| Photography Forum: Underwater Photography Forum: |
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Q. Ewa-Marine housing for large SLR's
Asked by Aiman Nassar
(K=11961) on 4/1/2003
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I'm inteding to buy a housing for EOS3 and 10D Canon cameras, + 550EX flash mounted. I found that Ewa Marine / EWUAXP100, is the cheapest solution, but have some concerns, if anyone had the chance to try it could help me.:
1. Of course the ease of use, specially under 20-30+ meters?
2. Does the flash, because it is mounted over the camera, blows up the tine particles in the water, and that would show and the final picture like and endless white spots?
Any thing else, to compare it with the real housing which is pretty expensive for me... but is it worth it spending $280 for it.
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sean slavin
(K=3488) - Comment Date 4/4/2003
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Their housings scare me silly. No way would I ever stick my EOS3 in one of those. There's just something about having my camera in a plastic bag.
I'm guessing that using the 550 underwater is going to cause a few problems with back scatter. Bob could probably give you a more definitive answer.
I don't know of any other companies that make housings for the EOS3. Sea & Sea has one for the Rebel and Ikelite has some for the Elan, A2 and Rebel. Seeing as how both Sea & Sea and Ikelite just got housings for the D60 out, it'll be awhile before they have one for the 10D.
8)
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Aiman Nassar
(K=11961) - Comment Date 4/4/2003
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Thank you Sean for your reply, it is really helpful... I just don't know how to contact "Bob!"... and even Sea & Sea or Ikelite housing costs a fortune... Of course I don't want to go down with my EOS 3 and an f/2.8 lens in a plastic bag... unless there is a warranty or something... But, that soft housing can fit all the camera bodies I have, the EOS 3, Rebel2000 and the -to be- D10, with or without the flash...
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sean slavin
(K=3488) - Comment Date 4/7/2003
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Warranty? Nope. Housing manufacturers don't offer a warranty against flooding your camera. You'll need to look into flood insurance [1]. Even though that's on the Sea & Sea sight it just isn't for their gear. I'm currently using it to cover my video gear and my surf housing.
Yes the S&S stuff is incredibly expensive. Underwater photography definitely ain't cheap. I've seen some good deals on EBay for the Rebel2k housing from Sea&Sea. My suggestion is to hunt around for one of those. In the end, you'll be much happier, if only for the piece of mind.
8)
sean
[1] http://www.seaandsea.com/floodinsurance.html
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Bob Jarman
(K=3145) - Comment Date 4/9/2003
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EWA will not work well at depth. The pressure will collapse the bag and start pressing the buttons on the camera.
It is really a very reliable system for snorkling and the like, but I would not recommend it for scuba.
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Melissa Milligan
(K=549) - Comment Date 4/22/2003
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ABSOLUTELY put one of your expensive SLRs in this if you want it to die at any depth you would be diving at. (Sorry, couldn't resist the sarcasm.) I might use one of these for rain protection, but never would I immerse a camera inside one of these.
As they say, you get what you pay for. As an avid diver and pro photographer, I would only trust my D100 or F100 to a Sea & Sea housing at this point (and by the way, they are 2 different housings, despite the "100" name - 2 different chassis.) Yes, there are other housing manufacturers out there, but most UW photogs use Sea & Sea.
Yes, Sea & Sea cost more, but they've been around for a long time and have quite a good reputation. There are also places you can get used housings - again not cheap, but cheaper than new.
Ikelite does makes a ~$700 plastic housing for the F100 (and probably for Canons), but again, you get what you pay for.
If you go the housed route you also have to take into account buying lenses and ports for the housing. 1 strobe or 2? All these things add up big time.
And you *can* get flood insurance for your cameras, through DEPP, and it's worth it.
Bottom line is this: if you don't **have** to dive with a housed, can't write it off as a business expense, or otherwise can't afford the consequences, then I honestly suggest you don't.
There are plenty of used Nikonos out there just beggin' for homes and they are fantastic cameras.
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Bob Jarman
(K=3145) - Comment Date 4/29/2003
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Ikelite housings are one of the most reliable housings made. Every dealer and pro I have ever talked with has had nothing but great things to say about their reliability. And they come with the best service department in the industry. I have owned three Ikelite housings over the past 7 years, and never had a single problem with any of them.
The disadvantages to Ikelite is that it is bigger and bulkier than a dedicated system housing and you are limited somewhat in lens choices due to the port opening. Also, since you are using a standard system as opposed to a specific machined unit, the gears and levers may not be quite as perfectly matched.
Ikelite, in my opinion is the perfect choice for a recreational diver who only gets to dive a few tiems a year. A full Ikelite system is 1/2 to up to 5 times less expesnive than other housed systems.
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Melissa Milligan
(K=549) - Comment Date 4/30/2003
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Bob, I understand your opinion, but since Ikelite housings are plastic, I would not (and most pros do not) trust putting my equipment in one. The truth of the matter is that plastic is easier to crack than metal. I would imagine that they're rated to a shallower depth than Subal or Sea & Sea. Further, anyone who shoots in colder climes (i.e., ice diving - I certainly do not!) would probably choose something more trustworthy.
My opinions were expressed as those of a professional photographer. However, for a casual or vacation shooter I would say that Ikelight is probably the best value. I had originally looked at them, but was told by most of my peers, prof camera shops and dive shops to steer clear if I was going to use professionally. Just too much usage for plastic.
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Bob Jarman
(K=3145) - Comment Date 5/2/2003
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"Bob, I understand your opinion, but since Ikelite housings are plastic, I would not (and most pros do not) trust putting my equipment in one. The truth of the matter is that plastic is easier to crack than metal. I would imagine that they're rated to a shallower depth than Subal or Sea & Sea. Further, anyone who shoots in colder climes (i.e., ice diving - I certainly do not!) would probably choose something more trustworthy."
Interesting comment as the Sea&Sea D100 housing is made of plastic.
Specification:
Front Case: ABS Resin / Rear Case :Polycarbonate
Grip & Stay : Corrosion-Resistant Aluminum
Melissa, I am not trying to downplay the suggestion that a custom housing is a wonderful housing. As I said earlier, they are custom made for individual cameras, smaller and usually more flexible than an Ikelite. Most pros I have dove with use either SeaCam, Subal or Nexus when diving. And from what I have been told, its for two main reasons, 1: More flexibility with lens sizes, and 2: They get to write their equipment off.
They are also 2 to 5 times the cost of an Ikelite. And it is simply not a fair comment to say that its less trustworthy than an aluminum housing for normal recreational diving. Ikelites reputation for realiability is one of, if not the best in the industry. And with the see-thru design, it is extremely easy to see leaks before damage is done.
Finally, I find you final statement about being a professional photographer quite condescending. Not being a "pro" doesn't mean squat in my book when it comes to speaking the truth about housing construction and reliability. You are a "pro", you spend thousands on your gear. Thats fine, more power to you, but stating that "you get what you pay for" and plastic housings aren't reliable without accurate facts is unfair.
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Bob Whorton
(K=2740) - Comment Date 5/3/2003
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As a full time professional underwater photographer I have to back Bob Jarman's comments. Ike Housings are amongst the strongest in their class and as reliable as a Toyota.
I think you may be talking more along the lines of aesthetic appeal, more than practicality here... This is often the case. Several 'Pro' friends of mine will not use anything else.
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Des Paroz
(K=422) - Comment Date 5/8/2003
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I also use an Ike housing, and would have to back up their reliability and usability
When I was buying my camera, I asked the people at an insurance company who insures uw camera gear, and they told me that the claim rate on Ikelite was also 25 less than Subal and Nexus and 40% less than Sea & Sea.
As to the comment that most serious UW photogs use S&S, I would say that in Australia it would be Subal, Nexus, Ikelite as top 3, followed by Sea & Sea, Aquatic and Seacam.
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k m
(K=324) - Comment Date 6/9/2003
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you may have to wait on the D10 housings, though the D60 housings are already on the market. You can try an ikelite. They're a bit cheaper than the subal and seas&sea and other top of the line suppliers like gates, aquatica, light n motion, ocean brite, amphibico, and titan.
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Bronson Chang
(K=15) - Comment Date 7/6/2003
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Hi,
I am new to usefilm.com and think I'm going to like it! I am 15 years old and live in Hawaii and want to get into underwater photography.
Anyway, for starts, I have a Fujifilm 2600Z digital camera. And turns out, the cheapest way to get into underwater would be a ewa-marine housing. Do you think it's safe for my $200+ digital camera? It cost less than $100.
I really like photography and taken it underwater would be awesome! aahhh...
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Bob Jarman
(K=3145) - Comment Date 7/10/2003
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Welcome Bronson!
the EWA housing have a good reputation for not leaking. The problem you are going to have is depth compression.
This info is second hand as I have not used one, but I am told that if you are going to try to use the bag while scuba diving, the pressure at depth can collapse the bag, and begin "pressing" the buttons, or make them hard/impossible to use.
From all I have read the EWA bags are fantastic for snorkling and white water type activities, but you should probably plan on a rigid housing for diving.
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Arun Madisetti
(K=1145) - Comment Date 11/3/2003
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I've just joined the Usefilm family and find the standard incredibly high, but not to digress, EWA "bags" used to have a wonderful relationship with the sea, (it came in whenever it felt like it), nowadays they have corrected all their worries, all you need worry about is not going beyond 15m (50ft) on a dive, this doesn't mean you cant take superb shots in shallower water, but it does limit you. Personally, I don't like them but the turtle project manager here has one for his digital video and gets reasonable stuff in shallow water. I use Nikonos V's with twin strobes, and have just bought after months of begging an Olympus 5050 with housing. You can get housings for practically anything nowadays, it is just a matter of budget. Some digital manufacturers are puttingout inexpensive cameras with custom housings specifically aimed at the budget concious, after all, diving isnt cheap, and deliberately putting a camera in the water is a test of faith every time. my $0.02
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