Buoyancy Compensator for DSLR

Hi,

I have been using a BC for DSLR made by Patima, a new sponser here, on my

Nexus,S&S & Seacam housing & I am quite happy with it & like to recommand to

try. It is very simple product as made out of small orange plastic bag covered with

black neoplan bag. You can put air in & out like you do on toy ball.

I had no problem to hold my Seacam F100 camera+2xZ-220 +target light in one

hand in underwater with this BC on.

I think they are coming to DEMA show & should have few sample there.

Sam

P.S.: Here is picture of BC out of website.

Interesting!

I'm glad to see manufacturers really taking a look at this "heavy underwater" problem, I don't think it should all be put off on the consumer to solve fully and figure out the "heavy" problem. I hope to see even some more solutions at DEMA

My new Subal ND20/D200/Inons/ULCS grips;buoyancy arms/Fix light/60mm is very negative U/W and has caused me some hand strain on just two dives with it, even with buoyancy arms. I'm getting help now with solutions to this as I'm not able to "engineer" something by myself (I'm not very mechanical...)

I'll probably be able to handle with lots of core cell foam but I'll be interested in other solutions too that don't entail woodworking equipment, special tools, brute strength, etc.

I'll look for this at DEMA, thanks for the pic!

Carol

This BC cost U$XX.00- when I get it & think it will cost more if I try to make one.

In fact my diving group has been using it in Philippines 2-3 years & logged more

than 1000 dives in total.

Interesting!

 

I'm glad to see manufacturers really taking a look at this "heavy underwater" problem, I don't think it should all be put off on the consumer to solve fully and figure out the "heavy" problem. I hope to see even some more solutions at DEMA

 

My new Subal ND20/D200/Inons/ULCS grips;buoyancy arms/Fix light/60mm is very negative U/W and has caused me some hand strain on just two dives with it, even with buoyancy arms. I'm getting help now with solutions to this as I'm not able to "engineer" something by myself (I'm not very mechanical...)

 

I'll probably be able to handle with lots of core cell foam but I'll be interested in other solutions too that don't entail woodworking equipment, special tools, brute strength, etc.

 

I'll look for this at DEMA, thanks for the pic!

 

Carol

Making your camera system neutral is a great idea.

But, a compressible/flexible bag has a major problem. It's buoyancy decreases with depth. (10m/33fsw = 1/2, 20m/66fsw =1/3)

Something light and incompressible/rigid would be much better. (i.e., closed-cell high-density floatation foam used in boats _or_ balsa wood shaped to fit under the housing or around the macro port and covered with epoxy _or_ floatation strobe arms, etc.)

Did you actually try one ?? After I inflate this BC on diving boat, I do not adjust it

even in 30m deep. I heard size of bag was made after consider the depth.

Making your camera system neutral is a great idea.

 

But, a compressible/flexible bag has a major problem. It's buoyancy decreases with depth. (10m/33fsw = 1/2, 20m/66fsw =1/3)

 

Something light and incompressible/rigid would be much better. (i.e., closed-cell high-density floatation foam used in boats _or_ balsa wood shaped to fit under the housing or around the macro port and covered with epoxy _or_ floatation strobe arms, etc.)

The small and heavy D200 does seem to be the cause of lots of heavy housings these days. I blame nikon!

With Sea & Sea strobes my Subal D2X housing is actually slightly positive.

Alex

I have been toying with BC for camara rigs for about three years now. Past follies included dozens wine corks (very expensive to procure). A new idea came to me at a friends October Fest party last week. He uses disposable plastic soda bottles to bottle his home brew. A quick on-line survey shows these containers to withstand up to 60 PSI during normal usage, and burst ratings in excess of 100 PSI. The latest folly goes something like this:

Zip tie/duct tape two 20 oz (0.6l) soda bottles, one on each strobe arm

Add air to bottles as they compress

The bottles will be good for air filled up to 150'

Provides ~2.5 lbs (1.2 kg) of lift

Whats wrong with the October Fest induced idea?

When I switched from neutrally buoyant SB104 fashes to heavy Subtronic ones I resorted to adding two blocks of high-density foam (HDPE). It can be worked like wood and is very light but it does not crush up at 10bar of pressure. I originally got it to balance a 32kg video camera in the days of yore but I cannot remember where I got it from.

Hi,

Following picture shows;

Subal F-100 with Subtronic + BC attached

Inon housing with 180mm Micro +ring flash

Several Secam housing with various flash

& we all use the BC except Nikonos5.

If you warry about crush, think about how much lift

small LIFTING BAG provide.

Sam

When I switched from neutrally buoyant SB104 fashes to heavy Subtronic ones I resorted to adding two blocks of high-density foam (HDPE). It can be worked like wood and is very light but it does not crush up at 10bar of pressure. I originally got it to balance a 32kg video camera in the days of yore but I cannot remember where I got it from.

So how to you compensate for the compression of the air within it as you go deeper and what do you do to compensate again as you come shallower?

I prefer fixed buoyancy. I can let go of my rig and it stays exactly where I left it in the water column.

"The small and heavy D200 does seem to be the cause of lots of heavy housings these days."

Archimedes huh!

So it seems that there is something to be said for a larger camera and housing - like Alex I don't have this problem. But seriously, you can also use fishing net floats (found on many a beach, which are buoyant and designed for substantial pressure) fixed to the housing via a cable - I've seen this done and work ok. Its cheap too!

Hi,

I will try to post detailed picture of BC. it basically works same as your body BC.

First you put air in shore or on the boat by your mouth. It is a plastic toy ball (square)

in neoplan bag with zipper. if you need more air, you can put it either by mouth

or I carry small air nozzle hose connected regulator which you can find from diving shop.

if you need to release the air, open the plug & sqeeze it & air will be released slowly....

What I usually do is I usually put air by mouth & inflate the bag(not to too tight) & I do

not need to do anything while diving. It will be compressed in deep but, still provide enough lift.

Re balance of housing while taking pictures, I did not have problem to use 200mm or 180mm

micro lens setup.

Sam

The small and heavy D200 does seem to be the cause of lots of heavy housings these days. I blame nikon!

With Sea & Sea strobes my Subal D2X housing is actually slightly positive.

 

Alex

I agree Alex but the U/W housing manufacturers share some responsibility too along with the retailers who say "It will be a little negative water..." (Yea, I guess some people can call -3lbs underwater + "a little negative", but I sure don't, that on a long dive can cause significant strain leading to injury - I know it recently happened to me.) And it is not only the heavy Inon's fault, without those the system is still over 2-1/2 lbs negative. And this system is -3 lbs neg just with the 60 and port, with the 105 it will be worse!!

And then you can't return it after taking it down once (and finding out how heavy it really is) without a 15% service charge, and that is a lot for something that you weren't made aware of in the first place.

Unfortunately I made the mistake of buying the whole, heavy D200 Subal System and have gotten some suggestions on making it lighter but none of them are easy & readily available. The best help I've gotten is from Ryan at ReefPhoto, he is making me some prototype core cell arms, a little different than previous arms w/ core cell. Backscatter, who I ended up buying the bulk of the system from (cause Ryan didn't have it in stock), has offered me very little help on making such a big, and for me - expensive system neutral. They did say they have a machinist who can carve me a buoyancy ring, hopefully if I do get them to do that the buoyancy ring won't pop off the bayonet 105 port.......... and lead to you know what.

I think this buoyancy device is a step in the right direction, at least someone cares enough to make something readily available.

I would never, ever buy this camera and system again, but now I'm very stuck.

Hopefully Ryan's arms with work, if not I might even be tempted to try this buoyancy device. Looks better than soda bottles, pool floats, or fishing net floats to me

And yes I am getting rid of the heavy Inons as we speak (while they still have some value), but the sea and seas I'm getting still won't make up for more than a half-pound or so underwater.

Looks like I should have waited for the Light and Motion housing, huh?? But then I would miss the bulk of manatee season.............

I think buying my first DSLR system should have been filled with a little more joy than this, too bad for me..............., but Ryan Canon is going out of his way to help me, this I do much appreciate!

Carol

Hi all-Good discussion...I got carpal tunnel syndrome after 3 weeks of shooting in Indonesia. I often shoot single handed which I am sure contributed. I got a couple of pieces of surf board foam from a shop in Bali and attached these to my strobe arms. Worked great but they crushed after a few dives and were then useless. I did not have time to resin/fiberglass coat them (like a real surfboard), so that might have helped or perhaps a thicker foam would do it. I need to fix this before my next trip.

Sam, what is the black extension on the Nikonos sb-150 on the low right corner?

Sam, what is the black extension on the Nikonos sb-150 on the low right corner?

I'm no Sam, but it looks to me like a snoot, possibly with a grid in the end of it. It provides a very sharply defined beam. They seem to be very hard to get hold of these days, but can be improvised quite easily.

Martyn

Hi,

Rattus is right & it is made by Sea&Sea (they no longer sell) for sharp beam.

Sam

I'm no Sam, but it looks to me like a snoot, possibly with a grid in the end of it. It provides a very sharply defined beam. They seem to be very hard to get hold of these days, but can be improvised quite easily.

 

Martyn

I'm no Sam, but it looks to me like a snoot, possibly with a grid in the end of it. It provides a very sharply defined beam. They seem to be very hard to get hold of these days, but can be improvised quite easily.

 

Martyn

I thought it something like that, thanks.

Interesting to see a result from that snoot.

About the positive buoyancy devices for DSRL cameras, last weekend I have seen a very nice positive buoyancy arms developed by Saga. They had a display in the Barcelona Nautic fair and the price was very competitive.

The also had a large set of "normal" strobe arms on display. Some of their products are actually very popular in Spain , as they offer the possibility of using a subal dome on cheaper Sea & Sea housing.

Their website is http://www.sagadive.com/

I thought it something like that, thanks.

Interesting to see a result from that snoot.

Following is my friend's picture, using snoot.

Seacam F100+Velvia50+SB-105 w/snoot.