G9 housing bouyancy and strobe arm

The overall question.. do I need bouyant arms and what length arms are recommended for my planned setup?

Pretty new to this site and a vacation U/W photographer. Just got my Canon G9. Planning on the OEM housing for now, may add the Ike housing later but not certain. I am planning on adding the Inon D2000 prior to the next dive trip which will have a YS-25 on one side and the D2000 on the other.

I am leaning toward ULC base and arms, likely 2x8 on the handle side and 5x8 on the other side. That is based on searching this site for arm length recommendations - however all the threads I found related to DSLR housing users.

I would like this to be all close to zero bouyant or slightly negative. My past set up used Canon OEM housing with the YS-25 and the Sea and sea resin base/arms. That was slightly neg.

I find no results on this site for G9 housing bouyancy search. Does anyone know it?

Do I need to have some of the arms bouyant style and if so, how much?

Any better suggestions for arm lengths? I see plenty of people on this site use the G9 with strobes so perhaps they could provide suggestions.

"Discontent is the first necessity of progress." Thomas A. Edison

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."

Albert Einstein

The G9 in the OEM housing is pretty +vely bouyant.

The G9 in the OEM housing with 3 Canon weights is slightly -ve.

The G9 in the OEM case with no weights, the SEA&SEA Light Arm & tray and two strobes is slightly negative.

I just got the Ikelite case, and I hear the camera in the case with tray and no strobes is slightly negative - but I haven't been in the water with the Ikelite housing yet.

HTH!

For arms, coming off the Ikelite tray handles I have two 6 inch arms and a 3 inch mount arm. Probably more than enough flexibility and I may take one of the two 6 inch arms off and see how that goes with just the one arm and the 3 inch mount.

Here's my setup:

I have the Ike housing and ULCS arms. I use the arms in various combinations.

1. 3" and 5" - macro

2. 5" and 8" bouyant - tropical w/a

3. 8" bouyant and 12" bouyant - turbid w/a

The Ike housing does benefit from the additional bouyancy provided by bouyant arms, if only to lower the centre of gravity. I am considering fitting a bouyant chamber under the tray to increase the bouyancy through that will have the negative effect of raising the C of G...

HTH, Tim

I have the Ike housing and ULCS arms. I use the arms in various combinations.

 

1. 3" and 5" - macro

2. 5" and 8" bouyant - tropical w/a

3. 8" bouyant and 12" bouyant - turbid w/a

 

The Ike housing does benefit from the additional bouyancy provided by bouyant arms, if only to lower the centre of gravity. I am considering fitting a bouyant chamber under the tray to increase the bouyancy through that will have the negative effect of raising the C of G...

 

HTH, Tim

Tim ... looking at my rig above, sounds like you would add some +ve bouyancy to what I have there ... is that right?

Hi Jeremy,

It looks as though you are using 2 x 5". I don't suppose you'll notice much difference in 'bouyancy' if you were to include bouyant 8" or 12" arms in your configuration but you may notice less forearm fatigue which can result from the tendency for the housing to tip forward, especially if you add more glass like the dome unit to the UCL-100 which I see you have.

Using bouyant 8" and 12" is more about reducing -ve rather than adding bouyancy. I think 5" and 8" arm combos are the best all round configuration.

Just MHO... Tim

Hi Jeremy,

 

It looks as though you are using 2 x 5". I don't suppose you'll notice much difference in 'bouyancy' if you were to include bouyant 8" or 12" arms in your configuration but you may notice less forearm fatigue which can result from the tendency for the housing to tip forward, especially if you add more glass like the dome unit to the UCL-100 which I see you have.

 

Using bouyant 8" and 12" is more about reducing -ve rather than adding bouyancy. I think 5" and 8" arm combos are the best all round configuration.

 

Just MHO... Tim

So, Tim, if you were starting out with the OEM housing and using the standard G9 lens, you would go with 8" bouyant and 5" arms?

I am debating whether to add a handle to both sides or only the left side of the camera.

Any comments/suggests on that?

I have not had a handle the right side before and am uncertain if its beneficial. Figure I might as well try to learn from the experience of others, etc.

Dave

You can only milk a cow so long, then you're left holding the pail.

Hank Aaron

Hi Dave, I have no experience of the OEM housing but I hear its positively bouyant. I'd be inclined to keep an already compact package, concise... So my choice would probably be a Sea and Sea dual tray and a couple of DX arms. I'd only go the route of ULCS arms (or similar) if I were equipping the G9 with an Ike and INON glass. HTH, Tim

Hi Dave, I have no experience of the OEM housing but I hear its positively bouyant. I'd be inclined to keep an already compact package, concise... So my choice would probably be a Sea and Sea dual tray and a couple of DX arms. I'd only go the route of ULCS arms (or similar) if I were equipping the G9 with an Ike and INON glass. HTH, Tim

The G9 in the OEM case with a small double tray (S&S light), small two arm set and two S&S strobes is very easy to handle underwater. I find I can hang it off my wrist and almost completely ignore it when I'm just cruising around.

I get the impression that won't be the case with the Ikelite and a wide adapter ...

The G9 in the OEM case with a small double tray (S&S light), small two arm set and two S&S strobes is very easy to handle underwater. I find I can hang it off my wrist and almost completely ignore it when I'm just cruising around.

 

I get the impression that won't be the case with the Ikelite and a wide adapter ...

Thanks for all the information from all of you. I contacted sea and sea plus backscatter. Backscatter informed me that the sea and sea arms could not be adapted to Inon and I should buy Ultralight. Sea and sea told me to call backscatter. Grrr...

Jeremy, you been happy with the YS-110? I was planning on that strobe until I started learning about the Inon D-2000. The D-2000 seems very attractive and is about the same price. But I am interested in your esxperience.

Jeremy, my experience with the canon OEM is similar to yours. Nice and small, not overbearing the rest of the diving experience. I bought the Tussey housing for my Nikon 8008s some yrs ago and a big strobe to go with it. I love taking land pics with an SLR and thought I would U/W as well.

I found the large size of the equipment overwhelmed the diving and complicated the travel more than I wanted. I also found the cost of all the items I would want was far more than I wanted as well. I sold them after one trip.

If I could dive enough, perhaps I would get comfy with the big gear, etc. But I am only a vacation diver with less than 12 diving days a yr usually and like the smaller setup.

I will try to keep my OEM housing setup small and easy to handle underwater, as suggested by Tim.