great reputation for customer service
3) Weight-- much lighter than other options at that price point especially if you have to add monitor for the housing to work. This is very important for when you and the hubby go on a trip.
4) Ikelite features a mirror that works awesome for seeing the monitor, this way you don't have to spend extra for a lcd just to make the housing work and have a bunch if wires getting in the way of your controls.
5) Ikelite offers more controls than other units at the price point, so basically as you and your husband's skills grow the unit will be able to accomodate it and you wont have to send it back to add controls down the road to get what you want.
6) Ikelite has been building housings for over 30 years--time tested
7) Weight--when you order it and have it shipped to you, your final bill will be cheaper because the unit is lighter.

Hope this helps, there are a bunch of great units out there but for the price point you are looking at, Ikelite is probably the best bet.

Best regards,

 

[diversteve]

I am in the UK and would like to spend up to $1500 dollars max on one seeing as we don't dive that often. Don't know if that narrows things down.......

It does so here are some options:

First off are basic seal/go housings. You turn on the camera, seal the housing and film continuously until it's opened again. With the HDD size on the SR11, this would be an option but your husband will probably want some basic camera control that these lack. Nemo, Shellicam and others are options. Most are sub-$300 U.S. One thing I've heard of people doing is carrying their remote control at least onto the boat and starting/stopping the camera that way.

The next least expensive are models with limited camera controls.

A couple examples: Birchley is on your side of the world - they offer a housing with a basic control set including record/standby/zoom. Their controls use reed switches so there's no penetration of the housing. Only a flat front port but they do offer an optional color-correcting "red" filter - you want this. With your camcorder, you may be able to open the LCD screen at least partway even in their smaller dia. models - you should enquire about how much is visible in the larger tubes - which will need more weight to counterbalance them. Depth rated to 45M. Priced at £372.47 (incl VAT)

Aquatix is located in the U.S. The upgraded Aquatix has record, power and zoom control. It's $659 US. Depth rated to 200'. There's also one for $459 that has only a start/stop control. Add $85 shipping.

Next are dedicated housings made for your camera. In addition to the ones you mentioned there are several others that will fall around the $1500 mark...btw, not the Bluefin, it's $4200...

Some to consider and my subjective comments about them:

Ikelite: quality housing, more packable than some as the handles/weight come off quickly and easily. It has a good selection of ports/lenses. It is a mechanical housing so each control will have it's own control rod/lever to activate it. Which makes the housing pretty much model specific - probably the only other Sony camera that would work without sending it back for retrofit would be the SR12. For your particular camera, they use an external mirror to see the LCD screen, since it would normally pan backward when the LCD is "flipped" up against the camera body - they include a reversing circuit to correct this. With your model, this disables the microphone. The nice thing about the housing is that they provide a manual touchscreen control on the side so that Manual White Balance can be accessed on the LCD screen. Ikelite's are depth rated to 200' - one of the advantages of their clear design is that leaks are pretty obvious. $1300 US.

Competition for the Ikelite is the Equinox. It's a different style of housing than the Ikelite and quite a bit heavier for travel purposes. With your camera the viewfinder would be either obstructed or not viewable so they provide a back-mounted monitor option. 200' depth rating and mechanical controls similar to the Ikelite. Same issue with retrofitting it in the future although their rep has posted that they can do this affordably. The handles contain the weight and are quick-removable - I suppose if the housing were flooding at depth you might be able to save the camera by letting it go to the surface. Slightly better depth rating at 250'. $950 US. + the cost of the Monitor/back.

TopDawg makes an aluminum housing with electronic controls. With the backmounted monitor its $1499. It does not offer MWB control access for your camera as there is no way to "touch" the screen when it's in the housing. Their controls use magnets/reed switches so there are no penetrations into the housing. It has a flat front port so if you need a color correcting "red" filter (you do in tropical water between 15-90') you'll have to screw it onto the camera first. It weighs 6.5 lbs. and is neutrally buoyant with the camera installed. 200' depth rating. Uses a double o-ring seal. Since it's a flat port, it's good for macro work as well as regular video. Any optics would be added to the camera pre-dive though. Topdawg is a cost/feature/depth reduced version of the L&M Stingray made for Backscatter by Light & Motion.

Another option is the Ocean Images HC series. It's a poly electronic housing that's wide rather than long so the camera's LCD monitor can be opened completely. It has a full set of controls located on the right arm and optional add'l controls on the left. In addition, for $200 they add mechanical controls so you can adjust white balance or other camera functions via the LCD screen. The base housing is $1295 plus $125 for an optional wideangle port. I have a friend that shoots one, he's very pleased with it.

Last option at $100 over your budget would be the Light & Motion Stingray. It's a better version of the TopDawg with the controls moved onto the handles. Also they use a better monitor afaik. It has a built-in flood alarm, low-battery warning and double o-ring seals. Separate batteries for the backmounted monitor also. Since it also has a flat port, any filters/lenses would have to be installed on the camera pre-dive. Had this housing been available when I bought my Amphibico, I'd probably own one now.

The advantage that the electronic housings have is that all of them will house a wide variety of similar Sony 1chip cameras.

There are other European mfr's that make housings under $1500 but I'm not familiar enough with them to comment - Reefrider, Damm Aquaspace, etc. A mostly complete list can be found here.

hth,

 

[BDSC]

Another vote for the Stingray + housing. It's more than you want to spend but it's a great unit! It has the flip color correction filter and controls on the handles. Very easy to use. The monitor back is wide angle.

Also, the big plus for this unit is you can use lots of different Sony HD cameras in it. All you have to do is change to a different tray. You're not married to just one camcorder.

But here is the really big plus. They are working on a new handle that will allow for true "one touch" MWB if you use the Sony CX500/520.

So you could get a unit like this now by spending a little more but you'd have a unit that would last you for many years to come. I have one now and couldn't be more pleased and will get the new upgrade handle and a CX500 as soon as the handle is available.

 

[jaynea]

Many thanks everyone including those who have pm'd me. I think I have narrowed it down to the Ikelite and the Stingray now so will go off and weigh them up.

 

[jaynea]

Quick question on the Stingray / Stingray + - do either of them offer manual white balance ability?

 

[BDSC]

Quick question on the Stingray / Stingray + - do either of them offer manual white balance ability?

As of this moment no but Sony has come out with an excellent low light ability camcorder (CX500 or CX520) that will allow the Stingray + (and I assume the Stingray) to be able to do MWB. Apparantly the electronics were configured in the CX models in a way to allow for true "one touch" MWB from a button on the handle. They already have a bluefin out for the CX500/520 that operates this way. They are in the process of developing a new handle for the Stingray systems that will allow this same feature and it may be out in about a month.

I will add this. The Stingray + is listed at $1999 and the Stingray is $1599. The addition cost of the Stingray + is well worth it because it gives you the flip color correction filter and the ability to change/use different lenses. It will cost extra to get the handle when it comes out.

The thing I really like about this system is with the ability to do MWB (with the correct camcorder), to me it's no longer a "beginner" system. Like I said before, I think it's the best system of it's kind for the money and you will have the ability to expand the system in the future with lights, etc.

And one other thing. With the economy the way it is, you gotta figure this type of product isn't flying off the shelves. So you may be willing to find a dealer who will give you a discount. Maybe 10% or so.

 

[jaynea]

Right it's either the Ikelite or the Stingray +. I am torn.
The Ikelite is a better price, accessories seem cheaper to add and offers the MWB but the Stingray is smaller, lighter and is forward compatible if we go for new camera in the future.

 

[BDSC]

Right it's either the Ikelite or the Stingray +. I am torn.
The Ikelite is a better price, accessories seem cheaper to add and offers the MWB but the Stingray is smaller, lighter and is forward compatible if we go for new camera in the future.

I also like the fact the Stingray is made from aluminum and should last for years.

I think either system would be fine but the difference for me is the fact the Stingray + can house so many different cameras. It gives you way more options in the future. I had a Top Dawg II before I got my Stingray + and liked it a lot but it was sorta bulky and I had to attach weight to it for that perfect balance. The Stingray + is just a little negative and handles perfectly in the water. Not heavy at all and I don't get tired of having it after an hour in the water.

The monitor in the back is great also and I can easily get three dives on a set of charged up batteries.

Good luck with whatever you choose and I hope you have a pretty up to date computer because it takes a good one to do all the editing that comes after the trip!

 

[gxsr_sarge]

Funny, I was going to post a very similar question.

I have the Sony SR10 (which is the essentially the same camera but smaller HD). I currently use the Ikelite mechanical housing. After about a few months of using it, I quickly realized its limitations. First, using the mirror is a pain. It's on the side and you have to be at the right viewing angle just behind it to see the full picture - which is not that big to begin with. I hate the fact that by reversing the circuitry, you loose the underwater "sound". Many folks don't care b/c there is really nothing to "hear". But I like dubbing music over the very calming bubbling and UW breathing sounds. The controls are also sometimes difficult to manage if the rods aren't perfectly lined up with the inside buttons. I don't know how many times I accidentaly hit pause when I thought I was recording. I also have the wide angle lens. During the day in shallower waters (50' or less) it seems to give a semi-circular ring in the picture - this drives me nuts.

A few of my instructors have the L&M electronic housings. The video screen is in the back, bigger and easier to see. You can see what you are shooting without having to be exactly behind the unit. The buttons are easy to control on one of the handles. I also want to mount my camera on my Gavin scooter. I can't with the Ikelite.

All that to say: If you can swing it, I recommend that you go with the electronic housing. I'm looking at buying a Stingray + which is going to be the subject of my post (i.e., whether anyone would recommend it). By the way, I'm selling my Ikelite ... anyone interested? PM me.

I'm heading to DEMA next week and hope that I can pick one up at a discount. The MSRP is $1999.

Good luck

 

[Highliner]

Here's the first test dive with the Stingray Plus. No lights, I used a handheld Light Cannon with a diffuser. No Filter. Downloaded on the site. Not a bragging video just an example. (Remember it's Youtube. Excellent 1080 image on LCD) Love the L&M!

YouTube - Alki's Honey Bear