Nikon D2x & Subal ND2 Housing

[Kilili 0]

For underwater shooting, I’ve just done a switch from the Nikon N90x in a Sea & Sea housing to the D2x with the Subal ND2 housing. I’ve been using the D2x for a couple of months and previously the D100 for more than two years, so I have a pretty good handle on the camera itself.

 

I’ve about 20 hours dive use with the new setup and think the combination is absolutely fantastic, though have had a few problems and a few unexpected considerations.

 

From a control perspective, the housing was built for the D2H, and I don’t know whether the control layout between it and the D2x is different. Suffice to say, I feel like it gives me control over everything I can imagine fiddling with underwater. The controls and buttons work quite well, except as noted below. One reviewer lamented that the shutter release was not like that on the Sea & Sea housings, but I’ve used Sea & Sea for years, and think the Subal shutter release is fine.

 

My first problem was with the ND2 main command dial interface to the D2x main command dial. It started out by slipping a great deal, and quickly got to the point where it was totally ineffective. I learned from Cathy Church that others have experienced the same problem. Her solution is a modification whereby a small piece of notched tubing is glued to the smooth Subal wheel. This worked fine shallower than 40 ft. At that point, the extra thickness of the part and the additional pressure on the housing back would slightly cant it, and all controls would lock. We shaved this down, and this now works to 90 ft. I’ve not gone deeper than that yet, but assume any additional pressure on the housing beyond that point would be negligible.

 

The shafts on the control buttons seem to be a bit delicate. I say that because one of them broke the first week. A broken shaft leaves the camera vulnerable to flooding, but thankfully that did not happen. I was able to saw off part of the damaged section, put it all back together, and everything sealed properly. This disabled one button, but there are so many and this was one I could do without until I get a replacement.

 

The housing handles are some sort of plastic, and do not have the solid feel of aluminum ones. Since the arm mounts are on the housing itself, this may be of little consequence to most. I, however, use a stabilizing chest brace, and my mount point is the top of the handle itself. The mount plate seems solid enough screwed into the handle, but only use will prove it out.

 

Subal literature talks about the housing being almost neutrally buoyant, but this seems to mean without that heavy D2x inside. I’m still trying to achieve proper balance with the different ports, but have gotten to where it is fairly manageable now. Using my old Ultralight arms and YS-120 strobes, the camera not only felt quite heavy in the water but always wanted to pivot so that the port would be pointing straight up. That meant using extra wrist torque to compensate, which was not only tiresome, but the handle top kept digging into my hand. I used four different port combinations, and they all seemed to behave this way.

 

The YS-120s are about five oz. positive each, which actually helped compensate, but not enough. My solution was to use five Ultralight buoyancy arms, two 12s, and three 8s, keeping the tubes somewhat behind the camera to compensate for its inclination to go belly up. Why five? The third is for a shoulder or chest stabilizer brace. It handles much better now with good balance, but I want to work on it more. I’m guessing that the complete rig is now less that two pounds negative. On land, however, it’s about 28 pounds. Not quite heavy enough to need wheels.

 

I’ve been advised that the standard Nikon protector plate on the back screen needs to be removed prior to assembly. Apparently, there is too little clearance to allow [but why would you want to use it anyway?] and it causes the housing to exert pressure on the camera at depth.

 

The adapter gear for one lens, the 12-24 mm, is too loose to work properly, and the fix is to first put a rubber band on the lens. That works quite well. The same gears for the 60 mm and 105 mm feel like the cannot possibly fit, and the solution is to first expand them by depositing in very hot water or incinerating them with a hair dryer. Even then, you need strong fingers and patience.

 

For both of these micro lenses, the AM/MF gear rings are held in place by a pair of nylon set screws on opposite sides. The 60 mm has given me no trouble, but it seems to keep slipping off the 105. In comparison, the Sea & Sea gear rings always seemed to have a better fit, with the exception of the aperture gear used with the N90.

 

There’s some disagreement as to whether the 12-24 mm lens needs a + 2.0 diopter corrector, as it does with the D70. Subal documentation says not, but the shop says it does. Right now, I’m using one, and have noticed no adverse effects, but is it necessary?

 

The magnifying eyepiece is an $1,100 option installed at the factory. I was told that it’s a great addition, and I could get one if I was willing to wait a bit longer for it, sometime early next year. However, compared to my experiences using the N90, I consider the standard eyepiece to be fantastic. I can actually read all that display information without peering around before it becomes visible.

 

I’ve written a few Emails to Subal over the past two weeks, but have received no response yet. Of course, it is summer, Subal is in Austria and my impression is that everyone goes on holiday.

 

The rest of my notes are not that specific to the D2x and the Subal housing, but rather to transitioning from digital to film.

 

In the past, I used TTL underwater almost exclusively underwater, and knew I had to give that up. Thankfully, all of my work on land was manual mode. I didn’t want to spend even more money on new strobes, and was concerned how this was going to work out. After all, the only settings on the YS-120 are full power, half power, and diffuser. From a technical perspective, this relatively tight range seemed to be quite workable. However, I learned that there are a few considerations that also need to be factored in.

 

First, everything I’ve read indicated that low strobe power with its shorter duration yields sharper images than those taken on full power. The issue is the strobe duration, rather effects of bigger apertures used with shorter strobe durations. I’ve never tried to validate this, however.

 

Another matter is the impact on the number of flashes per battery set. YS-120s are perhaps good for 280 full power flashes, depending on batteries used, and the 60 and 90 series are half that. Of course, without knowing the recycle time curve, that may be overly optimistic for digital shooting, and I don’t know the impact of using half power on the numbers either. [Does anyone have info like this?] I’ve never dealt with capacity problems shooting film, as I always replaced the battery set after two rolls of film. I did happen to shoot about 200 photos in one dive sequence using a mix of full and half power, though I had enough to do without paying attention to how long the cycle times were.

 

So, I’m shooting NEF, compressed, with a 4 GB primary CFC card. That’s close to about 400 images. Now, it seems that my current strobes become the limiting factor on the number of photos taken during a single dive. I’ve though of using the YS90 digital strobes because of their power range, but that’s another $1,000, and with only 4 batteries the gain may not amount to much.

 

If you’re a film person, you may wonder why on earth anyone might shoot so many photos. Well, one of the great things about digital photography is that the camera is giving you continuous realtime feedback on your results. This is especially nice with the D2x’s large display screen. For anything that stays put in the water, you can take a photo, analyse it for composition and lighting, make corrective changes, then shoot it again, and again, and again. Where I might take one photo with film, and hope for the best, I can now take a dozen, and strive for the best composition. I actually photographed one lowly Christmastree worm 38 times to get what I wanted.

 

The only problem I’ve had doing this is trying to properly correlation the relationship between the image display and the histogram. The D2x back display is quite bright, and I typically set the output level to -2, even on land. Even so, images that seem correct on the display, frequently come out much darker when processed. When viewing on the display, the histogram for the image will seem overly biased to the left, implying that it is a more accurate representation of the final results. I’m still sorting out what takes precedence. I’ve only used this system for a week.

 

As an aside, I’ve found that a great way to gain familiarity with this rig is to take it into a pool, and practice photographing scantily clad models under water. Not as good as nudibranch, but an acceptable substitute as eye catching material. Using strobes, the results are absolutely fantastic. Besides, where else can you shoot 300 photos using 500 lbs of air?

 

I hope you find this information to be of use, and look forward to responses that will improve my understanding of using this great system [and it’s “only†$15,000].

 

Ken

[Rocha 0]

Hi Ken,

 

First, thanks for the detailed account, and welcome to wetpixel. I have the same setup, and also had the same problem with the main command dial. I fixed it with a very high tech solution , by putting a piece of folded paper behind the spring in the housing's wheel (between the wheel and the housing). I shot to a depth of 110ft with no further problems.

 

I use the 60 and 105 lenses with a standard flat port (no manual focus) and a 16mm fisheye with the large dome (no ext ring), combined with two Ikelite strobes (200 and 100a) and Ikelite arms. My setup is always negative, but it never tilts upwards, and my wrists are never tired, even after long dives.

 

It is funny that you mention the plastic handles. They are one of the things I like the most about this housing. I really like the strap on the right hand, it helps me control the camera without removing my left hand from the handle. I also find them very confortable, a lot better than Sea&Sea's aluminum handles.

 

Luiz

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Hi Ken,

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here on Wetpixel.

 

There’s some disagreement as to whether the 12-24 mm lens needs a + 2.0 diopter corrector, as it does with the D70.  Subal documentation says not, but the shop says it does.  Right now, I’m using one, and have noticed no adverse effects, but is it necessary?

 

First, everything I’ve read indicated that low strobe power with its shorter duration yields sharper images than those taken on full power.  The issue is the strobe duration, rather effects of bigger apertures used with shorter strobe durations.  I’ve never tried to validate this, however.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The 12-24mm does need a dioptre IMO. But Subal's official line is that it doesn't. It works both ways, but I believe it is better with a dioptre. According to general opinion of those here in the UK who know Subal well, Subal's opinion on such things is usually swayed by some of other European photographer who tells them so. I'd trust your shop on this one.

 

I wouldn't worry about the flash duration issue. It is really not going to be an issue unless your aperture is wide open. I would say that a full flash from a YS120 lasts about 1/500th (max) - which isn't going to make a big difference compared to a 1/2 power of 1/1000th or less.

 

Glad to hear that you are getting on well with the D2X.

 

Alex

[Kilili 0]

Well, certainly preferences vary, and this prompts me to add a bit more. We all have personal preferences, and it's unrealistic to expect the manufacturer to accomodate everyone. That's why I make changes to make equipment more suitable for my own tastes. My "perfect" setup might not please a lot of other people, but my comments might inspire others to think about what I've written.

 

My original thread was mainly about structure stability and drilling threaded holes into the handle top. Perhaps the plastic is tougher than I think. I just don't know. Hence, it makes me uneasy.

 

To me, the strap is nice, but only because the handle cradles in my hand so poorly. It seems difficult to hold it well and consequently the assembly rests more on top of my hand instead of being cradled within. With the NX90 housing, my hand wraps the handle, fitting like a hand in a glove, yet leaving one finger quite free for the shutter. However, I do acknowledge that the handle-strap assembly makes it quite easy to control that front knob as well. However, the aluminum handles feel soft in my hand, whereas the plastic ones feel hard and sharp. I've toned them down with rubber tape, but I'm still not happy.

 

I also feel that the handles sit far too close to the body, crowding my knuckles, and the placement of the right strobe port adds to the problem. I imagine that the concern is that of being able to easily reach the front controls, but I think that part of the problem is that the handle is too thick. The thickness may be for extra strength, and perhaps plastic was chosen to cut down of the overall housing weight. In any case my hands feel cramped, so I'll fabricate spacers and replace the bolts so I can move them out a bit. In the end, I might just adapt the Sea & Sea handles to the housing. Like shooting digital, it's an iterative process to untimately achieve what we're looking for.

 

Ken

 

It is funny that you mention the plastic handles. They are one of the things I like the most about this housing. I really like the strap on the right hand, it helps me control the camera without removing my left hand from the handle. I also find them very confortable, a lot better than Sea&Sea's aluminum handles.

 

Luiz

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[pmooney 6]

You can solve most of the issues you mention by simply adding the ultralight handles. These are able to be spaced further away from the housing and are a absolute delight to use. ( especially if you have big hands like me )

 

The additional advantage of them is being able to use the top of the handle as a control arm mount - this changes the balance very nicely. ( No more sore wrists )

 

I'm sure many of the Subal ND2 users here have already made the conversion to these handles.

[Rocha 0]

Well, certainly preferences vary, and this prompts me to add a bit more.  We all have personal preferences, and it's unrealistic to expect the manufacturer to accomodate everyone.  That's why I make changes to make equipment more suitable for my own tastes. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I couldn't agree more! I always felt uncorfortable with the Sea&Sea (the same you say will will try to adapt), our hands sure are different. The untralights are a good option as mentioned by pmooney, I am sure I saw photos of Subal housings with ultralight handles here at the forum, you can try a search.

[Rocha 0]

Ok, I found it, here is the thread about Subal housings with ultralight trays.

[ssra30 0]

I’ve written a few Emails to Subal over the past two weeks, but have received no response yet. Of course, it is summer, Subal is in Austria and my impression is that everyone goes on holiday.

 

My local dealer told me that Subal is closed for business for holiday currently and will reopen August 16th. I am trying to order a short extension ring as the port for 70-180mm is just a tad too short to accomodate the 5T and 6T diopter when fully extended!

 

I used the 12-24mm on a few dives with FE02 dome and did not use the diopter. Personally I was very please with the result and not sure if the diopter would add anything more. However, I started to use the 10.5mm more and more rather than the 12-24mm.

 

With dual Ikelite DS-125, the Subal setup is quite heavy. I did not notice a lot of torque either with 70-180mm setup or 10.5mm/12-24mm domeport set up but my right arm get tired sometimes. Need to exercise my bicep/tricep a bit more before next trip I sank like a rock on last trip even after I reduced my weight belt from my usual 4kg to 2 kg.

(however I would like to contribute this to loss of body fat on my current exercise routine rather than the Subal/Ikelite setup )

 

I do like the strap on the handle but also found the handle to be a bit too small, especially after using Ikelite housing in the past. The ultralight arm might be a good alternative, just does not look very cool

 

So far I took the housing down to about 31m and have not had any problems with any dial/buttons yet (knock on wood).

[Kilili 0]

I've fabricated aluminum 1/4" spacers for the handles, and this gives me enough clearance for my hands now.

[Rocha 0]

That's great, send us a picture sometime (that is, if you are not going to patent your invention ).

[randapex 0]

Hi Kilili-

 

Thanks for the report. And, it sounds like Subal has a few problems to solve common to most of the D2x housings. Is there anyone out there that hasn't had a problem with the command dial?

My soloution was to loosen the allen screw and move the wheel forwad and re-tighten. This eliminates the springing that apparently is supposed to keep the rubber wheel firm against the command dial and the rubber wheel is now ridgid. 100+ dives since this adjustment, no problems and I've been to 130' with no issues.

 

Leak detector went off with a miniscule amount of water and would never stop blinking. Weeks later it still blinks so I'm getting that replaced.

 

Hair dryer for the focus gears...Yep. Occasionally tighten the plastic screws too.

 

Also use the Ultralight handles, mounting the strobes on them. This frees up the other strobe mounts, one of which I'm using with ULCS arms to mount my Fix light to. No other housing issues to date. The 1/4 turn to lock on the ports is scary though as on one dive, I mangaged somehow to bump it enough to turn it a 1/8 turn back and these ports aren't all that tight to the housing to begin with. I've used the housing with and without the eyepiece. I'd hate to go dive without it. YMMV.

 

Rand

[Rocha 0]

The 1/4 turn to lock on the ports is scary though as on one dive, I mangaged somehow to bump it enough to turn it a 1/8 turn back and these ports aren't all that tight to the housing to begin with.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The same happened to me Rand, but I only noticed it after the dive! Scary!

[Kilili 0]

The 1/4 turn to lock on the ports is scary though as on one dive, I mangaged somehow to bump it enough to turn it a 1/8 turn back and these ports aren't all that tight to the housing to begin with.

Rand

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Forgot to mention that one. I find it really unsettling, knowing that $6,000 worh of camera and lens are only 1/4 turn from oblivion. Felt a lot more at ease with the locking mechanism on my Sea & Sea NX90. Adding a sliding port lock is a long way from being rocket science.

[ssra30 0]

I was wondering about that too. Sea and Sea ports also have this 1/4 turn lock but the thread is much bigger and you feel a lot more resistance turing the port. Luckily my Subal flat port has a litle knob for focus gear so I check the position of the knob once in awhile to make sure that it is still in the right position.

 

I only had 24 dives with the Subal so far but no problem with command dial yet.

[davephdv 0]

I have owned and used 4 different Subal Housings. They all used this port system. I have never had a problem with the ports turning UW. To me it is a non issue.

[TimG 62]

Yep, I have had that scary 1/4 turn Subal port experience too. I now check periodically that the plastic Subal logo on the port is at the 0 degree position.

 

The problem normally seems to arise between setting equipment up and getting to depth - typically on entry: the gear getting nudged at some stage. Once at depth pressure seems to lock the port in place.

 

The command dial issue must be a bit annoying though for you D2X Gods. All that money and a twitchy dial....... (I'm just jealous)

[Alex_Mustard 0]

{EDIT} - you beat me too it Tim!

 

I've also never had a problem with the ports - and find that they never move underwater. I would expect that it is very difficult to nudge the port round under pressure and I think that a misalignment probably occured before you got in or when you returned to the boat.

 

But I do think that it does take a long time to get used to diving with such an expensive camera - and I found I got hyper paranoid on many occassions. Often I was so distracted checking for leaks that my photography suffered! Never had that problem with any other cameras.

 

Alex

[Rocha 0]

Oh, something else I didn't like was that I couldn't see the number of remaining shots on the top LCD (the window is too narrow). I solved this by displaying this number on the bottom of the back LCD, where the ISO (which is always 100 anyways) was.

 

Luiz

[TimG 62]

Fascinating physcology that you D2X guys are hesitating slightly because of the cost of the gear. I can well understand the feeling. Even my D100/Subal/strobes makes me gulp a bit. But taking a camera underwater that cost more than my car would really make me think twice. Well that's my excuse for not dashing out and buying one.

 

I had a play though with a D2X at Grays of Westminster a few days ago. The focussing is awesome: and I know I am going to crack and buy one for topside use (at least) before too long. Well, when I have sold a kidney anyway.

[Rocha 0]

Fascinating physcology that you D2X guys are hesitating slightly because of the cost of the gear. I can well understand the feeling.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

When I bought it I didn't even leave my house before I got insurance, now I have insurance and take it everywhere, but just the thought of flooding a D2x is scary.

[ssra30 0]

Now you are all going to make me paranoid too

Diving with a setup that cost more than some cars, I expect the setup to propel myself forward underwater as well as taking pictures!

 

I suppose with flood insurance, I am not as concern about cost of flooding as not having a backup body because I can't afford one if a flood happen, especially on one of the longer expensive trip

[TimG 62]

Hey Luiz and Alex

 

Look guys, if the fear thing gets too much, remember your friends are here to help. Just mail the gear to me - and the fear will disappear like so many corroding batteries. Remember a flooded D2X is not worth a sleepless night!

 

Have a Great Day

[Kilili 0]

That's great, send us a picture sometime (that is, if you are not going to patent your invention ).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sure. One photo is of spacer bar. Not much to it. Cut from stock 1/4" aluminum bar, drilled for bolts, and original bolts replaced with slightly longer ones.

 

Other photo is of shoulder stabiliser, attached to mount plate added to top of the left handle. I've used one for a long time, and think it makes housed systems more manageable, making it easier to use the left hand to stabilize whilst shooting macro. This one uses a buoyancy tube, which I think makes the balance of the system better. With my other system, I just used a section of "U" channel aluminum stock, riveting ball points on the ends. The end piece is the same "U" channel aluminum, with a concave cut in the section against the body, and rubber tape to help keep it from slipping.

 

I've thought of putting velcro on the end piece, then more on my suit in the shoulder area, to see it that worked better, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Oh, one of the photos shows the polycarbinate plate I mounted to the bottom of the housing. It's light, won't break, makes the camera a bit more stable when setting it down, and ought to keep it from getting scratched up on rough surfaces. If the stabiliser bar is swung down for extra support, you can pretty much set the system anywhere without fear of it toppling over.

 

Some of you may think all of this is nuts, but, heck, I'm having fun with it, and that's what counts.

[Rocha 0]

Some of you may think all of this is nuts, but, heck, I'm having fun with it, and that's what counts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've never heard of a shoulder stabilizer like that before, but hey, if it works for you its great! I happened to have gloves on today, and I did felt like the space between the handles and the housing was too small, so I think I will also try to get some of those spacers for when I am diving in cold water (it works perfect with no gloves).

[Kilili 0]

Yep, I have had that scary 1/4 turn Subal port experience too. I now check periodically that the plastic Subal logo on the port is at the 0 degree position.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd do that, except the logo fell off the dome port after two days. I do hope the rest f the system is put together better than that.