Video Housings

[Sue]

<font color='#000080'>Considering getting a Gates housing for a digital Sony Video Camera. Has anyone used them? Any problems? What's the weight like for travelling?

Also interested in any other housings people use....

Sue

x

[Phoenix]

I use a Light &amp; Motion Mako housing with a Sony PC120 Camcorder and am very happy with it. It is a handy compact size and the pistol grip controls are very easy to operate.

I bought the optional monitor back with mine which is very useful when first starting out with video like I was. I also splashed out on the lights, I am less pleased with these however as I find the wiring routing to be a bit of a pain at times and the battery terminals corrode very quickly meaning a lot of messing about prior to using them.

Ian

[Sue]

<font color='#000080'>Hey Ian

I've seen mako on the web. I've been told by several people not to get an electronic set-up for my first housing, as the electronics are bound to get wet and go wrong etc etc. I'm also going to be travelling and won't be able to get it fixed if it does go wrong, hence going for the manual controls.

However, the Mako does look good. Have you ever had any problems with the electronics?

[Tim Ingmire]

G'day Sue.

If you want a cheap first housing to see if you like the whole thing you could try Birchley in Gloucester - They're basic but functional.

http://www.birchleyproducts.co.uk/products/index.html

[Sue]

<font color='#000080'>Thanks Tim

I have already seen their website (as advertised in Dive mag last month). There are just so many around, it's difficult to know what to pick.... Any others had any experience of housings? Pros and cons?

[wreckweasel]

www.greenawaymarine.com are excellent.

Do a websearch on FEP as well, they will hire out sets so you could have a play and see how you like them. I think they only hire the light &amp; motion stuff though.

[Sue]

<font color='#000080'>Cool. Thanks. I'll try FEP.

Done loads and loads of research already on the web, including Greenaway Marine (they look great by the way), and I've got loads of links and pictures, and specs and prices.....

However, would really like to hear from people that actually use them.
What problems have you had? In hindsight would you have bought something different....
I'm trying to get the hands-on view from divers, so any info would be really helpful

Sue x

[Andy Phillips]

Hi Sue,

I have just been to FEP (literally, got back 2 mins ago). The company is a one man band in the UK but the guy knows what he is talking about (bear in mind I sell digital cameras for a living). The housings are not cheep, but they are of an extremely high quality.

Do not get a manual control version, if they go wrong then they do so big time. Usually involves a flooded housing and a dead camera. If the electronics in the housing fail then it is not such a big issue. On top of which it is fairly unlikely as it is not the most complicated bit of circuitry I have ever seen. On top of which the Light and Motion stuff is sold al over the world, invariably you can find somewhere to get it fixed. I must admit this is one of my major considerations in deciding which housing I am going to go for.

I have done quite a wedge of research into this over the last month, if you PM me off line with you e-mail address I will send back some info on the three companies I have decided are really worth considering.

Andrew [i][u]

[Andy Phillips]

Hi Sue,

I have just been to FEP (literally, got back 2 mins ago). The company is a one man band in the UK but the guy knows what he is talking about (bear in mind I sell digital cameras for a living). The housings are not cheep, but they are of an extremely high quality.

Do not get a manual control version, if they go wrong then they do so big time. Usually involves a flooded housing and a dead camera. If the electronics in the housing fail then it is not such a big issue. On top of which it is fairly unlikely as it is not the most complicated bit of circuitry I have ever seen. On top of which the Light and Motion stuff is sold al over the world, invariably you can find somewhere to get it fixed. I must admit this is one of my major considerations in deciding which housing I am going to go for. The &quot;pistol&quot; grips are fantastic, it makes it so easy to use (I had a housing on trial this weekend), I strongly recommend them.

I have done quite a wedge of research into this over the last month, if you PM me off line with you e-mail address I will send back some info on the three companies I have decided are really worth considering.

Andrew

[Sue]

<font color='#000080'>Thanks Andy, I've just pm'd you....