DEMA 2006: Subal 
Underwater housings for digital SLRs
Categories: News, Photo News [home]Author: Eric Cheng ( echeng )
Related Link: Subal
Subal showed off their formidable line of underwater digital SLR housings at their booth. New for the show was a prototype port for Nikon’s 105VR macro lens and a prototype housing for the Nikon D80 SLR. The D80 housing will ship in January of February, 2007. Also on display were Subal’s Canon 30D and Nikon D200 housings…
The Nikon D80 housing prototype had impressive ergonomics, with all necessary controls right under one’s fingertips. In addition, the focus lock buttom is also accessible via a thumb level when holding the housing in shooting position (both hands on handles).
The Nikon 105VR macro port prototype includes an internal stabilizer ring to make sure the lens is held firmly in position. A focus wheel and clutch combination provides manual focus capability while still allowing the lens to be removed from the port easily. Also, Subal is working on a small spacer for the zoom/focus knob on the side of Subal housings to prevent the internal gearing to make contact with the lens. In the meantime, you can use Alex Mustard’s method and shove two coins underneath the gear. :)
The Canon 30D housing shares the front half with the older 20D housing, but requires a different back to support different control positions. In addition, Subal has moved the rear command dial to be accessible underneath one’s right thumb when shooting. I love seeing manufacturers do things like this; it means they’re actually taking to underwater photographers!
For more coverage of DEMA 2006, please see the DEMA coverage index.
Subal ND20 for Nikon D200
Subal prototype housing for Nikon D80
Subal prototype housing for Nikon D80
Subal’s housing for Canon EOS 30D, with optional viewfinder
Ryan Canon holds up the new 105VR port prototype (no glass yet)
Subal’s new 105VR port prototype (no glass yet)
The Subal crew: Arnold Stephanek, Sigrid Stephanek and Rolf Sempert
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Comment(s):Eric,
I also understood from Rolf that the new Subal 105VR port will also be capable of being switched from auto focus to manual focus underwater and visa-versa. He assured me that this was going to be a feature. (Unless I misunderstood him)
If that feature does happen then Subal is the only manuracturer at DEMA that has the feature in their 105VRs - of being able to switch from AF to MF while underwater. I know cause I wandered around to every housing manufacturers booth and asked this question as I plan on using the VR lens a lot. Although, ... the Light and Motion Titan may? be capable of this also, the guys there told me yes, but I’m not sure they understood my ?.
Seacam told me no possiblity of switching focus modes underwater. Aquatica told me no and you should only be using the 105vr in manual anyway....., etc etc.
Please correct me if I’m wrong but if it is true that Subal’s new 105vr port can be changed from AF to MF underwater then this is a great feature and selling point in my eyes and shows Subal did listen to customers’ needs by providing this very important feature.
CarolPosted by seagrant on 11/14 at 02:15 PMI noticed the picture of ND20 has a Nikon lens cap in this Canon camera housing - is there something we should know?
Andy MalbinPosted by DrFiscus on 11/14 at 02:44 PMThe 105vr is a Full Time Manual Focus Override Lens, so providing that:
* You have a gear on the lens and a physical way to drive it
* and a switch on the housing for the m-s-c switch OR access to AF-Lyou can use both AF & MF. There is no “shift collar” or switch on the lens
that has to be manipulated to go between af & mf, you simply have to lock
focus and spin the knob.In other words, every vendor that I’m aware of that is building a focus port
for the 105vr allows both AF & MF use underwater…Posted by Ryan on 11/14 at 02:46 PMI’m sure Ryan is correct and with my limited knowledge I could have misunderstood.
Still I was very specific in the questions I asked the different vendors about the 105vr and the ports they were offering. Rolf did point to a switch on the lens “M/A - M” and seemed to specify that his port was going to be able to access that to change it underwater. BUT I certainly could have misunderstood him!
Still the other manufacturers need to make this clear also. Seacam told me that the lens must be switched to manual or auto before entering the water and no switching during the dive. And Mauricio with Aquatica told me exactly the same thing with added data that this lens should not be used in autofocus anyway cause you would miss a lot of shots, it should be all manual for the 105vr and you shouldn’t need to switch u/w then.
Obviously there is something I’m misunderstanding, but I think some others are also. No problem, I won’t go on here, I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Still Subal’s prototype port was cool and that was the whole point of my comment anyhow!
CPosted by seagrant on 11/14 at 04:02 PMAndy,
The ND20 is the D200 housing not the 20D housingPosted by loftus on 11/14 at 04:07 PMIf the ND20 is for the D200 I guess the photo caption was wrong. (I am such a nitpicker!)
AndyPosted by DrFiscus on 11/14 at 05:14 PMThanks, guys. I’ve fixed the caption.
Posted by Eric Cheng on 11/14 at 08:40 PMThe 105mm VR lens has manual focus override as Ryan stated. This would allow you to manually focus whenever you turn the focus ring and return to AF whenever you let go of the shutter button and re-press the shutter.
There is a switch on the lens to allow only manual focus. Using the M/A mode will work. Some would rather use full M mode by switching the switch on the lens because in this mode releasing the shutter and re-pressing it won’t automatically re-focus and mess up whatever reproduction ratio you have set if you have a specific framing in mind for the shot.
This is a minor point in my view and I would be happy with M/A control for AF and MF switching. If Ikelite would just create a larger diameter port barrel this should be possible.
Posted by UWphotoNewbie on 11/15 at 08:49 AMYes, I was up late last night w/the manual, lens, etc demoing this all out… (Pity me...)… :-0
I doubt now anyone will make a port to switch the 105VR underwater (i.e, M/A to M). Because as was posted it is a personal decision on how you want to shoot, most likely made above water anyway and as was pointed out M/A should be adequate for most. I believe now when Rolf pointed to the M/A - M switch maybe he was saying it should just be set there for manual switching, not that he would make a switch for it (I’m bad understanding other’s accents sometimes - I need to get better at that).
Still it is important to re-confirm that your 105vr port will have all the accoutrements (not many) that Ryan states are necessary to manual focus this lens. One thing I did understand is the manual focus override on this lens is essential weather you just override it in M/A or do the whole dive on full M w/limit switch, etc.
Thanks for helping me understand. Next time I’ll ask this in the forums! C
Posted by seagrant on 11/15 at 09:09 AMHarald Hordosch of Seacam (Austria) asked me to post his thoughts on the matter of AF/MF with 105mm VR:
“I also have seen an article that SEACAM does not have a possibility to change AF-MF on the new NIKON 105VR lens?! Its not needed, because if you add a focus lens gear you can focus manually AND by auto focus.
We have this gear since many months, used by many happy customers.”
Posted by StephenFrink on 11/15 at 01:04 PMI think having an internal stabilizer ring in 105mm VR port is important/good idea as this lens is heavier than old 105mm lens. I tried 105mm VR on my Nexus housing & had problem to use few back buttons as this heavy lens tilted whole camera to front even I fully tightened the bottom screw. Sam
Posted by shchae on 11/15 at 02:04 PMFor Harald Hordosch and Stephen Frink,
Thank You for the reply. I in no way wanted to suggest something in error about Seacam’s 105vr port. Seacam has a wonderful reputation for top of the line products which is why I was at the booth considering that housing for my d200. In fact it was Liz at your booth at DEMA who told me that the Seacam 105vr port could not be switched from auto to manual during the dive because the lens was different, etc etc (I am sure about this statement). Perhaps better hatting on all the products would help, although I know sometimes this is daunting to hat an employee on all the nuances of all the products. And it didn’t help that I had a misunderstood on what exactly the M/A - M, switch did and the importance or not-so-importance of it being able to be switched underwater.
But someone who really knew all the ins and outs of the product line could have even caught my “misunderstood” and not only correctly represented Seacam but broadened my understanding of what I was shopping for also.
I must say though that Liz at the Seacam booth was VERY nice to me & I was most impressed with your products and display.
Carol
Posted by seagrant on 11/15 at 03:49 PMCarol - Certainly no worries on our part about the confusion, and sorry if it was not explained better. But, speaking of misunderstanding, what exactly is “hatting”? No wonder we don’t do it well ;)
Anyway, we appreciate your kind words, and glad the group has clarified the functionality of the lens.
Posted by StephenFrink on 11/15 at 06:09 PMSee Stephen, it is all about the words, terms and definitions! See I just did it too, typing in kind of an “off the cuff way”, I shouldn’t have used that term....
I was referring to this definition of “hatting” and a broad usage of it:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hatting
Def: #10
So you could say every employeer/employee wears many “hats”, so “hatting” would be another way of saying “staff-training” say, as the salesperson for instance wears many different “hats” (public relations, photographer, sales, etc etc). It is just a more specific way of referring to staff-training because you would just refer to the specific “hat” (and training pertaining to that specific thing) that the person was wearing and what instruction was needed. It just breaks it down as more specific training, not everything pertaining to every job that person does.But I should have just said “staff-training” or something like that instead using a term not widely known. Just like everyone at DEMA probably assumed I knew what the M/A - M switch meant on the 105vr, and actually I thought I did but I didn’t have a full clue when I was asking those ?s about the 105vr port.
Are we going to win a prize for the longest replies to any news post WetPixel has ever had? I better end this now or Eric will ban me for life!!!!!!! :-0 C
Posted by seagrant on 11/15 at 06:32 PM
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