Ikelite Underwater Housing for the Sony a7 Range

Underwater Filming

by Olaf von VossJanuary 18^th, 2016

If you’re a bit luckier than me—since I just happen to be freezing my feet off—you might be enjoying the warmth of the southern hemisphere right now. Maybe you’re preparing yourself for a diving expedition around the great barrier reef, or some other lovely locale. If so, then I might have just the thing that you need! Ikelite has just announced a new version of their popular underwater housings, this time for the Sony a7 II series.

Some like It Wet

The brand new underwater housing provides room for all of Sony’s latest mirrorless, full frame a7 II cameras. It features some fresh elements, such as the lovely white frontal design, but still sports the clear backplate—an important feature in my opinion as I sometimes find it difficult to know what I’m doing if I can’t see the camera. You’ll also be able to notice water inside of the housing immediately.

The underwater housing will not prove detrimental to your muscle-memory, with the controls lining up in the same position as they sit on the cameras themselves. Plus, Ikelite uses larger controls and push buttons which are easy to access, even with thick gloves.

A very nice feature are the laser engraved symbols, which are the same as the original ones from Sony. Since they are engraved, they’ll never peel off or fade away—neat!

If you are a photography fanatic, you’ll like the new—and at this time exclusive—Sony TTL support for the housing. The dedicated circuit is powered by the strobe so it is limited to compatible Ikelite strobes for now, such as the Ikelite DS160.

Another great improvement concerns the mounting tray for the camera. It features a 1/4 20 tripod mount so you can leave it on the camera whenever you decide to get that panoramic shot on the beach.

Note: Apart from the housing itself, you’ll need an appropriate lens port for your lens of choice. The lens port is not included when purchasing the underwater housing. Obviously, without a port, it is kind of pointless so do make sure to grab the right one—use this chart as a guide.

Specifications

• 200 ft (60m) depth rating
• All important camera functions are accessible
• Controls are not provided for AF/MF/AEL switch lever, Control wheel, or Diopter Adjustment Dial
• Ikelite bulkhead connector with integrated TTL circuitry
• Near neutral buoyancy in fresh water
• Actual buoyancy varies depending on choice of lens and port
• Weight 5 lb (2.3 kg) not including tray + handles
• Dimensions 9.1 x 7.1 x 6.1 inches (230 x 180 x 150 mm) including projections