Re: PHOTO-3D digest 1876

[P3D Ronald J Beck <rbeck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bill,
While I am not familiar with a specific underwater housing for the 
Realist, I can't imagine why you couldn't have one made (with the proper 
$$$$$$).

However, as an avid scuba diver (I have 23 different specialty 
certifications, including three different u/w photo certs) and a recent 
user of a Realist, I can say that a housing for a Realist has a few more 
difficulties than a regular SLR.

First, I really would recommend that you use a strobe and simply set the 
DOF settings to match the strobe.  Any depth over approx fifteen feet 
effectively filters out most colors anyway and a strobe will bring out all 
the colors.  Of course, this means you need some sort of hot shoe and 
cable leading to the housing for the strobe.  Or a housing large enough to 
contain the camera AND strobe.  You get better results with an external 
strobe that you can position though.

Next, you'll need controls for the film advance knob, the little button 
that keeps the film from advancing until you hold it in and the shutter 
cocking lever.

If you're somewhat of a handyman, try checking at some of your local dive 
shops for u/w housing information.  I seem to remember seeing somewhere 
how to build housings out of PVC pipes and plexiglass.  The theory was 
pretty simple, however the construction could be a bit tricky.  It's 
something I've always wanted to try but never quite got around to working 
on it.

In my u/w photography experiences I've used several different housings.  
My first experience was with a Konica FT w/ autowind and an Ewa u/w 
"baggie".  This was a heavy vinyl bag with a built in glove you put your 
hand into to manipulate the camera controls.  It came with a metal seal 
for the top held by thumb screws and a glass view port built into the 
front for the lens and the back for the viewfinder.  Optional screw on 
lens rings provided a tight seal between the lens and the front viewport.  
This worked well for me for many years until one dive where I entered the 
water while holding the camera and popped the seam on the housing!

After the baggie, I purchased an Ikelite housing for my SLR.  This too 
worked very well until it was stolen from my car one night!  It was a 
standard housing and not exactly built for my Konica but was adjustable 
enough inside to make due.

Finally, I graduated to a Nikonos 4a with a dedicated SB101 strobe and 
some extension tubes for macro photography.

I also owned a disc camera and housing which I used as my backup camera.  
That way I could always have a camera with me for that 100+ lb grouper 
that came by just AFTER shooting picture #37 on my SLR!

Anyway, this is getting longer than it should be so I'll just end with 
this suggestion; look around at the local dive shops and see what kind of 
u/w housings they have.  Check with Ikelite and Ewa Marine on the various 
housings they have and see what might fit for the Realist.  I really liked 
the Ewa "baggie" even though it had some limitations (like the bag 
collapsing around your hand at depth) because I could get to my camera 
controls.  And, let me know what you finally come up with.  And, if I ever 
get anything worked out on this end I'll pass it along too.

Regards,
Ron Beck


in photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, BC said:
>     Does anyone know of an underwater housing (commercial or other 
> wise) ever being made for the Realist?  I'd like to take underwater 
> 3D photos, and given the availability and reasonable cost of 
> re-conditioned Realists, I've often wondered about getting one for 
> this purpose.  On the other hand, given the irreplaceable nature of 
> the camera (i.e. they ain't makin'em any more) I can't help but be 
> concerned that a housing flood would permanently remove yet another 
> Realist from the planet.  (A salt water flood is unbelieveably nasty 
> on such electrical and/or mechanical equipment and is thus almost 
> always fatal.)

>                                                       Later...BC 



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