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02-11-2011, 02:25 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adrian Owerko Quote
I better not let my wife read this post!!! I don't need her to have an excuse to buy more shoes
Hahahaha
I know what you mean

06-17-2011, 01:05 AM   #17
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I'm assuming there is some sort of delay due to the earthquake, but can anyone confirm if the housing is still being released?
06-17-2011, 02:35 AM   #18
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You have options :

Customized housings designed by SPL Waterhousings in collaboration with Pentax Imaging USA. SPL is the only custom housing maker that makes specialty products for the Pentax line of SLRs.
SPL Water Housings - Custom crafting splash housings since 1996 - SPLwaterhousings.com

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/98635-spl...ousing-k7.html

____________

This from Ned Bunnell - President of Pentax in N.A. :-

Ned Bunnell , Sep 30, 2009; 09:19 p.m.
David,
Mark's housing is made by SPL Waterhousing in San Diego (SPL Water Housings - Custom crafting splash housings since 1996 - SPLwaterhousings.com). I had a chance to visit their facility, as we provided SPL originally with a K10D body so they could build the first housing which Mark started to work with. SPL builds quality housings ideal for surfing and on water photography. I have not talked to the folks at SPL in several years, but depending how many controls (buttons) you want access to and the number of lens domes you'll need, I believe their housings start at around $1200-1400. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Ned Bunnell

Glad to find out who the other person using this housing is. I am a photographer based in Tofino on Vancouver Island and just ordered the housing for the K-7. I was packing my camera up for the long trip down to San Diego when he told me that he was fortunate enough to already have a body for molding purposes, Thanks Mark. For the housing with the 10-17 port it came to $1699.00. Not bad for a custom made housing.

___________________

June 29th, 2009 10:44 AM #2
Ikelite Staff
Equipment Manufacturer

In the past we haven't seen enough customer demand for the support Pentax dSLR cameras for us to invest in the development of a new housing. We do keep an eye on new models from all manufacturers however.

So the best answer is that I don't expect us to offer a housing for it. However that could change if there seems to be a significant increase in demand over previous models.

Regards,
Jean / Ikelite
IKELITE Underwater Systems

____________________________

Opteka Housing (similar to EWA) :-

Opteka Underwater Case/Housing for Pentax K7 KX K1000 | Underwater Camera Deals

And Diveross make housings for the K5, K7 (both DRP100) K20, K10 (both DRP 200).

DRP100 DIVEROSS - PHOTO- Diveross underwater tecnology, photo and video housing | Plastmeccanica s.r.l

Prices for the Diveross DRP100:
Housing with standard port: € 799
Housing with spherical port: € 899
Standard port separately: € 119
Delivery within three weeks after placing the order.
06-17-2011, 03:01 AM   #19
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I'm sure the mentioned cases are top notch quality houses... But those prices are INSANE.

I bought myself a little Chinese waterproof $80,- point and shoot from dealextreme.com. Just for underwater shooting and taking fun pictures at the beach. And with the cash I saved, I bought me a DA 10-17 fisheye. Better deal in my case. And the quality of the point and shoot is better then I expected, it has full HD video recording too.

06-17-2011, 03:14 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Clavius Quote
I'm sure the mentioned cases are top notch quality houses... But those prices are INSANE.

I bought myself a little Chinese waterproof $80,- point and shoot from dealextreme.com. Just for underwater shooting and taking fun pictures at the beach. And with the cash I saved, I bought me a DA 10-17 fisheye. Better deal in my case. And the quality of the point and shoot is better then I expected, it has full HD video recording too.
Unless you are dedicated to UW photography and making more than, e.g. 30 or 40 dives a year, I think that is the better way to go.

The vast majority of people will get far more out of a buying a decent camera with dedicated housing (maybe a G11) for half the cost, or much less, of a pro housing for their K7/K5.
06-17-2011, 07:06 AM   #21
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As a full time underwater photographer I can assure you that the SeaTool/Recsea housings are priced in line with the rest of the market. The $3000.00 to $3600.00 price range is quite common for a rugged aluminum housing rated from 60 to 100 meters. These housings are designed with interchangeable dome ports so the cost does not stop with the price of the housing. Each lens requires a port and many are quite different. Macro ports range from $350.00 to over $600.00 and dome ports can range from $450.00 to $2000.00 depending on optical glass or plastic and size. I own 230mm, 170mm and 100mm domes for wideangle and three different macro ports. Then you will need strobes since most U/W photography is done with some or all flash. A tray and strobe arms are also needed to attach the strobes to the housing. I say strobes because most U/W photographers use two or more. Count on another $2500.00 to $3500.00 for these items.

Housings are not interchangeable to other cameras so be aware that if you buy a K-5 housings chances are about 99.99% sure that that when the K-7 comes along it iwll NOT work in your K-5 housing.

Also be aware that most of the aluminum housings are built for Canon and Nikon. I own a SeaTool/Recsea housing for the Olympus E-3 when the E-5 arrived SeaTool opted out of building an E-5 housing due to poor sales of the E-3 housing. My point is that your investment in a K-5 housing may stop with that housing. No such issue with a D-7000, D-700 or 5DMll another housing will be coming when these cameras are replaced.

The SPL housings are great but they are designed for surf photography not underwater photography and as such are not rated to depths divers go.

I have been waiting to see if the SeaTool housing for K-5 will ever arrive. I was told it would be out months ago and I have considered taking the plung because the camera is that good. I would also love to see a housing for the 645D. Housings are out there for PhaseOne and Hasselblad at this time.

If you think the K-5 housing is priced high you should join me for my next workshop and checkout the Hasselblad equipment.

Hasselblad Underwater Fashion Workshop

Phil Rudin

Last edited by PHIL RUDIN; 06-17-2011 at 07:12 AM.
06-17-2011, 08:42 AM   #22
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Hi Phil, great to have you posting on here, and very valid info. However for the vast amjority of amateur divers the Diveross DRP100 I linked to above would be more than enough (and it fits both the K7 & the K5) and if the next Pentax in that series is another incarnation of the K7/K5 body then that should fit too !

The reason I say the DRP100 (rated to 80m) will be more than enough for most is that I have over a 100 dives with an old Oly 3040W in the Oly PT-007, flat port and it's screw on Inon UWL 100 Achromat lense - with an old Light Cannon 100 HID for lighting ! That set-up has even been to 60m though only rated to 40m !

This is an example of what that combination is capable of (below) ..... and for the vast majority of divers making a few dives during 2 or 3 vacations a year - I would think that would be more than enough. If they can get a K7/K5 into something like the PT series that would be fantastic and will suit most people right down to the ground.

Of course if the bug bites then they are going to have to sell the house / car / wife to get a set-up like yours !

Everything in this series was taken with that 3 megapixel Oly & housing. Scuba - Malaysian Muck Diving ! - Frogfish's Photos



06-18-2011, 06:45 PM   #23
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I feel like a bit of a mug saying this here, but if you consider the cost of the system, an E-pl2 with the E-P03 underwater housing (which can now be purchased with a dome port), and the 9-18mm with a wirelessly triggered strobe seems pretty (relatively) cheap to me.

E-pl2 - ~$550
E-p03 ~$600
9-18 ~$650
Port+ bush for E-p03?

I think Oly did housings for their flashes too. FL-36 would be a pretty cheap option.

If I didn't have 2 kids under three at present, and was actually doing some diving, I think this is the way I would go.
06-19-2011, 08:21 AM   #24
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I would agree with Clarkey that if you want DSLR quality images the mirrorless cameras in a housing are the best value to date for underwater photography and the Olympus E-PL1/2 with the Olympus housings are the best value in the mirrorless class. The M4/3 sensor is 5 to 7 times larger than the consumer compact (P & S) size sensors and every bit as good as most of the APS-C sensors.

The E-PL2 camera with the "KIT" 14 to 42 mm lens Olympus E-P03 housing and a zoom gear can be had for under $1200.00 a steal compared to DSLR systems.

I have reviewed several of these systems from Olympus, Panasonicc and the NEX-5 from Sony finding little difference in image quality system to system. I have attached two Olympus reviews below, a portfolio of 9-18 mm zoom images taken with the E-PL1 using the ZEN Underwater 9-18 domeport. Also attached is a workshop I will be teaching in August using the Hasselblad MF system underwater. If you think the $3400.00 housing price tag is high each of these systems with strobes tops $60,000.00 US.

Phil Rudin

FourThirdsPhoto.com | EP-1 and PT-EP01

FourThirdsPhoto.com | Olympus E-620 and PT-E06 Housing

Hasselblad Underwater Fashion Workshop
07-11-2011, 01:28 AM   #25
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?Seatool [?????????????????????????????????

Lets hope someone will get to review this... Now we get to see how this little
Pentax can handle the pressure
07-11-2011, 06:04 AM   #26
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I'll be following this thread with some interest!
07-11-2011, 06:41 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by PHIL RUDIN Quote
I would agree with Clarkey that if you want DSLR quality images the mirrorless cameras in a housing are the best value to date for underwater photography and the Olympus E-PL1/2 with the Olympus housings are the best value in the mirrorless class. The M4/3 sensor is 5 to 7 times larger than the consumer compact (P & S) size sensors and every bit as good as most of the APS-C sensors.

The E-PL2 camera with the "KIT" 14 to 42 mm lens Olympus E-P03 housing and a zoom gear can be had for under $1200.00 a steal compared to DSLR systems.

I have reviewed several of these systems from Olympus, Panasonicc and the NEX-5 from Sony finding little difference in image quality system to system. I have attached two Olympus reviews below, a portfolio of 9-18 mm zoom images taken with the E-PL1 using the ZEN Underwater 9-18 domeport. Also attached is a workshop I will be teaching in August using the Hasselblad MF system underwater. If you think the $3400.00 housing price tag is high each of these systems with strobes tops $60,000.00 US.

Phil Rudin

FourThirdsPhoto.com | EP-1 and PT-EP01

FourThirdsPhoto.com | Olympus E-620 and PT-E06 Housing

Hasselblad Underwater Fashion Workshop
Phil - neither of those first two links are working.
09-02-2011, 12:58 PM   #28
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SeaTool has now released the final product for the Pentax K-5 and K-7 which are not the same housing. The housing should be on sale now or soon. I have a SeaTool housing for the Olympus E-3 and they are a very well designed tool for U/W photographers.

?Seatool [?????????????????????????????????

A link to my review on the Sony NEX-5 camera and housing from Nautican another mirrorless camera option. Note the cost of the higher end metal housings and glass ports, http://ejlabs.net/tmp/UwP57.pdf

Phil Rudin
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