Interested in feedback with Fantasea housings

[Hidroj]

Hello to everybody!
A friend is interested in buying a Fantasea Housing for his Nikon D70. Compared to other underwater housings manufacturers, I've got the impression there's not too much written about their housings (compared to Subal or Ikelite, for ex.). Anyone with good or bad experiences with Fantasea? What about the 5" Dome they offer? Is this port enough to use a fish eye like the 10.5mm? (I think not). Any cropping with the 10-20mm range lens that Sigma, Tokina or Nikon offer?
Thanks for any feedback.
Hidroj

 

[J.R.]

I've the FantaSea housing for the Nikon L-3 (haven't worked up the courage to take my D70 down yet....)...

I've got limited experience with it... but "so far... so good..." If the rest of their housings are as good as or better than the one for the L-3... I'd say they rock...

J.R.

 

[randini]

Not yet, but I just ordered a coolpix P3 and am about to get the Fantasea housing for it. I'll be glad to let you know what I think of it in about 2 weeks when I hope to get it all down here to me.

 

[RockyHeap]

I've got 3 or 4 fantasea housings in a bag in my garage, (for various nikon cool-pix cameras) and most all have leaked at one time or another. I can't even bear to sell them on e-bay so as not to pass on the pain I've experienced with flooded housings or slow dripping leaks.

I really honestly and personal experience shows they're a cheap inferior product, and you get what you pay for.

Compare a Fantase housing side by side with an Ikelite and there is no comparison in ruggedness. In the DSL world, yeah the housing start at $1000 and go up, $2000-2500 seems to be the average. You get what you pay for.

Especially with a DSL, man, I just wouldn't chance it.

 

[dbh]

You have to know which camera controls the Fantasea lets you access. Alot of Fantasea housings do not allow you to use all of the necessary controls. You also nedd to know which lenses that their port system allows and make sure that it coincides withn the lenses that you plan on shooting underwater. I don't know of anyone (or have not read on ANY website) that uses a Fantasea D70 housing. That should speak loud.

Dave

 

[J.R.]

You have to know which camera controls the Fantasea lets you access.

Good point. At least with the L3 the only control you can't get to is the power switch... ya' turn it on and set the auto off feature to 30 minutes... it *IS* kind of annoying... if you're using the .mpg feature on the camera you can chew through batteries kinda' quick... would be nice to be able to turn it off when yer' just cruisin'...