Sony RX100 rigs? What do you have?

[outofofficebrb]

Hi!

I'd love to see/read what everyone has as part of their RX100 rigs. What housing, strobes, lenses, etc., do you have? What do you like or dislike about what you have?

I'm scheming to take my RX100 IV underwater but want to hear about everyone's experiences on what they have that they like/dislike before I invest in the different parts.

Thanks!

 

[Skeptic14]

@outofofficebrb My current rig uses a tg-4 but I just ordered an rx100ii and housing this morning.

I went with the rx100 mk2 because the mk2 supposedly works well with the uwl-04 (already have with current setup) whereas the iv and v don't work with that WAL and they would require something like the wwl-1.

I went with the nauticam housing, they have an excellent reputation for not only being reliable but also having excellent ergonomics and control of all buttons.

My strobes are a ys-03 and ys-d2. Both should work well with the rx100 in ttl and manual. For shooting wide-angle, a single strobe might work ok if it is something powerful like the ys-d2, but two is preferred. I started with just the ys-03 and my uwl-04 on my previous rig and getting even foreground lighting on larger subjects/scenes was difficult. After adding the ys-d2 there was an obvious improvement in foreground coverage particularly in the bottom corners.

I upgraded to an rx100 from my previous camera for a couple reasons. The large sensor makes the rx100s produce some of the best image quality from compacts. My previous camera didn't provide full manual mode which after two years of shooting I felt was starting to limit my uw photography progression.

Anyway, I don't have any experience with it yet, but that's what lead me to an rx100 setup.

 

[Got2Go]

RX100 II, YS-D2, +5 diopter, +8 diopter, UHL-100 WA, 8 inch carbon fiber float arm, 5 inch regular arm, mounted straight to housing (no tray).

I wish aperture would go higher than f11 (for macro shots).

 

[rsingler]

I use the RX-100 MkIII, but my thoughts should apply. I use the (expensive) Nauticam housing and LOVE it! The easy control access, and more important complete control access is great. My strobes are Sea and Sea YS-D1's and I use a lightweight frame and arm system. I use a wet macro lens in a hinge mount that I can swing in and out.
The images are great, the control is superb, and the only drawback is the strength of the strobes for work at a distance. On the other hand, to make use of stronger strobes, I'd probably need longer than 18" arms to get adequate off-angle lighting. But close in, the lighting and visual quality and most important, instant manual control of the strobes is excellent.

One caveat, at least at the MkIII level, the RX-100 in the Nauticam did not have TTL metering. But since I'm a manual exposure guy, that was okay. Don't know if that's different for the MkIV. Also, strobe trigger is via optical cable, so you need to set RX-100 strobe output to minimum, to maximize battery life. I didn't have a problem with a week long shooting session in Bonaire, with an extra camera battery available. Never had to change it during the day.

 

[rsingler]

Bonaire with the RX-100/Nauticam
View media item 203513View media item 203514View media item 203515

 

[Glenndini]

I have an RX-100iv enclosed in Fantasea housing. Seems to have access to all of the controls and works well. 2 x Sea and sea YS-01 strobes. Mostly use TTL for medium range shots using a Fanatsae Bigeye wet lens which works in most cases. Also have DYRON Macro lens UCL67II mounted on flip mount. The housing is mounted on a tray with 2 x flexible arms sheathed in pipe insulation. This makes the whole lot float at the surface and become slighlty negative buoyant when deeper.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@Skeptic14 @Got2Go @rsingler @Glenndini Thank you for the awesome responses! I'm bookmarking this so I can come back to it.

I think I've settled on the Nauticam housing but lenses and strobes are still TBD. How are you all liking your strobes? I have read some people have had issues with their Sea & Sea strobes lately. Thanks again!

 

[rsingler]

My YS-D1s have never been a problem, but I'm religious about removing the orings and storing them separately so they don't take a set from sitting squished in the case for month after month. And I have extra orings and replace if I'm sloppy and pinch one removing or inserting it. I love the quick adjustability of the D1 on the back, all the way from ??1/16th output to full.

 

[Got2Go]

RX100 II, YS-D2, +5 diopter, +8 diopter, UHL-100 WA, 8 inch carbon fiber float arm, 5 inch regular arm, mounted straight to housing (no tray).

I wish aperture would go higher than f11 (for macro shots).

I forgot to add that I have the Sea & Sea housing. Excellent housing.
All controls available, including the back wheel and control ring around the lens.
It also has an accessory that allows you to mount the ball-mount base on the housing itself, no tray needed.
It also has an optional water leak detector with LED.

 

[tphelps]

I love my Nauticam housing with vacuum sensor for my RX100 M3. I also have the YS-D2 strobes and have nothing but good things to say about them. But I most shoot video and have been extremely happy with my Big Blue VL7500s (7500 lumen). Worth checking out, they offer an incredible light for the price!