Nauticam
Type: Housing manufacturer Founded: 2008 (Hong Kong; debuted at DEMA 2008) Key products: Aluminum underwater housings, wet optics (WACP, CMC, SMC), vacuum check systems
Overview
Nauticam is a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of aluminum underwater housings founded by Edward Lai in 2009. Lai brought two decades of experience designing precision injection molds for electronics, automotive, and healthcare industries to the underwater imaging market. He was personally active on the Wetpixel forums, diagnosing technical issues (e.g., a 5-week investigation of EMWL focus shift) and sharing innovations. Before founding Nauticam, Lai was testing dual SB-R200 CLS fiber optic slave triggering systems for his D300 in a Nexus housing — confirming his hands-on innovator background. ([1], [2])
Nauticam first appeared at DEMA 2008 as “a total newcomer to the industry” with a single product — the patent-pending WB-PORT white balance dome port accessory ([3]). By 2009, they had developed their first full production housings for the Nikon D300 and Canon 5D Mark II. Their White Balance dome won a Red Dot Design Award. The company rapidly became the dominant housing manufacturer by the mid-2010s through a combination of:
- Speed to market: Shipping housings for new camera bodies within weeks of camera release (notably the Nikon D800 housing in 6 weeks)
- Ergonomics: Superior control layout and handling compared to competitors
- N120 port system: A standardized port system allowing lens compatibility across housings
- Vacuum check/leak detection: Standard on all housings, giving photographers confidence before entering the water
- Wet optics innovation: Developed the WACP (Wide Angle Conversion Port), CMC (Compact Macro Converter), SMC (Super Macro Converter), and EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) — many in collaboration with Alex Mustard
Nauticam is now the world market leader in aluminum underwater housings, producing housings for virtually every major camera system from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus/OM System, Panasonic, and Fujifilm.
Product timeline
- 2008-10: Debuts at DEMA 2008 with WB-PORT white balance dome port accessory — first product ([4])
- 2009: First production housings for Nikon D300 and Canon 5D Mark II; White Balance dome wins Red Dot Design Award
- 2010-01: Announces NA-7D housing for Canon EOS 7D — first DSLR housing to generate widespread Wetpixel coverage. ([5])
- 2010-03: NA-D700 housing reviewed — Nauticam enters full-frame Nikon market. ([6])
- 2010-03: UnderwaterVisions becomes UK distributor. ([7])
- 2010-09: NA-NEX5 housing released with Nikonos lens adapter — revives classic Nikonos lenses on mirrorless bodies. ([8])
- 2010-11: Announces NA-D7000 housing. ([9])
- 2010-12: Alex Mustard publishes field review of D7000 + NA-D7000 — first major third-party endorsement. ([10])
- 2011-06: Releases NA-GH2 housing for Panasonic Lumix GH2. ([11])
- 2011-06: Releases NA-EPL2 housing for Olympus E-PL2 mirrorless. ([12])
- 2011-06: Releases 45° viewfinder accessory — addresses key DSLR housing ergonomic issue. ([13])
- 2011: Acknowledged lower-grade stainless steel in early housing production; committed to free replacement of affected parts including out-of-warranty units. Drew Wong documented ferritic steel via magnetic test on D7000 housing. ([14])
- 2012-04: Unveils NA-D800 housing — first manufacturer to ship a Nikon D800 housing, within approximately 6 weeks of camera release. ([15])
- 2012-06: Announces NA-EM5 housing for Olympus OM-D E-M5 mirrorless. ([16])
- 2012-10: Receives Red Dot Design Awards. ([17])
- 2013-03: Vacuum check system first shown publicly at London International Dive Show (Vacuvin pump + LED indicator) — predating the formal product launch. ([18])
- 2013-10: Electronic vacuum check and leak detection system reviewed — pioneers housing integrity verification as standard feature. ([19])
- 2013-11: Releases Super Macro Conversion lens (SMC) — wet-mount super macro optic. ([20])
- 2013-04: NA-D7100 housing announced. ([21])
- 2013-12: Debuts housing for Blackmagic Cinema Camera — enters digital cinema market. ([22])
- 2013-08: Releases carbon fiber buoyancy arms. ([23])
- 2013-12: Housing for OM-D E-M1 announced. ([24])
- 2013–2015: Carbon fibre float arms had widespread flooding defect; multiple independent reports with warranty replacements; Nauticam representative acknowledged ongoing issue. Drew Wong switched to H2O Tools carbon arms as alternative. (source)
- 2014-01: NA-A7 housing for Sony a7 mirrorless — $3,500; Nauticam’s entry into full-frame mirrorless. ([25])
- 2014-11: NA-D750 housing for Nikon D750 — $3,500.
- 2014-12: Alex Mustard conducts pool tests of optical corrector port prototype — a Carl Zeiss element adapted by Pete Ladell. Showed 1-3 stop corner improvement over dome ports. This was the direct precursor to the commercial WACP product line. ([26])
- 2015-01: NA-G7X housing for Canon G7X compact — $1,100.
- 2015-02: CMC-1 (Compact Macro Converter) wet lens — $320; close-up wet optic for telephoto ports.
- 2015-03: NA-A7II housing for Sony a7 II — $2,750; updated for Sony’s second-gen full-frame mirrorless.
- 2015-05: NA-D7200 housing for Nikon D7200 — $3,300.
- 2015-05: Housing for Atomos Shogun video monitor/recorder — $4,150; enters external recorder housing market.
- 2016-01/Apr: NA-D5 housing for Nikon D5 flagship — ~$5,200.
- 2016-03: iPhone 6 housing released.
- 2016-05: NA-1DXII housing for Canon 1D X Mark II — $5,200.
- 2016-05: NA-D500 housing for Nikon D500 — $3,500.
- 2016-11: NA-5DMKIV housing for Canon 5D Mark IV — $3,800.
- 2017-05: NA-GH5 housing for Panasonic GH5 — $2,650.
- 2017-09: WACP (Wide Angle Conversion Port) reviewed by Alex Mustard — co-developed with Mustard; replaces dome ports with a water contact optic, dramatically improving corner sharpness at high resolution. Compared to Carl Zeiss corrector port prototype from 2014. ([27])
- 2017-10: NA-D850 housing for Nikon D850 — $3,800.
- 2017-10: NA-D7500 housing for Nikon D7500 — $3,300.
- 2017-11: NA-G9 housing for Panasonic G9 — $2,650.
- 2017-12: NA-A7RIII housing for Sony a7R III — $2,850.
- 2018-04: WACP production model unveiled at ADEX 2018.
- 2018-07: NA-RX100VI housing ships — $1,100.
- 2018-10: MWL-1 (Macro Wide Lens 1) wet optic ships — $1,850.
- 2018-11: NA-Z7 housing for Nikon Z7/Z6 mirrorless ships — $3,450.
- 2018-12: NA-R housing for Canon EOS R ships — $3,300.
- 2019-03: NA-BMPCCII housing for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K ships. ([28])
- 2019-04: Adaptor kit for Laowa 24mm probe lens — enables the viral “bug’s eye” look underwater. ([29])
- 2019-05: NA-S1R housing for Panasonic S1/S1R — $3,300. ([30])
- 2019-09: NA-A7RIV housing for Sony A7R IV (61MP) ships. ([31])
- 2019-11: WACP II and WWL-C announced at DEMA 2019.
- 2020-06: Housing for Canon 1DX Mark III announced. ([32])
- 2020-07: EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) system announced. ([33])
- 2020-07: WWL-C ships — $1,035. ([34])
- 2020-08: NA-GFX100 housing for Fujifilm GFX100 (102MP medium format) — $11,894; highest resolution UW imaging system available at the time. ([35])
- 2020-09: NA-R5 housing for Canon EOS R5 ships. ([36])
- 2020-10: Housing for RED Komodo cinema camera ships. ([37])
- 2020-12: Housing for Canon EOS R6 ships. ([38])
- 2020-12: Housing for Canon EOS C500 II and C300 III ships — deep cinema market expansion. ([39])
- 2021-01: WWL-1B ships — $1,465. ([40])
- 2021-01: Housing for Sony a7C released. ([41])
- 2021-04: NA-a1 housing for Sony Alpha 1 ships. ([42])
- 2021-07: Housing for Sony FX3 released. ([43])
- 2022-01: NA-A7IV housing for Sony a7 IV ships. ([44])
- 2022-01: NA-R3 housing for Canon EOS R3 ships. ([45])
- 2022-02: NA-Z9 housing for Nikon Z9 ships — $7,223. ([46])
- 2022-03: Housing for Panasonic GH6 ships. ([47])
- 2022-08: WACP-C announced — described as “Alex Mustard’s prototype lens,” confirming the lineage from the 2014 corrector port prototype. 36% lighter and cheaper than WACP-1. ([48])
- 2022-09: EMWL 160° objective lens released; field reviewed by Alex Mustard at God’s Pocket, Canada. ([49])
- 2022-08: NA-R7 housing for Canon EOS R7 announced. ([50])
- 2022-12: NA-A7RV housing for Sony a7R V ships. ([51])
- 2023-02: NA-XT5 housing for Fujifilm X-T5 ships. ([52])
- 2023-02: NA-R6II housing for Canon EOS R6 II announced. ([53])
References
- About Nauticam
- Nauticam story — UW Visions
- [54] — editorial
- [55] — editorial
- [56] — editorial
- [57] — editorial
- [58] — editorial
- [59] — editorial
- [60] — editorial
- [61] — editorial
- [62] — editorial
- [63] — editorial
- [64] — editorial
- [65] — editorial
- [66] — editorial
- [67] — editorial
- [68] — editorial
Sources
- Forum thread: Optical Versus Electrical Strobe Sync ↩
- Forum thread: Quality Of Nauticam Housings ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2008: Dema 2008 Nauticam ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2008: Dema 2008 Nauticam ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 10, 2010: Nauticams New Underwater Housing For Canon Eos 7d ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 17, 2010: Nauticam D700 Field Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 26, 2010: Underwatervisions Is Uk Distributor For Nauticam ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 18, 2010: Nauticam Na Nex 5 Housing Recycles Nikonos Lenses ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2010: Nauticam Announces Housing For Nikon D7000 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2010: Field Review Nikon D7000 And Nauticam Na D7000 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 3, 2011: Nauticam Releases Housing For Panasonic Lumix Gh2 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 15, 2011: Nauticam Releases Housing For Olympus E Pl2 Evil Camera ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 30, 2011: Nauticam Releases 45 Viewfinder ↩
- Forum thread: Nauticam Rust Problem ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 24, 2012: Nauticam Unveils The Na D800 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 29, 2012: Nauticam Announces The Ne Em5 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 4, 2012: Nauticam Receives Red Dot Awards ↩
- Forum thread: Vacuum Pumps Again ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2013: Review Nauticam Electronic Vacuum Check And Leak Detection System ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 13, 2013: Nauticam Releases Super Macro Conversion Lens ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 29, 2013: Nauticam Announces The Na D7100 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 3, 2013: Nauticam Debuts Their Housing For The Blackmagic Cinema Camera ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 20, 2013: Nauticam Releases Carbon Fiber Buoyancy Arms ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 17, 2013: Nauticam Announces Housing For Om D E M1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 8, 2014: Nauticam Announces Their Housing For Sony A7 ↩
- Forum thread: Full Frame Slr Wide Angle Corrector Port Tests ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2017: Review Nauticam Wide Angle Corrector Port ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2019: Nauticam Ships Housing For Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Ii ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 24, 2019: Nauticam Adaptor Kit For Laowa 24mm Probe Lens ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 24, 2019: Nauticam Housing For Panasonic S1 Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 26, 2019: Nauticam Ships Housing For Sony A7r Mark Iv ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 9, 2020: Nauticam Announces Housing For Canon 1dx Mark Iii ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 22, 2020: Nauticam Announces Emwl Lens System ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 2, 2020: Nauticam Ships Wwl C ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2020: Nauticam Releases Housing For Fujifilm Gfx100 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 25, 2020: Nauticam Ships Na R5 Housing For Eos R5 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 4, 2020: Nauticam Ships Housing For Red Komodo ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 9, 2020: Nauticam Ships Housing For Canon Eos R6 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 30, 2020: Nauticam Ships Housing For Eos C500 Ii And Eos C300 Iii ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 24, 2021: Nauticam Ships Wwl 1b ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 24, 2021: Nauticam Releases Housing For Sony A7c ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 16, 2021: Nauticam Ships Housing For Sony A1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 9, 2021: Nauticam Releases Houisng Fot Sony Fx3 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 26, 2022: Nauticam Ships Na A7iv Housing For Sony 7iv ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 26, 2022: Nauticam Ships Na R3 Housing For Eos R3 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2022: Nauticam Ships Housing For Nikon Z9 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 18, 2022: Nauticam Ships Housing For Panasonic Gh6 ↩
- Forum thread: Nauticam Wacp C ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 25, 2022: Field Review Nauticam Emwl With 160 Degree Lens By Alex Mustard ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 11, 2022: Nauticam Announces Na R7 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 8, 2022: Nauticam Ship Housing For Sony A7r V ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 2, 2023: Nauticam Ships Na Xt5 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 2, 2023: Nauticam Announces The Na R6ii ↩
- DEMA 2008 — Nauticam debut (article) ↩
- NA-7D announcement (article) ↩
- NA-D700 field review (article) ↩
- NA-NEX5 with Nikonos adapter (article) ↩
- D7000 + NA-D7000 field review (Alex Mustard) (article) ↩
- NA-D800 unveil (article) ↩
- Red Dot Awards (article) ↩
- Vacuum check system review (article) ↩
- SMC release (article) ↩
- WACP review by Alex Mustard (article) ↩
- EMWL 160° field review (article) ↩
- WACP-C announcement (article) ↩
- GFX100 housing (article) ↩
- NA-R5 housing (article) ↩
- NA-Z9 housing (article) ↩