Rigging my underwater camera, how I did mine

[Nemrod]

Here are some photos of how I set up my Nauticam NA6400 rig with two Inon strobes, four eight inch (200cm) arms and a single bayonet caddy. Please feel free to jump in with photos and explanations that might be helpful to others, more than one way to skin a cat(fish) .

I do not normally carry the Nauticam WWL-1 in the bottom caddy but I do carry the CMC macro lens in that position. Usually I do not combine WA and macro in the same dive but I would shoot flat port and macro in the same dive and thus use the bayonet caddy:





I use the white handle lanyard for handoffs to the crew and general carry. I may also unclip one end and attach to my chest D-rings, the camera also being secured to my crotch ring with either the coil lanyard and the short blue lanyard. The coil lanyard is ALWAYS attached to me at the crotch D ring. Once in the water I remove the white lanyard, clip it to itself and then to my right chest D-ring:







When using the WWL-1, I always have the cover on the lens going in and coming out. Once in the water I remove the cover and clip it off to my crotch D-ring. It has ridden there for hundreds of dives with no issue and I never notice it there. And you might notice the yellow double line clipped to the housing, that line goes directly to the (expensive) WWL-1 and it is always clipped off in use to prevent my lens from going off on it's own adventure (as has happened):



Getting in and out of the water or when toting the rig about the bolt snaps at the middle clamps are snapped together and the bungee loop on both strobes is snapped over the inner clamp butterfly. This compacts the rig and keeps the arms and strobes from flailing about even if I jump in from a pier (not advisable but sometimes there is not a choice).



In an emergency where I may need to move fast and have my hands free, I clip the two bolt snaps at the center clamps to my left and right chest D-rings and the short blue lanyard goes to the crotch D-ring. This makes for a very stable and secure attachment to myself. During a deco or a brief need for use of both hands, I will just snap the white lanyard to one arm center clamp and my right chest D-ring and leaving the always attached coil lanyard to my crotch D-ring, I can let the rig hang well out of my way.

My CMC macro lens on the port and a focus light mounted on the housing:



It takes me about 30 seconds to open the rig for action (not including burping the lens, another 30 seconds) and then to secure at the end of the dive in reverse.

1. Unclip the white lanyard handle, clip to itself and then to my right chest D-ring and turn on camera.
2. Unclip the center arms bolt snaps.
3. Snap over the bungee loops to free the strobes and turn the strobes on.
4. Spread the arms to cruising "M" positions.
5. Remove (WWL-1) lens cover and clip to crotch D-ring and burp accessory lens.
6. Test shot for initial settings and Ops check and go!
7. Reverse coming out.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have to study your setup more before I have questions but I have a quick question about how you mount your lenses on the housing. Why don't you use the flippy thingies to hold your CMC and WWL1 and be able to flip them in and out as needed? Doesn't the WWL1 support the flippies?

 

[Nemrod]

I have to study your setup more before I have questions but I have a quick question about how you mount your lenses on the housing. Why don't you use the flippy thingies to hold your CMC and WWL1 and be able to flip them in and out as needed? Doesn't the WWL1 support the flippies?

I was told the "flippy" thing would not support the mass of the WWL-1 and the "flippy" thing is very expensive and I am poor because I spend all my money on dive trips, dive gear and like that .

If I were more interested in macro I would get the flippy thing for missions where I alternate between flat port and macro lens but I am more into WA and CFWA so the WWL-1 is mounted up most of the time.

And I have come to conclude that I suck at macro .

 

[BoltSnap]

I was told the "flippy" thing would not support thr mass of the WWL-1 and the "flippy" thing is very expensive and I am poor because I spend all my money on dive trips, dive gear and like that .

There is one heavy duty double flippy that can hold the heavy MWL and CMC lenses. Perhaps it would work with the WWL1. Interesting.

How do you like the WWL1? Is it sharp without edge issues?

 

[Nemrod]

There is one heavy duty double flippy that can hold the heavy MWL and CMC lenses. Perhaps it would work with the WWL1. Interesting.

How do you like the WWL1? Is it sharp without edge issues?

The WWL-1 is everything Nauticam claims it to be with full zoom through sharpness unlike some lesser lenses. I would possibly get the new WWL-1C (Compact) if I were doing it again and may still. I understand it is very close to the WWL-1 and WWL-1B (built in float collar) in sharpness with some reduction in size as mass and possibly slight reduction in FOV with some cameras (and not with others). The WWL is not a rectilinear lens so yes there will be pincushion and edge distortion but the les remains sharp to the corners. At 130 degrees FOV, it is a semi-fisheye lens with all that it implies.

I use the Sigma 19mm prime often with my WWL for maximum FOV (130 degrees) and maximum sharpness vs the kit zoom. But the kit zoom, is just that, a zoom, so it can take advantage of the zoom through capability of the WWL series lenses.

The WWL-1 is a LARGE and all GLASS and heavy lens. It is large and massive piece of optical equipment. Flipping it around on a flippy thing is, well, I am skeptical of that.

I am not saying my way or the highway. This topic is an offshoot from another thread and I am interested in how other folks set up their cameras. So I posted pics of how my rig is currently set up.

 

[Nemrod]

And it all goes into a $5.00 Sam's Club cooler bag:

 

[Sharkygill]

I like your setup, although I'm not sure I could tolerate having the WWL mounted underneath. I'll try to post a picture of my Sony A7RV rig but it is always getting changes as I figure out how to best rig for the particular location and mission. I'm going to steal a few of your ideas because they solve some things I've been dealing with like the WWL cap on a short lanyard... I've been stuffing it in the top of my wetsuit

 

[Jai Bar]

I like the idea of bungee loop to hold the strobes when jumping, going to try it on my next dive.

 

[RVBldr]

I started out with the thought of the WWL-1B on the bottom caddy, but thought it was going t get a bit of abuse. This probably gives as good an image as any, but the WWL-1B is on a caddy attached to the right Nauticam float and keeps it out of the way and protected. Since it's almost neutral in the water, it doesn't affect balance. I have a 2nd caddy for macro on the short 6" arm off the right post. I do tend to swap between the two, even in cold water with thick gloves. I should mention, I get in and out of the water with the WWL mounted to the camera rather than the caddy.

 

[Nemrod]

I like your setup, although I'm not sure I could tolerate having the WWL mounted underneath. I'll try to post a picture of my Sony A7RV rig but it is always getting changes as I figure out how to best rig for the particular location and mission. I'm going to steal a few of your ideas because they solve some things I've been dealing with like the WWL cap on a short lanyard... I've been stuffing it in the top of my wetsuit

The WWL was mounted in the caddy for demo purposes. I normally would only carry a CMC there.