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craig nelson

Sea & Sea DX200 - Nikonos Bulkhead to Optical conversion quest

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Hi

 

Ive been using this setup with a S&S TTL converter since before most of you were born !! Lol. "Well it feels that way" as I've not upgraded

 

I've encountered a flooded TTL converter and need to get it serviced to ensure its integrity. However I'm thinking about converting a bulkhead to optical. Anyone know a service agent provider in the UK?

 

I see that hugyfot produce an acrylic conversion the replaces the inner workings of the standard nikonos bulkhead, looks like it screws is and seals using the standard nikonos internal oring and and oring placement directly onto the bulkhead itself.

 

Has anyone had any success with one of these units ?

 

Also I would need to trigger it using some kind of micro LED flash unit or if it will work pop up the flash internally however most Nikon units require the pop up to be in a certain position before the camera recognises that you require flash output. I have read a couple of posts in which DIY trigger units have been produced and have emailed a few users in relation to that.

 

I use Z240 strobes any assistance is most welcome

 

Thanks Craig

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Hey Craig,

 

How much room have you got in the housing? If you don't have enough room to allow the pop-up flash to fully extend, there probably wont be enough room for an optical converter either....

 

You are correct in that the pop up flash will not fire unless it is fully "up".

 

I've never used (or seen) the Hugy converter.. Where are your Nikonos bulkheads located on the housing? Most optical converters attach via the camera's hot shoe and need pretty direct output into the bulkhead in order to be reliable.

 

Adam

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The first port of call for something like this in the UK has to be Kevin Reed at Aquaphot - aquaphot.com

 

Very helpful, knowledgeable guy. Services and repairs all major housings and does all sorts of specialist jobs..

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Hi Adam

 

They are located just off to the left side of the top centre of the housing. The hugyfot converters I found on some other posts, basically strip out the standard nikonos bulkhead (easy to do) and screw in the optical acrylic unit. Found on the web for 55 euros.

 

Triggering will be via a mini led flash unit if I can get it in the housing. Not holding much hope TBH as it fits like a glove.

 

Jim, I've been in tough with Kevin, will send the unit to him. I've opened it and inspected and rebuilt it all working fine. I found nothing wrong but it's pressure integrity is suspect so it has to go off.

 

See how I get on, that's the plan in my head anyway.

 

Regards

Craig

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the hugyfot connectors are a great idea, but your challenge will be to capture enough light to trigger your strobe. They are designed to work with a flash trigger and not LED trigger.

 

As already indicated, LED triggers are very position sensitive as they barely provide enough light. They need to be placed close to and pointing directly towards the end of the fibre optic cable. This will be a challenge with your housing as the bulkhead connectors are the low clearance design used when space was tight inside the housing.

 

Another option is to add a new bulkhead hole some place with more internal clearance in the housing. I have an old film housing that has an extra blank bulkhead on the low left front.

 

keep us posted on your results.

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Hello Craig,

 

I want to share my experience in similar case.

My good friend has very old Sea&Sea housing with Nikon D50 and external electric TTL Converter (Sea&Sea). There were 2 pcs Nikonos bulkheads on the housing. External converter was broken a year ago.

He asked me to make any conversion to optical synchronization.

 

Last month I installed him new TTL device into the housing and optical bulkhead. Electronics supports Optical TTL and Electric Wire TTL. This TTL-Converter is electronics scheme with firmware (initial shape PCB is a serial product which "UW Technics" company suggests for Nauticam housings). But the concrete PCB for old Nikon D50 housing was custom made by manufacturer via our special order. Manufacturer gives possibility to order custom made PCBs, if you have dimensions or a sample PCB shape. Price is almost the same as for serial product, just a little bit more. So, it was a custom made Conversion Kit which included Electronics, Optical bulkhead with built-in LED, bulkhead adapter, and etc. If you need 2 optical bulkheads, it is also available. That was a set for easy installation by user. I installed it in 15 minutes. I changed 1 electric bulkhead to optical bulkhead, as you see on the picture.

 

This device works with fresh battery - 5 years, or 75 000 flashes. Switch ON/OFF - automatics (by the camera command), no need external sealed switch.

Compartible strobes - Z-240, D2000, YS-D1.

 

Currently TTL works perfect with that Nikon D50. Camera recognize the device as nikon TTL flash (look to last picture "TTL flash" symbol on the display).

Now my friend use mainly the Optical TTL with Z-240 strobes by fiber optic twin cable, sometimes Electric wire TTL by 5-pin cable, and sometimes mixed variant. Very wide possibilities.

Such electronics is the 1-sf product on the market which support all types of TTL synchronization in one device.

 

post-33433-0-38108900-1449138653_thumb.jpg

 

post-33433-0-73235600-1449138662_thumb.jpg

 

post-33433-0-04745800-1449138849_thumb.jpg

Edited by Irbis

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can anyone provide a link for UW Technics?

Website http://www.uwtechnics.com is under reconstruction now. I heard it will be available soon.

You can connect directly to manufacturer by e-mail: uwtechnics@gmail.com.

Edited by Irbis
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