Which housing and strobe for a Sony RX100M5A?

[thegrandpoohbah]

So I am finally going to upgrade my old Canon S95 which is in a Canon housing. I am planning to pick up the new Sony RX100M5A as I like the updates they have done to it and I prefer the faster lens vs. extra reach.

Sony RX100 V The premium 1.0-type sensor compact camera with superior AF performance

What I am unsure of is which housing to go with. There seem to be a lot of options available. I would be pairing it with a single entry level strobe head to start, something like an Ikelite DS-51 or a Sea & Sea YS-01. Any recommendations from those of you with first hand experience? I only get in 4-6 dives a year tops so I don't want to go too crazy. Thanks.

 

[Barmaglot]

Not first hand experience, but I have researched the subject somewhat extensively when deciding which system to go with, although eventually I went with a Sony A6300 rather than RX100 series. Your options are:

1. Entry level: Sony MPK-URX100 and SeaFrogs RX100 series universal housing. Both are offered at similar price points and expose all the controls except the rear dial. Both have double o-rings on the main door seal, but neither offers a vacuum port option. SeaFrogs housing is rated slightly deeper at 60M, but this is of little use to most divers.
2. Intermediate: Fantasea and Ikelite. For a couple hundred dollars more, you get access to the rear dial. Ikelite's ergonomics are somewhat worse, but it offers a vacuum system port, although the actual valve and pump are additional accessories that will cost additional money. Fantasea offers an LCD viewfinder hood, which can come in useful when shooting in bright sunlight.
3. Advanced: Nauticam and Recsea aluminium housings, rated to 100m, have all the bells and whistles, but also the most expensive. There's also Acquapazza; they've ceased production, but you may be able to find a used unit.

Basically, if you use auto or semi-auto modes, you're fine with a basic housing. If you use manual mode a lot, and tweak aperture and shutter speed frequently, twin-dial controls on an intermediate housing will be useful. If you're a technical diver and want to take your camera to trimix depths, then you need a metal housing.

Note that Ikelite strobes only support electric triggering, and while there is an optical slave trigger, it only supports manual operation, not TTL, so I would avoid the DS-51 if I were you. On the other hand, Inon S-2000 are compact, quite well regarded, and less expensive than YS-01.

 

[thegrandpoohbah]

Thank you Barmaglot, that was very informative. I will need access to the rear dial so it is between the Fantasea and the Ikelite. Leaning towards the Fantasea due to price and because the Ikelite looks very cumbersome.

Good to know about the Ikelite strobes. I will have a closer look at the Inon S-2000 and see how it stacks up against the YS-01.

 

[hilljo88]

I have the Fantasea for RX 100 v. It gives you access to all controls. Has Double o-ring, flood warning light. I have had no leaks in 50 ish dives with it. I think it’s one of the smaller, lighter weight housings available for this camera, which I consider good features. Good price/value. I’ve been happy with it. It’s starting to show some signs of wear, but if you are only diving 5-6 times a year, that won’t be an issue for you. If I had to do it over, I might spring for the Nauticam, which seems a sturdier build, but at the time I didn’t want to pay up, and I didn’t realize how much I would like the camera.

 

[thegrandpoohbah]

hilljo88, any complaints about the camera?

 

[hilljo88]

I’ve been very happy with it. Some concerns: short battery life- I bought Two extra batteries with chargers. I can get 2 one hour dives from one battery. Runs hot: not an issue for me because Im pretty much exclusively shooting underwater. Complicated menus: this is a real issue. It takes some time to understand the vast capabilities of the RX 100. I think most of us find some settings that work for us and don’t worry about the other zillion possible settings.

 

[thegrandpoohbah]

Yes, I am aware of the battery life issues so I will have to buy spares along with an external charger. The M5A (or VA) seems to have updated the menu system so hopefully that is a good thing. What lighting are you using in those pictures?

 

[thegrandpoohbah]

Here are my planned purchases. This should make for a pretty compact set-up for travelling. Any thoughts?

Fantasea FRX100 V Underwater Housing for Sony RX100 III / IV / V

INON S-2000 w/cable Underwater Strobe Flash

Mozaik - OceanTray Compact Tray and Arm Set

 

[pubert]

Hi! I'm also using an RX100v with a Fantasea FRX100V Housing

-happy with the camera and still learning to use it.

-I like the housing, only complaint is that when using a double handle tray the shutter button is too far to reach when holding the rig by the right tray handle - so I'm forced to hold the camera instead of the handle to comfortably access the shutter (might not be an issue for you since you're going with a single handle setup?)

-I got the same results as the person above: 2 dives out of a single battery - while third party batteries are cheap and works ok (I'm using Wasabi) - its the frequent opening of the housing to swap out batteries that concerns me (specially when you have to do it on a small boat)

-I came from an LX7 with an ikelite housing - i didn't like the housing, some of the knobs worked with friction and required some pressure - sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't, it was frustrating to use. One of the knobs was also scratching the camera - so after that I really wasnt a fan of Ikelite.

-I'm sure the nauticam setup is better... but at 3x the cost it's waaay out of my budget - specially since the RX100 isnt cheap either. The fantasea seems a reasonable compromise for me. Also, I while reading housing reviews, I came across one review that mentions that when you buy a fantasea housing, I think you have some warranty/insurance coverage that covers even the cost of the camera - in the event that the housing floods. Flood Insurance Claim (only if camera was damaged)

 

[thegrandpoohbah]

I am concerned with the short battery life but I also have never done more than two dives a day so I'll probably be ok. Thanks for the insights.