Rigging my underwater camera, how I did mine

[Nemrod]

I like your setup, although I'm not sure I could tolerate having the WWL mounted underneath. I'll try to post a picture of my Sony A7RV rig but it is always getting changes as I figure out how to best rig for the particular location and mission. I'm going to steal a few of your ideas because they solve some things I've been dealing with like the WWL cap on a short lanyard... I've been stuffing it in the top of my wetsuit

The WWL plastic cap is bouyant. I drilled the two small holes near the edge and ran the cave line through and a small bolt snap, tied a knot and burned it for security. It clips off to the yellow WWL tether during entry, exit or when the lens needs to be covered. I clip the cap off to the scooter/crotch ring when shooting. I thought it would be a bother there but it is not. The cap apparently floats up between my legs and I never feel it or see it, snag it and in several hundred dives has been no issue.

 

[cfberry]

Here are some photos of how I set up my Nauticam NA6400 rig with two Inon strobes, four eight inch (200cm) arms and a single bayonet caddy. Please feel free to jump in with photos and explanations that might be helpful to others, more than one way to skin a cat(fish) .

I do not normally carry the Nauticam WWL-1 in the bottom caddy but I do carry the CMC macro lens in that position. Usually I do not combine WA and macro in the same dive but I would shoot flat port and macro in the same dive and thus use the bayonet caddy:





I use the white handle lanyard for handoffs to the crew and general carry. I may also unclip one end and attach to my chest D-rings, the camera also being secured to my crotch ring with either the coil lanyard and the short blue lanyard. The coil lanyard is ALWAYS attached to me at the crotch D ring. Once in the water I remove the white lanyard, clip it to itself and then to my right chest D-ring:







When using the WWL-1, I always have the cover on the lens going in and coming out. Once in the water I remove the cover and clip it off to my crotch D-ring. It has ridden there for hundreds of dives with no issue and I never notice it there. And you might notice the yellow double line clipped to the housing, that line goes directly to the (expensive) WWL-1 and it is always clipped off in use to prevent my lens from going off on it's own adventure (as has happened):



Getting in and out of the water or when toting the rig about the bolt snaps at the middle clamps are snapped together and the bungee loop on both strobes is snapped over the inner clamp butterfly. This compacts the rig and keeps the arms and strobes from flailing about even if I jump in from a pier (not advisable but sometimes there is not a choice).



In an emergency where I may need to move fast and have my hands free, I clip the two bolt snaps at the center clamps to my left and right chest D-rings and the short blue lanyard goes to the crotch D-ring. This makes for a very stable and secure attachment to myself. During a deco or a brief need for use of both hands, I will just snap the white lanyard to one arm center clamp and my right chest D-ring and leaving the always attached coil lanyard to my crotch D-ring, I can let the rig hang well out of my way.

My CMC macro lens on the port and a focus light mounted on the housing:



It takes me about 30 seconds to open the rig for action (not including burping the lens, another 30 seconds) and then to secure at the end of the dive in reverse.

1. Unclip the white lanyard handle, clip to itself and then to my right chest D-ring and turn on camera.
2. Unclip the center arms bolt snaps.
3. Snap over the bungee loops to free the strobes and turn the strobes on.
4. Spread the arms to cruising "M" positions.
5. Remove (WWL-1) lens cover and clip to crotch D-ring and burp accessory lens.
6. Test shot for initial settings and Ops check and go!
7. Reverse coming out.

very nice! post some photos too

 

[Nemrod]

very nice! post some photos too

Well, okay, here is one (1) photo :



I was really more interested in solving or easing the burden of carry cameras underwater. During my Red Sea trip this past summer, we were doing a shore dive and the point of entry was a long way from the staging area. A PU truck carried us part way and then it was required to hike the remainder of distance for access. Just as I got out of the truck bed, geared up, guess what, no camera! I had left it back at the staging area. Now, it would have been entirely safe there, theft was not a concern. But, I wanted my camera. I was already geared up, dang. I decided to just walk back and get my camera fully geared up in the summer heat, get my camera and then walk all the way back. Now, my buddy took note and advised me to take my gear off. Nah, this is what I workout for, lol! So, anyways, I made it to get my camera and then hiked back, I felt I might die and was having an out of body expereince but survived the ordeal. So, just as my buddy was doing his gear check, yep, his camera was also at the staging area. He was smart and took his gear off however. It was still a long hike. Maybe we both need longer tethers! Ha, ha.

 

[WillandBill]

Here are some photos of how I set up my Nauticam NA6400 rig with two Inon strobes, four eight inch (200cm) arms and a single bayonet caddy. Please feel free to jump in with photos and explanations that might be helpful to others, more than one way to skin a cat(fish) .

I do not normally carry the Nauticam WWL-1 in the bottom caddy but I do carry the CMC macro lens in that position. Usually I do not combine WA and macro in the same dive but I would shoot flat port and macro in the same dive and thus use the bayonet caddy:





I use the white handle lanyard for handoffs to the crew and general carry. I may also unclip one end and attach to my chest D-rings, the camera also being secured to my crotch ring with either the coil lanyard and the short blue lanyard. The coil lanyard is ALWAYS attached to me at the crotch D ring. Once in the water I remove the white lanyard, clip it to itself and then to my right chest D-ring:







When using the WWL-1, I always have the cover on the lens going in and coming out. Once in the water I remove the cover and clip it off to my crotch D-ring. It has ridden there for hundreds of dives with no issue and I never notice it there. And you might notice the yellow double line clipped to the housing, that line goes directly to the (expensive) WWL-1 and it is always clipped off in use to prevent my lens from going off on it's own adventure (as has happened):



Getting in and out of the water or when toting the rig about the bolt snaps at the middle clamps are snapped together and the bungee loop on both strobes is snapped over the inner clamp butterfly. This compacts the rig and keeps the arms and strobes from flailing about even if I jump in from a pier (not advisable but sometimes there is not a choice).



In an emergency where I may need to move fast and have my hands free, I clip the two bolt snaps at the center clamps to my left and right chest D-rings and the short blue lanyard goes to the crotch D-ring. This makes for a very stable and secure attachment to myself. During a deco or a brief need for use of both hands, I will just snap the white lanyard to one arm center clamp and my right chest D-ring and leaving the always attached coil lanyard to my crotch D-ring, I can let the rig hang well out of my way.

My CMC macro lens on the port and a focus light mounted on the housing:



It takes me about 30 seconds to open the rig for action (not including burping the lens, another 30 seconds) and then to secure at the end of the dive in reverse.

1. Unclip the white lanyard handle, clip to itself and then to my right chest D-ring and turn on camera.
2. Unclip the center arms bolt snaps.
3. Snap over the bungee loops to free the strobes and turn the strobes on.
4. Spread the arms to cruising "M" positions.
5. Remove (WWL-1) lens cover and clip to crotch D-ring and burp accessory lens.
6. Test shot for initial settings and Ops check and go!
7. Reverse coming out.

Thank you for posting these pictures and the detailed explanations of what goes where and how it works Nemrod! It’s really, really useful and quite a few things I will apply to my own set up, especially for carrying and hand offs etc

 

[stuartv]

My a7r4 rig is very similar but different in these ways:

- I have 4 c/f float arms. I had 2 and 2 arms with Stix floats, but the Stix squished on a deep dive, so I replaced them.

- I have a double bayonet holder, mounted on the float arm closest to the camera, on the left side.

- I splash with WWL-1 mounted to the front of the camera and (sometimes) an SMC in the bayonet holder. If I switch between WA and macro during the dive, I remove the WWL1 from the camera and fix it into a bayonet holder first. Then I remove the SMC from the other holder and attach it to the camera. I would pretty much always switch back before ascending, so the WWL is on the front of the camera when I get out.

- I fold my strobe arms in so the strobes are pointing at and up against the sides of the WWL buoyancy collar for getting in and out. With the clamps tightened down pretty good, so they don't move during entry or exit.

- I do not have the cap on the WWL when I get in or out or during the dive. The cap stays on the boat. No WWL damage so far (knock on wood).

- My rig lives in a Cinebags Grouper bag (CB70? I think?) out of the water. I love that bag.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My rigging. I make sure to clip the bolt snap hanging under the housing to my chest D-Ring before unsnapping the two boly snaps on the carabiners. The housing is never unclipped to at least one bolt snap until it is back on the boat.

 

[Nemrod]

Thank you for posting these pictures and the detailed explanations of what goes where and how it works Nemrod! It’s really, really useful and quite a few things I will apply to my own set up, especially for carrying and hand offs etc

Hope it is helpful to some here and there. Not the only way to do a camera rig but it is the evolution of my rigging of several different cameras going back to film days. Got to make your system work for you. And, yes, as @MaxBottomtime mentions, keep a bolt snap/tether off to you or something secure especially in current or deep water.

James