Problems with Subal ex rings and 105vr lens

Wanted to know if anyone could help me here.

Also I do recall that Rocha and/or Alex have "machined" out Subal ex rings to fit the 105vr but I recently bought 3 new extension rings (15mm; 20mm and 35mm) and was told they would work. (Actually they did work but with a 2X TC on and I think that might have aligned the 105vr lens a little better with more space in critical areas).

I've been working on putting this together (d200/ND20/15mm ex ring/105vr + 5T) very carefully for tomorrow's dives (several hours trying to figure out this problem alone).

When I install the 105vr lens by itself on the Nikon d200 in the Subal housing it works just fine.

But I wanted to use my 5T diopter and since I couldn't seem to remove the black ring to make it fit in the Subal 105vr port, I opted instead to use a 15mm Subal extension ring that I bought last month.

It was crazy, I would put the extension ring on (this is to ensure the m/ma; vr on off; limit switch, aren't accidently clicked off), anyway I would install the 15mm ex ring, then try to install the 105vr lens and when I did the on/off switch of the Subal housing would not engage. This happened many times. I thought maybe the lens was not "mounting" properly so then I installed the 105vr lens (worked fine, on/off on housing worked fine, etc) and then tried to install the extension ring over the 105vr lens and when I did and tried to use the on/off on the housing - it wouldn't engage!

So seems like something with the extension rings is throwing the 105vr lens askew in the Subal d200 housing or the 105vr lens in just not "mounting" properly with the Subal extension ring attached. I don't know why this would be unless the ex ring is just hitting something on the 105vr lens, the short 15mm ex ring sits in a real bad place on the 105vr and could be causing some sort of trouble.

I don't know how to "machine" ex rings larger and these are almost brand new, one has never been used.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could get the 105vr to work with these ex rings? Any experiences? Solutions?

Thanks for any help. Boy I've learned one thing just cause someone who knows camera gear can get something to work doesn't mean that a "layman" like me can sort it out. But I've been so careful I think there must be something wrong here cause I don't think I could be making the same mistake over and over again.

Any help appreciated.

Carol

Carol,

I just bought the 105vr custum extension from Ryan, though I bought it for the Tokina 10-17.

I presume it is already bored out. It definitely sounds like your extension ring is pushing the lens and camera out of alignment. Where are you diving? If you are passing through Orlando, you are welcome to borrow my ring.

Jeff

I have the Subal ND20 and the 105 VR Focus port. The lens fits exactly into the end of the port which serves to support it in the right position. The lens is heavy and I've noticed it doesn't take much deflection at the end of the lens to cause the power switch to not engage properly. In fact with the camera in the housing without the port to support the lens at the correct angle the on/off switch won't work (at least with my housing). I guess somehow the extension rings are moving the end of the lens down just enough to make the control not line up. Doesn't take much AFAICT.

If that's the only control that doesn't work you might, for now anyway, just turn the camera on before putting it into the housing and leave it on.

Clinton

Just for info, my port extention ring for the 105mm VR is entirely home made. Not by me I hasten to add. In fact UWP Magazine editor, Peter Rowlands, got it made - and I have stolen it. I sent the internal dimensions to Ryan and posted them here last year. This port allows me to use a 60mm port to house the lens (and if necesary) a dioptre. If I am stacking dioptres I use the old style 105mm port with my ring.

I have not tried any of the official Subal ports for the 105mm VR. So I can't offer any advice on your problem, Carol. Hope that you get it sorted soon.

Alex

I have recently put together the new 105VR lens with a D70 and Subal housing .My port configuration consists of the 60mm port together with a 20mm extension ring which I had machined out 1mm. All fits perfectly and also accomodates a 1.5 teleconverter. I have tested all this in a swimming poll and I am about to try this new rig in the Red Sea in three weeks time. I am confident that machining out 1mm will not be detrimental to the waterproofing of the housing

Mike Davidge

Everyone,

Thanks for the kind and very helpful replies here.

I don't know if anyone else has ever had this happen but in trying to figure this out late last night I gave myself a bear of a headache......, oh well......, I need to get myself nearer to other camera housing whiz-es I think -- this figuring it all out for myself can be pretty frustrating......, but these replies really helped. Thanks so much.

Loftus, thanks so much for the offer, that is really kind! But believe it or not I found lined seahorses on this coast, right off the beach near me!! - but in another day it will be impossible to photograph them as winds will be out of the SW and viz will go to zero. Seahorses are pretty rare here and good enough viz at the beach is even rarer!

For additional info here the extension rings actually work without any machining out with the 105vr with the 2X Kenko TC attached - I guess the TC raises the lens up enough to clear the problem area. That is how they were sold to me to work with TCs. But I can't use TCs here off the beach because of the murk. So I assumed I could just use the 15mm to accommodate a 5T diopter with the new Subal 105vr port but I was wrong.

Here is what I've found, the 105vr lens/Subal housings can be a bit expensive if you want to add diopters and TCs as below:

1- if you want to add a Woody's (Nexus) diopter I had to get one special made by Woody for additional $$ for the 120mm size, but he is very kind to make one special order. I can't use my buoyancy ring that was made for the 105vr port with it unless I cut a lot off the cap and I don't know if that will work yet.

2- I can't use my 5T or 6T diopters because they make contact with the port glass on the Subal 105vr port.

3- I can't use an extension ring to accommodate the 5T or 6T because it is not machined out and even if it is it might not add enough support to the lens (stabilization?) I'm told and info here confirmed. But a machined out ex ring seems to work for some as infoed here.

4- I'm told I can use the 5T or 6T diopters if I remove the black rings but I tried this and couldn't do it. Ryan has graciously offered to remove the black rings for me if I send them to him. I'm told this will work if I adhere the glass with blu tak on the 105vr lens. I'm told this may be the best solution for using a diopter with the 105vr lens/105vr port.

Anyway I don't know what I'll do. If I just take the 105vr down alone it works fine but it is not ideal for many uses, such as what I wanted to accomplish here off the beach with the seahorses (you don't know how rare shore diving is on this coast of Florida, there is only a handful of days with enough viz to do it because of the fine sand, etc and the seahorses are usually only shallow like that).

I shouldn't get myself all frustrated but I thought I was doing something wrong last night when I got no power to the camera. But now I see that it is an inherent flaw in trying to add diopters, etc. to the 105vr and I wasn't making mistakes putting it together.

Thanks for all the help, hopefully this info will enlighten someone else and they won't just have to figure it out like I did. At least I learned something - there is no shortage of things I need to learn about this housing/camera combo.

Sincere Thanks, Carol

Hi Carol,

If you decide to machine the rings, all you need is a lathe that accommodates the diameter of the ring (and somebody that knows how to use a lathe ). It is really easy to do, and it took the guys here at my university's workshop about 5 minutes to do it.

My only problem with this lens is now almost everytime that I mount it, the AF/MF switch gets knocked to the MF position. I've been solving this by putting a tape over the switch (thus locking it into the AF position). Do you guys have the same problem? How do you solve it?

Luiz

Thanks Luiz, ah yes a "lathe", I think I heard of one of those on PBS... !

I'll look into finding someone.

Yes Luiz not only does the M/MA switch tend to get switched by mistake but also the VR on/off and the Limit/0.5 get switched by mistake easily also. Those switches are too easily "switched" I think on the 105vr - all three of them.

When Ryan showed me how to set up the 105vr with the 2XTC he showed me it was better to install the ex rings then the lens because if the switches get knocked they will get knocked where I wanted them in the first place (Limit full/VR on/M/A).

I would like to know if anyone uses tape. I'm worried about residue on the 3 switches and even when I used strong shipping tape it wasn't enough to secure the switches where I wanted them.

But machined out ex rings would seem to help also as they wouldn't be so tight against the switches.

Yes, anyone else tape them or what? I'd like data also. Boy this 105vr lens is one "fat" lens!

Thanks again, Carol

When I used extension rings with the 105 VR I had to tape the switches to keep them from being moved. I switched to the dedicated Subal port for the 105 VR and have no further problems. I also like that you don't have to use an extension ring. I have used this port with my 60 as well. So far I have noticed no vignetting though I don't claim to have made a thorough test of this.

If you have the flip macromate you have to buy a 150$ ring to attach it to the 105 VR port.