Ikelite = $$$$$, ??????

[SeaFlea]

Greetings all. I wanted to get some feedback. I was settled on a Sea&Sea Aquapix 3100 but now have a problem letting go of the $$$$. I'm now looking for a moderately priced digital camera and a housing. Not quite decided on the camera ( I like the Oly c-750), but have been looking at the housings. I find the Ikelite housings to be about double the cost of the standard pt-019 housing.

Can anyone tell me, are there any big differences between the two? It looks as though the Ike. will allow a external strobe but can I do the same with the pt-019? It appears the pt-019 housing has a cover over the camera's strobe.

Is the Ike. worth the extra $$$$ ? Also can anyone suggest a good camera/housing combo in the $600-700 range? One that will allow a external strobe.

Thx all.

 

[ReyeR]

If you're looking for a moderately priced camera and housing then the Olympus camera and housing is a good place to start. If you look after your housing you should have no problem with it. The Ikelite housings are tougher, slightly bulkier and rated for 60m. It also comes with a tray and handle for the price. Depending on which housing you get you will also get hard-wired TTL with Ikelite strobes. With the Olympus PT housings you can use a slave strobe with manual control like the Inon D180.

 

[scubajoe]

You get what you pay for. Cheaper is not always better.

Joe

 

[clive francis]

You get what you pay for. Cheaper is not always better.

Joe

but in the case (no pun intended) of the olympus, cheaper does not mean worse it is more of an acceptable alternative at half the price!

ask anyone who has an olympus case and they will tell you, i have had 3 different oly cameras and cases and all have been quality.

so scubajoe, i shouldn't go around making sweeping statements without the facts.

 

[jcclink]

You get exactly what you pay for. My PT-015 housing leaked - both of them. They are $150 throw-aways. I love my Tetra :10:

 

[clive francis]

You get exactly what you pay for. My PT-015 housing leaked - both of them. They are $150 throw-aways. I love my Tetra :10:

but why did they leak?

like i said i have had 3 different oly housings and never had a single problem with them, plus they all went deeper than the 30m.

you have had 2 and they both leaked, not many others have complained about them so what did you do wrong?

 

[Dee]

Yep...more expensive doesn't guarantee better. I've got 3 Oly housings and am totally pleased with them.

If you do alot of rocky shore dives, your housing may take some hard lumps along the way, the Ikelite housing would be better for you. But for 'normal' boat and shore diving, the Oly suits perfectly well. EVERY housing can flood, regardless of who makes it.

 

[Detonate]

Dee said it. PT housings are awesome! Tetra is a huge waste of money on a prosumer camera, in my opinion. And yes, it can still leak.

 

[jcclink]

From an engineering design standpoint the PT-015 has a flaw in the mode on/off control. The small shaft is not properly supported within the outer shaft at each end. Misalignment will result in weepage past the small o-ring. And it is VERY easy to misalign the camera in the housing, so I was very careful in this regard. Older PT housings may not have the problem to the same extend as the newer ones, or there's a QC problem. My second PT hasn't actually leaked yet, but I'm starting to see salt deposits on top of the mode dial after only 15 dives. The next step is a leak. The first one leaked after 26 dives. I prefer not to deal with unreliable equipment.

A lot more PT problems are posted on DigitalDiver.net. Also seems to be a few crack issues discussed on this board.

 

[ReyeR]

From an engineering design standpoint the PT-015 has a flaw in the mode on/off control. The small shaft is not properly supported within the outer shaft at each end. Misalignment will result in weepage past the small o-ring. And it is VERY easy to misalign the camera in the housing, so I was very careful in this regard.

Then explain to me, if it is a design flaw, why there are hundreds of PT-015, some with hundred++ dives, which haven't experienced the problem. It's very easy to rubbish a product when you hear some units having a problem. Because the majority who don't have a problem don't come out yelling "MY PT-015 DOESN'T LEAK!".