Ikelite housing for A7R II -- tiny viewfinder

[Swordfish]

I just got the Ikelite housing for the A7R II and was shocked to discover that this housing gives you a teeny-tiny view using the built-in eyepiece. Coming from the Ikelite housing for the Canon 5D II, I'd say this is a major downgrade as far as viewfinder use is concerned, which gives you about 60% to 70% view (compared with 90% to 95% on the Ikelite 5D II housing).

It puts the A7R II's giant viewfinder to waste. It's a shame Ikelite doesn't mention this on their website. No, I don't plan to splurge another $1,000 on a viewfinder magnifier.

The tray also doesn't have a lock, so be careful that the camera doesn't fall when opening the housing. You also can't switch from TTL to manual strobe control (and vice versa) underwater, which I've been able to do in my previous housing. You have to open the housing to flick the switch.

Everything else is fine. But I had to highlight these negative points because the "professional" reviewers forgot to mention them. Unless there's something wrong with my housing.

Is the built-on eyepiece really supposed to be that bad? Notice that I'm not comparing the housing with an Aquatica or Nauticam, but with an old Ikelite housing for the 5D II which really didn't look that bad.

 

[Ikelite Staff]

Most shooters use the Live View option since it gives you 100% of the image. The optical viewfinder comes standard on the DSLR size housings and may give you slightly more or less coverage with each new camera model. To design an optical solution could potentially double the cost of the housing. Since a mask is necessary for diving and you can never get your eye right up to the standard optical viewfinder, the LCD screen is still the best option.

Best Regards,

Brett Foster - Ikelite