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Nauticam Ships Housing for Sony a1

by adamhanlon

Nauticam is shipping their housing for the Sony a1 mirrorless camera. It has Nauticam’s N100 port system and offers optional fiber optic triggering. It has an M24 bulkhead for HDMI 1.4 and 2.0 out, along with an M14 bulkhead for vacuum or accessories.

The NA-a1 is shipping now, priced at $3.534.

From Nauticam

NA-α1 Housing for Sony α1 Camera

SKU # 17430
**$ 3,534.00***

Aimed squarely at professional image makers, the Sony Alpha 1 provides a 50MP sensor capable of 30fps burst shooting and 8K video. It features Sony’s latest autofocus system, an incredible 9.44M-dot EVF and a 1/400 sec flash sync speed with the mechanical shutter. Whether you are interested in still photos or video, this camera can do just about anything you need it to.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Depth Rating: 100m
Weight in air: 2.7kg
Weight in water : 0.6kg includes camera and battery
Dimensions: 340mm (W) × 169mm (H) × 125mm (D)
Port Opening: N100

INTRODUCING NA-Α1

SONY ALPHA 1

The Sony α1 is the company’s flagship full-frame interchangeable lens camera. Designed around the new 50.1MP Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor and the BIONZ XR processor, the a1 is truly a camera which can do it all. It’s 759 point Fast Hybrid Autofocus system offers advanced subject tracking and real-time eye autofocus on both humans and animals. The optimized processing within the a1 allows it to achieve 30fps continuous shooting at full resolution along with 8K 30p and 4K 120p 10-bit video recording.

8K 30p recording is possible using the full width of the sensor while 4K 120p uses a 10% crop. Through a Super 35 crop, oversampled 4K recording is also achievable, via an 5.8K capture area. For shooters who demand more post production flexibility, 4.3K raw 16-bit recording is possible to an external recorder using the camera’s full size HDMI A port.

The a1 has also received major upgrades compared to its predecessors, including a 9.44M-dot OLED EVF with a 240fps refresh rate. The newly designed shutter allows for flash sync speeds up to 1/400 sec and the body includes dual card slots supporting either CFexpress Type A or SD UHS-II memory cards.

SONY ALPHA Α1 KEY SPECIFICATIONS

THE NAUTICAM NA-Α1 UNDERWATER HOUSING

Nauticam has supported the Sony Alpha full-frame line since the original a7 with professional grade aluminum housings that offer intuitive access to all the controls and functions of the cameras. As the cameras have evolved, so have the Nauticam housings. The NA-α1 underwater housing provides fingertip access to all key camera controls in a rugged and reliable aluminum underwater housing. Ergonomic camera control access is one of the defining strengths of a Nauticam housing, and the NA-α1 continues this tradition.

Integrated DSLR-housing styled handles with ergonomic rubberized grips and stainless steel stiffening brackets add stability and accessory mounting points. The NA-a1 also features dual rear thumb-levers that are easily reached from the handle that access three of the most-used controls on the rear of the camera. The right lever actuates the AF-ON and RECORD buttons while the left lever is mapped to the PLAY button.

Atop the housing on the left side are controls in the form of a MODE dial and FOCUS mode lever. The C1, C2 buttons as well as the EV compensation dial also have direct access from the top of the housing. The C3, which is typically assigned to control switching between the EVF and the LCD screen is easily reachable on the rear of the housing from the left handle.

ACCESSORY PORTS

The NA-α1 has both an M24 port at the front of the housing for both HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 connectivity (see sidebar for recommendations) as well as an M14 at the rear for the optional Vacuum Valve (25624).

The housing comes with electronics pre-installed for Nauticam’s Vacuum Check and Leak Detection system. This monitoring system provides constant updates on the water tight and safe-to-dive status of the housing. A simple color coded LED lighting system lets the user know that the vacuum is solid, or that the housing is losing vacuum. Leak detection is built into the same circuit, so if there is water intrusion, an audible and visual indication will occur. The Nauticam system is temperature compensated, eliminating false alarms caused by a change in outside temperature, or from a camera heating up on an action packed dive.

PREMIUM PROFESSIONAL OPTICS

Nauticam’s wide range of ports and in-house corrective optics are the perfect compliment to the NA-α1’s inherent flexibility. Built around the N100 Port System, the NA-α1 supports a wide variety of Sony FE mount lenses, as well as EF mount lenses via adapters. In addition, there are several options available to use the groundbreaking WACP and WACP-2 wide-angle corrective lenses as well as the more compact and in-water removable WWL-1B.

For example, With the Sony SEL1635GM FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, the WACP 2 brings the original 105º field-of-view to an impressive 128º with sharper corners, an ~0” minimum focus distance and a more natural looking image than would be provided by a standard glass dome port.

FLASH TRIGGERING

Both fiber-optic and electrical strobe triggering options are available. The Nauticam Universal Fiber Optical cables attach to the built-in bulkheads atop the housing and feature modular connections for both Sea&Sea-style bushings and INON threaded connections. Triggering is achieved using the optional Nauticam Mini Flash Trigger for Sony (26302) which uses LEDs powered by an on-board coin-cell battery to generate a manual signal that is transmitter via the optical cables to compatible strobes.

PATENTED PORT LOCKING SYSTEM

Unveiled on the very first Nauticam DSLR housing in 2009, this locking lever has become a signature of the Nauticam brand. No twisting or threading action is required to mount a port, and it locks securely in place with this lever. Nauticam also offers locking port extensions, meaning a dome will never twist, even when used with a long extension ring.

MISSION CONTROL

Nauticam engineers pride themselves on giving the underwater image-maker unparalleled access to the essential exposure controls from within easy reach of their housing’s handles, making the ergonomic handles of the housing their Mission Control.

HDMI CONNECTIVITY

The NA-α1 features an M24 bulkhead that supports both HDMI 2.0 and 1.4 output to an external monitor or recorder such as the Atomos Ninja V.

HOUSING LOCKING LATCHES

The industry’s easiest to use housing closure system, requiring very little hand strength to operate, secures the housing back in place. The latches are safely locked to prevent accidental opening, but are easy to open when needed for a quick battery or memory card change.

RESOURCES

17430 NA-α1 PDF User Manual Download

What’s In The Box:

Recommended Accessories:

HDMI Output Accessories

For HDMI 2.0

Monitor housing:

For HDMI 1.4

Monitor housing: