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nortoda1

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Posts posted by nortoda1

  8. Posted · Edited by nortoda1

    Weighed my macro rig (d800 s&s housing, port, 2 x 5" ike arms, 2 x 8" ul float arms, focus light, 2 z240s and nauticam smc) last night - 1700g in fresh water.

    W/a set up with sigma 15mm and 10" s&s dome is about -650g

    Decided to go for a Stix float ring and 2 x nauticam carbon fibre 150 x 90mm. Went with the nauticam arms as I can replace the 5" ike arms for w/a as they can handle the depths of up to 100m.

  13. Posted

    Tim, the subsee may make enough of a difference. For me it was addiing the SMC that was the tipping point (excuse the pun). With the SMC it is challenging enough holding the camera where you want to focus without wrestling with the housing.

     

    Coinee, interesting. I do use the hotshoe on the housing for holding a focus light, but this could be moved with a 3 pint bracket to one of the arms. Another thing I did consider is using a bouancy arm as a "crossbar" running between the 2 housing handles, though this may interfer with the focus light position.

  14. Posted

    As the title suggests I am wondering what solutions people are using for balancing/bouyancy control of their rig when shooting macro. I have been shooting u/w slr for about the last 8 years, but typically shoot w/a. When shooting wide angle I have used to date a 4" ikelite arm, in conjunction with an 8" ultralight bounacy arm for each strobe (z240s). I've used this set up over the last 8 years for w/a on the d70, d300 and now d800 and it works for me for w/a.

    When shooting macro in the past it was with the 60mm and sea and sea standard port. Now on FX I have moved to the 105VR, with a more compact port (less bouyancy) and have started to use the nautical smc. Wooooww, it is negative in the water when I used the 4" ikelite arm, in conjunction with an 8" ultralight bounacy arm for each strobe, and very front heavy. I see that there are solutions that fit foam on the port 9 (which I guess would solve the front heady issue) and other floatation arm systems.

    What are you using? How well does the floats on thye port work?

     

    cheers

     

    Darragh

  18. Posted

    In a bit of a dilema. I have owned the nikon 60mm f 2.8 D for about a decade and have loved that lense on DX. A couple of months ago I noticed a huge lump of fluff had managed to get on the inside of the rear element. On hearing that getting these things taken apart to get cleanied can be more than the value of the lense I decided to have a go myself.

    I got the lense apart, but in doing so I severed a ribbon cable that is the communication between the camera and the lense, aaaaaahhhhhhhh. I put the lense back together again and it functions manually. I have the focus gear so focus is not a big issue, however I cannot change the aperature u/w which is a pain.

     

    Now to the choices. I moved to FX last year and have the 105VR for macro and super macro, and the Sigma 15mm FE and nikon 16-35 F for wide angle. Do i get the nikon 60mm f 2.8 D or the G to compliment what I already have? I hear the G has 1" less working space, but perhaps this is not such an issue as if I wanted to shot macro I can use the 105VR. It is more for medium size fish/amphibians Im thinking about.

     

  20. Posted

    Intend to go diving on Sunday in one of the lakes here in Switzerland. Not normally a great deal of life to shot in these lakes, a few pike, perch etc, howvever there are toads around at the moment and will try to get some images of these guys.

    The question is which lens? I have a D800, nikkor 60mm, 105VR, 16-35 f4 and Sigma 15mm FE, macro port, 170mm optical port and 240mm FE port.

     

    For close ups the 60mm would seem like the obvious choice, however I busted the AF/aperature elctronics by breaking the ribbon cable when I removed the rear element to clean. AAAAAAaaaahhhhh. It had a major piece of fluff inside for some reason. I have yet to try to fix it, if it is even possible. I can still use it with manual focus, but cannot change the aperture UW.

     

    So might give the 105VR a go.

     

    For wide angle I have the 15mm FE for years, and love it. It pairs up nicely with the 170mm dome for close focus on FX. Unfortunately I dont have a 1.4 TC which if I had would definitely be my choice for wide angle.

     

    I only have the 16-35VR F 4 a few months and have not tried it for CFWA. Will I be able to get a tighter image with this lens than the sigma 15? Especially considering especially considering I would be using the 240mm dome port. I could in theory use the 170mm dome, and make do with the reduced corner quality.

  22. Posted · Edited by nortoda1

    A few spaces available diving some of the classics around Malin Head, Donegal, from the 25-30th July 2015, with Mevagh diving. Diving from the hard boat Laura Dean, very comfortable diving platform complete with diver lift. The boat has a capacity for 12 divers, but spaces for this trip will be limited to 10. Plan is to dive wrecks in the 60-85m range e.g. Audacious, Viknor, Justicia, any one of the uboats etc. Cost of the boat (540euro per day) will be split evenly. If the diving is anything like this year we're in for a cracker, we had 20-35m viz and flat calm seas for the entire week. This being the North Atlantic you got to role the die with the weather. PM me if interested. Few pictures for this year below.

    cheers

    Darragh

    DSC_3929_low_zps0e5c260d.jpg
    U89, WWI u-boat 20 miles off Malin Head

    DSC_3990_low_zps65c4b663.jpg
    RMS Justicia
    DSC_4111_zps587d216c.jpg
    Empire Heritage

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