Ikelite Canon EOS 5D Mark II Housing Underwater Camera, Clear (6871.02)

I just finished unboxing my new housing for the 5d mark 2 and boy was i excited. once again ikelite disappoints like no other. if this is your first dslr housing you will need to find someone's help to put this together. after complete assembly using all three manuals (housing, port, dome) the port and dome spin. this seemed to me like I did something wrong so I checked and re-checked then checked again the instructions on all three books and couldn't find anything to say this is supposed to happen or not. it only spins about 45 degrees before hitting the locking pins, but this doesn't seem very secure to me. either way I tried it out (without the camera of course). it seems to work just fine for now. so I went to attach the pro 2800 video lite and once again the instructions are latin for dslr's. after fumbling around the book for a while finally realize a part is needed. pretty pissed as I'm an ikelite dealer and ordered everything I would need to use the mark 2. Again going through all the manuals (now 4 in total) I have found out ikelite didn't include all the parts. I double checked my order numbers and the arm should've been included, but wasn't. This is my second camera system from ikelite to have major problems. I figured upgrading and spending thousands of dollars would ensure better service, but wow I've been proven wrong. ikelite is a horrible company with moderately ok products. If you ever have a problem, just so you know, don't bother ringing customer service there. if you get through, they really don't care about what your problem is or how they can help you fix it. I wish ikelite would step into the pro level like they claim to be. don't be encouraged by the lower price. it's worth it to wait and save for a real housing. I know this seems like a pissed off ranting, but as someone who (soon to be used to, but they don't answer the phone) represents them you'd think they would at least try and stand behind their products. not just give you a "well you bought it and now it's your problem answer" no matter who you like don't go with this company just because of the price difference. sometimes money can make a differenceI officially hate ikelite

I've had three Ikelite housings over the years and I just purchased a fourth for my new Canon EOS 7D MKII. I cannot say enough positive things about these housings. Rugged, almost indestructible, and comparatively inexpensive. When camera manufacturers introduce new, technologically upgraded, camera bodies every few months, why should any self-respecting, intelligent, underwater photographer pay upwards of $5,000USD for a machined aluminum housing? Buying an Ikelite housing for the same camera for less than $2,000USD makes much more sense, especially when Ikelite housings have E-TTL and most, if not all of those $5,000 housings don't.I've had my Ikelite housing for my Canon 5D MKII for roughly four years and I've shot thousands of underwater images. My Ikelite housing has performed flawlessly.

I'm not sure why the other reviewer had such a difficult time assembling their housing. First of all - these are relatively complex beasts. There is a LOT to learn about them and personally I think Ikelite does a pretty good job of providing documentation and assistance. But you should do a LOT of research prior to buying, assembling and using one.Like the other reviewer I owned an Ikelite housing before (actually the housing for the 5D is my third Ike housing). I had zero difficulty assembling it (or the 8" dome port).

I'm on my second Ikelite DSLR housing, first was for my canon 20D and now for 5DMKIII. Both work well right out of the box, easy to assemble and use. I've taken award winning high value photo's for my business with this set up. They are not indestructible like the more expensive competitive housings, but with care have worked for me through thousands of photo-shoots.