Plugging a Subal Port

Hi All

I could do with some advice!

I have managed to squeeze a Nikon 105 VR into a 60mm Manual focus port+28mm extension. My problem is I have had to remove the manual focus gear and shaft from the 60mm port so now need to plug the hole.

I don't use the manual focus with my 60mm lens so a permanent solution is not an issue.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Shannon

I'm not familiar with the arrangement of the sealing for the shaft as it goes through the port but it should be relatively easy to sort out. Are the O rings that seal the shaft on the shaft or in body of the port? Any chance of posting some photos of the bits you've removed and of the port without the bits in place from the inside and outside? With a bit more information me (or somebody else) should be able to come up with a solution. Trust me, I'm a mechanical engineer.

My first thought would be to remove the gear from the shaft, trim the shaft to length so that it doesn't touch the lens and then thread the end and put a nut on it to hold it place so it doesn't fall out .

Hi Gudge

Thanks for the quick response.

If you remove the focus knob with a hex key you can then slide the shaft from inside the port. unfortunateley there is not any visual way to remove the gear. I really need to just remove the whole assembly as pictured and fill the shaft hole some way.

If you're not emotionally attached to the shaft with gear on it (and don't need it as is in the future) a quick and dirty solution would be to cut the gear off the shaft, put the knob back on the shaft and stick it in the hole. Water pressure would keep it in place underwater but you might want to put some gaffer tape or similar around it to stop it falling out on the surface. Do you know anyone who can do a little bit of machining for you on a lathe? If so I can design a simple plug with an O ring seal that would do the job nicely. I'm not a big fan of just filling holes with something without a positive seal such as an O ring in there somewhere. It never really worked when I was a submarine engineer unless special equipment was used to fill the hole under pressures similar to what the seal would see in service. Water in the people tank was never a good thing .

I'll give you a ring tomorrow if you like and discuss it further.

I got this plug made up at a local machine shop. I'll test it out over the weekend.

Excellent!! Good move getting a plug made instead of the what we discussed on the phone yesterday. Those phone conversations cost me a lot of money, after the talk turned to using three strobes for wide angle photography it got me thinking overnight and I ended up buying a third strobe today. My wife has banned me from talking camera gear with you in future

The plug worked perfectly. Just have to put the lens on after fitting the body in the housing and tape up the switches on the lens.

In conclusion an old 60mm macro port and extension ring has saved me carrying a specific 105 vr port. The airlines will be happy!