Seafrogs Salted vs Fantasea FA6500

[grantmac]

Considering one of these two housings for use with an A6300 and kit lens plus wet diopter, probably on a swing away mount.
This is my first step from a point and shoot or GoPro. Likely with two video lights to start.
From what I can tell the Fantasea has 67mm threads on their flat port 34. It seems the Seafrogs doesn't have threads on the included port.

Advice and guidance much appreciated.

 

[MyBuddy]

I can’t speak to the Fantasea, but my wife’s year old Seafrogs Salted line for a Sony RX100 was junk. Some of the buttons would not operate below 60’, plastic pieces to operate switches snapped off, a C clip that holds the locking mechanism together failed, other were on the verge, which required me to make a repair on the dock with a twisty tie. The C clip was the final straw before she ditched it and got a Nauticam.

For camera cases, I’m going to invoke the often quoted trope, “buy once, cry once.”

 

[David Haas]

Look for the Fantasea. They are made by AOI but to a much higher standard for a polycarbonate housing.

You might find a deal out on Ebay or a new one still in stock.

I don't know if Fantasea will bring them back in their line as they appear to be concentrating on the 1" sensor compact camera housings the past few years.

Still a great housing for that level camera!

DH

 

[grantmac]

Sounds like a significant bias towards the Fantasea.
Does anyone know how the FA6000 compares to the FA6500?

 

[David Haas]

For underwater the Sony A6000 was so good Fantasea (AOI) brought the housing that specifically fit the A6000.

You could find clean used A6000 cameras for dirt cheap also (meaning buy 2 so you'd have a back up on trips plus using the exact same model.

Using the exact model above and below will keep your "brain" fresh where buttons, menus, etc. are versus combining models.

That said.......If you find a Fantasea A6500 that also fits the A6300 with some minor inside control switch since you have the A6300 just go for that.

Either way you can put together a system in a solid housing WITH interchangeable ports for future new lens shooting.

Good luck!

David Haas

 

[grantmac]

For underwater the Sony A6000 was so good Fantasea (AOI) brought the housing that specifically fit the A6000.

You could find clean used A6000 cameras for dirt cheap also (meaning buy 2 so you'd have a back up on trips plus using the exact same model.

Using the exact model above and below will keep your "brain" fresh where buttons, menus, etc. are versus combining models.

That said.......If you find a Fantasea A6500 that also fits the A6300 with some minor inside control switch since you have the A6300 just go for that.

Either way you can put together a system in a solid housing WITH interchangeable ports for future new lens shooting.

Good luck!

David Haas

This is where I'm confused:
Seafrogs says one housing for the 6000/6300/6500 but Fantasea says the 6000/6300 fits one and the 6300/6500 fits another.

I don't currently have a camera. The 6*** series seems very available on the used market at a price I can tolerate.

-Grant

 

[Barmaglot]

Seafrogs says one housing for the 6000/6300/6500 but Fantasea says the 6000/6300 fits one and the 6300/6500 fits another.

SeaFrogs kit includes a shim for the A6000 body that adjusts for the slightly different button placement.

 

[grantmac]

SeaFrogs kit includes a shim for the A6000 body that adjusts for the slightly different button placement.

Is that for the 6500 or 6300? I guess I'm wondering when it changed.

 

[Barmaglot]

Is that for the 6500 or 6300? I guess I'm wondering when it changed.

No, the baseline housing is set up for a6300/a6500 (they're identical except for a6500 having two custom buttons on top for a6300's one; the housing has three to match them all), and if you want to use an a6000, you use this swap kit (it's included in the package but also sold as a spare if you lose yours): Spare swap kit for A6xxx Salted Line

FWIW, I've used SeaFrogs housings since 2018 (mostly with a6300 camera, now with a6700), and while they have some quirks, I feel that they're very good value for the money, and they have steadily improved over the years.

 

[Barryattle]

No, the baseline housing is set up for a6300/a6500 (they're identical except for a6500 having two custom buttons on top for a6300's one; the housing has three to match them all), and if you want to use an a6000, you use this swap kit (it's included in the package but also sold as a spare if you lose yours): Spare swap kit for A6xxx Salted Line

FWIW, I've used SeaFrogs housings since 2018 (mostly with a6300 camera, now with a6700), and while they have some quirks, I feel that they're very good value for the money, and they have steadily improved over the years.

Me, too. I'm using the SeaFrogs with an A6000. I'd say not perfect - a few buttons (e.g., the AEL) don't hit the camera buttons on my case, but since you can program the C1 and C2 buttons as well, one can work around that. A couple of the buttons on the cross pad toward the bottom are iffy. But, as someone who generally doesn't do a ton of adjusting once I'm underwater, it works for me (I have it set up so I can get to the ones I do tend to use) and the price difference vs. Fantasea and others is pretty substantial.

I do wish they had put a leak detector in the case - having to unscrew it after testing and screw in the plug makes for 1 possible failure point, though it hasn't failed on me. (And the vacuum pump is pathetic - they sell a bigger one on AliExpress for US$10, as it turns out [not shown on their website], and an electric one for US$50.)

I am using the flat/macro port, which fits the kit 16-50 lens and the Sony 30mm macro lens; it has M67 threads and I have a wet diopter swing adapter there when using the kit lens.

In terms of camera, maybe someone using the A6100/A6400 (and I think A6600/A6700) can chime in about how well the animal eye focus works for underwater subjects. The A6000/A6300/A6500 do not have it. (I'd like to know that answer, too, in case I ever upgrade.)