Nikkor 105mm VR AF-S and Subal ND2 housing again

[ssra30 0]

I read all the previous thread regarding Subal ND2 housing and the new 105mm VR lens but there seems to be no update recently on the lens.

My lens finally arrived 3 weeks ago but I was out of the country so I did not get to try it until today.

Basically I have no problem mounting the camera/lens in the housing. However, my concern is that, as other people reported, the MF/Zoom knob pushed on the AF/M-M button a tad and I noticed that when I release the MF/Zoom knob into place, it does push the lens about 1-2mm off center. Housing the camera still sits in the housing tightly and all the buttons work. However, I am wory about possible long term effect of putting quite a bit of pressure on the lens mount/barrel. I don't have any port/extension ring that would fit yet but will order the FP120 as it suppose to be ok with this lens. Any comment on this or any update on the combination would be appreciated.

 

I plan to try this lens in August when I go to Bali. However, I just found out I won 2 tickets to see Ann Sophie Mutter in Lucerne in August. Hmmm... decision, decision, only if I can go to both

[AndyBarker 6]

HI ALL,

 

As this lens is causing a lot of interest I would like to know

if anyone has used this lens in a Seacam housing & if so what

what port or extender/ port has been used? <_<

 

Thanks Andy :ph34r: :ph34r:

[Bandula 0]

Hi Andy,

 

I am also looking forward to get my new 105 VR. The old one has already been e-bayed :-)

I rececently talked to Harald Hordosch of Seacam about this lens. Himself and Kurt Amsler tried it, and the results seem to be super good.

 

If you are now using the makroport for your 60mm, you would need a 15mm extension ring to get the 105 in there, but the minimum size of such a ring is 20mm.

I am already using a 35mm extension ring for my 12-24 with Superdome, and same before with 60 makroport and the old 105.

So I will be using the 35mm ring with makroport to house the new 105 micro.

The 20mm gap between lens and port should not affect the quality.

 

Cheers

Thilo

[AndyBarker 6]

HI Thilo,

 

thanks for the e-mail I am using the wide port for my 12/24 with a

PVL35 extension & a P105 with the micro 60mm, so hopfully the P105 &

the PVL35 combination will work. I have also e-mailed Paul Kay the GB

distributor of Seacam for his advice.

 

Thanks Andy. :ph34r: :ph34r:

[StephenFrink 9]

HI ALL,

 

As this lens is causing a lot of interest I would like to know

if anyone has used this lens in a Seacam housing & if so what

what port or extender/ port has been used? <_<

 

Thanks Andy   :ph34r:  :ph34r:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Andy - We got our first Seacam focus gears in for new 105mm Micro-Nikkor yesterday. As for ports, Seacam suggests:

 

A P120 port (120mm long) as lens is 116mm long

 

Alternatively, Harald recommends "you can also use the p105+pvl 25

p130, mpf 130 or systemport combination". So, I would say any port combination that gts you to 120 to 130mm in length.

 

BTW ... with the focus gear in place the lens must be installed/removed from the front, throuugh the port orifice. Seacam supplies a cool little tool to depress the lens release along with the 105mm focus gear.

[AndyBarker 6]

HI Stephen,

 

thanks for the e-mail, so hopfully the P105 + PVL35 combination

 

should work, or will this cause the lens not to work correctly?

 

Thanks,

 

Andy :ph34r: :ph34r:

[StephenFrink 9]

HI Stephen,

 

thanks for the e-mail, so hopfully the P105 + PVL35 combination

 

should work, or will this cause the lens not to work correctly?

 

Thanks,

 

Andy    :ph34r:  :ph34r:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Andy - I'd expect it will work fine, plus it gives you some extra room in case you ever want to add a thread mount diopter to the lens.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I went to my local camera shop today to buy the 105mm VR as I am off to Egypt on Saturday. Knowing it was a tight fit, I took my Subal housing down there with me! I was able to squeese the lens into the housing, as others have done, but I was not happy with the fit, and didn't buy the lens for two reasons.

 

First I feel that the tension on the lens could damage it, the lens mount or the AF/VR contacts etc.

Second I feel that the very slight change in angle on the D2X body in the housing could increase the chances of a flood. Both Rand and I have had a few drops of water leak into our D2X housings caused by the camera not being mounted exactly straight on the mounting shoe. It only needs to be slightly out for this to happen - as the back of the housing will still close. Anyway I think that the new lens has the potential to cause similar problem.

Of course this is just my feeling - and I think the chances are small - say 1 in 100. But sadly it was enough to stop me buying the lens - despite going to the shop with the intention of doing so.

 

Alex

 

p.s. I am most jealous of those who can use this lens. It is lovely - a real step on from the old 105mm, which I took down there for comparisson.

[MikeVeitch 0]

Want to buy an Aquatica?

 

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I actually had a play with the Aquatica D200, yesterday. I must admit they sure look cool in black.

 

Alex

[loftus 42]

Is the problem with the length. What do Subal say about this? I was thinking of trading up my old 105 as well.

[MikeVeitch 0]

this thread is getting loaded.. i believe is the width, not the length.....

[MikeVeitch 0]

I actually had a play with the Aquatica D200, yesterday. I must admit they sure look cool in black.

 

Alex

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hopefully i get to do same in July... i want one!

[Alex_Mustard 0]

The Subal problem is the width. Or more specifically that the buttons that stick out of the side of the lens are in exactly the same place as the zoom/MF gear inside the housing. The lens will push into place - but once in place it remains under pressure from the gear - that pushes against it.

 

You can use it like this - but I am unsure of the long term risks/consequences - as outlined above.

 

Alex

[ssra30 0]

I have not had a chance to try the 105mm VR with teleconverter yet but I think that a teleconverter should solve the problem with the VR button slightly touching the zoom wheel on the housing. If AF performence is still as good as the 60mm with Kenko 2x teleconverter then this might be a good option for a tight fit housing and also to go a bit beyond 1:1 macro.

[davephdv 0]

I have probably made 20 dives with the new 105 AF-S lens without any modification to the housing or focus gear/knob. I have never had a drop of water in my housing.

 

I did grow concerned about the focus gear knob pushing on the lens. The concern is the possibility of damaging the camera's lens mount.

 

In cooperation with my dealer I learn by adjusting the allen screw that holds the focus/Zoom knob in place you can adjust the distance the focus/zoom gear is from the lens. By adjusting it so it just works well enough to zoom the 12-24 I was able to get it so it appears the knob does not displace the 105 lens or the camera. It does touch the lens but I can't see that it actually displaces the lens.

 

You could build up the zoom gear on the 12-24 so that you could move the gear a little further out if you didn't want it to touch the 105 at all. The zoom gear on the 17-55 protrudes out farther so it is easy to set the knob so that it works with both the 17-55 and the 105 AF-S.

 

Moving the knobs position is very easy. You could actually do it every time you put on the 105 AF-S. The allen wrench to do so comes with your Subal housing

 

My dealer tells me that adjusting the knob location does not impair the water tight integrity of the housing. I take no responsibility if you adjust yours. I would test it.

 

He also said that it would be easy for Subal to modify the focus/zoom gear so that it would work with the 105 AF-S. He said he expected Subal to do this as Nikon has discontinued the old 105 AF

 

This is one of my favorite lenses. Both above and below the water. It is well worth getting it to work safely with your housing.

 

Don't forget your duct tape.

[ssra30 0]

In cooperation with my dealer I learn by adjusting the allen screw that holds the focus/Zoom knob in place you can adjust the distance the focus/zoom gear is from the lens.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Dave, thanks for the information. However I am not quite sure which allen screw it is that needed to be adjusted. The only screw I can see on the zoom knob is the screw in the middle of the wheel which requires a philip flat head screw driver rather than allen wrench. Is that the one?

 

I am looking forward to try out the 105 AF-S in Talumben in about 6 weeks. Hopefully the PF120 port will arrive in time

[davephdv 0]

On my housing the external knob that you turn to turn the MF/zoom gear is held on the shaft by an allen screw. You loosen that allen screw, push on the zoom gear to position it a bit further out and then tighten the allen screw. The zoom gear will stay in the new position.

 

I wouldn't know if they have changed the design since I bought mine.

[ssra30 0]

Hi Dave,

 

Sorry to be a bother but I am incredibly clueless about screws,nuts and bolts etc in general

Is this the screw that you are talking about?

 

On the external side of the housing, I don't see any screw that would be a part of the zoom/MF knob. However, I wonder if I can just leave the zoom/MF knob alone with the lever at AF which would keep the wheel retracted anyhow.

 

[davephdv 0]

I can see the allen screw in your last photo. If you look at your picture of the external knob you will see a small hole on the bottom side. That is your allen screw. All you have to do is loosen that allen screw. Push in on the focus/zoom gear on the inside of the housing and tighten down the allen screw. Just test it so it will still turn the zoom gear on your wide angle zoom if you use one.

 

In your image the opening of the allen screw on the focus knob is pointing directly at the MF label on the outside of your housing.

 

This is on the last image you posted. The screw you asked about is on the inside of the housing.

[davephdv 0]

Here is an allen wrench inserted into the allen screw on the external focus knob. The wrench should have come with your housing.

[davephdv 0]

Here you can see the internal focusing gear. The one that pushes on the 105 AF-S in it's default location. Loosen the allen screw, then push the gear towards the housing wall a few mms, then retighten the allen screw. You can move the gear away from the AF-S lens this way.

[ssra30 0]

Dave, Thanks for the detail instruction plus pictures. I am very hopeless at reading instruction and my mind tends to go blank at the mention of any tool

I will try to readjust the focus gear. Sometimes I do use the 12-24mm but imagine that with the new AF-S 105mm, I might not use the 70-180mm as much now. I am still waiting for the FP120 but the extension ring for the 17-55mm will also work with the flat port for the 60mm but it extends out quite a bit further than the 105mm. Would be a good port combination for the 105mm with teleconverter though.

[Claude 0]

I sold my 105VR lens : it does very good and sharp picture... but the AF sensitivity is really bad with it as soon as you're using it for 'real' macro (2:1 to 1:1) - and you can forget this lens in low light conditions !

I'm now back to the old version... it's not an AFS but it get the focus much quicker than the VR... and it feet so easily in my Subal housing !

[ssra30 0]

Claude, I am a bit surprise. Ken Rockwell also had similar comment about poor focusing ability in macro. However I found mine to be very good. Did you try it with VR on when shooting macro? VRII suppose to work only from 3m to near infinity. I am not sure exactly what the effect VR would have on macro picture but I was also told that you can't get 1:1 with VR on.