I use a bayonet mount system for wet close-up lenses and keep them in my tech short pockets to switch out. The problem is opening the pocket with a hand full of lens, and then keeping that pocket open to stuff that lens in and clip it to one of the bungee loops. Anyone else have that problem? Any tricks to make it easier?

Can't you attach a flip adapter to your macro port?

That makes using wet close-up lenses much more convenient, safer, and faster.

I could, and have, but prefer not to. I would have to use a double flip adapter. I don't like the added bulk and weight of have 2 lenses up there.

1 hour ago, Babydiver said:

I could, and have, but prefer not to. I would have to use a double flip adapter. I don't like the added bulk and weight of have 2 lenses up there.

I'm exactly the oposite. One setup... good balanced... and I can't lost anything all is mounted

Yeah, I’m with Caolla. The more gear you carry, the more the distractions. One lens: you know then what you’re shooting and can concentrate on that. It’s a lesson I learned the relatively hard way (lots of unused kit), but it pays dividends, saves faffing about and avoids gear loss underwater.

3 hours ago, Babydiver said:

I use a bayonet mount system for wet close-up lenses and keep them in my tech short pockets to switch out. The problem is opening the pocket with a hand full of lens, and then keeping that pocket open to stuff that lens in and clip it to one of the bungee loops. Anyone else have that problem? Any tricks to make it easier?

I have two bayonet caddies on the camera rig, one on a float and one on a separate stub arm and can swap lens in a couple seconds. Thought about the pocket solution, but with dry gloves, it just doesn't work.

Bayonet caddies are pretty much the answer.

5 minutes ago, RVBldr said:

I have two bayonet caddies on the camera rig, one on a float and one on a separate stub arm and can swap lens in a couple seconds. Thought about the pocket solution, but with dry gloves, it just doesn't work.

I have considered that, also. I just can't wrap my head around the best solution with my current AOI bayonets, Ultralight arms (I would like to use 5" arms), STIX floats, trying to keep the whole kit compact, and not too heavy underwater.

2 hours ago, TimG said:

Yeah, I’m with Caolla. The more gear you carry, the more the distractions. One lens: you know then what you’re shooting and can concentrate on that. It’s a lesson I learned the relatively hard way (lots of unused kit), but it pays dividends, saves faffing about and avoids gear loss underwater.

You do make a good point. I am just conflicted. For wide angle, it's easy: 14-42mm and UWL-09 PRO (OM-1 with AOI housing). For macro, I use the Oly 60mm. I am finally at the point where I want to start to shoot tiny things but also would like to do fish portraits. At minimum, I would probably do a single flip adapter with my UCL-05LF. Do I just give up on my MFO-1, then? I know I could upgrade to a CMC, but don't think I want that expense right now.

If you have trouble finding somewhere to mount a bayonet caddy - one solution is float arms in place of stix floats - they generally have a mounting point for a caddy I use the INON float arms, price is reasonable and i've been using them for many years.

I used shorts for the MFO3 in Lembeh, it worked quite OK and I didn't attach it to tether in the pocket- but it's a big lump of glass and the elastic pocket held it tight particularly with bayonet adapter ring attached. It wasn't exactly easy to get in there, but I worked my way around it.

Regarding the MFO1, I haven't heard it's a great improvement on m43, it's basically just a weak diopter. You could try leaving it on and stacking the UCL lens for more power. Stacking a CMC on an MFO1 is not recommended as both correct for the water interface, but there was some discussion you could do it with a third party diopter. You could add a flip to the MFO-1 perhaps, but it would be easy enough to try it first before buying more gear.

57 minutes ago, Chris Ross said:

If you have trouble finding somewhere to mount a bayonet caddy - one solution is float arms in place of stix floats - they generally have a mounting point for a caddy I use the INON float arms, price is reasonable and i've been using them for many years.

I used shorts for the MFO3 in Lembeh, it worked quite OK and I didn't attach it to tether in the pocket- but it's a big lump of glass and the elastic pocket held it tight particularly with bayonet adapter ring attached. It wasn't exactly easy to get in there, but I worked my way around it.

Regarding the MFO1, I haven't heard it's a great improvement on m43, it's basically just a weak diopter. You could try leaving it on and stacking the UCL lens for more power. Stacking a CMC on an MFO1 is not recommended as both correct for the water interface, but there was some discussion you could do it with a third party diopter. You could add a flip to the MFO-1 perhaps, but it would be easy enough to try it first before buying more gear.

Thanks, Chris. I think I’ve actually worked out a solution, and it turns out I can do it mostly with gear I already have.

I’m using the AOI bayonet system for my lenses, and I already have one of the AOI female bayonet adapters that fits an Ultralight arm. I thought that particular adapter had been discontinued, but I found the Fantasea version still available at Bluewater Photo. I don’t want to mount the adapters on my 5-inch arms since those will have floats. Instead, I’m planning to mount two adapters back‑to‑back on an 8-inch arm, positioned horizontally above the housing with 3-inch ball clamps on each end. Each clamp will also have an Ultralight SB‑04, which my strobe arms will attach to.

It seems like a workable setup to me. What do you think?

The Inon float arm option does look very slick, but it would cost roughly four times as much.

36 minutes ago, Babydiver said:

Thanks, Chris. I think I’ve actually worked out a solution, and it turns out I can do it mostly with gear I already have.

I’m using the AOI bayonet system for my lenses, and I already have one of the AOI female bayonet adapters that fits an Ultralight arm. I thought that particular adapter had been discontinued, but I found the Fantasea version still available at Bluewater Photo. I don’t want to mount the adapters on my 5-inch arms since those will have floats. Instead, I’m planning to mount two adapters back‑to‑back on an 8-inch arm, positioned horizontally above the housing with 3-inch ball clamps on each end. Each clamp will also have an Ultralight SB‑04, which my strobe arms will attach to.

It seems like a workable setup to me. What do you think?

The Inon float arm option does look very slick, but it would cost roughly four times as much.

Perhaps, just have to try it out, the only concern you might have if it gets in the way of aiming, which becomes more of a problem as you increase magnification. Will that system restrict your strobe arm movement at all? I'm not sure exactly how it will work but sounds like you are connecting your two inner arms together with the 8 arm?

1 hour ago, Chris Ross said:

Perhaps, just have to try it out, the only concern you might have if it gets in the way of aiming, which becomes more of a problem as you increase magnification. Will that system restrict your strobe arm movement at all? I'm not sure exactly how it will work but sounds like you are connecting your two inner arms together with the 8 arm?

Imagine something like this with close-up lenses mounted on the crossbar instead of the WWL, and plain arms instead of the float arms.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Babydiver
Misspelling

20 minutes ago, Adrian Gresores said:

Imagine something like this with close-up lenses mounted on the crossbar instead of the WWL, and plain arms instead of the float arms.

That should work pretty well as long as the lenses don't interfere too much with sight-lines