I outfitted a customer in an Aquatica housing and a Ike DS-125 for his CP5000. The Aquatica housing is $100 more at list, albeit with a less desirable handle (upgrade available). I recommended the Aquatica over the Ikelite for this camera. The housing is fantastic. The camera slips in with no holding tray. The hinged case is almost idiot proof as far as opening and closing, similar to a Gates video housing. It's smaller than the Ikelite unit. It has a hood over the LCD view finder.
The customer returned after his trip to Coz and thanked me for the recommendation. He was on a boat with someone else that had a CP in an Ike housing and said he was glad he got the Aquatica after watching the other diver set his rig up.
I sold him the Aquatica with the standard arm. If he wants to upgrade to a tray/handle/dual handle, he can do it later. I sold him a TLC standard arm set. He can reconfigure it by adding another section.
I was also quite impressed with the Ike DS-125 strobe. It's definitely their best design to date. If you look at weight/size/power/recycle time and value, it's top dog amongst the new breed of strobes. Of course I've still got my fire breathing power, fast recycle time, heavy as a brick SS-200s. Almost twice the power at twice the weight.
I was quite impressed with the CP5000. I have a CP995. No comparison. I housed the CP995 in an Aquatica A995 housing. I have nothing good to say about that particular housing. I wanted to take a sledge-o-matic to it. Aquatica got it right with the A5000 housing.
I think it's worth the extra $100 for the Aquatica housing.
