NIMAR UNDERWATER HOUSING, Should I buy one?

[haring]

I have looked around on the net for reviews for Nimar Housings for Canon or Nikon.
There are not too many...
Does anybody know anything about the company and their products? Should I buy one or should I buy an Ikelite?
Thanks,
Otto

 

[Sark]

All I can say is...don't buy an Ikelite. I payed over £400 for an Ikelite housing for a Nikon F2a in the early Eighties. It developed fractures in the body within a half dozen uses.
The problem was mostly where the metal handle frame bolted to the main body.
I still have it in the attic and the last time I looked the glue on the dome port was looking in a none to good state, so I couldn't even recover some of my outlay on ebay.

The smaller units may be fine, but the larger housings for SLR/DSLR's are just to bulky for the material they are made of.

Just my experience (and that of at least one other diver I knew back then), but unless they've changed the materials used, I'd avoid them.
Certainly wish I'd bought a Nikonos.

Sark

 

[mozuw-tal]

Nimar housings are far better in features than other housings.. They are made in Italy and not in China or Hong Kong. All packages already come with a Standard Port with Zoom for the Canon 18-70mm lens.

The housings have a built in moisture alarm and also come bundled with a top mountable focus light.

They are lightweight , 3.1 kg and offer TTL syncing when bought together with Nimar Primo Strobe.

You can see the variety of cameras that nimar is compatible with here: Nimar Underwater Housings

 

[gsgary]

Have you looked at SPL SPL Water Housings - Custom crafting splash housings since 1996 - SPLwaterhousings.com

 

[michaelleggero]

i've used ikelite housing with no trouble at all. it's all how you handle it though, i've seen people on dive boats handing up the camera and then the guy on the boat grabs one handle and the diver has the other and they pull him up with the camera!! crazy!!
now, metal housings are definitly going to be better than a plastic one, that's just common sense, metal is always stronger than plastic... it just all depends on your budget

Mike Leggero

http://www.michaelleggero.com

 

[henkelphoto]

I went on a uw photo site and they are not to thrilled with the Nimar. As michaelleggero says, metal is better than plastic.

One nice thing about plastic though is that if you get a leak, you can see the water sloshing around as your $$$$ camera is destroyed

Seriously, I also had an Ikelite that I used a Canon F1 in and had no problems, but I never exceeded 30ft with it. Mostly I used a Nikonos V. If I was to buy a housing for my dslr, I would buy the best housing I could afford.

Jerry

 

[LilachShalem]

Personally, I use a Nimar housing and it's never failed me. What I mean by that is, it's never flooded or cracked. Although I've dropped the housing quite a few times. I enjoy having a clear housing rather than an aluminum case(it's better don't get me wrong) but I clear because I can see, just in case, if my housing floods. I DO NOT want my baby to get wet.

I've heard good things about ikelite, I'm not trying talk bobo.

and here's a link of Pipin, idk if you know him but he's a pretty awesome diver and uses nimar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyAW10VrRM8&feature=related

and as for choosing a housing go to b&h's website

 

[spacefuzz]

now, metal housings are definitly going to be better than a plastic one, that's just common sense, metal is always stronger than plastic... it just all depends on your budget

I dunno, from an engineers perspective plastics can be plenty strong assuming your not using your housing as a sledge hammer. They also have the benefit of not corroding, which would be my primary concern for any metal housing as its being used in a salt laden environment (most likely).

 

[BlightLight]

now, metal housings are definitly going to be better than a plastic one, that's just common sense, metal is always stronger than plastic... it just all depends on your budget

I dunno, from an engineers perspective plastics can be plenty strong assuming your not using your housing as a sledge hammer. They also have the benefit of not corroding, which would be my primary concern for any metal housing as its being used in a salt laden environment (most likely).

since it's a clear plastics, I find it better because you can see if it's flood unlike aluminum housings that ARE stronger but what it is if floods :/ never knowwwwww

 

[spacefuzz]

now, metal housings are definitly going to be better than a plastic one, that's just common sense, metal is always stronger than plastic... it just all depends on your budget

I dunno, from an engineers perspective plastics can be plenty strong assuming your not using your housing as a sledge hammer. They also have the benefit of not corroding, which would be my primary concern for any metal housing as its being used in a salt laden environment (most likely).

since it's a clear plastics, I find it better because you can see if it's flood unlike aluminum housings that ARE stronger but what it is if floods :/ never knowwwwww

But as an engineer I dont care if Al is stronger than most plastics. I care about keeping water out of the case, and therefor I would prefer a plastic design all other things equal.

 

[KmH]

All of a sudden, new members are digging up old dead threads all over the forums about underwater housings.

Feels like the kind of thing SPAMers frequently do.

 

[spacefuzz]

Guess I should look at dates. I just usually use the Active Topics thread and am lazy, thanks for the heads up KmH