News

Aquatica has announced details surrounding their housing for the Sony a7R III and a7 III. In their press release, Aquatica calls their housing “one of the smallest yet most ergonomic housings on the market.”

The controls are self-centering and spring-loaded so that you don’t have to worry about aligning the camera when inserting. The company also describes a redesigned joystick that makes accessing the 425 AF points as easy as possible. Aquatica has put a lot of effort into the location and ergonomics of back button autofocus—you can have your thumb on back button AF and forefinger on the shutter simultaneously. 

The housing will begin shipping “soon” with a price tag of $2,499. Read more about the housing in the press release below.  
 

When purchasing underwater photography equipment like the products mentioned in this article, please support DPG by supporting our retail partner—Backscatter.com.

PRESS RELEASE

Aquatica’s answer to the Sony A7*/A7rIII MILC Shipping Soon!

Aquatica, one of the pioneers in the underwater photo industry will soon be shipping their underwater housing designed specifically for the Sony A7rIII 42MP full frame mirror less camera. Earning a Gold Award from the internet’s leading camera review site, DPReview.com, the Sony A7rIII is sure to be a powerhouse for underwater digital imaging in both stills and video use.

About the Camera:

The Sony A7rIII is currently Sony’s highest resolution, full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The camera’s backbone is the 42MP BSI CMOS sensor offering a previously unheard of frame rate of 10fps at 42MP and a buffer depth of 30 frames (in True 14 bit RAW) lets still shooters capture peak action with ease. The camera is able to capture 4K UHD video in both full frame and Super 35 formats at up to 30fps. The Autofocus has been greatly improved over the A7rII, with the video AF less inclined to refocus to the background. Twin SD Card slots offer on camera backups for all shoots. 5-axis image stabilization allows for smoother, more professional looking video. A new FZ1000 battery now offers more than double the battery life compared to its predecessor, the A7RII.

The Housing:

The Aquatica A7rIII housing is one of the smallest yet most ergonomic housings on the market. The housing’s design is centered on the user being able to concentrate more in the creation of their image rather than how to use the system. There will be much less figuring out of where controls are.

All the controls are set to be self centering and are spring loaded. The user only needs to set the camera on the tray and slide it into the housing, no alignment needed. Our designers utilized a new method to access the new joystick (crucial for selecting any one of the 425 AF points on the sensor). All of the buttons and dials on the housing are easily accessed without having to let go of the handles. Not that you’d want to as our grips are one of the most comfortable in the industry and they are included in the purchase price of your housing!

Since the camera is easily user customizable and the buttons mapped for any almost any purpose, everything is literally at the user’s finger (or in this case, thumb) tips.

Of significant note, Back Button AF is fully supported with the housing. The AF-On control (6) is easilyreached by the user’s right thumb while the shutter release (2) is simultaneously reached with the user’s forefinger. This lets the user continually track the subject in full auto focus and then fire the camera at the peak moment.

Right below the AF-On button is the Video Record button. This placement is so the user will have no problems in accessing still or video capture. ISO values are easily changed as the camera natively has 3 dials set to change ISO values once the ISO button is pressed (14). 

Part number:

• 20085: without strobe connectors
• 20085-NK: with double Nikonos connectors
• 20085-KM: with one Ikelite connector
• 20085-OPT: with dual optical connectors

Composition:

• Aerospace grade 6061 T6 Aluminium with a MIL-A-8625 Anodized coating and then finished with a baked on, super tough powder coat paint that is extremely abrasion resistant.
• Control Shafts and all push buttons are T304 Stainless Steel

Depth Rating:

• 90m ~ 300 ft. Can be upgraded to 130m, ~ 450ft with our deep spring kit

Weight:

• 2.2 kg/4.8 lbs without handles, 2.6kg/5.7 lbs with handles
• The A7rIII housing is 12% lighter than our previous A7rII housing!

Dimensions:

• 250mm x 163mm x 127mm ~ 9.8” x 6.4” x 5” w/o handles
• 350mm x 163 x 127mm ~ 13.8” x 6.4” x 5” with handles

Ports:

• The A7/A7rIII housing supports all our DSLR sized Bayonet Mount ports

Supported Accessories:

• Surveyor Moisture and Vacuum System (sensor is included with the
• housing) simply add the valve and pump. Can be factory or dealer installed.
• Aqua View and Aqua View 45 viewfinders
• Full Line of the Delta 3 Arm System

List of controls:

1. ON-OFF
2. Shutter button
3. C1 button
4. C2 button
5. Front Dial
6. AF-ON button
7. Record/movie button
8. AEL button
9. Mode dial
10. Exposure compensation dial
11. Rear dial
12. Multi-selector (ISO, Disp, Drive)
13. Fn button
14. Control wheel
15. C4 / Delete button
16. Zoom/focus knob
17. Menu button
18. C3 button
19. Playback button

Starting at $ 2,499.00 USD

*A7III housing requires a minor modification to the mode control, easily done by the user or set up by your dealer upon purchase.

For more information, please contact: info@aquatica.ca or call 514-737-9481