P3D Underwater RBT S1 (was Re: P3D Re: Realist vs RBT vs SLR's)

[Bill Costa -- Network Info Srvs <bill.costa@xxxxxxx>]

    Dr. T recently wrote directly to me:

>  Bill, can you please tell me what's involve in using the RBT S1
>  for underwater photography... How to you trigger the camera?
>  Can you change any controls?

>  You can post the response in p3d if you like.

    A conventional underwater housing is available for the RBT S1, 
    made by a different German firm.  See:

             http://www.uk-germany.com/stereo.htm

    Or if your German is a little rusty:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/cgi-bin/translate?http://www.uk-germany.com/stereo.htm

    It use to be that they made a case for *either* the S1a (59mm
    offset) or the S1b (45mm offset).  This new web page seems to
    imply that the housing will now take either.  In any case, it was
    because of this offset issue that I did those underwater tests I
    mentioned a while back.  I wanted to see how much of a difference
    it would make.  I concluded that for the kind of close-up work
    that is normally done in underwater photos, the S1b is the camera
    of choice.  So I'm saving up my pennies for an S1b and a housing.
    (It's gonna take a *lot* of pennies!)

    But to answer George's specific question; in a conventional
    underwater housing one or more levers and/or knobs are provided
    which are connected to rods that reach inside the case to activate
    controls.  From what I understand, "UK-CGermany" will build your
    RBT case to access as many of the S1's controls as you like.  But
    of course this will add not only to the housing's expense, but
    also the additional points of potential leakage.  This latter is
    not as great as a concern than you might think since this
    technology is well understood by now.  Still, underwater
    photographers have an old saying: "It's not *if* it's gonna leak,
    but *when*."  This kind of pessimism gives me pause given the cost
    of the camera.  If the housing does flood, you can pretty much
    kiss the camera goodbye.

                                                        Later...BC


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