Lighten weight of Canon Rebel & Ikelite casing

[Alexandra]

help...

I have the Canon Digital Rebel (300D), Ikelite case, and 2 Ikelite 150 strobes and the whole thing weights a ton. With either the Sigma 14mm wide angle or the Canon 50mm macro lens it is clearly negative. My guess about 2lbs. This makes it particularly hard to take photos as I float up as the camera sinks down.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could neutralize the weight? attach stirophome slab to the bottom?

thanks,
Alexandra

 

[shoelessone]

help...

I have the Canon Digital Rebel (300D), Ikelite case, and 2 Ikelite 150 strobes and the whole thing weights a ton. With either the Sigma 14mm wide angle or the Canon 50mm macro lens it is clearly negative. My guess about 2lbs. This makes it particularly hard to take photos as I float up as the camera sinks down.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could neutralize the weight? attach stirophome slab to the bottom?

thanks,
Alexandra

i wish i had your problem I have a 350D, but no money to buy a housing (WAY to expensive ).

Seriously though, I am sure strapping styrofoam to the bottom would work... That might be a bit bulky/bothersome though, perhaps you could purchase some bubblerap or a thinner foam and rap it around the arms of your strobes?

sorry i'm not much help... good luck!

 

[Grajan]

Even at 100' styrofoam will substantially collapse as will bubble wrap. Even if there is enough residual bouyancy it will be so dimensionally unstable that it will probably detach.

What you need is a small piece of shallow water syntactic foam.

These guys may well be willing to sell you a small piece or an offcut. You will be able to shape this to your needs and it can easily be drilled for mounting. Take care working with it - the dust is horrible stuff.

Make sure it is not deepwater (10,000') foam as, understandably, that has a very low lift/weight ratio. You will need to put this on the top of your housing, or at least try and get the center of mass near the center of bouyancy, or it will be trying to float upside down....

Given the size of the housing I am amazed that it does not displace enough water to be slightly bouyant.

 

[Alexandra]

Even at 100' styrofoam will substantially collapse as will bubble wrap. Even if there is enough residual bouyancy it will be so dimensionally unstable that it will probably detach.

What you need is a small piece of shallow water syntactic foam.

Given the size of the housing I am amazed that it does not displace enough water to be slightly bouyant.

I am trying to find the right foam solution. The camera/case/strobes are definitely negatively boyant and although they displace water when I am diving, if I let go of the gear it sinks immediately. It is also quite taxing to hold up with one hand if I'm in a slight current and holding on to a reef with my other hand.
I'm just trying to neutralize the boyancy so that it will make taking pictures easier.

thanks,
Alexandra

 

[fins]

help...

I have the Canon Digital Rebel (300D), Ikelite case, and 2 Ikelite 150 strobes and the whole thing weights a ton. With either the Sigma 14mm wide angle or the Canon 50mm macro lens it is clearly negative. My guess about 2lbs. This makes it particularly hard to take photos as I float up as the camera sinks down.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could neutralize the weight? attach stirophome slab to the bottom?

thanks,
Alexandra

Hi Alexandra,

I can't help directly with your Canon 300D but the link below will take you to a thread that will show you what I did with my Oly5050. Hope it helps.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=78147

 

[ChrisA]

help...

I have the Canon Digital Rebel (300D), Ikelite case, and 2 Ikelite 150 strobes and the whole thing weights a ton. With either the Sigma 14mm wide angle or the Canon 50mm macro lens it is clearly negative. My guess about 2lbs. This makes it particularly hard to take photos as I float up as the camera sinks down.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could neutralize the weight? attach stirophome slab to the bottom?

thanks,
Alexandra

1) stirofoam will crush up at depth. Try buying a lenght of PVC pipe and cement on a pair of end caps. This will hold to lots more depth then you could ever dive. You want a ridgid
float that will not compress

2) Put the float(s) on the top of the system not the bottom. Most people need weights and attach them to the tripod socket but I'd add floats to the strobes using rubber bands, zip ties, ike inner tube or wherever. To make a two pound float you need to cups of volume.
HomeDepot sells PVC pipe for about $5.00 per 10 foot lenght