Thanks to the Ikelite Updated Underwater Housing and Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III Camera Kit from B&H, you can capture images of coral reefs, pygmy seahorses, and other aquatic wonders at depths as great as 200'. This package provides everything you need for a photo or video adventure beneath the surface, bundling the durable waterproof enclosure with the advanced, 20MP point-and-shoot digital camera, which features a Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens (35mm equivalent). Add a strobe or video light to your system to ensure sufficient illumination and color accuracy on cloudy days, and when diving beyond 20' or so on clear, sunny days.
Ikelite Underwater Housing for Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Mark III, IV, or V (Updated Version, White)
Capture clear, detailed images of coral, sharks, and more at depths as great as 200', thanks to this updated version of Ikelite's Underwater Housing for your Sony Cyber-shot RX100 Mark III, IV, or V Camera. Two ports for optional Ikelite, Sea & Sea, or Olympus-type fiber-optic cables enable the connection of external strobes. Large, ergonomic mechanical controls, including knurled knobs, a newly added shutter lever, a dial, and push-buttons, provide access to all camera functions except for the flash and viewfinder switches. In addition to the improved shutter lever, the housing offers better zoom control than the previous model.
Built for durability, the housing is designed, constructed, and tested in the USA. It's manufactured from a white ABS/polycarbonate blend, which is still corrosion-resistant but also reflects sunlight to keep your camera cooler when shooting at or above the water's surface. The back plate is clear to allow you to monitor the O-ring seal and maintain a full view of the camera. The integrated flat glass lens port has a 3.0" diameter, and accepts optional, external wide-angle and macro add-on lenses for an enhanced view. Optional color-correction filters can also be added to restore colors that get absorbed by the water.
Construction Details
- Can be safely used at a maximum depth of 200'
- Simply close the two double-passivated, stainless steel locking latches, and see the
O-ring form a solid watertight seal - Designed, constructed by hand, and tested in the USA
- Made of a white ABS/polycarbonate blend, which is still corrosion-resistant but also reflects sunlight to keep your camera cooler when shooting at or above the water's surface
- Back plate is made of clear polycarbonate to allow you to monitor O-ring seal and maintain full view of camera
- Slide-in, front-loading design for quick and easy setup
- A 1/2-20 size accessory port has been added for installation of optional vacuum valve to allow you to confirm watertight integrity before diving
Controls, Handling, and Operation
- Large, ergonomic mechanical controls, including knurled knobs, dials, push-buttons, and an improved shutter lever on the side, provide access to all camera functions except for the flash switch and viewfinder switch
- Spring-loaded rear control dial
- Bright red push-button for video recording
- Sensitive lever makes it easy to half-press the shutter for focusing and metering
- All rear controls are clearly marked with laser engravings
- The housing is configured with a 1/4"-20 thread with 3.0" spacing for the mounting of an optional tray with single or dual handles, which will provide improved balance and handling, as well as quick-release attachment points for lighting arms
- Camera's built-in Wi-Fi allows you to download photos to another device without removing the camera from the housing
- Wi-Fi can only be used above water in close proximity to the connected device
- Older RX100 Mark I and Mark II cameras are not usable in this housing due to differences in lens and control placement
Lens Port
- Built-in, flat glass lens port has a 3.0" diameter
- It accepts optional, external wide-angle and macro add-on lenses with 67mm diameter threads for an increased field of view or extreme close-up shots with better clarity and detail, respectively
- Both types of lenses will enable you to get closer to your subjects, cutting down on the amount of water between you and them to reduce distortion
- The recommended Ikelite W30 and INON UWL-H100 wide-angle lenses provide notable edge sharpness with minimal vignetting, which can be eliminated altogether by zooming in slightly, using a smaller aperture, or cropping in the editing stage
- Ikelite WD-3 Wide Angle Dome provides medium angle of coverage with no vignetting
- Add optional color-correction filters to restore colors that get absorbed by the water
- Filter #6441.41 for blue water and 6441.81 for green water are available
Strobe Connection and Operation
- Housing is equipped with two ports for Ikelite, Sea & Sea, INON, Nauticam, or Olympus-type fiber-optic cables
- Compatible with the following cables: Ikelite 4501 Fiber Optic Coiled Cord, INON L-type Optical D Cable, Sea & Sea 50107 L-type Fiber Optic Cable, Olympus PTCB-E02 UW Fiber Optic Cable, Nauticam-to-INON 26211 Optical Fiber Cable, and Nauticam-to-Sea & Sea 26212 Optical Fiber Cable
- Camera's built-in flash cannot illuminate subject from within housing but is used to trigger external strobes, which provide greater illumination, color accuracy, and vibrancy, while virtually eliminating backscatter, glare, and hard shadows
- Ikelite DS strobes may be connected using the optional Fiber Optic Converter # 4401.1 and Fiber Optic Cord # 4501
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III Digital Camera
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III Digital Camera is a versatile and advanced point-and-shoot featuring a large 20.1 megapixel 1" Exmor R CMOS sensor to produce high-resolution still imagery and full HD video. This sensor's design utilizes backside-illuminated technology to improve clarity and image quality when working in dimly-lit conditions as well as increase the sensitivity to a native ISO 12800. Benefitting the performance of this sensor is the BIONZ X image processor, which helps to produce images with smooth quality and tonal gradations as well as provide expedited performance throughout all aspects of the camera, including a continuous shooting rate of 10 fps in Speed Priority mode, shutter release lag of 0.008 sec., and XAVC S movie recording at 50 Mbps.
The built-in Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 2.9x zoom lens provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 24-70mm, covering wide-angle to portrait-length perspectives to suit working in a wide variety of environments. An f/1.8-2.8 maximum aperture benefits working in low lighting and controlling focus throughout the zoom range. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization is also available to help minimize the appearance of camera shake when working in dimly-lit conditions and with greater zoom magnifications. Furthermore, a built-in three-stop ND filter is incorporated into the camera's design to suit shooting in bright conditions with wider apertures and for greater control over how movement is depicted. The lens also features a Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating, which helps to reduce surface reflections, lens flare, and ghosting in order to produce imagery that is rich in contrast and clarity.
Complementing the imaging capabilities of the RX100 III is a sleek body design featuring both an electronic viewfinder and a tilting LCD screen. The 0.39" 1,440k-dot SVGA OLED Tru-Finder has Zeiss T*-coated optics and provides a bright, clear means for eye-level viewing. It features a unique pop-up mechanism that helps to maintain the compact form factor of the camera when carrying or if preferring to work with the rear screen. The 3.0" 1,229k-dot Xtra Fine LCD incorporates WhiteMagic technology for easier visibility in bright conditions and its tilting design permits greater usability from high, low, and front-facing angles. Furthermore, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity with NFC allows instant image sharing to, as well as remote camera control and monitoring from, linked mobile devices.
20.1MP 1" Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor and BIONZ X Image Processor
Also benefitting the image quality, as well as overall camera performance, is the BIONZ X image processor, which provides continuous shooting up to 10 fps in Speed Priority Mode, 2.9 fps shooting with single-shot AF, a shutter lag time of just 0.008 sec., and a start-up time of 1.6 sec.
Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
Benefitting the 2.9x reach of this lens, as well as supporting working in difficult lighting conditions and with longer shutter speeds, is Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, which helps to offset the effects of camera shake. When recording movies, the image stabilization utilizes an Intelligent Active Mode, which also uses electronic image stabilization to compensate for both camera shake and rolling shutter effects.
Additionally, a neutral density 0.9 filter is incorporated into the camera's design, which provides a reduction of three stops in exposure to enable working in bright conditions with wider aperture settings and for greater control over how subject movement is rendered.
Camera Design
For intuitive, SLR-like adjustments over a variety of camera settings, a manual control ring surrounds the lens and features a smooth, click-less design for quick and quiet changing of settings. The ring can be assigned to control a variety of features, at different values, such as zoom, aperture, and Picture Effects. A step-zoom feature can be utilized, too, to allow instant switching between commonly used focal lengths.
Full HD Video Recording
Benefitting advanced video applications, the RX100 III also supports clean HDMI output for recording uncompressed video via an optional external recorder and for real-time viewing on an accessory monitor. Recording frame rates include 24p, 60p, and 60i, and the shooting info display can be turned off during recording for a cleaner view when utilizing an external monitor.
Built-In Wi-Fi Connectivity with NFC
Additionally, PlayMemories Camera Apps are also supported via the built-in Wi-Fi connection, and allow you to personalize the camera's features depending on specific shooting styles. Apps are available to suit creating portraits, detailed close-ups, sports, time lapse, motion shot, and other specific types of imagery.
Other Camera Features
- A contrast-detection autofocus system works to acquire precise focus using single-shot or continuous AF modes. When working with moving subjects, Lock-on AF, with wide, center, and flexible spots, adjusts the target frame size as the subject moves throughout the image frame. Face detection and face registration technologies can be used to base focus on recognized faces and Eye AF is also available, which is a detail-oriented focusing function that prioritizes and dedicates focusing performance on a subject's pupil for sharply-rendered portraits.
- For manual focus control, DMF (Direct Manual Focus) and standard manual focus options are available. Benefitting precise manual focus, focus peaking can be used, which highlights edges of contrast within the frame for a more objective means of determining critical sharpness, or MF Assist is available, which enlarges the image for a better view of important details.
- A zebra function can be used for easier detection of exposure clipping to prevent overexposure.
- A dedicated Custom button permits assigning of one of 42 possible functions for instant, one-touch access to a chosen control.
- A digital level gauge detects pitch and roll types of movement and helps to produce even, consistent horizons and plumb verticals.
- Smile Shutter technology enables the camera to automatically release the shutter when a subject's smile is detected
- Multi Frame NR records consecutive images at a reduced ISO sensitivity and then composites them into a single image to realize higher effective sensitivity (up to an equivalent ISO 25600) with minimal image noise. Standard image compositing is comprised of four exposures and High image compositing utilizes 12 distinct exposures.
- Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) works to improve images featuring backlit subjects or scenes with high contrast where details can be lost in the shadows or highlights. This mode can be controlled automatically or fine-tuned using five settings.
- Picture Effect modes allow you to apply creative settings and emphasize certain facets of individual images for a richer, more aesthetic picture quality. Posterization (Color/B&W), Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color (R/G/B/Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-Key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-Tone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolor, and Illustration modes are available.
- Creative Style settings provide control over how the camera processes images based on different predetermined styles: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn Leaves, Black & White, Sepia, and Style Box. Within these settings, contrast, saturation, and sharpness can also be adjusted depending on personal preference.
- To extend the effective reach of the optical zoom lens, Clear Image digital zoom can be used to intelligently magnify scenes up to 5.8x at full-resolution. This digital zoom technology uses an intelligent interpolation process to minimize the amount of image degradation in order to produce realistic, high-quality images.
- In-camera creation of 4K slide shows is possible for rich playback to ultra high definition televisions. An HDMI port is incorporated into the camera's design, too, to enable direct connection to HDTVs.
- TRILUMINOS Color support is supported to produce rich, natural colors when imagery is viewed on a TRILUMINOS Display.
- The included AC adapter and USB cable permits in-camera charging of the rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.
