Anyone using a lanyard on your DSLR?

[johnspierce 25]

Thinking about adding a lanyard/handle to my Aquatica A300 housing.

 

Maybe the Sea & Sea:

 

 

or the Nauticam:

 

 

Anyone using either of these lanyards with an Aquatica housing? Looks like either would work fine fastened at the handle mounts.

 

thanks,

John

[Cerianthus 55]

Probably cheaper option.

 

I dont have any of those housings (I have an Ikelite housing) , but i do use a lanyard. I have a generic hand landyard

 

that i attach / tie to the handle (it would have to go all the way around the strobe to get loose) and attach a double ender at the end. This double ender clips to my shoulder D-ring......You could easily replace the lanyard with a custom bit of string..It helps when walking to the dive site as well. The only time it gets in the way is when shooting wide angle and wanting to do something with the farthest strobe. Maybe I should add a little bit of length.

[Stewart L. Sy 12]

I get a good quality nylon cord, then I tie a very fat knot, secure that with zip ties, I remove the ball on the handle, feed that knot in, re-attach the ball. Voila, it's all secure. The other end of the line has a stainless hook that clips to my BC, about 3 ft. long. If I want a handle, I just wrap the cord around the 1st joint of my strobe arms and hand it up to the boat.

 

Stu

[gina 9]

Anyone using either of these lanyards with an Aquatica housing? Looks like either would work fine fastened at the handle mounts.

 

I use a lanyard on my Aquatica housing very similar to the one shown here: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-98/030768/...il-Lanyard.html I clip it to a D-ring on my BC. Having the adjustable length in the coil is key to being able to use the camera whilst keeping it clipped.

 

Having my camera attached to me has saved it a couple times when, because of rough conditions or other reasons, I have dropped the camera. You can drop it on purpose knowing it is attached, and that can free up your hands for more important stuff.

 

-Gina

Edited May 19, 2011 by gina

[johnspierce 25]

I use a lanyard on my Aquatica housing very similar to the one shown here: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-98/030768/...il-Lanyard.html I clip it to a D-ring on my BC. Having the adjustable length in the coil is key to being able to use the camera whilst keeping it clipped.

 

Having my camera attached to me has saved it a couple times when, because of rough conditions or other reasons, I have dropped the camera. You can drop it on purpose knowing it is attached, and that can free up your hands for more important stuff.

 

-Gina

 

I actually have two of that exact lanyard in my "dive closet" of stuff -- where/how do you attach them to your housing? I looked at mine just the other night, but the attachment string was too short to wrap around the handle:

 

 

Thanks Gina!

[jlyle 8]

Homemade handle

 

 

[gina 9]

I actually have two of that exact lanyard in my "dive closet" of stuff -- where/how do you attach them to your housing? I looked at mine just the other night, but the attachment string was too short to wrap around the handle:

 

Thanks Gina!

 

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here you go

 

[Scubysnaps 9]

I have the best lanyard in the world...probably

[john70490 3]

I use a similar lanyard to Gina's except that it has two steel clips instead of that nasty plastic one and loop. I bought it on the UK e-bay. Here is a similar, but not identical, one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STAINLESS-STEEL-SPRU...=item56403119dd

Edited May 20, 2011 by john70490

[Otara 0]

I use a similar lanyard to Gina's except that it has two steel clips instead of that nasty plastic one and loop. I bought it on the UK e-bay. Here is a similar, but not identical, one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STAINLESS-STEEL-SPRU...=item56403119dd

 

I tried the nauticam handle and found it got in the way underwater at times, so took it off again.

 

The lanyard is really more use underwater but my last one was plastic and did break eventually, so thank you very much for the info about the steel alternative, just got one.

 

Otara

[Undertow 31]

I use a simple lanyard like the one pictured in the 2nd post. i like that its small and compact, a bulky one with coils & clips would just get in my way.

 

i shoot a lot free diving in open water - if you drop the camera its gone - so its critical that the lanyard can be tightened around my wrist and it doesn't touch the water without being on.

 

I also use it for ascent/descent but not at depth over a solid bottom as i prefer to have my hands free to adjust strobes. I keep it on the right handle, obviously, and I keep a bolt snap on the left if i ever need to clip it off, which is rare, but important if, say, my buddy ran out of air.

[Cary Dean 3]

I use a similar lanyard to Gina's except that it has two steel clips instead of that nasty plastic one and loop. I bought it on the UK e-bay. Here is a similar, but not identical, one: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STAINLESS-STEEL-SPRU...=item56403119dd

 

I have a Cetacea. Attaches to the metal ring under my dovetail

for my strobe arms.

(this one but with 2 metal clips - http://www.cetaceacorp.com/coil-lanyard-en.html)

I didn't know they could be factory customized until I asked

the right person. Only $5 addl for the customization.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Cary Dean

[meister 1]

Thinking about adding a lanyard/handle to my Aquatica A300 housing.

 

Maybe the Sea & Sea:

 

 

As a sideline, I have a new and unused Sea&Sea lanyard, in original box, same as the one pictured above. I will sell it for $20 PayPal, free shipping within U.S.

I no longer have a use for it. Contact me if interested.

[Will_Clark 0]

I made a handle from rope and 2 clips, and with a length of bright blue plastic hose - it is easy to point at this so that helpful boat boys don't grab your gear by a strobe arm and haul it out the water.

 

I also clip my housing onto myself with the same type as johnspierce's image above. 1) you can clip it on short to free your hands for dSMB deployment/winding and 2) it saves you if you let go for whatever reason... emergencies happen. On the other hand I have read of photographers who don't clip their gear on so they could respond more hastily if their buddy was in a life-threatening situation.

[Scubysnaps 9]

You got it all wrong!

You gotta remember when you are taking underwater photographs you sometimes have to (especially when you are on your own which happens a lot) ascend on your own with a dSMB, how can this be done safely when one hand is holding your prized possession? you definately dont want to let go of it, even if it uis conencted to you as it may knock on something. You need to have both hands free and end the dive with no distractions. What you need to do is clip it twice to pinch clips on your shoulder/chest D rings and either side of the base of your strobe arms/hand grips, one of the lanyards disconnects completely with a pinch clip in the middle, one of them has a "telephone" extension coiled lanyard within the length of lanyard from the pinch clip to the connection at the strobe arm base, so it is always connected to you should you ever let go of it. I always jump in with my camera evenly supported at my chest, hands free if required, when I end the dive I regularly climb up the boat ladder with my camera safely attached at my chest, sometime with 2 tanks on my back too. Thus elimiating the need to trust someone else with your prized possesion.

Anyone wants these, I'm willing to get a batch made up, as I had mine tailored to my requests by a well known scuba diver tailor. its done me over 100 dives up to now and not had any probelms whatsoever

[tdpriest 115]

You gotta remember when you are taking underwater photographs you sometimes have to (especially when you are on your own which happens a lot) ascend on your own with a dSMB, how can this be done safely when one hand is holding your prized possession? you definately dont want to let go of it, even if it uis conencted to you as it may knock on something.

 

I clip my housing onto the DSMB reel...

 

Tim

 

[johnspierce 25]

I always jump in with my camera evenly supported at my chest, hands free if required, when I end the dive I regularly climb up the boat ladder with my camera safely attached at my chest, sometime with 2 tanks on my back too. Thus elimiating the need to trust someone else with your prized possesion.

Anyone wants these, I'm willing to get a batch made up, as I had mine tailored to my requests by a well known scuba diver tailor. its done me over 100 dives up to now and not had any probelms whatsoever

 

Would love to see a photo of this -- especially with you climbing the ladder with two tanks -- impressive! Seriously tho, any photos?

 

John

[Scubysnaps 9]

Would love to see a photo of this -- especially with you climbing the ladder with two tanks -- impressive! Seriously tho, any photos?

 

John

 

Ha ha! no sorry, sort of got my hands full when that happens!

[leepix 1]

Stu, I used a similar lashup for 20 years to clip my Ikelite big rigs to my BC. The loop end goes around the tray absolutely no chance of coming off. I got so used to "clipping in" that once when trying out my new Canon S90 + Fisheye system I actually let it go~~. Quickly recovered though.

 

I now use a high tech coiled cord with sturdy metal clips. I brings the rig closer to my chest so it won't be bashed around as much. My old Ike got kicked a lot.

[errbrr 73]

Ha ha! no sorry, sort of got my hands full when that happens!

I do this too - two stainless steel boltsnaps tied to each handle of the housing with cave line in two separate loops, for redundancy. At the end of the dive bottom time I can clip one boltsnap to each chest D-ring and send up my SMB and do other deco things (paper, scissors, rock springs to mind). I've tried clipping to one hip D-ring instead, but I get nervous when I can't feel the housing still attached and especially with only one point of attachment and a negative rig. The chest thing also keeps the camera nice and close, and is good when you head through a low section of cave and have to use your hands on the line instead of as camera-rock fenders.

 

Climbing up the ladder in twins with a camera on the front is generally hard work - you have to lean backwards so as not to bump the camera and that makes the tanks even heavier. Good for pier ladders and smooth seas...I haven't tried it in big swells yet. Mind you, in those conditions I find holding the housing out of the water above my head while trying to avoid being smashed by the boat and refusing to let go until I'm sure the other guy has it securely is challenging. Maybe some kind of handle to pass up with a rope and camera on the other end would work?

[bfdc 6]

RULE FIVE:Never dive with something you can't afford to lose or jettison. ;-)

 

Off of NC, we often need two hands to ascend/descend and get back on the boat. I use a d-ring on the camera, a d-ring ring on my harness, a carabiner hooked on that d-ring, with a webbing connected brass clip attached to carabiner. the brass clip hooks to the camera d-ring. The camera can come off easy, if needed; The clip can come off me, easily, if needed; I usually keep the rig connected to me during the entire dive. It gives me enough play to bring it up to shooting position, etc. I dive with my neoprene cover on the dome and take it off once I am settled/comfortable, so in a current I let the housing just dangle behind me as I "climb" down the anchor line.

 

After 30 years, no issues, no lost housings. I used to actually dive with up to 4 stromm housings this way, back in the film days. (no strobes though!) I find that attaching the camera to your body while diving is the only way to ensure if I get to that "me or the camera" decision, I will make the smart choice, not one based on gadget value...gadget insurance is what that is for. You can always buy a new housing/camera or dome port;

 

We do the pass off of the camera to the mate while at the surface, hanging on the deco line at the stern of the boat. You let go when you feel and see him take it from you. Likewise when the camera is handed to the diver in the water.

 

If you can climb a ladder of a small boat in a 6+ ft swell with doubles and your camera attached in front of you without smashing the entire rig, you are certainly a *much* better person than I. I would lose at least a dome housing on every dive

[trichwine 0]

I used a simple/generic retractable laynard as all I want is that last save before the camera goes into the depths