What Housing??

I am a gunna buy a housing…  umm what sort should I get???

This is a question I hear on a weekly basis…   and really there is nowhere you can go to get a definitive answer…

Help is at hand…  read on young padawan…..

There are many types of housing on the market.  CMT, SPL, Essex, Aquatech, Liquid Eye… are the main ones that spring to mind but for everyone of these there is another maker out there coming up with the next big thing in housings…

I have used 2 of the above (CMT and Aquatech) and have seen SPL and Liquid Eye up close and in the water.  A good friend of SurfPhotos is Marcus Donsworth who uses an Essex and rates it very highly.

Ok.. what do I look for in a housing?? I like my housings to feel strong and solid. I have roughly 4 grands worth of gear inside it.. I want it to be solid!!! Also controls are important. It is so handy to be able to review your shots and control the shutter speed and aperture in the water especially on cloudy days… They are the most important things in my view.

When buying a housing you must know what you are getting ….   Sounds silly huh??   but some makers dont provide a pistol grip as standard…  You need to know what lens you are going to use to make sure you get the right port (which may or may not be included in the price).  Is the pistol trigger a 2 stage button??  (that is..can you focus using the pistol trigger….)

After that it just comes down to your preference of who you want to deal with. I mean.. you gotta be comfortable sending several grand overseas and hoping your gear shows up…. I have never had a problem with the 2 housing makers I have used so far. One thing in Aquatechs favor is they are based in Sydney.
Jay from CMT is an easy person to deal with and kept me informed from day 1 of the manufacturing process right up to despatch. He even sent pics of my housing getting made. I really rate the CMT housings because of the price and quality of the housing. Mine has been across a reef many times with me attached and has survived much better then I did.

Essex seem to be constantly trying to improve their product and have some neat buttons which are making the modern cameras easy to use in the water.

I myself would recommend the CMT with the Essex coming in a close second.  But in the end it comes down to personal preference.  What feels good for you….  But I suggest talking to people who use water housings and find out what they like or dislike about their gear…..  Do your homework and the rewards will be great…  shooting water is the best fun…..

Links to Housing sites

• SPL
• CMT
• Aquatech
• Essex
• Liquid Eye

Disclaimer:  I am not associated or connected in any way with any housing manufacturers.