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The dome port concern is a valid one ... and I'm currently wrestling with the same issue, having just started diving with a dome on my camera. My DSLR friends carry a dome cover in their pocket and always slip it on when the camera is clipped off. It's a bit of a pain, and in some cases requires buddy assistance. But dome ports are expensive, and scratch easily. I've been giving some thought to how I might design a cover that could be more easily slipped in place or removed, and stowed when the camera is in use ... maybe build a little pocket for it that rides under the tray.
Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love deeply, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that makes you smile.
Not everyone who reads SB is looking to learn how best to use their new snorkel. Some are here just hoping to get the chance to tell someone else exactly what they can do with their new snorkel. While others are trying to sell their old snorkel. (gypsyjim)
I have found that if I don't slip a cover on my dome port prior to getting back on the dive boat, there is a good chance the DM or boat hand will put the camera down and bump the light heads into the dome, or bump the dowme into something else on the boat, scratching the dome....which means the cover is essential ( to me) anyway. I have an awesome zippered thigh pocket in my DUI Drysuit, which is easy to access, and easy to secure/not accidentally lose as is possble in a bc pocket where you cant really see what you are doing.....When we get to summer time again, I will have to glue a thigh pocket on my wet suit.
The camera rig is weighted as close to neutral as possible, erring to slightly negative, and it's even trimmed so that the optical axis is close to horizontal.
There are no clips on the camera, instead there are four about 1" diameter loops in each corner made of cave line pulled inside silicone tubing - the tubing keeps the loops nicely open all the time, and easy to clip to. If I need to clip off the camera, it's done using an extra double ender or a dedicated "leash" made of a bolt snap tied to a D-ring with about a foot of line (again pulled through tubing to prevent tangles).
I usually don't clip off the camera. As it's neutral it's no big deal to carry it through the dive, I've done hours at time, no biggie. If I need to do anything involving 2 hands (signaling in dark comes to mind) the camera stays put if I just let go, long enough for a stage switch in cave, for example. In a current it simply gets temporarily clipped off to whichever D-ring is free, or handed to a buddy. If scootering, the camera sits on the scooter. About the only time I clip off the camera for longer periods is during deco ascents on an upline - then it gets clipped from the scooter ring using the leash, so it hangs a bit below me and doesn't get banged by tanks.
Then again, if I take a camera with me, it's a photo dive - the rig is simply too big to take just in case. So things get planned for it being along. I can see how clipping off the camera could be tempting if it's just along if anything photogenic shows up.
A few times it's been along just to take wreck identification photos in case we find something that might give an ID, but I've been looking into a smaller P&S for that to tuck in the dry suit pocket. Haven't found a small enough package with a decent depth rating yet. The Gopro range might fit the bill...
I've been thinking about an extra pocket for a dome cover, but haven't had a real need for one yet. Would be nice to have the dome covered when handing the camera to a boat, though.
My approach, with a DSLR setup with dual DS-125s: ... There are no clips on the camera, instead there are four about 1" diameter loops in each corner made of cave line pulled inside silicone tubing - the tubing keeps the loops nicely open all the time, and easy to clip to. If I need to clip off the camera, it's done using an extra double ender or a dedicated "leash" made of a bolt snap tied to a D-ring with about a foot of line (again pulled through tubing to prevent tangles)
Laurin,
Neat idea! I'm going to try a variation of this (even though I seldom wear a long hose anymore). Thanks.
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Rx7diver is enjoying un-teching (de-teching?), simplifying, getting back to basics.
About my profile picture: Cropped from a scanned photo. Stormbound on Isle Royale, Michigan, USA, c. 1996 while wreck diving from the Royale Diver, my friend and tech instructor, the late Richard J. Roost, Jr., and I futz with our gear. Amused, Cyndee Roost snapped the photo.
My thought on a dome cover is don't worry about it. The only time a scratch is visible is when doing an over/under, and only if the lens dries and the scratch is big. Underwater the scratch will not be visible.
"Forget all the labels and pile of cards one might have. Get in the water and it becomes clear who put the time in and who did not. Let's dive." (JC) James Clark
My approach, with a DSLR setup with dual DS-125s:
...There are no clips on the camera, instead there are four about 1" diameter loops in each corner made of cave line pulled inside silicone tubing - the tubing keeps the loops nicely open all the time, and easy to clip to. If I need to clip off the camera, it's done using an extra double ender or a dedicated "leash" made of a bolt snap tied to a D-ring with about a foot of line (again pulled through tubing to prevent tangles).
When I add strobes and strobe arms they're made neutral by adding similar floats to the strobe arms, not much is needed usually. The cool thing about this is that the housing and arms are all weighted separately, so adding and removing components doesn't change anything buoyancywise.
For the record, I always intended to replace the DIY duct tape / zip ties look with heat shrink tubing or something after prototyping, but since it worked so well from the go I didn't bother... Been that way for a couple of years.
Minor points:
* I don't think I mentioned the handle before - makes handling the kit a lot easier, especially when handing stuff to the boat.
* The silicone tubing loop without line is for routing the strobe cable. More of those on strobe arms.
* For fresh water I need to add two smalles floats to the back of the big one. I've set up them with bungees for easy installation.
Here's a photo taken by a buddy from 5 years back, the setup isn't quite the same, but this is pretty much how I stow the camera during ascents nowadays too, except sometimes I use a leash to get the camera a bit more out of the way:
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Originally Posted by laurin
