Thinking of making the DSLR leap...HELP!!

Ellen, I was under the impression that a focuslight mounted on your hotshoe and would auto shut off when you take the shot? Those ones in that article didn't have hot shoe attachments? If I have to turn it off and on every time.... I'll probably be using the spots on my YS's

Greg,

The focus lights are not mounted on the hotshoe of the camera. They are generally mounted on the housing. In my case, it's mounted on the top of the housing. There is no need to turn them off when you take the shot. The one I have used in the past, the Focus Fix light, allows you to turn down the intensity when you don't need it for a shot to save battery power, but I probably wouldn't turn it completely off during the dive.

By my calculations, you should be diving now and having lots of fun using your soon-to-be-replaced camera. Let us know if you have more questions when you get back.

Ellen

Well it was a fun trip Ellen! Unfortunately, there was no diving We drove up too Cabo Pulmo, 2.5 hours each way, only to get there and find the swells preceeding Hurricane Rick had just arrived. SO!! I never got my last dive with my soon to be back up rig

I have made my purchase, and thanks to you and all the other fine folks here for helping me go broke!!

Here's my new rig... After much debate, at least for now, I have decided to not go with TTL. I'm gonna take the bull by the horns and go man.

Nikon D90

Aquatica double bulkhead housing

Aquatica 8" Dome for fisheye

Aquatica Flat Port for Micro

Aquatica port extension

Aquatica zoom gear for Tokina

Aquatica gear for Nikon 60mm

Tokina 10-17mm

Nikon 60mm Micro

S&S YS-110 strobes

Ultralight 8" Arms x4, base adaptor and bracket, clamps, new style, 15 degree side movement.

2x sync cords

The new rig will get it's maiden voyage at the end of Nov, down in Playa Del Carmen... So I have a month to decide on a focus light.

Thanks again for everyones input!! It would have been a HELLUVA lot tougher with out it!!!

Greg

Well it was a fun trip Ellen! Unfortunately, there was no diving We drove up too Cabo Pulmo, 2.5 hours each way, only to get there and find the swells preceeding Hurricane Rick had just arrived. SO!! I never got my last dive with my soon to be back up rig

 

I have made my purchase, and thanks to you and all the other fine folks here for helping me go broke!!

 

Here's my new rig... After much debate, at least for now, I have decided to not go with TTL. I'm gonna take the bull by the horns and go man.

 

Nikon D90

Aquatica double bulkhead housing

Aquatica 8" Dome for fisheye

Aquatica Flat Port for Micro

Aquatica port extension

Aquatica zoom gear for Tokina

Aquatica gear for Nikon 60mm

Tokina 10-17mm

Nikon 60mm Micro

S&S YS-110 strobes

Ultralight 8" Arms x4, base adaptor and bracket, clamps, new style, 15 degree side movement.

2x sync cords

 

The new rig will get it's maiden voyage at the end of Nov, down in Playa Del Carmen... So I have a month to decide on a focus light.

 

 

Thanks again for everyones input!! It would have been a HELLUVA lot tougher with out it!!!

 

 

Greg

Greg, I've been looking at a similar setup. Let me know how you like it. I haven't seen you diving lately.

Well it was a fun trip Ellen! Unfortunately, there was no diving We drove up too Cabo Pulmo, 2.5 hours each way, only to get there and find the swells preceeding Hurricane Rick had just arrived. SO!! I never got my last dive with my soon to be back up rig

 

I have made my purchase, and thanks to you and all the other fine folks here for helping me go broke!!

 

Here's my new rig... After much debate, at least for now, I have decided to not go with TTL. I'm gonna take the bull by the horns and go man.

 

Nikon D90

Aquatica double bulkhead housing

Aquatica 8" Dome for fisheye

Aquatica Flat Port for Micro

Aquatica port extension

Aquatica zoom gear for Tokina

Aquatica gear for Nikon 60mm

Tokina 10-17mm

Nikon 60mm Micro

S&S YS-110 strobes

Ultralight 8" Arms x4, base adaptor and bracket, clamps, new style, 15 degree side movement.

2x sync cords

 

The new rig will get it's maiden voyage at the end of Nov, down in Playa Del Carmen... So I have a month to decide on a focus light.

 

 

Thanks again for everyones input!! It would have been a HELLUVA lot tougher with out it!!!

 

 

Greg

Nice choice!!!!!

Almost identical to mine

Nice choice!!!!!

Almost identical to mine

What are your thoughts?? Any pitfalls or things I should be aware of??

Hey Rex, I've been diving...just feeling too old to beach dive...LOL. Maybe if my honey buys me a scooter... I'll be there Byt hey, if your looking into any boat dives, give me a holler!! Every time I go to the crabs site, I think of ya!

Greg

What are your thoughts?? Any pitfalls or things I should be aware of??

Hi Greg,

I'm still setting it all up! I've just wired up the flashes to it all but not got them working with the camera yet, had the D90 instruction book out and I think I've got to play with "commander" mode? any idea of that one..anyone? I got 2 gears one for each lens but one fits both so I dont know why I've got 2 of them as they also seem identical? I'm gonna see about sending one back

Hi Greg,

I'm still setting it all up! I've just wired up the flashes to it all but not got them working with the camera yet, had the D90 instruction book out and I think I've got to play with "commander" mode? any idea of that one..anyone? I got 2 gears one for each lens but one fits both so I dont know why I've got 2 of them as they also seem identical? I'm gonna see about sending one back

Hmmm... I'll have to try the gears, I only put the tokina gear on so far, had to tighten screws to snug it up. I hadn't heard of the "Commander" mode...LOL. I'll have to look it up. I did notice last night, I took a couple indoor pics with flash and my tokina on, subject was about a foot away, and they both came out blurry More experimentation is needed.

I havent fixed my dome on yet! still trying with the flashes and macro, today I've converted a small built in wardrobe into a "camera booth" for all my stuff, its dead cool!!

I havent fixed my dome on yet! still trying with the flashes and macro, today I've converted a small built in wardrobe into a "camera booth" for all my stuff, its dead cool!!

Haha... you're a step ahead of me, my stuff hasn't left the dining room table, to my gals dismay, since it arrived earlier in the week

Haha... you're a step ahead of me, my stuff hasn't left the dining room table, to my gals dismay, since it arrived earlier in the week

THats where mine was too, I didnt think it fair to leave iut there for any longer (due to the excessive amount of brownie points I used up!) thats why I did this camera booth thing!

OK!! time for stoopid question #254 Being new to DSLR, it's daunting to say the least in terms of how many potential leak points I have now compared to my DX-1G. so....

1. If your diving multiple days, will you leave an extension ring on? A shade on a port? Of course you'll always soak your rig in fresh H2O after every dive, but is it essential to dissasemble a shade or extension when you're going out the next morning? My thought it that the Oring won't be dried out.

Yeah... nOOb question....

OK!! time for stoopid question #254 Being new to DSLR, it's daunting to say the least in terms of how many potential leak points I have now compared to my DX-1G. so....

 

1. If your diving multiple days, will you leave an extension ring on? A shade on a port? Of course you'll always soak your rig in fresh H2O after every dive, but is it essential to dissasemble a shade or extension when you're going out the next morning? My thought it that the Oring won't be dried out.

 

Yeah... nOOb question....

Yes, yes and yes. Search topics on this subject to get more opinions, but as a novice I took the whole kit apart after each dive and re-greased until I dove with some pros on a liveaboard and realized I was over doing it.

Yes, yes and yes. Search topics on this subject to get more opinions, but as a novice I took the whole kit apart after each dive and re-greased until I dove with some pros on a liveaboard and realized I was over doing it.

Well that's good too hear!!! It's not a question of laziness, it's a question of.. "The more times I mess with stuff, the more chance I'll screw up..."

I'll search a bit and see what I can find... Gracias!

Edit... after searching I found a couple great threads!! Thanks a bunch!

Greg

Well.... the new rig did aces on the pool test! Here she is.

Thanks again everyone for helping to deplete my bank account!!!!!!!!

Awesome Dave, I'll get mine up next week

Love them cushions

I think I found a solution too a couple issues. First, and inexpensive light for a focus light and mount, and utilizing the same mount for my primary light for night and cenote dives I hit a local plastics place and rummaged through their scrap bins. I found some black acrylic. Together with some stainless bolts and lock nuts I was able to devise this set up. Both lights when mounted will swivel snuggly Total cost of project... $7 (light was $25)