Water Beading - Top Side from water

Can any one help with this query? I like to shoot topside shots from the water, things like boats underway, snorkelers, family enjoying the water etc... however I can't find anything that stops water beading on the lens of the camera. (Especially when I use my wide angle adapter lens).

It's very frustrating...any suggestions?

Kay Wilson,

Indigo Dive,

St. Vincent.

Good old spit.

Spit-slag-goosie or what ever you call it right on the port and rub it all over with your fingers....the more you put on the better.

It does not last for very long though but you always have it with you to add more.

Good luck

a cut in half potato is another one to try..

I use dish soap.

I use dish soap.

hopefully biodegradable

hopefully biodegradable

Couple drops of "Ecover" dish liquid:

*quick and complete biodegradability (OECD-test 301F, full product)

*minimum impact on aquatic life (OECD-test 201&202, full product)

*against animal testing

*suitable for septic tanks

*plant based ingredients, except milk whey

Wagsy's technique probably more environmentally sound, huh?

I had a pet ferret who ATE bars of plain old Dial - 'the soap that floats'.

Made for some interesting poo in the cedar shavings....

so you are suggesting to rub ferret poop on the dome then?

i thought the potato was strange..

Has anybody tried mask defog? Seems like it should work (or baby shampoo?). I plan to try some over/unders in a couple weeks, so was wondering this same question. Guess I'll have to read some labels and see what is eco-friendly.

Spit sounds like the easiest - although with a big dome - not sure I would have enough spit towards the end of a dive.

spit and shoot quick, don't wait for ages before you take the shot.

so you are suggesting to rub ferret poop on the dome then?

 

i thought the potato was strange..

I am more concerned about associating with someone who feeds his pet ferret industrial quantities of soap bars!

Is this forum going downhill ?

Paul C

Can any one help with this query? I like to shoot topside shots from the water, things like boats underway, snorkelers, family enjoying the water etc... however I can't find anything that stops water beading on the lens of the camera. (Especially when I use my wide angle adapter lens).

 

It's very frustrating...any suggestions?

 

Kay Wilson,

Indigo Dive,

St. Vincent.

Get the focus lock and all, then dunk the lens briefly and shoot the picture before the water runs off the lens. I don't know how well it'll work with a WA lens, but it seems to work OK on my P&S port.

Is this forum going downhill ?

 

Paul C

Actually i would say its getting better..

Rainex was recommended to me, but I haven't tried it.

Someone elsewhere posted that Rainex shouldn't be used on Acrylic...would be fine for glass though. I remember doing a search some time ago for a rain-ex like product that was for aircraft windshields which are usually plexi/acrylic. Can't recall the name ATM though...might search again later if I get some time tonight.

As for the ferret, I never fed it the soap, it ate it. Amazing how resourceful those little beasts can be when they want something. It also loved shredding neoprene. I had an old wetsuit hood it got ahold of and started on the neck bib...took it away, put it on the top shelf of my closet, 7' off the ground. About a half hour later I saw the wetsuit hood 'running' across the carpet again, being towed to the favorite under-the-bed hiding spot. Turns out the ferret had figured out it could gradually leapfrog its way up a set of wire shelves to the top (stand, grab with front legs, curl body up to grip underside wires with back legs, scramble around the lip with liberal assistance from teeth into the rubber coating on the wire, reposition and repeat...), scurry over and grab the hood, and then just 'jump' and survive the fall. Suicidal but determined as hell, they are.

Would rainex really work on glass domes without affecting it's optical qualities? They tend to leave a weird refraction on my windshield when I use it.....not so annoying for driving but perhaps enough to affect pictures taken though it.

I think I have a bottle of ferret poop somewhere....

This isn't the one I remember finding before, but sounds like it might work. I'm sure pilots don't like that oil-sheen refraction effect trying to land in the glaring sunlight, either....

http://www.dwdavies.com/aircraft/klear-to-land.asp

Wonder how different this is to the #1 (finish cleaning) solution in the Novus Plastic Polish kits (see the stickied thread on removing scratches from dome ports)

Rainex was recommended to me, but I haven't tried it.

DO NOT USE RAIN-EX ON YOUR ACRYLIC PORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will cause permanent hazing

I use RAINEX on glass ports - it works!

Couple drops of "Ecover" dish liquid:

 

*quick and complete biodegradability (OECD-test 301F, full product)

*minimum impact on aquatic life (OECD-test 201&202, full product)

*against animal testing

*suitable for septic tanks

*plant based ingredients, except milk whey

 

Wagsy's technique probably more environmentally sound, huh?

*suitable for septic tanks

You dive in Septic tanks?

YIKES!