Anyone use a tray handle w/ the C8080 & PT-023 housing?

[djanni]

I have ordered a C8080 + the PT-023 housing and I'm wondering if anyone uses a tray handle with this rig?

Something like one of these: http://underwaterphotography.com/Store/App/f.asp?CT=1287 and apparantly you have to do a search for "handles" once at this page.

This will be my first UW rig and I'm hearing that it makes for a rather large setup so it seems the handle might be a good addition.

What's your opinion?

Don

 

[Dee]

I have ordered a C8080 + the PT-023 housing and I'm wondering if anyone uses a tray handle with this rig?

Something like one of these: http://underwaterphotography.com/Store/App/f.asp?CT=1287 and apparantly you have to do a search for "handles" once at this page.

This will be my first UW rig and I'm hearing that it makes for a rather large setup so it seems the handle might be a good addition.

What's your opinion?

Don

I'm not sure what you're asking. I didn't see any trays in the link you provided. I have a C-5050/PT-15 rig and there are times when I use a tray and single handle for more stability. The 8080/023 rig is a bit larger so I would say a tray and handle will help you.

The type of tray and handle you buy could depend on whether you have, or plan to add, a strobe. The style of arms and tray can depend on whether you want to keep your rig small or expand into dual strobes.

 

[djanni]

Thanks... I think it might help too. I've see the Ikelite tray/handle in dbl or single and I've seen the ones by ULCS. do you have a recommendation? I may buy a strobe next year put I'm pretty sure 1 strobe would satisfy my needs though.

Don

I'm not sure what you're asking. I didn't see any trays in the link you provided. I have a C-5050/PT-15 rig and there are times when I use a tray and single handle for more stability. The 8080/023 rig is a bit larger so I would say a tray and handle will help you.

The type of tray and handle you buy could depend on whether you have, or plan to add, a strobe. The style of arms and tray can depend on whether you want to keep your rig small or expand into dual strobes.

 

[Gilligan]

You may want to look at the Fisheye Tray & Arm on Yuzo's site. It uses the 3/4" loc-line joints.

You could also build your own tray as I did so as to accomodate lens docks.

 

[djanni]

I like the look of the Fisheye but I'm not going to have a strobe for a while so the horizontal piece for mounting a strobe arm seems like it would be a distraction or bothersome at times.

Do you have any other suggestions for an arm? Also I took a look at your web site - you put a lot of work into that. Do you know of a similar site on the 8080?

Thx,

Don

You may want to look at the Fisheye Tray & Arm on Yuzo's site. It uses the 3/4" loc-line joints.

You could also build your own tray as I did so as to accomodate lens docks.

 

[thereefgeek]

Here's my wifes PT-023 with the YS-90 TTL and the new TTL converter from Matthias Heinrich's website: http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/blitz/indexe.htm

The tray (hard to see with that honkin' port on the housing) is a Sea&Sea DX tray and DX arm from an old YS-25 Auto setup (with a few more Loc-Line segments from www.modularhose.com ). The TTL adaptor was about $180 shipped from Germany and seems to work pretty nicely. She'll be wet testing it in a little more than a week when we go diving in the Philippines, but the topside operations seem to work sweet. One thing I did to the Loc-Line is shove a length of 3/4" o.d. (1/2" i.d.) vinyl tubing up into it to make it a little more stiff to hold up that heavy strobe. Works well on my video lights as well.

 

[ABQdiver]

Good info!! Love the idea about the tubing inside the Loc-Line arm!!

 

[djanni]

Thanks for the info and pic's. Very helpful, very useful. 1 picture is work a 1000 or so words, right?

I've been looking at the YS-90. the port is a honker, huh!!!

Here's my wifes PT-023 with the YS-90 TTL and the new TTL converter from Matthias Heinrich's website: http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/blitz/indexe.htm

The tray (hard to see with that honkin' port on the housing) is a Sea&Sea DX tray and DX arm from an old YS-25 Auto setup (with a few more Loc-Line segments from www.modularhose.com ). The TTL adaptor was about $180 shipped from Germany and seems to work pretty nicely. She'll be wet testing it in a little more than a week when we go diving in the Philippines, but the topside operations seem to work sweet. One thing I did to the Loc-Line is shove a length of 3/4" o.d. (1/2" i.d.) vinyl tubing up into it to make it a little more stiff to hold up that heavy strobe. Works well on my video lights as well.

 

[thereefgeek]

The 90 TTL is a nice feature, and from the topside pics she was shooting for practice the variable flash output being automatic takes a lot of the guess work out of it. That "Heinrich" replacement bulkhead that connects the S & S sync cord along with the circuit board that slips into the 8080 hotshoe was a spendy little unit, but to have the camera communicate with the strobe digitaly instead of through the fiber optic trigger is just brilliant. I'm certain she'll be posting some dive pictures when we get home!

 

[herman]

I had the same problem when I first got my C5050. A handle of some sort does help a lot . Here was my solution. The base plate could also be made of 1/8 aluminum as well.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=51263&highlight=lexan