Gates FX7 housing on their website

Both Filter and Diopter together....thats great.

That is beginning to push me towards the Gates, I frequently dive in the Red Sea where a blue water filter is very effective, yet I need a dioptre to improve my macro filming. There is often great wide angle opportunities on the same dive.

I would welcome the benefit of expert knowledge when it comes to the ports. The Flat Macro port appears to have full zoom through, and presumably is likely to allow a fair degree of wide angle using the camera's zoom.

The SP44 dome allows little or no zoom through and is presumably used with the camera on wide angle - but correct me if I'm wrong! Therefore there will be no chance of macro with this port in place.

The SWP35 is still in production, but the other SWP ports allow full zoom through and presumably could be used with a dioptre to get some degree of macro.

It does not look as if the Fathom ports would fit this housing, but would probably be outside my justifiable price range!

Finally when I do upload a few frames from my Africa filming, what would be the best format?

Thanks as always for everyone's help and advice.

Roger

Ron do the airlines in the States not have the 5kg or 7kg weight limit and size restrictions for hand luggage? Even with a small cam and housing in a carry on bag my hand luggage is normally at least 10kg and literally on the limit of the size allowance.

I think I'm pushing it as it is, let alone if I attemtped to do that with a FX7 & housing. I know some people have done it and got away with it - but I seem to have a sign on my forehead when I check telling all airline staff that I'm fair game for excess! I'd be mortified if I was forced to check a soft carry on bag into the hold with that equipment in it.

Cheers, Simon

I haven't seen them enforce carry-on weight restrictions. I see them enforce size restrictions all the time. I'm not so concerned about the housing being damaged. It's the camcorder, lightheads and lenses that are fragile. I think I convinced myself to get the Pelican carry-on. It's sized right at the acceptable limit and even if the flight is loaded and they make me gate check it, at least I'll have peace of mind things won't get damaged.

The weight limits you list are ridiculous. 5-7 kg is nothing. I recall reading about some people intentionally wearing a vest or jacket with a lot of big pockets so they can transfer things out of their bag onto themselves if needed.

The weight limits you list are ridiculous. 5-7 kg is nothing. I recall reading about some people intentionally wearing a vest or jacket with a lot of big pockets so they can transfer things out of their bag onto themselves if needed.

Almost all the flights out of the UK have a 5kg-7kg limit. They often don't weigh the carry-on if it looks a reasonable size. When we went to Africa recently I packed the Sea & Sea housing in my dive bag, carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and them my 2/3mm wetsuit and finally into my BC folding the latter over the whole lot. It arrived very safely. I packed the FX7 and my smaller Sony into a camera bag along with binoculars, my dive computer, and a few other bits. It came to 6kg. I wear a "reporters" jacket with about 12 pockets. Into these I place my chargers, spare batteries, tapes, camera manual etc. etc. Once past the check-in desk I nip around the corner and transfer the contents of my jacket into the camera bag for X-raying etc. They never weigh it again! My wife (still photographer) puts spare lenses and even her strobe in her jacket. She does look a bit like Mr Blobby (in joke for UK readers only), but she gets by OK.

The UK carriers have certainly cashed in on the recent security problems. We can only take a single carry-on bag. Even the ladies cannot carry an additional handbag. The overhead bins are half empty now :-)) We used to be able to carry a camera or a laptop in addition to our carry-on bag.

Roger

...snip...

 

The UK carriers have certainly cashed in on the recent security problems. We can only take a single carry-on bag. Even the ladies cannot carry an additional handbag. The overhead bins are half empty now :-)) We used to be able to carry a camera or a laptop in addition to our carry-on bag.

 

Roger

aside from the fact that it's a pain in backside of each and every traveler it has to be said that

the restriction does not come from the airlines. The directives come from the UK Government and are then implemented by BAA, not the airlines.

for some reason the uk is the only country (that i have been through recently) that enforces this stupid one carry on rule. when i fly into the uk i can bring 2 carry ons, but when i leave i have to make sure that all fits in one carry on that fits in the measuring bin

Even before those security problems many carriers were very strict on hand baggage for flights leaving the UK. I was refused a small 9kg bag once leaving Manchester. Had to repack things until it was 7kg, no exceptions. And that was Emirates, not even BA. Flying around SE Asia however, nobody gives a toss about my 25kg backpack.

But I still think it's worth a try, and if you don't get away with on over-weight carry-on bag, at least you can often walk it to the plane, or at least the gate, yourself and see that it's well-treated.

What do they do when you have connecting flights through UK ?

The things we go through for our hobby

What's next ? Shall we tuck a laptop inside our shirts for the weigh-in ? They are flat so it should fit. Will special clothing and/or things like money belts evolve to meet the needs of travelers ?

Ron it's at the check-in desks in the UK that they've really strict these last couple of years. They weigh your carry-on bag right there along with your checked-in luggage. I don't think it's as bad if you're just passing through a connecting UK airport, and I've never heard of an excess charge being levied in that situation.

What do they do when you have connecting flights through UK ?

 

The things we go through for our hobby

 

What's next ? Shall we tuck a laptop inside our shirts for the weigh-in ? They are flat so it should fit. Will special clothing and/or things like money belts evolve to meet the needs of travelers ?

you are told (or you should be told) before you board a flight for the uk that you will only be able to have one carry on if you connect through the uk.

you should see the transfer security queues at heathrow, they are a sad joke with all the people connecting who have not understood or were not explained the policy...

i wish they'd wake up and understand that this is useless and only hurting traveling...

/paul

Stacking stuff in your jacket is a great Idea..i had an old army coat that had loads of pockets..I just put everything I could into that including my TRV950 and waltzed through Gatwick no probs..Got some curious looks at the security-scanner though. But as the cam gets bigger so does the pockets..In all senses of the word.

Dive safe

DeanB

Stacking stuff in your jacket is a great Idea..i had an old army coat that had loads of pockets..I just put everything I could into that including my TRV950 and waltzed through Gatwick no probs..Got some curious looks at the security-scanner though. But as the cam gets bigger so does the pockets..In all senses of the word.

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

sorry for the hijack of the original thread, maybe the mods can split this out to a:

how to get through a UK airport with only one hand luggage

but i am happy to know that the photogs jacket works

Australia are bloody strict too.

What Pelican case is it that you reckon this will all fit into and still get on as carry on?

The jacket idea works well, used to do when I travelled with heaps of windsurfing stuff, chuck all the heavy stuff in pockets!!!!

Someone mentioned in another thread a soft padded beer cooler bag that fitted a Phenom and fx1 as hand luggage, reckon that could work as well.

Back to the GATES and ports, thought that the housing could take the mack daddy fathom (swp44)wide port too?

Back to the GATES and ports, thought that the housing could take the mack daddy fathom (swp44)wide port too?

I'm wondering if SWP34 is actually a typo on their FX7 page and really they mean SWP44???

The SW 44 and FP 44 fit so reckon must be a typo

Knew they made a SWP 44 and SWP 35 didn't know anything about SWP 34... I'll give GATES a shout

I'm wondering if SWP34 is actually a typo on their FX7 page and really they mean SWP44???

I assumed it was a typo too, but the Marine Visions website says that the SWP34 is being designed for this housing - I don't understand the numbering though, why should all these others be "44" . I had assumed that the 35 and 44 related to the 3.5" and 4.4" bayonet size!

It will be interesting to see what Gates have to say Jonny.

Cheers

Roger

The Pelican 1510 is sized to meet carry-on restrictions. Pelican Case

I've read about the soft-side cooler idea, but I don't see how that is any better than soft-side luggage and clothing as padding.

I think the Gates website talks about a super wide Fathoms port is being designed. It will probably cost big bucks. I may try a camera mounted W/A lens and the Gates dome port as a less expensive alternative.

Ok got an answer from Marine Visions after they spoke with Gates.

'The SWP44 is not compatible with the FX7/V1 due to the different lenses between the cameras. You could attach the port to the housing, but I would strongly advise against it. If the SWP44 is used with the FX7/V1 it will produce images with “soft edgesâ€.'

So looks like they are designing a new lens too....

I would welcome the benefit of expert knowledge when it comes to the ports. The Flat Macro port appears to have full zoom through, and presumably is likely to allow a fair degree of wide angle using the camera's zoom.

 

The SP44 dome allows little or no zoom through and is presumably used with the camera on wide angle - but correct me if I'm wrong! Therefore there will be no chance of macro with this port in place.

Hi Roger,

Except in the case of wide and converters or adapters the issue of telephoto use comes down to the camera / lens configuration as opposed to the ports in use. After all the port is just there to allow use of whatever lens you deem fit for the lens. If it works as you require on the camera the port shouldn't hinder that performance, unless of course you put a large WA lens on the camera behind a flat port and the corners get cropped.

Maybe you are getting confused between ports and external adapters?

I realise now that you have the answer regarding the SWP44 and its incompatibility for this housing / camera configuration due to it being constructed with the telephoto range of the FX1 / Z1 in mind. The lens itself does offer full zoom through the the fullest extent of the telephoto range when placed on the housing. If the replacement lens offers the same I would suggest you snap it up.

Cheers,

Mark.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the info. I think I have it sorted out in my mind now.

If the replacement lens offers the same I would suggest you snap it up.

Snapping it up my not be a financial option, the SWP44 costs £3250 from a well known distributor in the UK and that is approx $US 6000 I imagine the new one will be a similar price

When the housing comes available I will probably go for the flat macro first and then see what sort of performance I can get. The clarityand brightness of the water in the Red Sea makes wide angle a little easier by simply finning further away from the subject.

With a liveaboard trip planned in mid June to film the large shoals off Ras Mohammad I am just hoping that the housings are not delayed. I have already had 2 diving holidays since I bought the FX7 B)

Cheers

Roger

Roger, with large subjects you're going to get "milky" results using a flat port even in clear water and I expect you will get frustrated by it. Why don't you go for the standard port as well and use the flat just for macro shoots? Should be a lot cheaper than the SWP. I got great results for years with my Gates standard port on my VX2000 housing.

Those SWP ports on full wide make things look a long way from the camera. They're a pretty advanced option and if you dink them they are $$$ to fix.