Sea & Sea Port Combinations are Confusing

So, I think I've narrowed the choice of housings down to a Sea & Sea DX D80 for availability, cost and whatever other reasons came up. I'm now at a point where I need figure out what ports I am going to use and have run into a snag

If I want to streamline my port selection and save a few bucks, what do I need to know now for the long run so I don't end up purchasing more ports that I actually need? If I have the Nikkor 60mm and the new 105mm VR, can I just buy the DX system recommended for the 105 VR and drop off the extension ring when using the 60? Will the 60 fit or do I need to have an NX Macro port just for it?

I've called Sea & Sea tech support and they were pretty vague with their answer. Maybe someone out there has tried this? Thanks!

hey Pat,

I just got a D80 with S&S housing 3 weeks ago, and I just got back from Bali with it. I took lots of shots with the 60mm and 105mm lenses.

I found their port offerings confusing also.

I ended up getting the DX macro port base (30105), and the Dx macro port 50 (30106).

The macro port screws into the macro base. I just leave them together, and think of it as 1 big port.

The 105mm VR and 60mm lenses both work great with this setup, with no problems. This would be my recommendation!

Scott

ps - let me know when you get your rig in the water, maybe I'll see you on the peace or spectre over the next couple of weeks...

So, I think I've narrowed the choice of housings down to a Sea & Sea DX D80 for availability, cost and whatever other reasons came up. I'm now at a point where I need figure out what ports I am going to use and have run into a snag

 

If I want to streamline my port selection and save a few bucks, what do I need to know now for the long run so I don't end up purchasing more ports that I actually need? If I have the Nikkor 60mm and the new 105mm VR, can I just buy the DX system recommended for the 105 VR and drop off the extension ring when using the 60? Will the 60 fit or do I need to have an NX Macro port just for it?

 

I've called Sea & Sea tech support and they were pretty vague with their answer. Maybe someone out there has tried this? Thanks!

Thanks for the reply! Your use of the DX system for both lenses really puts my mind at ease. I kind of thought it would work.

We'll be at Casino Point this weekend helping to teach an Underwater Digital Photography class. Then our next outing is on the Conception in June. There is a lot of time between the two dates, so we'll try getting out on one of the boats from Ventura. For money reasons I've got to wait a few weeks to order my set up, but soon...very soon!

Scott, How negative is the set up? Do I need to worry about buoyancy arms?

While you can put a 60mm Macro lens in a DX Macro Port Set, I wouldn't recommend it if you are interested in getting 1:1 macro. This combo puts the minimum focus distance less than 1/2" outside the front port glass, whereas the a properly spaced port gives you 2-3" to work with.

I'm not in love w/ the DX Macro Port. If you are going with a dedicated port setup, I much prefer this product:

The Athena port accepts an Inon UCL-165 M67 Macro Lens on the front for 2:1 magnification. It is also about a pound lighter, which is a blessing considering the weight of these Sea & Sea setups in the water.

Thanks for the reply! Your use of the DX system for both lenses really puts my mind at ease. I kind of thought it would work.

 

We'll be at Casino Point this weekend helping to teach an Underwater Digital Photography class. Then our next outing is on the Conception in June. There is a lot of time between the two dates, so we'll try getting out on one of the boats from Ventura. For money reasons I've got to wait a few weeks to order my set up, but soon...very soon!

 

Scott, How negative is the set up? Do I need to worry about buoyancy arms?

the buoyancy will depend on your strobes, the lens, which port you use, focus light, and whether you use a TTL converter.

my setup is a D80 (lighter than D200) + S&S housing (heavy)+ 2 Ys-90DX strobes (light) + fantasea B&J arms + fantasea focus light (light) + TTL converter (heavy)

Its not as bad underwater as I thought. Its negative, but easy to hold with the 10.5mm lens. ok to hold with the 60mm lens, a little heavy with the 105mm, but still my arm wasn't sore or anything

my friend has a similar setup with a D200 and slightly heavier strobes & focus light, the D200 is a heavier camera, and his setup was defintely heavier underwater than mine. he added some buoyant material and says his setup is definetely better now though...

Scott

Ryan knows alot more about cameras than I do, so I'm not going to claim that his setup isn't better than mine, but I will add a couple points to what he said:

- after taking about 3,000 shots in Bali with the 60mm, I never felt like I was getting too close to the lens. maybe I was lucky and always had the 105 when I saw the really small stuff, or I was 1/2 inch away and just didn't know it! lol

- often I'd do several dives in 1 day, switching between the 60mm and 105mm lenses in between dives.. I really liked the fact that I could not have to worry about making any changes to the port when switching between these 2 lenses. but maybe i'm just lazy!

- so I'm quite happy with the DX setup, but I haven't tried Ryan's recommendation, perhaps I'd like that better, who knows

- I didn't know about the Athena port, athena looks like an interesting little company. I might have went with that option if I knew about, due to the fact that it's a pound lighter, when putting together my setup, the minumum weight was definitely a main concern...

While you can put a 60mm Macro lens in a DX Macro Port Set, I wouldn't recommend it if you are interested in getting 1:1 macro. This combo puts the minimum focus distance less than 1/2" outside the front port glass, whereas the a properly spaced port gives you 2-3" to work with.