Rebel XT (350D) Housing Help

[gonzofro]

I have had on order with Ikelite a housing for over a month and have yet to receive it. I placed the order through my lds and we were informed at that time that they were waiting for a part for the housing to come in but otherwise they had everything in stock (housing, dome, spares kit, and ds-125 kit) and that once they got the part in they would ship it immediately, they would not give a date as to when it would come it. I was more than happy to wait a little while as I was looking forward to using the e-ttl as I know I stink with flashes on land, so underwater it will probably get real ugly.

This week the story from Ikelite is that they have the housing together but are now out of the ds-125 strokes and are not sure when they will get them back in so they are waiting on that now. Again they will not give an eta. After waiting a month I am pretty annoyed with their customer service. They are unwilling to help at all with the situation (I inquired about giving me a deal on the new ds-200 or anything of the sort). The best they have come up with is that they are willing to ship the housing now and whenever they get a strobe they will send that along, without an eta. I feel this is unsatisfactory.

All that for this: What are your recommendations for a Canon 350d (rebel xt) housing?

Colin

P.S. Sorry but I needed to vent

 

[Diver Dennis]

I have the Ike housing for the 350D and the only time I've had problems with parts was getting the new 8" dome. Did you order the strobes at the same time and were they in stock when you ordered?

 

[Diver Dennis]

I just talked to Ikelite and they are having battery issue from the manufacturer. The batteries they have are the wrong ones or might have been labeled wrong. In any event, they will know next week. They have not had this type of problem before. The reason they do not have an ETA is because they really don't know how they will rectify the situation. Try calling in the middle of next week and they might have them in or at least they will have more information.
Hope this helps.

 

[gonzofro]

Diver Dennis,

I appreciate your comments but I am through with Ikelite. The order was placed all at once, and there has been a lot of running around by them ("we have everything but x" and then they get x in and now y is gone) for well over a month. Yes the strobes where in stock when the order was placed, as I said the only thing they were lacking was a piece for the housing. There is more to this story, obviously, but I prefer not to go down that road, im done with them and need recommendations as to another manufacturer.

Colin

 

[Diver Dennis]

No worries. Try calling Blake at Aquatica. They have terrific housings too.

 

[Tortuga Roja]

I think it should be understood that manufacturing UW housings and strobes is not the same as manufacturing more common items. This is practically custom manufacturing. Things will not always run as smooth as they would when a company makes hundreds of thousands or millions of a single product. I have had, and seen, these kinds of problems with all of the companies that produce UW equipment. It's part of the price of wanting a specially made product that will fit one kind of camera and allow you to take it deep into saltwater.

By all means, Aquatica makes good housings and so does Subal. But don't think that the exact same problems can't happen there. It's the nature of the beast. Sometimes the problems are beyond the control of the manufacturer. All they can offer is the best POSSIBLE service. And there is little question that Ike usually does that.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Good point Mike. I have Ikelite products and have had only the best service from them.

 

[Jamdiver]

It's part of the price of wanting a specially made product that will fit one kind of camera and allow you to take it deep into saltwater.

Hehe, you'd think we were weird for wanting to take our cameras underwater :14:!