Which housing for D80?

[CUunderH2O]

Hey all, I just bought myself a D80 and the 60mm micro lens last week. I'm researching housings right now (I can afford one for a few months yet), and I was wondering which housing you are using with your D80, and why?

I'm a little worried about the size of some of them, whether I'll be able to easily work the controls (I have small hands). I believe the Sea & Sea housing may be better for me for that reason, but I was originally going to go for the Ikelite, for cost savings. I'm not planning to dive past 150ft, so I don't need one with a 300ft depth rating, but I want it to be robust enough for cave diving as well as cold water high flow diving.

 

[AUTiger]

I have a D80 with the Ikelite housing. My hands are not very large (I usually where medium or large gloves). I did not find any difficulty with the size of the housing. So far, I have only used it with my 60mm macro lense. I haven't compared the Ike housing side-by-side with any of the aluminum housings, but I expect that it is a little larger.

I would have liked one of the more expensive brands mostly for their better viewfinders. The Ike is acceptable, but the other brands have accessories that magnify the image or allow you to look from a 45 degree angle. On the other hand, those housings cost twice as much as the Ikelite and the accessory viewfinders can be very expensive.

I'll stick with my Ike. I don't use it enough to justify the extra cost.

This thread shows a bunch of different D80 housings, compiled from Wetpixel's DEMA reports - D80 housings at DEMA.

Feel free to ask any questions about my experience with the housing and camera (which is very limited, so far).

David

 

[JackConnick]

Put the new Fantasea Line D80 housing on your list. In particular it is a smaller housing with adjustable handles (in and out) that should accommodate your needs, gloved or not. Light and easy to handle, both in water and out. All controls and several ports to choose from including a spiffy new semi-dome great for the 18-70 or similar lenses. I will be cold water dive testing one of the prototypes in a couple of weeks. Housings are in production should be in stock towards the end of Feb. List is $1099 including a standard port. I will probably be able to take pre-orders next week.

This is an earlier prototype: Standard port is now bigger, and will take a 60mm macro lens.

Jack

 

[Darnold9999]

Have about 100 dives on my ikelite with a D200 - no issues at all. It is big but once it is in the water it weighs almost nothing and the controls are easy to use. Would like a better viewfinder but not willing to pay double to get it.

 

[CUunderH2O]

Thanks for your help, and the links too. I'm also waiting to see the new Aquatica housing, but the Subal looks nice too.

David, have you found any issues with the Ikelite housing, especially with regard to features that aren't accessible with the housing?

 

[joewr]

Thanks for your help, and the links too. I'm also waiting to see the new Aquatica housing, but the Subal looks nice too.

David, have you found any issues with the Ikelite housing, especially with regard to features that aren't accessible with the housing?

Hi,

I have a Subal housing for my D100 (and another for my old F100). They are fine housings, but more than double the cost of an Ikelite. I think the S&S and the Aquatic housings are similarly expensive.

In selecting between the three above mentioned metal housings I used a fairly simple criterion: which felt better in my hands. The Subal won that contest. I have fairly large hands and they are more of a "problem" than smaller hands because operating the controls can be more difficult with larger fingers. So, I do not think you will have a problem there. My advice, then, is to see if you have shop(s) near you where you can hold the housings.

In regard to metal vs polycarbonate (Ikelite) housings, that is a matter of personal preference AND budget. Again, if you can hold one, it might make the personal preference issue moot. I selected metal because I thought it more sturdy and I liked the feel. The budget allowed for either without too much pain. That said, my second best dive buddy (my wife = my best dive buddy) has an Ikelite housing for his Oly and he loves it. He has used it as long as I have used my Subal and I can tell you it has held up just fine. I would never hesitate, based on his experience, to recommend an Ikelite.

Finally, there is one issue that you might consider. I has been rumored for several years that Aquatica is in financial trouble and that they may not be able to support their housing line in future. In fact, one shop that I know refused to show me a Aquatica housing because they were not confident about the company's survival. That was over 3 years ago and, yet, we still see their housings in the marketplace. You might consider looking into that...and letting us know...

I hope this helps...

joewr

 

[Warren_L]

One thing I did find with my Ike housing compared with my Aquatica housing was the command dial knob slipped a fair bit on the Ike housing. So in order to rotate the dial, I would have to press the dial knob in and spin it more than what should be necessary. There wasn't quite enough friction from the rubber wheel that was touching the command dial. Works perfectly on the Aquatica.

 

[joewr]

One thing I did find with my Ike housing compared with my Aquatica housing was the command dial knob slipped a fair bit on the Ike housing. So in order to rotate the dial, I would have to press the dial knob in and spin it more than what should be necessary. There wasn't quite enough friction from the rubber wheel that was touching the command dial. Works perfectly on the Aquatica.

Hi, Warren,

This is an easy fix. Just take a piece of what is called "foam tape" and put it on the housing piece that mates against the camera dial. It will be soft enough to do no damage, but firm enough to make good contact with the dial.

"Foam tape" is the double-sticky tape that is the "thick stuff"...it is about 1/16" to 1/8" thick...

I have done this on others' housings and it works well...Oh, yes, it is non-destructive...

joewr

 

[AUTiger]

CUUnderH20,

The only control that I have missed so far is that the housing does not allow you to access the programmable function button. That is only a minor inconvenience. I usually use the Function button to switch been autofocus modes. That can easily be done through the menus.

David

 

[CUunderH2O]

...
In selecting between the three above mentioned metal housings I used a fairly simple criterion: which felt better in my hands. The Subal won that contest. I have fairly large hands and they are more of a "problem" than smaller hands because operating the controls can be more difficult with larger fingers. So, I do not think you will have a problem there. My advice, then, is to see if you have shop(s) near you where you can hold the housings...
joewr

Yeah, I wish I had some shops in my area that had any of these housings available. Unfortunately, there are none. I have seen an Ikelite in use once (it seemed pretty big to me) but I have never seen any of the other housings. I think the closest shop that might have a few different types is B&H in NYC, and that's a good 6hr+ drive.