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Review: Sea and Sea DX100 Housing

Posted By Rod Klein on 7 May 2003

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Things I like

  • Generally I found the DX100 a reliable and easy to use housing. Problems with the control dial and menu function buttons which were reported in earlier releases have been completely fixed. I was using the latest revision housing and every function worked flawlessly.
  • I have read a number of comments describing this housing as "bulky" or "big". For the past year I have been using the Light & Motion Titan housing which is much smaller than the Sea and Sea housing. However, after many years shooting video and currently using a Sony VX2000 camera and Light & Motion Blue Fin Housing, I must say that by comparison, the DX 100 is quite small and easy to use. I guess it's just what we get used to.
  • I also did not find the viewfinder particularly difficult to use either. While I would love to see some type of "sport finder" or magnified viewfinder, I was able to judge focus and composition quite nicely.
  • The clear back did have the advantage of being able to see inside the housing and it did give me a feeling of security. I found myself always checking the back as I made my descent just to make sure there was no water found its way inside.
  • Virtually every camera control is available on the housing. One very cool aspect of the DX 100's camera controls is having the AF/AE Lock button accessable as one of the controls. If the Nikon D100 is set up to have auto focus activated with this button, rather than by pressing the shutter 1/2 way, you can auto focus underwater using your right thumb and release the shutter using your index finger. This provides excellent control over focus and shutter.

dx100controls

  • I used the custom flat port and the fisheye dome port and both were easy to get off and on. I needed zoom rings for 2 of my lenses and while the Sea and Sea spec sheet lists only certain lenses to use with each port, I found that some lenses that were not listed will still work. Certainly fixed focal length lenses will likely work even though not listed while zoom lenses will need to accept the specific zoom ring in order to work properly inside the housing. I was able to use both a Nikon 18-35 and a Tamron 19-35 with the same zoom ring.
  • While using the custom flat port, 2 Sea and Sea YS90-DX strobes with Ultra Light arms, the housing was slightly negative and very well balanced. Personally I prefer a housing that is slightly negative as it is easier for me to control since it doesn't want to float up and away.
  • The main O-ring on the back of the housing is very large and easy to remove and maintain. The same goes for the O-rings on the lens ports. As long as you are careful when putting on the back or changing ports I would feel very confident with this housing.
  • The Sea and Sea DX100 is a totally manual housing. The only electronic part is the hot shoe connection which connects to the strobe sync cord. With proper maintenance and care there is very little that should go wrong while you are miles from home.

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