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There’s a big difference between housings like Ikelite, Fantasea, or Nimar when compared to those from Nauticam, Aquatica or Sea and Sea. Sure, you probably realize they are very different in price – but what gives?
The main difference is the material they are made out of.
An aluminum housing is 3D modeled and designed to a specific camera. Due to the fact that basically any shape and design can be CNC machined from this material, the housings are usually smaller, more contoured to the camera and more ergonomic. Having a housing body that is camera specific allows positioning the buttons in an accurate location and shaping the housing for a perfect grip.
In addition, aluminum housings do not get warm in the sun, thus they don’t require any silica gel or other moisture absorbents to prevent the lens from fogging up.
In contrast, polycarbonate housings are usually molded in a universal size that fits more than one camera and then drilled to allow camera specific buttons to be operated. This usually results in a larger, less ergonomic housing.
Pros and Cons
Aluminum housings are considered more reliable, as the material will remain the same even after many years and thousands of dives. This is not to say that polycarbonate housings are not reliable, just that in the long run, aluminum is probably better.
Aluminum housings will also allow you to go deeper.
Polycarbonate housings, on the other hand, are more economical, and may allow you to save more for other accessories like lights or wet lenses.
Pricing
An aluminum housing + single dome port usually costs $2,000 and up, depending on the camera model. Polycarbonate housings are usually below $2,000.
For any given camera model, the cost of an aluminum housing can be double or more – for example, an Ikelite polycarbonate housing for a Canon R5 is around $1700, while the Nauticam housing for the same camera is over $5,000.
However, there is a middle ground for some cameras. One such example are housings from Nimar, which started making housings from Delrin — a strong plastic that is also CNC machined so the material is similar to polycarbonate, but the making and design is very similar to aluminum. These are usually around $2,500-$3,000 for a housing and single port.
Let us know which direction you would like to explore, and we will be happy to make one or two price quotes for you with all the parts you need.
About the Author
Mari Herrarte
Mari has been diving for 15 years and loves spending time in the ocean, surrounded by nature. She is also passionate about photography and capturing the beauty she discovers underwater.
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2 comments
Hello
This is my personal opinion, compare Allumunium alloy vs polycarbonate housing
For a profesional diver , who dive n travel very often n deep dive , I’m agree , ” Allu housing ” is better
But for recreational diver , like me , dive several times ( around 5 trips in a year ) and photo / result only for own collection , I think , ” poly housing “is acceptable
( I used Allu for my Nikon D2Xs camera n Poly for my Nikon Z7 camera )
Main reason , initial investment , significantly different
I’m satisfied with Poly housing too ( but need more care when in trasnport )
Hi, thanks for the comment – some good points! For a lot of people, polycarbonate housings are a great option.