Fuji housing or Ikelite?

[Annie S]

I am on the verge of replacing my camera gear due to an unfortunate encounter with a rock! I have decided to go with the Fuji F31 but can't decide which housing I should go for. Is the Ikelite housing really better or should I just put my incidents down to total user error. ( Camera also flooded in the Red Sea earler this year after a RIB entry in fairly rough conditions but I managed to get hold of another f810 then.) Any comments, observations or other suggestions would be welcome. (apart from telling me what a wally I am!)

[Cussy]

Annie,
If I put my Olympus 7070 housing next to my D80 Ikelite housing there is absolutely no comparison - other than they are both plastic. The build quality of Ikelite is lightyears ahead of branded compacts. Ikelite also don't tend to add unnecessary toys - my Oly has a port system thing that hasn't been that well thought out (if I keep admitting these things I'm never going to sell it!!).

I presume the same build quality is present in the Ike housings for compacts. I was always expecting my Oly to flood (it didn't, but I have had one flood), whereas I have total confidence in the Ike.

The down side is the bulk - they are much much bigger.

I would say go for Ikelite - especially as their business is building things that don't flood, whereas Fuji specialise in cameras!

Another consideration is servicing/spares. You generally can't buy spare parts for branded compact housings, whereas Ikelite will supply bits. So if you say accidentally brake a catch you have to replace camera and housing. So in reality the extra cost may buy you extra years of using the camera (although who doesn't like a good excuse to buy new toys!?!?)

Rob

[triplefin]

I agree with everything Rob has said about the Ike housings - they are so incredibly robust and particularly if you are diving in the UK off small boats etc, they are more likely to stand up to the conditions.

[TimIngmire]

Agreed. Ike's have better build quality and excellent aftersales even if the camera is discontinued - not the same can be said of the camera branded housings.

They are bulkier tho, so if size if of paramount importance then go for the Fuji housing. Just take more care of it.

[Annie S]

Thanks guys! I'm happy to go down the Ikelite route now with comments like that! If I'm honest I've never been 100% happy with the fuji housing but felt that I had to accept that the accidents I have had have all been down to me and not equipment. With the flood in the Red Sea I even took the housing back in again having done nothing to it other than remove the camera. I didn't clean the o-ring or do anything else and it was fine so I was never able to reconcile why it flooded at all. It has made me very nervous about buying another camera and yet I can't imagine continuing my diving without photography.

Hopefully I'll be posting more pics soon.....

[regthing]

The way I see it with Ike housings as well is that if you decide to upgrade the camera later on all the add ons you have baught for the compact with go with you.