if you use a Sony DSLR underwater, speak English, and use it in an underwater housing please show up here and let us know the details about your rig. The idea is to gather something like a digital underwater photography usergroup that can share user experience and advice that is typical for this brand of camera and lenses. Of course third party lenses are welcome into the discussion, too!
I have no experience with this kind of camera apart from expos and cannot wait for
comments from our users in this place. By the time of writing this the SONY Alpha
project is still quite new and just a few housing manufacturers have started to offer housings for this new camera.
You are invited to introduce your rig in this space and bomb everyone with questions…
I bet many visitors are looking forward to read that.
I suppose you meant Sony instead of Nikon in your text ?
I bought the Sony A100 about 2 months ago and will be checking out the available housings on the boot 2007 in January in Duesseldorf. This far I can only say that this is my first DSLR and I am absolutely amazed with the picture quality.
yes I ment the SONY and changed the text to match it with the rest. Thanks for showing up here.
What I really like about the new SONY technique is that they put the image stabilizer into the camera.
With Canon and Nikon I have to buy that feature with very exquisite lenses. That is the same investment
several times. I have not figured out if it is technically superior, though.
What housings to you have on your radar so far? Any favorites?
I have looked at the Bruder housing so far, and they sent me this information on prices:
Housing BUW 1NIALPHA100 for Sony A100 DSLR 1620.- Euros incl. VAT, Leak warner, shipping costs not included.
Port for lens 18 / 70 is included in the price.
Price Domeport for 16mm F2.8 Fisheye (SAL-16F28) = 429 Euros
Price Port for 100mm F2.8 Macro (SAL-100M28) = 165 Euros
Time for delivery about 5 weeks.
But tom from this forum can offer a better price I think.
Anyway, I´ll hopefully get the chance to look at the other housings at the boot in January in Duesseldorf before I decide on the housing.
I already think that it is a pretty good price including the ports.
Actually I also think our list for this camera is not up2date.
According to unterwasser magazine from Germany, companies
such as
Hi
if you can wait for the boat show: i know that one producer will offer a DSLR housing with Ports Leakwarning system etc for less than 1000,.( For every camera on the market a special housing!) we will see.
Tom
I just contacted UK-Germany in order to get some information on their housing for the A100 and recieved a reply that they changed their plans and do not offer a housing for the Sony A 100.
And it sounded at this point like they do not plan to bring one to the market in the near future, so maybe this can also be deleted from the database at this point in time.
This text is from the original mail for the German users here:
“Die anfänglichen Planung, ein Gehäuse für die Alpha 100 zu fertigen,
haben wir verworfen und bieten derzeit kein Gehäuse für diese Kamera an.
Es tut uns leid, dass wir ihnen hier derzeit nicht weiterhelfen können.”
Have you used the A100 under water by now?
I have bought one as well to replace my minolta 5D
now looking for the right housing
how is the bruder housing?
as Andi wrote I will recieve my housing in about 2 weeks. At the boot in Duesseldorf the only 2 housings I found, which are on the market by now are from BS Kinetics and the BlueBoxx (which is distributed by Tom Busch (tom)). He is also on this forum and if you would like further information upfront maybe he can provide you with some.
I have talked to both producers for about an hour each on the “boot 2007” and looked at both housings in detail.
Finally I decided for to go for the BlueBoxx though I know it´s litterally a jump into the cold blue water, since it it new in more than one way. Here is some short info:
On the BS Kinetics:
It is definitely of the same good quality built as any other BS housing offered, features all main functions and personally I think the carbon look is really cool. The price starts with 1690 Euros (x1,3 if you want that in USD). Ports can be custom made for any lens, but e.g. for my 105 mm Macro I would have had to send it in, so they can measure it to make it fit, since they have not yet built any Dome / Port for it. Domes/Ports cost around 130+ Euros.
They offer a check-up for the housing which costs around 60 Euros.
If I´m right the BS is water-proof til 80m and tested even deeper.
On the BlueBoxx:
The Material of which the BlueBoxx is made is absolutely new in the area of UW-Housings, but has been used for about 10 years in the aerospace industry before. So, I trust (that´s one of the cold water parts) that it will be reliable and according to tom it is pretty robust. This new material is the reason why the housing can be offered for 999 Euros.
(Big plus for that). Also what I liked is that the trigger is moved to the side of the housing so it can be pulled with the triggerfinger more easily (in my view also a plus especially when wearing gloves). All other main functions can be accessed like on the Bruder.
Ports/Domes start at about the same price as for the BS and I gave them the measures of my 105mm Macro on the “boot” and ordered a port for it, since the technician who was there promised he can make it fit. So we will see about that in 2 weeks (@tom: In case you read this consider it an additional challenge to get it right the first time )
The first check-up for the housing will be free, but I´m not sure, wether this was just for the people who ordered on the “boot”. Regular checks will cost about the same as for the BS (around 60 Euros).
TheBlueBoxx is water-proof til 60m and tested on 100m, if I remember correctly.
Also the BlueBoxx features an optional 45 degree angle viewer for 750 Euros, which is at the same price also available for the BS as far as I remember.
So, maybe this already helps a little. I hope I can say more in March.
thanks for your reply.
choices are becoming tougher nowadays
Ikelite has just released a housing for the a100
and on Boot, I saw the BS Kinetics housing (Gibson), which looks very good as well
I have experience with Ikelite for my Sony F707, will fit nicely with my DS125 strobe
but…. it’s rated to 60m, instead of 80m for the BS Kinetics (I’m almost certified Tec Deep diver, might want to visit deep wrecks in the next years, so 60m might be too shallow)
And on the F707 the setup for changing shutter time and aperture hardly works, something I find really annoying by now.
So my preference would currently be the BS kinetics, but your post made me interested in the blueboxx as well
Are you going to put the kit lens behind the dome?
Or other wide angles as well, I just ordered a used Sigma 15mm from Ebay
compares to the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, from which I have seen some amazing shots
sorry, you are absolutely right, I meant the BS Kinetics and not Bruder !!! (So I changed my post above accordingly).
Ok, Tech could post a problem for some housings.
As for the Ike DS125 I will also be using that with the BlueBoxx.
I will be using the Kit lens (Standard dome is included in price for both housings) and I´ll also be looking at some fisheye or the like later on. So, if you get that lens you mentioned I would be interested if you´re happy with it.
After a visit to scubacam.nl I decided to buy the Ikelite housing.
It is the same base housing as for Canon & Nikon DSLR’s, but then customized for the A100 buttons.
Only done 1 test dive with it last weekend, it’s a bit bulkier than the housings I have for my point&shoot; camera’s. Especially with the 8 inch dome.
Everything can be controlled under water, so that’s a nice plus.
Major selling point for me was the TTL controller that is build into the housing, works like a charm
drawback of the housing is the maximum allowed lens size, it has to fit in the standard ikelite port opening
so my Sigma 15-30mm won’t fit (but the Sigma 15mm fisheye does)
I will recieve my BlueboxX this week and hope to testdive it over the easter holiday.
Maybe you could enter one of your testshots in the weekly contest here, so the pic will appear for the Sony A100 in the database. Hope, I can write some more about my first experiences in 2 weeks.
Greetings, Marc
Addition on April 9th: I just recieved my BlueboxX today, so no test diving over easter. Since I´m just moving, I won´t be able to do any test dives before the week of May, 1st.
I finally got the time to dive in ‘Zeeland’ our best state for divers.
Here’s a shot that I really like
It has only been resized , no other alterations
) 
