Seafrogs Zoom Ring Issues

[MorganMedia]

Hi all! New to the site and community. Looking for some help/advice if possible.

I got my Sony A6400 with the standard 16-50mm kit lens to use in my Seafrogs Salted Line A6XXX Gen 3 Housing a couple months back and everything was/has been working perfectly except recently my zoom ring has been either being caught or maybe not positioned correctly but I cannot get it to zoom anymore.

When I turn the knob, it just makes sort of a clicking sound but doesn’t move. If I remove the back plate it turns but somewhere the pressure of the back makes it unable to turn.

I’m not sure if anyone has had this issue. If they have and I just haven’t read it then apologies, as I said I’m pretty new here.

I’d appreciate any help if possible and thanks in advance!

 

[Barmaglot]

You have to be somewhat careful in aligning the zoom gear; if you misalign it, then it will deform, bind against housing parts, and you'll hear this clicking as the teeth slip past one another. See this thread for a discussion:

Annoyed with Seafrogs quality (or lack therof)

I used to use TRT S-Turtle Manual trigger with my SeaFrogs housing. It worked very well for me. I think the model I used is discontinued now and I also know they have a TTL version available.

scubaboard.com

 

[MorganMedia]

You have to be somewhat careful in aligning the zoom gear; if you misalign it, then it will deform, bind against housing parts, and you'll hear this clicking as the teeth slip past one another. See this thread for a discussion:

Annoyed with Seafrogs quality (or lack therof)

I used to use TRT S-Turtle Manual trigger with my SeaFrogs housing. It worked very well for me. I think the model I used is discontinued now and I also know they have a TTL version available.

scubaboard.com

Than you so much! I only just discovered/read through the thread.

So I think I may have come to a solution. Today was my service day where I take the housing apart and inspect/lube everything up. So I decided to take this opportunity to get to the bottom of it seeing as it’s not a dive day.

I took the supports off like the thread said (bottom left and top left) but no use. Still bound and wouldn’t turn. Then I decided to take the port off and see if it’s sitting skew or somewhere there is pressure being added and lo and behold there was.

I’m not sure if you watched the Seafrogs video on how they recommend installing the camera but long story short they say to push it in. Well I’ve been doing that and obviously pushing it in makes the rubber zoom ring sit too close on the front port. So when the back plate is off it works but when added the pressure and friction causes it to bind.

So after pushing it about 2mm further from the lens (I’ll attach an image) it works perfectly. I do remember possibly reading that in that thread though. Well that’s the solution to the problem.

 

[David Haas]

I will add one long time UW camera user (over 40 years shooting underwater) thoughts........

Zoom rings / clamps? I hate them......

From early plastic ones held on with tiny set screws (original design Ikelite SLR film housings) to fussy VERY expensive anodized aluminum ones on my Nikon N8008s camera Aquatica housing to almost any brand......

They re fussy, easy to not get concentric aligned, easy to bump and jam (as this user discovered) and more.....

I read a film making article ages ago stating the first thing taught is there's only 3 shots in movies and television. I have applied this idea to my still shooting for decades.

They are WS (Wide Shot), MS (Medium Shot) and CU (Close Up shot.)

Other than the better spring loaded clamps on current Ikelite housings (which can still get bumped) I'd leave any zoom clamp off......

This enabled me to seal my port first then slide camera with lens mounted in from the rear easily. This does depend on some big front element lenses and port diameters on various housings.

I'd preset a focal length (WS, MS mostly) and shoot the whole dive "zooming with my fins".

This would apply mostly to wide angle zoom lenses.

This method increased my keeper rate and was simple to pop off the back, slide camera with lens mounted back out and set another focal length and jump back in.

Not saying this is how YOU should do it.....Just pointing out what worked for me over decades of shooting

Housings having vacuum systems might complicate this a bit. Or being out in a splashy boat would make one nervous opening a housing but it can be done.

These days even with my compact Fantasea Canon G7X II housings if I want to pop a new battery in I peel my wetsuit arms off, dry my hair, etc. I have everything ready to open and close the housing in maybe 60 seconds.

I also alert anyone near me to back off !!!!! LOL....

Or just keep is sealed until you can get someplace high and dry to pop off the back, reset focal length and re-seal your housing.

Just one old guy's observations!

David Haas

 

[MorganMedia]

I will add one long time UW camera user (over 40 years shooting underwater) thoughts........

Zoom rings / clamps? I hate them......

From early plastic ones held on with tiny set screws (original design Ikelite SLR film housings) to fussy VERY expensive anodized aluminum ones on my Nikon N8008s camera Aquatica housing to almost any brand......

They re fussy, easy to not get concentric aligned, easy to bump and jam (as this user discovered) and more.....

I read a film making article ages ago stating the first thing taught is there's only 3 shots in movies and television. I have applied this idea to my still shooting for decades.

They are WS (Wide Shot), MS (Medium Shot) and CU (Close Up shot.)

Other than the better spring loaded clamps on current Ikelite housings (which can still get bumped) I'd leave any zoom clamp off......

This enabled me to seal my port first then slide camera with lens mounted in from the rear easily. This does depend on some big front element lenses and port diameters on various housings.

I'd preset a focal length (WS, MS mostly) and shoot the whole dive "zooming with my fins".

This would apply mostly to wide angle zoom lenses.

This method increased my keeper rate and was simple to pop off the back, slide camera with lens mounted back out and set another focal length and jump back in.

Not saying this is how YOU should do it.....Just pointing out what worked for me over decades of shooting

Housings having vacuum systems might complicate this a bit. Or being out in a splashy boat would make one nervous opening a housing but it can be done.

These days even with my compact Fantasea Canon G7X II housings if I want to pop a new battery in I peel my wetsuit arms off, dry my hair, etc. I have everything ready to open and close the housing in maybe 60 seconds.

I also alert anyone near me to back off !!!!! LOL....

Or just keep is sealed until you can get someplace high and dry to pop off the back, reset focal length and re-seal your housing.

Just one old guy's observations!

David Haas

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Thanks for the advice/help. I really appreciate it.

I do mainly shoot WA (let’s say 90% of the time) however I do here and there want to be able to zoom in (where I dive often the viz can be bad so a closer shot often saves a shot).

My main reason for getting the 16-50mm lens was so that I could play around with different focal lengths before getting a prime lens.

I’ll attach a few photos of examples of what I shoot. You’ll see it’s mainly WA

 

[David Haas]

MorganMedia,

Epaulette shark, well done! I had to go all the way to Raja Ampat to see one

As to zooming.......If you use my technique setting your zoom lens to one focal length then shoot closer than 1M (3 ' or so) from your subject this would be like shooting a prime lens.

Framing with any camera's LCD is more usable than squinting through your face mask, then an eyepiece on a housing back, etc.

One very good underwater photographer friend shoots his Nikon Z6 in an Ikelite housing with the LCD especially with his 24-70mm Z lens and 14-30mm Z lenses.

He does admit to using the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) when framing sessile like macro critters. But he's admitted to me LCDs are so good these days showing 100% what your sensor will capture it can be a preferred composition technique.

Keep shooting and hope maybe the zoom ring thoughts helped!

David Haas

 

[MorganMedia]

MorganMedia,

Epaulette shark, well done! I had to go all the way to Raja Ampat to see one

As to zooming.......If you use my technique setting your zoom lens to one focal length then shoot closer than 1M (3 ' or so) from your subject this would be like shooting a prime lens.

Framing with any camera's LCD is more usable than squinting through your face mask, then an eyepiece on a housing back, etc.

One very good underwater photographer friend shoots his Nikon Z6 in an Ikelite housing with the LCD especially with his 24-70mm Z lens and 14-30mm Z lenses.

He does admit to using the EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) when framing sessile like macro critters. But he's admitted to me LCDs are so good these days showing 100% what your sensor will capture it can be a preferred composition technique.

Keep shooting and hope maybe the zoom ring thoughts helped!

David Haas


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Hahah! Thanks but that’s a Puffadder shyshark from South Africa! I shoot all my content in and around our kelp forests and reefs here. Especially in Cape Town.

I have thought of presetting my focal length but that makes the zoom run null and void which is one of the reasons I chose the lens. Luckily I fixed the zooming issue.

I also use the LCD for all of my shots, never the viewfinder.