CSPhoto

I'm still new and learning about the Nexus D200 let alone its optical connections, but have just bought an Inon Z-240. I didn't know about the little black plastic tube till a few days ago, tried it and it sticks in the housing rather firmly. Fine, except mine then picked up a bit of black plastic fluff which wouldn't easily come out as the hole is small. I had to pry the black tube out again with a screwdriver to clear it. Have gone back to a 1" length of softer more flexible tube that clamps into the port securely but can be withdrawn. This holds the fiber cable fine but night hot melt glue the two together. I also found out the need for that expensive Inon fiber and its black cap but hadn't ordered with the flash and too late now for an upcoming trip. Made a cap with a bit of black rubber tube which snugly fit the sensor by filling one end of that with hot melt glue and drilling a hole through it for the optical cable. So far with testing only on land it works just fine. Thanks tdpriest for the comments to use the flash on sttl and camera on ttl. The camera flash seems to fire the external flash reliably without the extra little Inon mirror setup (which doesn't appear to fit anyway).

So far I've only tried this on land as my S&S DS-90's don't seem to do ttl so I stuck with electrical. But found I could simply use a length of audio optical fiber cable at a fraction of the cost of the "proper" ones. Just cut the gold ends off and strip back a few mm of outer sheath. These I held in place on the Nexus housing by puting them inside a plastic sleave which just fit snug in the "light plug" of the housing. (not sure what to call it). Maybe not perfect but seemed to hold the fiber optic. The proper, i.e. expensive, fiber was no different than my audio one in this regard. Not sure if their is supposed to be a proper connector or not. 2. I don't know but would be interested as thinking of buying a Inon Z-240 for the ttl and optical connection. Trying to find if it really does work on the Nexus D200 housing.

Responding to myself a frined found a site which gives instructions on making an interface to the Cressi Archimede dive computers (also works for some others) and finished ones are also going to be available. At the moment redesigning it. http://daniel.vvtp.tudelft.nl/site/?page=p...ko-introduction That site also has a link to more details.

I use the 3/4" LocLine for both stobs and the 1/2 with a home made setup for a focus light. They are light, compact and work well for RIB diving as they don't get in the way as much as some of the other types. Quickly adjustable underwater and seem to hold position OK. They do squeak, as has been mentioned, underwater and occassionly have startled fish. Topside they won't support a strob in position but hold them well enough that the whole rig can be carried just using the two LocLine arms folded together. Charles

Not a photographic item, but does anyone know where to find information on a PC interface to the Cressi Archimede II dive computer? It uses two electrical contacts on the front and connects to the PC with USB. It seems a very simple interface, but the commercial cost is over £100 or a bit less with discounts. The software is free download.

7 Dayshop also has the same connector. http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_in...roducts_id=7847 and it is a way of quickly changing from 5 to 2 pin if needed. Charles

Yes, have thought of one of the converters but its yet more to carry. Have also thought of housing an SB800 (which I would carry on trip anyway) and using that with a fiber optic to fire a second strobe. The fiber optic idea seems to be reported as working well. With my D70 system I wasn't happy with one of the stobes just working as a slave. The good old F100 was so much more advanced with its ttl and and 2 wired strobes Charles

I've used the YS 90, one wired one slave, on a housed D-70 and had very poor results, sometime the slave would fire sometimes not with just minor changes in strobe angle. Fiber optic does sound the way to go. Charles

So the SB800 has at least some use, both for macro and the other is in considering weight limits in baggage (at least for us UK residents with such restricted limits) if it is also going to be needed on land. Charles Stirling

Thanks for all the responses.. The price on the Oceanicfocus website is SGD $3,665.00 but SIN$3,600 by email or about £1200, the UK price is £1700. The mulit port with focus gear is SIN$850/ (£290) for 60mm macro or £690 in the UK. But I've not been able to buy it here in the UK, constantly out of stock and needed for a trip. The housing comes with 2 fiber optic and 2 5 pin Nikonos type bulkheads. One of the things I wanted to find out was if anyone had used the optical ports. The idea was that firing two strobes at the moment I have to use one on slave which proves very problamatic (on a D70 in Ikelite housing) so the fibre optical link sounded good. I do worry about the battery life but at least more options might be available to have consistant flash. Supposidly the optical connection will give some semblance of TTL which I do miss from film days. OK, if you can work a subject but for quick moving subjects manual flash seems like its going back 30 years in time even if images can be checked. Simon, I'm down in Bristol so rather a long trip to visit but thanks for the offer. It would be nice to see the housing in person before buying. So what is this other story on the second housing :-)? Charles Stirling

Just be careful if going through anything European. The carry on size is now 56cm x 45cm x 25cm with this being the only bag (laptop and everything else must go inside it) with a 5 to 6 kg (11 to 13lb) weight limit supposedly more and more strictly enforced. The 25cm dimension used to be 26cm and those bags are being rejected. The baggage weight is generally 20kg (44lb) maybe with an extra 10kg for certain specified sports equipment. Overweight charges can be horrendously high. Charles Stirling from the UK and having problems with flying and baggage.

I'm looking to house a D200 and the Nexus looks very interesting partly due to its handling of strobes but also all the other specifications. I've just not been able to see or feel one and don't see many reviews of it. I have briefly looked at the Hugyfot, Sea&Sea, Ikelite and Aquatica. I suspect any would work OK, but my way of shooting come back to the Nexus due to the flash. Has anyone here used the Nexus and what are your thoughts? The next question doe anyone have any comments about Oceanicfocus in Singapore ( www.oceanicfocus.com )? Their prices seem reasonable to good and my UK dealer hasn't had the housing in stock for months. Charles Stirling

Depends. I had one hardboat with a big drop to the water, 6 ft plus, and asked them to lower the camera to me. They lowered the camera as I went in and would then let go of the rope holding it as soon as the camera hit the water. I had to be very quick to catch it. I tried to tie the rope to the boat and they untied it to drop it. Not photography friendly! In rough seas have lowered the camera first and dropped in nest to it, but most of the time roll in backwards holding the camera and strobes particularly if the boat is low. No floods. Charles

I sure would be interested as well. For travelling it would cut some of the weight as need land strobes anyway and I do miss the ttl which gave consistently good exposure on moving subjects which I don't get with slow manual changes. One problem seems to be often rather antiquated housing for the flash other than maybe the Fantasea or Sealux. As I understand it the camera will only work with 1 flash so the second needs to be run from that but it does give ttl.

What might be interesting would be a square format using the 23.7mm. All the DX lenses should work. Not everything need rectangular croping.