Securing camera rig to diver

[jelimon]

I know this question's been asked before, but it was more of the context of in case of currents. Am posting this again for the sake of a GUE friend. I dunno how you guys do it, but I secure my rig to my chest D-rings with SS carabiners the moment the boatman passes the camera to me and i don't unclip until his hand is ready to take it back from me.

Anyway, this GUE diver was told that the preferred way of securing your camera is much like how you clip off a stage bottle - one end to the chest, the other end to the hip so as not to obstruct access to the long hose or to press it down. And if there's a stage bottle present, then the camera will be secured in the position below the stage bottle.

now i get the jitters from this arrangement (dunno about y'all). i dont' have my hands around the ports and important catches cushioned against my wetsuit or sheltered. If i get knocked about, I risk dislodging the impt bits and flood the expensive thing inside. Not just the cam, but the strobes as well.

Are there other pros and cons to the GUE way of clipping off camera rigs?

 

[Tuffatore]

black cat, white cat, can catch mice is good cat - Chairman Mao

As long ur method works, stay with it. I believe ur way of doing things is good enuff.

My dive buddy from Indonesia carries his whole rig of 2 strobes and housing by holding the Inon straight finder while on land! 2 years and countless dives, still no flooding. Unbelievable!

 

[lovells19]

black cat, white cat, can catch mice is good cat - Chairman Mao

As long ur method works, stay with it. I believe ur way of doing things is good enuff.

My dive buddy from Indonesia carries his whole rig of 2 strobes and housing by holding the Inon straight finder while on land! 2 years and countless dives, still no flooding. Unbelievable!

May I ask
whats a inon straight finder?

Jelli - best way is to have a DM carry it for you, when u lift up your hand they pass it to you.

 

[howeikwok]

May I ask
whats a inon straight finder?

Jelli - best way is to have a DM carry it for you, when u lift up your hand they pass it to you.

It's a replacement viewfinder for DSLR housings, straight and long and very expensive. supposed to be very good optics and gives a great view.

http://www.backscatter.com/HostedSt...= &s1=inon viewfinder&sf=Price&so=DESCENDING&

 

[lovells19]

It's a replacement viewfinder for DSLR housings, straight and long and very expensive. supposed to be very good optics and gives a great view.

http://www.backscatter.com/HostedSt...= &s1=inon viewfinder&sf=Price&so=DESCENDING&

wah, i rather get the 45Deg angle finder.

but looks like a very expensive handle to me hahahaha

 

[Gymrat76]

I just clip off my camera using a thin prussik rope (formerly used for rock climbing) and a carabiner to my chest D-ring

 

[2evans]

As long as it doesn't block any of your safety gear, emergency reg, access to weight belt, dive computer, however you secure it taking in those considerations should be fine.

 

[kkgoxplore]

I secure my rig to my chest D-rings with SS carabiners

This is the way I do it, too. I have two points - one on each D-ring for good balance when doing deco or safety stop and launching DSMB. But Jelimon do consider replacing the carabiners with snap hooks which is a safer option to avoid entanglement in net or the likes.

 

[jelimon]

May I ask
whats a inon straight finder?

Jelli - best way is to have a DM carry it for you, when u lift up your hand they pass it to you.

haha, the DM i had on my last trip would have done it if i asked. He carried my camera back to room after the 3rd dive almost everyday and sat the rig on his lap on the way to lembeh and back. Being a girl has its advantages

kkgoxplore: my bad. I am using snaphooks actually. too bad don't have a picture of what I use.

By the way you guys are really cute. My question was about the GUE way of clipping off cameras... :bsmilie:

 

[Tuffatore]

haha, the DM i had on my last trip would have done it if i asked. He carried my camera back to room after the 3rd dive almost everyday and sat the rig on his lap on the way to lembeh and back. Being a girl has its advantages

No, it not the advantages of being a gal. It's the lure of Benjamin Franklins for the dive guide :bsmilie:

 

[kkgoxplore]

By the way you guys are really cute. My question was about the GUE way of clipping off cameras... :bsmilie:

I share the same concern of knocks if hung like stage bottle. And, I don't see how hanging the cam by the chest D-rings would hinder the access of the long hose. Not unless one hangs the cam on the neck.

 

[RedBawa]

jeli, what your gue friend suggested is NOT the GUE way of doing it.

there is no gue way of securing a camera rig. the general guideline is this: what's simple, easy yet safe for you? what will have your rig streamlined and out of the way when you've clipped it off and finning, so it doesn't represent any entanglement hazard?

 

[ed9119]

depends on your camera rig u/w .... is it one of those p&s types with on-camera flash or something larger with 1-2 arms ? I see most folks with the former and they just clip it off their chest D-ring

I seen some do it the dangerous way.... housing attached to 2-3 ft of line attached to D-ring... and another drift hook with ANOTHER 3-4 ft of line ready to deploy...god help them when they get entangled

I used to go down alot with a video housing + 1 light/arm .... no D rings nothing... just hold on tight....anything goes wrong, just let the rig go

Did lose a 15-dive-old $6000 rig once .... at 40m off a wall face 25min into the dive, a big fat moray jumped at me when I took a peek into its hole.... let go of the rig ..... instinct made me nosedive and make a grab for it.... my buddy pulled me back by the fin just as my fingers touched the light.....rig disappeared into the abyss below... back at the diveboat I was screaming death at him..... today I thank him for probably saving my life

When my daughter (now 9yo) gets bigger, will likely get wet again.... this time with only cheaper or used but well-maintained stuff... less heart pain

Sorry for going off topic....

 

[lovells19]

Did lose a 15-dive-old $6000 rig once ...

.

OUCH a boltsnap with a short 1ft strap would have helped

Jeli has a HUGGGEEEEE set up thats slighting bigger then she is hahaha

I am thinking of a 2nd 1ft strap but it would really be too crumblesome, in emergency i wouldn't be able to release my camera in time. 1 plastic clip to the chest D-ring, 1ft non stretchable strap, would be suffice, i hug my camera most of the time, the strap would be just for accidental slips. when deploying sausage use a finger spool, and safety stops where you need to hang on to a line, dangle the camera and use your legs to wrap around it.

Jeli you shouldn't over secure, cos in emergency you cannot release in time, but i think u'll rather go down with your camera

Ultimately you'll need to streamline your gear, find which why you are most comfortable, cos when you hit places with current, you'll wish you never had your camera with you.

 

[ed9119]

can also consider something really easy ...... like a hand loop/strap .... and if possible try to just keep lighter rigs that float up as neutrally bouyant as possible by using weights.... safer.....swimming with floating or sinking rigs is a pain in the a** (floating rigs make you look all geeky u/w too)

 

[kthan]

i found nothing on GUE AND underwater photography on the first page result of goggle.....so the next thing i would ask is if your GUE friend an u/w photographer himself/herself?

Other than offers to carry your gears, being a cute female diver also attracts lots of unwarranted advice. For me, i only offer to apply suntan lotion on any cute divers.

 

[lovells19]

I offer room service

 

[jelimon]

woah, thanks for the enlightment! sorrie to hear about your rig ed1991....

personally, the D-ring snap clips attached to 1 ft coiled wires are sufficient for me. secure yet provides quick release. at the same time, i dun clip anything else to those chest D-rings so that i won't fumble when it comes to releasing the rig. most of the time my hands are glued to the handles (so is my eye to the viewfinder) and like lovells said, I'm probably the kind that will go down with the rig

KT: i dun think there's an official GUE clause on how to secure the rig also. But that piece of advice did come from gideon himself, according to my friend. Must clarify though that my friend has just picked up UW photography and has yet to manage his set up with a strobe underwater. at the moment, it's just a G10 in a canon housing and he's been diving only singles and twins, not a 5-tank set-up yet. probably one can only appreciate the way of camera securing only when you hit currents or knock your housing around.

but safety comes first. if i'm gonna be at a site with washing machine currents and the photo ops are not worth the trouble, I just leave the rig on the boat. It's quite fun to drift and fly and laugh at other ppl struggling to fight currents to take photos.

 

[diediealsomustdive]

Suggestions:

- sifu and siche's please take picture of the various rigs you use and how you secure, as reasonably practicable in a picture, so the rest of us can loon.

- moderator sticky this thread, please?

 

[lovells19]

but safety comes first. if i'm gonna be at a site with washing machine currents and the photo ops are not worth the trouble, I just leave the rig on the boat. It's quite fun to drift and fly and laugh at other ppl struggling to fight currents to take photos.

i've seen divers with helmet mounted cameras, and someone actually came out with a mask with a camera built into it.