Question Sony A7r IV housing recommendations?

[Corals_6336]

Hello,

I'd like to take my mirrorless (Sony A7R IV) with me while freediving/snorkeling, wondering what would be a good compromise between price and keeping all those electronics dry.
Is it worth to also get a vacuum valve and vacuum sensor?

Thank you

 

[DragonUW]

Modern housings are pretty fiddly and easy to close incorrectly, so the vacuum valve and sensor are a welcome addition. I'd go the second-hand route with that camera. On a high-end, I'd choose Nauticam, it is the safest bet for port options, with ease of flipping it later and being future proof. On a low end, SeaFrogs for the low entry price and weight. You also need to consider what to avoid: Ikelite and Euro exotics are the first to come to mind.

 

[Corals_6336]

Thank you for your recommendations.
So you'd suggest getting a second-hand Nauticam rather than say a new SeaFrogs?
If you don't mind me asking, why avoiding Ikelite and Euro exotics?

 

[DragonUW]

I would go with secondhand Nauticam over new SeaFrogs any day of the week. Euro exotics are all but dead. Subal has abysmal support, and quality went down some 10+ years back; Seacam lives in their private Idaho. Ikelite is just poor everywhere: poor design choices, fogging due to poor thermal conductivity of polycarbonate, poor quality, and too heavy.

 

[Mod63]

Also have a look at Isotta

 

[Corals_6336]

Thanks for the suggestions. Will check Isotta too.

 

[Hoag]

I am going to be a little bit cynical.

IMHO, never take a camera underwater that you are not willing to roll your eyes and say "Well that stinks." and move on if the housing floods. Never take a camera underwater that you do not consider to be expendable.

I say this, not to be a jerk, but as the voice of experience. No matter how meticulous you are, accidents do happen, and even if it if somebody else's fault, ultimately it is your fault.

IMHO, you might be better served to get a lower cost camera & housing especially if you are just beginning either diving or underwater photography. (I used to shoot a Sony A7Riii above the surface, but my dive camera was a Sony A6000 in a Nauticam Housing.) This brings me to my second point (and again, this is nothing more than my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt). Count on spending much more on your housing, ports & strobe than you spent on your camera and lens. The Housing/Port system is the ONLY thing between your camera and the water, so you don't want to look for cheap options for them, you want to give your camera (especially one as good and as expensive as the A7R4) the best protection that you can afford.

Although you don't mention it, you will also likely need strobes. You start to lose colour (first reds) at about 15feet (5m) after that, you will need strobes to replace the light/colour into any image that you take. This will add cost, complexity and bulk to your package.

Finally, keep in mind that the A7R4 is a full sized camera. The side effect of that is that any housing/ports you have will be pretty big as well. This can have a huge effect when traveling if you are trying to keep your system in Carry-on or even when pushing it through the water. I am not saying it can't or shouldn't be done, I am simply saying that it should be taken into consideration.

If I were you, I would consider buying a lower cost, relatively simple camera and housing like maybe this one, that, like I said, if something happens to it, you can accept the loss. It won't be as capable as the A7R4, but the complete package will be less than a good quality housing for your A7R4 and it won't be putting the A7R4 at risk.

If, however, you want to dive with the A7R4, then I would recommend either Aquatica or Nauticam housings. A lot of people speak highly of Isotta, but I am not that familiar with them so I don't feel comfortable recommending something that I have no experience with.

Best of luck, and no matter what choices you ultimately make, I hope you capture amazing images and have fun.

 

[hilljo88]

Nauticam is the Rolls Royce of housings, built like a tank, but priced like a Roller too. I dive Sea and Sea, also well built and on the pricey side. My usual dive buddy has used Ikelite for many years and his D850 is still pristine. If you are good with maintenance, do a “dunk” test every time you close up your housing, in my experience you don’t need a vacuum pump and you’re not putting your camera at excessive risk. It does get expensive though, and you need strobes and a focus light to get quality pics. Oh, and the housings are camera model specific, with only a few exceptions. This helps explain why resale values are very weak.