Andy H

Thanks for the advice Tim. I was thinking of going with Shutter priority for that reason and maybe shooting ISO 200 or 400 for an extra stop or two. Quite looking forward to trying it out now. thanks to all of the responses I have a far better idea of how I want to approach it - which always helps. Andy

Thanks all. I will be shooting raw and for the reasons Alex mentioned in his post so not want to leave it to later correction in PS. I'm downloading the latest UWP now so that's extremely convenient. Alex, thanks for the offer of the loan of your grey card. Will a manual WB from a white slate make much difference i.e. will the reflectivity affect anything? I need to do some testing later with my slate and non waterproof grey card I think. I'd also better read up on saving WB settings......

I intend to use a Magic Filter whilst snorkelling with a fisheye zoom (for the first time). Going by the MF instructions, manual white balance is the recommended method. However, playing around with the camera and fisheye lens I'm having trouble getting a good reading. Assuming I'm using center weighted or matrix metering, how would you all recommend doing this? I guess I'll be taking a white slate with me to use but will it need to be virtually full frame to get a decent reading? And if not, will the WB be affected by the area that's not covered by the slate? Anyone been in this situation and can comment - am I better ignoring the manual WB advice in this case - I certainly wont be adverse to the idea as I'll likely be more interested in composition than messing around getting a good reading and missing the action. Similarly, I'd rather be shooting aperture priority so spot metering and shooting manual, if that helped, wouldn't be a preferred method. Any advice appreciated. Andy

I'm using the converter with dual Z240's and a Nexus housed D200. I'm yet to take it in the sea but testing in the pool, the converter has been spot on. It is quite a large beast, or larger than I expected, so you do have to find somewhere to mount it but it does mean, for me at least, that I have workable cable and optical TTL which is a nice option & offers backup. As for the corrosion issues, you will have to isolate the camera ground from the housing otherwise electrolysis will occur (the converter battery housing is held at 3v unfortunately). I've acheived this by using a nylon bolt and insulating the camera mount plate. I am concerned over a report I've read that one converter battery compartment corroded up after many dives shooting on a Sea & Sea housing so will be extra careful in making sure the battery compartment thread is lubed and regularly checked. The only other point to note is that you can't shoot rear curtain sync with the converter which is a shame. All in all the combination works fine for me and hope it will continue to do so. Hope that helps - good luck, Andy

Reduced to £20 each or offers due to lack of interest - ideal for spares or if you're thinking of getting Inon strobes, you'll also need these.......

I must admit that I was dubious of how easy the 45 degree finder would be for general shooting. However, I've used it twice in the pool with a combination of both wa and macro lenses and after getting used not to putting your eye right up to the plate, have found it easier to use and compose than anticipated. I'm also happy with the build and fit on the plexiglass back, though will of course be taking extra care when handling/storing etc. I feel with common sense applied it shouldn't be an excessive weak spot. Up to now I've heard of no issues with the finder (and hope that I'm not going to be the first!). Looking at how reluctatnt Nexus and other housing manufacturers have been in the past to modify/adapt housings, I don't see any major change coming soon where the finder is concerned, especially when the feedback is generally very positive anyway. Andy

Hi Mary, I have the 170 but am still awaiting delivery of the 10-17 FE. I'm reliably informed that it's sharp with that dome.... As for the finder, it has a double o-ring seal and feels robustly fitted but I'll be taking more care than normal when handling the rig, passing it on/off the boat and storing it during the ride. I guess it's possible it could flood thru the finder but I'm not sure how well it's sealed internally to prevent that i.e. a flood in the finder seeping thru into the housing. It does appear well made and a number of people on this forum are using them now with so far, no bad reports. Otherwise it would take a major accident to physically remove the finder and cause a flood. I did have similar concerns but the size/quality of the finder image surpasses the old F90 and is more akin to when I viewed an F4 some years back. Regards, Andy

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm really looking forward to it, especially after testing my new housing - the results have far exceeded my expectations. Fortunately we have six days of diving (snorkelling) with the sharks and a spotter plane so plenty of opportunities to perfect a technique. ANdy

Used once in pool so as new, two Z adapters - use to attach Inon strobes to Inon, Sea & Sea & ULCS arms (maybe others that have ball clamps similar to ULCS). Include fixing bolts. Cost me £35 each. Asking £25 each inc postage (to UK address). Please email with questions.

He He - Steve told me he didn't do the finder either. Then my housing came with one! Apparently it's now a statndard option from Nexus. The finder is marked up as Anthis and when I queried if it was Inon manufactured, he reckoned that the Inon ones were actually made by Anthis i.e. Nexus. Anyhow, it provides a great image. Thanks for the info. on the S&S converter. Andy

The finder is available from Ocean Optics. I spent some time playing with it on the day I picked my housing up and although it looks 'prone', it is well fitted and I believe quite robust. I had the same concerns. As soon as you see image in the finder though, you may be sold on it..... I am concerned to hear about eltrolysis problems with the converter on Sea & Sea housings. I though that couldn't happen as they shared the same polarity ground. Not what I want to hear when I've just purchased one. Do you have any more details on that Tim? I hope if that is the case that they'll be recalled or replaced/upgraded in the future....

Thanks for the tips Si. The water collecting in the finder is a tad annoying - good idea. Shame there wasn't a drain hole. ANdy

Doesn't look like it can be done on the D200. It was possible to get it to pop up on my old D70. Anybody know if it is in a custom setting somewhere?

Tim, one of the many custom modes I may not have considered useful and mentally discarded. I'll check it out as I'm sure to make that mistake one day- thanks.... Honestly, it is a good set up - but not cheap. I resisted upgrading from film until now. Without getting into a debate about that, I am very happy with the quality and usability of this set up. As said, it has exceeded my expectations by far.

Bruce, thanks for the warning re. the S&S converter. I know where you're coming from with this. I have a bunch of nylon bolts being delivered and am insulating the tray with PTFE tape (I work in the aerospace industry so it's plentiful). So long as there's no continuity from camera ground to housing it should be fine. Have you tried the 'clear flash' tape yet? I'm interested to see how well it works and how well the tape lasts as you'll need to remove it each time shooting top side (if like me it's your only body). FYI, I posted my impressions of the system after a first pool session the other night in the 'housings' forum. Kim, FYI, it is possible to buy a dual optical cable from Inon and probably a few other manufacturers. Andy