Thanks to the Wetpixel Rescue Services!

Can you imagine how it feels to read, for the very first time since 24th may, nice comments from people who don't even know me?

 

From the help I was offered before when enquring about what housing and lens to purchase for my D200, up to now, I can see that this site really is packed with genuine people, and both Ally and I are deeply grateful for your kind words.

 

I am in the process of writing a 1500 word article to go in the september issue of UK's Diver magazine, so hopefully I'll get chance to tell the story then, but I'll also rattle out a comprehensive version and post it here as soon as I get chance.

 

Some interesting lessons to learn, Ally and I were discussing this on the way out to dinner last night, we are finally finding the time and peace to look at the events from a different angle at last.

 

By the way, if anyone here is interested in digital underwater photography.......

 

I use my D200 in an Aquatica Housing, I have 8"/8"/4" TLC arms and Ikelite DS-125 strobes. At the moment I have the old Nikon 60mm f2.8 lens and also the Tokina 10-17mm FE, as recommended by some lovely people here. So far I have done 8 dives with it, and after doing a couple of thousand dives with a small Sony Cybershot DSC W17 with a single Sea&Sea YS110 on a Locline flexi arm, it's like learning to dive all over again every time I lift it up, particularly when I have the macro port on....WOW....it's heavy, haha.

 

I've had a couple of 7mm neoprene sleeves made for the strobes for a bit of positive buoyancy, not tried them yet, I never got the chance to use it in Australia even though I did take it, but left it at my sister's home in Melbourne, lucky really as I would have had a real dilemma on my hands if I'd had it with me on the night of 23rd may.........!?

 

Ally or the D200......

 

Thanks again to all who have replied and to all who have the same opinion of the trashy stories

I can't speak for that rig specifically, but when I went from a Canon A520 in the OEM housing with a single-arm Ike tray and DS50 and arm, I found my new rig to be bigger, but considerably less negative than the PnS. I'm using the ULCS buoyancy arms (a pair each of 6" long x 2" diameter and 12" long x 1" diameter). I know the Aquatica housing is a bit more compact and thus no doubt more negative with camera than the Ike housing, and don't know if you're using a big dome (surely with the 10-17 you would be?), but I'd have to think you'll benefit similarly. I'm not sure 7mm of neoprene will be enough - doesn't neoprene lose a lot of its bouyancy at depth anyway? But if not, there are lots of options from the bouyancy arms, to the DIY dome cowling someone else posted, to the Stix arms. And if you're switching between 60mm macro and WA with the 10-17, you can choose to drop an arm segment or two sometimes as well...

 

I was scared to death (not that I could admit it at the time to the wife-like unit, can't be seen to be doubting myself after spending all that money!) of what it would be like with the new rig UW, intimidated by just the thought of all the assembly/disassembly for travel, handling in a potentially small boat in potentially rough water, avoiding dome scratches, and just dealing with the sheer weight of it all (seems to be nearly 15 lbs above water). I'd not owned a DSLR before, much less had one underwater with all the attendant gear. But underwater it really was nowhere near as cumbersome as I thought, and the two-handle setup I think made me a 'better' diver than having the one-handed, asymmetric 'heavy' stone of the PnS. I was balanced left-right, had something to concentrate on to force me to think about using only legs for positioning instead of being tempted to flail with one hand, and more aware of my overall body orientation in terms of keeping elbows in, hugging it close to my chest when swimming, etc. It was more like pushing something semi-weightless in front of me...I was aware of the inertia and the higher current-profile, but that was about it.

 

Regardless, no doubt you'd have made the "right choice" and sacrificed the equipment if you had to, especially if it was still significantly negative. Granted you might've waited a couple hours to make the call if you'd had some really killer shots on it!

 

On the other hand, if you'd had the rig and could take pictures of the ship from your POV to prove your surfacing location, and could've held onto it (and Ally!) throughout, it would have simultaneously shut up the nay-sayers and created new ones that said you were "taking pictures when you should've been inflating your sausage" and "you should've ditched it...you couldn't have been in that much danger if you didn't" <wry grin>. There ain't no winning in the court of popular opinion once the media's chosen it's spin, so just don't sweat it. The 15 minute world-wide attention span is almost past....

I never got the chance to use it in Australia even though I did take it, but left it at my sister's home in Melbourne,

Hey Rich, You lost me there. Did you leave the neoprene covers at your sisters or your camera/housing? Now, if you left your rig behind then some here would have reason to question your sanity.

 

Steve

Now, if you left your rig behind then some here would have reason to question your sanity.

 

As Steve notes, and as you have probably seen in the other thread, some things will cause issues around here - usually it revolves about camera choices, lens choices, filter choices, ISO settings and what is the proper drink to have after a day of diving is done

Ah, yes......the proper drink after a dive is a truely worthy discussion....

 

 

BTW, anytime people (boat, lawyers,etc) are trying to evade any personal responsibility in an accident, they will smear the victims any way they can. That has been my general feelings about the press writings on this issue.

Hi Rich,

 

I carry a Nexus housed Nikon D70S with all the trimmings and you're right, they are bloody heavy...

I have a dirty big stainless steel clip attached to mine, so that when I have to come up a shot-line

I can just clip it off on my BC shoulder harness or waist band. This leaves my hands free for anything

that needs to be done. I do NOT clip it off onto my weight belt in case I have to drop the weights

in an emergency. That way I have plenty of bouyancy from the wing and wetsuit and only the camera

and tank as negative weight. If completely necessary, I can even drop the tank and still have the wing and camera attached.

Next thing that goes is the girlfriend . . . .

HTH,

 

Bruce...

Ah, yes......the proper drink after a dive is a truely worthy discussion....

 

 

Guess really not that tough a discussion, drink what is given and hope those around have good taste. Fun shot.