Hi people,
I just got my MDX-D300 housing, but while I was at the store picking it up, I had the chance to closely scrutinize one of the new RDX-450D (that is similar in most ways to the RDX-D60) from the first production run, for a few hours.
Being used to the compactness of the Sea&Sea aluminum housings the first thing that struck me was the size of these new housings, it was thicker, higher and almost the same width of my D300 housing!!! Even though the D60 is a tiny camera compared to the D300, this doesn't show up in the housing (I guess Ikelite user are more used to this size standard anyway).
The next thing that call for attention is the new port system, there is a small lock button on the lower left side of the housing port that locks a metal ring (aluminum?) that runs on a track over some guides (plastic apparently). I think this is necessary to avoid the cracks that occurred in some late all plastic housings, but it looks like it require careful maintenance and cleaning after a dive to avoid sand and salt build up in those tracks.
The new latches made of plastic seem to help stabilize the housing with their increased width, but there is another catch here: to close the housing you must first slide a metal tab into a metal slit on top of the housing (behind the optical connectors) then close the housings and the latches. The catch is that you need to be really careful to insert the whole metal tab into the slot, otherwise it creates a very powerful arm as the back of the housing connects to the o-ring grove preventing the house to close and threatening to brake the housing near the metal connector on top.
The 450D on/off control in the housing needs also to be carefully checked as it also might prevent the housing from closing properly, I am not sure if in the D60 housing this also applies...
Optical connectors seems to be well placed right in front of the camera flash and to allow little room for the light to scape. Looks like the camera should be placed in the housing with the flash already popped up. The inside of the housing though is black is not matte, but glossy and I would really like to see some reports on people using the Nikkor 10.5mm with some domes to see if firing the flash inside the housing causes unwanted reflex in the domes.
There are 2 adaptors available, one for the Compact Macro Ports, and another for the NX ports, but the bad news is that apparently the use of these adaptors do place the lenses a little further inside the housing when compared to the NX ports, which forbids the use of the whole array of lenses configuration the MDX, DX and NX series of housing uses. Sea&Sea seems to be working hard in improving the lens options though.
The good news is the price, at around U$1000 it is a good option in a market dominated by Ikelite (see Housing Poll Thread), and the basic set-up is apparently aimed at people using their kit lenses (even though the 18-55 lens under a flat port lacks in the WA end, act more like a 35mm...). I hope it brings more people to uwphoto.
I think these are the most important items I can remember. It looks a good option for beginners, as they can improve by buying NX ports that they would later use on top-end housings, but (as in any uwphoto housing really) it requires careful (DO NOT RUSH) use, maintenance and storage.
Good luck, would love to hear/see more from the first users!!!
I just got my MDX-D300 housing, but while I was at the store picking it up, I had the chance to closely scrutinize one of the new RDX-450D (that is similar in most ways to the RDX-D60) from the first production run, for a few hours.
Being used to the compactness of the Sea&Sea aluminum housings the first thing that struck me was the size of these new housings, it was thicker, higher and almost the same width of my D300 housing!!! Even though the D60 is a tiny camera compared to the D300, this doesn't show up in the housing (I guess Ikelite user are more used to this size standard anyway).
The next thing that call for attention is the new port system, there is a small lock button on the lower left side of the housing port that locks a metal ring (aluminum?) that runs on a track over some guides (plastic apparently). I think this is necessary to avoid the cracks that occurred in some late all plastic housings, but it looks like it require careful maintenance and cleaning after a dive to avoid sand and salt build up in those tracks.
The new latches made of plastic seem to help stabilize the housing with their increased width, but there is another catch here: to close the housing you must first slide a metal tab into a metal slit on top of the housing (behind the optical connectors) then close the housings and the latches. The catch is that you need to be really careful to insert the whole metal tab into the slot, otherwise it creates a very powerful arm as the back of the housing connects to the o-ring grove preventing the house to close and threatening to brake the housing near the metal connector on top.
The 450D on/off control in the housing needs also to be carefully checked as it also might prevent the housing from closing properly, I am not sure if in the D60 housing this also applies...
Optical connectors seems to be well placed right in front of the camera flash and to allow little room for the light to scape. Looks like the camera should be placed in the housing with the flash already popped up. The inside of the housing though is black is not matte, but glossy and I would really like to see some reports on people using the Nikkor 10.5mm with some domes to see if firing the flash inside the housing causes unwanted reflex in the domes.
There are 2 adaptors available, one for the Compact Macro Ports, and another for the NX ports, but the bad news is that apparently the use of these adaptors do place the lenses a little further inside the housing when compared to the NX ports, which forbids the use of the whole array of lenses configuration the MDX, DX and NX series of housing uses. Sea&Sea seems to be working hard in improving the lens options though.
The good news is the price, at around U$1000 it is a good option in a market dominated by Ikelite (see Housing Poll Thread), and the basic set-up is apparently aimed at people using their kit lenses (even though the 18-55 lens under a flat port lacks in the WA end, act more like a 35mm...). I hope it brings more people to uwphoto.
I think these are the most important items I can remember. It looks a good option for beginners, as they can improve by buying NX ports that they would later use on top-end housings, but (as in any uwphoto housing really) it requires careful (DO NOT RUSH) use, maintenance and storage.
Good luck, would love to hear/see more from the first users!!!
