camera balance

[ronski101]

just got a G-10 and Canon housing and will be trying it out without a strobe in 2 weeks and noticed it has extremely positive boyancy. What is recommended: positive, negative, or neutral boyancy. My last camera was slightly negative but it was smaller and easier to handle. Don't want to be whittling a chunk of lead or duct taping rocks on the housing for a week on a small island.

 

[ptyx]

I vote for very slightly negative. With longer strobe arms/larger strobes, balance is important as well.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Think of it this way ... if it's slightly negative and for any reason you drop it, you pick it up off the bottom. If it's slightly positive and for any reason you drop it, it floats to the surface (and you may not be able to get there fast enough to retrieve it). In the past year I've known two people who lost their (Canon) cameras because they were positive.

A weight kit for your housing isn't very expensive ... in fact, if you're at all handy you can probably make one.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Go slightly negative, as Bob suggests. Me, I would recommend an external stobe w/ a decent tray and arm for the perfect bouyancy solution! Avoids the duct tape and lead weight approach and it looks much classier. Oh yeah, plus the strobe can also be used to add light to your shots--what a deal!

OK, so maybe you can't do this now but if you do add an external strobe later you won't need any extra weighting, which argues against spending $25 or $30 bucks on Canon's weight system for their housing. For a short term solution: the tripod socket takes a 1/4" x 20 thread per inch bolt--standard stuff. Go to the Home Depot UW Dept. and find a real short stainless steel bolt & assort.washers. (Do NOT get some long bolt that you over-tighten and crack the housing with!) I think you may need around 8oz of weight but that is a guesstimate. I almost sprung for the Canon weights until (duh) I realised the tray and arm I was getting would be enough counter-weighting. Happy diving, you'll enjoy the camera! // ww

 

[Gilligan]

Whether you go "positive" or "negative" be sure to tether the housing to your BCD with some type of leash.

This is the setup I am using. It is relatively inexpensive and compact.

 

[bvanant]

Very slightly negative or even very slightly postive is fine, neutral is best but very difficult to really achieve. The suggestion of negative and it sinks and you pick it up off the bottom is fine in some places but in the Cayman's for example, the bottom is a long way off. Slightly positive means it will float eventually. My test is to take my camera, put it out in front of me at waist or shoulder level and let go. IF I have time to readjust something on my BC and I can still reach either up or down to get the camera the weighting is about right. The leash idea is one that every camera should have.
Bill

 

[ronski101]

Thanks for all the good input. I will shooting for neutral to slightly negative boyancy. Being cheap and unemployed I took some lead and melted it into a .5" x 1" x 3.5" form and have attached it to the bottom of my housing. I will spray some clear acrylic on it so the lead will not rub off onto my hands. This will hold me until I can try the camera out and decide on the strobe issue. I dive and take pictures not dive to take pictures so I need to see how this bigger box works out especially in current and beach entrys.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Do what Gilligan said, find a good leash/lanyard for it. Current shouldn't be a challenge but for shore diving you know you'll need your hands free at some point and you don't want to be thnking about the camera then if you have to let go. Scubatoys has this one for around $27 bucks:

Cetacea CRL3HD Lanyard reviews and discounts, Cetecea

Heavy duty enough so when you do add that arm & strobe it will still keep it secure. Unclipped the coil gives you plenty of room (2-3'?) to not feel like you fight it but not so much it drops a lot if you let go. Clipped together it hangs nicely off a D-ring on a BC strap. Might give you some ideas at least if you want to pursue making your own. Thats the nice thing about a G-10 in the Canon housing though, it isn't a total attention commitment like a DSLR setup. // ww

 

[emoreira]

I prefer slightly positive, but remember that it will change if used in sea water or fresh water in a quarry or lake.
Always use a lanyard to attach your rig to your BC.