New Fisheye Tray

[ReyeR]

I ordered the new fisheye tray from Yuzo and it arrived yesterday. With the addition of a second DS-125 I found my old tray made my rig very bulky and thought this would be a more sutiable option.

The distance between the grips (handles) can be adjusted to suit yours and your camera's requirements. I adjusted the right grip so it is comfortable to slip a gloved hand in to give me plenty of room to reach the shutter release and zoom lever, yet it's snug enough to act like a hand strap attached to the camera. I've adjusted the left grip to be close to the PT-015, allowing me to use it as leverage to press those (pesky) buttons on the left, making the 'press and turn the jog dial' operation much easier.

The tray itself has a back brace that prevents the housing from spinning. Yet it still allows you to open the door without removing it from the tray.

It attaches seamlessly to my Ultralight arms by using ball adaptors (BA-AQW).

It now feels like those integrated tray/grips you get with the more expensive SLR/DSLR housings.

Photo of the rig:

300th post. Yippee!

Click below if you can't see the image:

 

[ReyeR]

And a close up:

Click below if you can't see the image:

 

[Dee]

ReyeR once bubbled...
...The distance between the grips (handles) can be adjusted to suit yours and your camera's requirements. I adjusted the right grip so it is comfortable to slip a gloved hand in to give me plenty of room to reach the shutter release and zoom lever, yet it's snug enough to act like a hand strap attached to the camera. I've adjusted the left grip to be close to the PT-015, allowing me to use it as leverage to press those (pesky) buttons on the left, making the 'press and turn the jog dial' operation much easier.

The tray itself has a back brace that prevents the housing from spinning. Yet it still allows you to open the door without removing it from the tray.

I'm really glad to hear this! I was hoping I could use the left handle as leverage for working the buttons. I probably should have added the right handle but I didn't because I'm trying to keep the overall size small. I'm hoping a hand strap will suffice.

Thanks for the review. Mine left customs today so I should have it this week!

 

[ReyeR]

Dee, when you turn the Jog Dial of the PT-015 do you use your thumb only (like you would with just the camera) or do you use your thumb and finger?

 

[digitaldiver]

I'm not Dee, but I found trying to thumb the jog dial to be marginally effective at best. It works, sometimes, but it seems to strain the stem more than I am comfortable with. I found gripping it between my index finger and thumb produced fewer skips, better touch, and less anxiety from wondering when that spindly little shaft was going to break.

As for holding down the aperture button, I found that if I grab the finger grips on the housing with my left hand pinky, ring finger and thumb, I can push the button(s) easier than I can holding a tray handle and pushing. YMMV

 

[Dee]

ReyeR once bubbled...
Dee, when you turn the Jog Dial of the PT-015 do you use your thumb only (like you would with just the camera) or do you use your thumb and finger?

I was trying to use my thimb only, just like using the camera only but like Jeff says, it seems to put stress on the stem and seems to skip 'notches'.

Jeff once bubbled....
As for holding down the aperture button, I found that if I grab the finger grips on the housing with my left hand pinky, ring finger and thumb, I can push the button(s) easier than I can holding a tray handle and pushing.

I'm counting on this technique with the FE tray, especially since it's adjustable.

 

[ReyeR]

Hey Jeff, good to see you here too!

Dee, Jeff, yeah, that's what I do with the jog dial - for the very same reason of not stressing the stem and increasing the play. I was just curious because Dee said in another post :

The dial doesn't move as freely with the housing knob. Either that my thumb is too short to get a good grip on it.

Which made me think last night that Dee is using the 'thumb only' and not the 'thumb and index' method. And makes me also wonder if some of those who flooded their PT015 (on dd.info) were using the 'thumb only' method.

Re: pushing the left buttons, I find holding the handle with three fingers and thumb and using the index to push the buttons to be very easy.

 

[Dee]

Now that you mention it, I wonder if that could be a weak enough point to cause a flood? I've got some adjustments to make but I think it'll all work out with the FE tray. Only problem is in our local lake a strobe is useless most of the time and I shoot camera flash only. Guess I'll have to use the tray sans strobe just for the grip!

On a related topic, have you seen the new digital tray from ULCS? Ryan told me it was coming out and I forgot about it when I ordered my FE. I still like the FE shape and design better but I do like the focus/spotting light mount ULCS has. It could be used or easily adapted for the FE tray. Click on the What's New button to see what I'm talking about.

 

[ReyeR]

I still like the FE shape and design better

Yeah. I don't know if you can on the UL tray but the adjustable grip on the FE tray is brilliant. Also wonder if it has a brace or bracket the prevent spinning - I was pleasantly surprised to find that you could open the housing door with the FE tray. The biggest problem with the UL handle, and I wish they would address it, is there is no way of mounting the Ikelite slave sensor except with a triple clamp. This suxs, as I quickly found out (and Jeff also mentions in his strobe article) it shifts the aim of the sensor every time you adjust the strobe position. Also the grip of the triple clamp is not as good as the double clamp.

but I do like the focus/spotting light mount ULCS has. It could be used or easily adapted for the FE tray.

The good thing about UL products is they have a range of adaptors that'll fit almost anything. The top of the FE grip is also well thought off - has a good configuration of holes drilled in it. Attaching my UL arms was a breeze with the UL BA-AQW adaptors.

 

[Dee]

I'm still using the Infinity arm and had to get a new 2 hole (?) base for it. Once I get the tray, Beast can take a few measurements and make a stainless tab to hold the spotting light. I'm glad to hear you can open the door easily. Heck...I'm pleased with everything you've had to say about the tray!

I know what you mean about the clamps. Why don't these manufacturers ever think to ask us, the folks who use their stuff, what can be improved, fixed or added? I wonder sometimes if any of them ever use their own products 'in the field', not just sitting at a desk.