focus light for Ike D70 Housing

I want to add a focus light to my rig. I have an Ikelite ITTL housing for D70 with 2 DS125's and 60mm lense. I want to purchase a 105mm and heard frustrations for autofocus without a focus light. Is there a specific light setup that is made to attach to the Ike housing or do I have to rig one up myself? Whar are your favorites?

I personally don't use one. For night dives I use the modeling light on the Ikelite SS200, which should be the same as the lights on your 125s, but you may find useful information here:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9131

I added the insanely expensive Fisheye Fix light to my rig and now I can't do without it.....helps the 105 to focus in the day and serves as a great primary light at night....get an extra battery

Karl

Does the housing have a shoe on the top? If so, Ultrolight makes a universal light adaptor that works great with the Ikelite PCA which is a great spotting/focus light for macro. you will also need to get a shoe mount ball and one clamp.

No, unfortunately, this housing doesn't have a shoe on top Chris. I tried to use a 2 part epoxy to glue a shoe onto Sarah's 20D housing, but it popped off after 2 dives...:-(

Cheers

James

I want to add a focus light to my rig.  I have an Ikelite ITTL housing for D70 with 2 DS125's and 60mm lense.  I want to purchase a 105mm and heard frustrations for autofocus without a focus light.  Is there a specific light setup that is made to attach to the Ike housing or do I have to rig one up myself?  Whar are your favorites?

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Your DS125s have a built-in modelling light. You can just use those to assist focusing, they work great. Besides, you'll be able to verify that your strobes are aimed properly.

The only disadvantage is it sucks the juice from your batteries much faster, so make sure you charge them before your dive. I've heard of photographers running out of batteries during night dives

Mat

Of course there is a disadvantage of using the strobe's modelling lights. I only use them when the water is very clear. I noticed that if I aim the strobe directly to the subject the light also reflects a lot of backscatter.

No, unfortunately, this housing doesn't have a shoe on top Chris.  I tried to use a 2 part epoxy to glue a shoe onto Sarah's 20D housing, but it popped off after 2 dives...:-(

 

Cheers

James

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James,

This may seem like stating the obvious, but not all epoxies are born equal

For a better chance of success, try the following:

1- Use an epoxy specifically intended for underwater/submerged use (from a boat company)

2- Make sure surfaces mate properly and are thoroughly cleaned prior to applying the glue

3- Epoxies take some time to achieve full strength, so make sure no stress is applied to the glued joint for at least 12 hours after application

Cheers,

Mat

Karl,

How did you mount the fisheye to the rig?

No, unfortunately, this housing doesn't have a shoe on top Chris.  I tried to use a 2 part epoxy to glue a shoe onto Sarah's 20D housing, but it popped off after 2 dives...:-(

 

Cheers

James

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If using ultralight or TLC arms, Ultralight used to make a triple clamp. this would allow the light adaptor to be mounted in conjunction with one of the strobe arms.

No, unfortunately, this housing doesn't have a shoe on top Chris.  I tried to use a 2 part epoxy to glue a shoe onto Sarah's 20D housing, but it popped off after 2 dives...:-(

 

Cheers

James

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option 2, still using the ultralite adapter

AKA chris's Walt Disney method! see a photo of my macro set-up for similar engineering examples!

Add a double dove tail base connector and use hose clamps with the rubber sleeves the DIR folks use on pony bottle clamps with a neoprene or inner tube cushion under the base adapter, and mount it directly to the port.

that will do the trick!

Gianster,

I use ULCS arms, so I attached one of their AC-ARM hardware pieces which allow you to bolt a ball stud to one of the arms

I use the AD-SSL longer focus light adapters on the Fisheye

Karl

Thanks Karl! Looks like I'm going to get some ULCS's.

The parts from Ultralight are:

AC-ARM, hardware to allow you to mount something to one of their arms.

AD-1420 is a ball adapter that mounts to the AC-ARM

Ac-CS, clamp

AC-USL, universal spotting light holder regular or mini

AD-SSL, to mount a Fix light

Hope this helps

Terry

I was thinking the easiest way to do it would be to use the AC-TCS - Triple clamp as the first clamp off the BA-IKT adapter mounted to the Ikelite handle. One side of the triple clamp would go to a 5" 0r 8" arm segment with an AD-UK to UK HID light or an AC-USL to a UK Sunlight SL6.

I am currently using just the DS125 aiming lights. I don't have any trouble focusing the 60mm macro with this setup nor do I run out of strobe power (I can get 3+ dives on the DS125s with aiming lights on) but I agreee that having the strobes trained right on the subject isn't the best strobe technique. I would rather have them pointed a bit behind the subject so that the cone of the strobe stays out of the water in front of the port.

What do you think?

I've used the triple clamp before and didn't like it that much.....the idea makes sense, but I found that when I would loosen it a little to adjust one of the arms...everything would move instead of just the one arm that I was interested in moving....could just be me

Karl

No, it's not just you Karl. Move strobe, light moves. Move light back, strobe moves....lather rinse repeat.

Cheers

James

Note #9571.23 clamp with side stud on following URL:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/arm_f.html

I wonder if Ike would add some kind of mount directly to the housing that would give you a 1 inch ball mount? This would be much better than the triple clamp method with the problem of both flash and modeling light moving every time you adjust one.

Bondo: That would be great, I agree. My Ikelite S2 housing had a slot for one of these moUlded into the plastic - so that you could use one of the ball adapters designed to work on top of the Nikonos V. I used it to mount a ball for my spotting light and it worked great.

Cheers

James