Help, My camera sinks

Hi All!

I have a question regarding my camera/housing set up. I have a Sony HDR-SR11 video camera paired up with IkeLite's video housing#6038.94. I also wave two lights/batteries as well as the W-20 wide angle lense. The camera works great and I am capturing footage as often as my schedule permits! The problem I have deals with the "weight" of the camera/housing while filming. The set up is a little bulky but quite manageable. The problem is that the camera is negatively buoyant. While filming this "weight" makes holding the camera still (or as close to still as can be expected) very difficult. If I'm shooting octopus, cuttlefish turtles, crusing the reef or even while shooting stationary shots arm fatigue is a problem.

Does IkeLite or anyone else make a ballast or float to add to the housing to offset the negative buoyancy? Is using some type of strap around my neck/body an option? Also, a related topic...do many of you use any type of Tripod, Bipod, monopod to help stabalize your cameras while shooting?

I really enjoy filming with my camera, but it is difficult to capture the smooth "flowing" images due to the "weight" of the camera/housing.

Thanks for the help!

Check out 4th Generation Designs for various Stix floats for adding to arms and housings to increase buoyancy.

I agree with Gudge..Stix floats are great.

You might consider getting a cheap scale.. an airline bag scale works if you keep it dry. Use the scale to weigh your system in a pool using a cord or rope to hang the gear... so the scale is dry..the gear in the water. Once you know the wt underwater, you know how much lift you need from the floats. They sell them based on the lift you need. - Likely XLarge. with the scale, you can add/remove floats as needed to get the weight you like.

Its rather nice to have the gear just slightly negative in fresh water, maybe a pound. Then it will still be slightly negative in salt water as well and easy to handle.

Dave

Take up still photography , then the water cushions the camera and you can hand-hold to your heart's content!

Tim

Check Backscatter group, they have a nice assortment of flotation aids

You might check to be sure there are no extra weights in the base of the housing... Some ike housings have removable ballast weights.

Do these Stix floats compress with depth? That foam looks just like the grey foam that I have been using, which compresses with depth. I can see paying $41 for a Stix float that I can get with a $3 piece of foam and a carving knife.

Now if the Stix foam doesn't compress......

Do these Stix floats compress with depth? That foam looks just like the grey foam that I have been using, which compresses with depth. I can see paying $41 for a Stix float that I can get with a $3 piece of foam and a carving knife.

 

Now if the Stix foam doesn't compress......

Thats the key difference between them and a chopped up pool noodle. They use a fancy substance that doesnt compress.

I find pool noodle not bad up to 15m-20m though.

Otara

Stixx works great. Made of a non compressible marine foam.

Stixx works great. Made of a non compressible marine foam.

THANKS!

It does look a good system - but what a price! Ouch: $699. I wonder how this compares to ULCS and buying high density foam? I'm not sure I want to find out and learn how much I have really spent......

Look further down on the page. Just floats at $50 or so... Even some for ULCS arms.