This is my current set up built upon the Sony RX100 Mark II in Nauticam housing.
The set up includes:
- ULCS TR-DM tray with extension TR-DUP
- Two ULCS TR-DH handles
- 12 Segments locline arms 1/2″
- Two Sola Video 1200
- 4 Stix Jumbo Floats
- Fix LDF-M67 Pro adapter (Wet lenses have LD bayonet mount)
- Inon double LD lens caddy (attached through an ULCS BA-FBd plate)
- Inon UWL-H100 28LDWide Angle with hood
- Inon UCL-165LD
- Inon UCL-165M67 (I carry in a neoprene pouch in the BCD pocket)
- Deeproof Red push up filter
I believe this is the best overall all purpose compact underwater video rig. I have been fine tuning carefully all components and I believe I have now no more optimization possible, however there is always a new gadget coming so who knows!
Interceptor121 Photography & Video Workshops 
What modifications would you make for still photography (obviously replace the lights with strobes, but apart from that)?
I would replace the locline arms with ball and clamp metal arms. Also the wide angle lens needs a dome on it as strobes are 110 degrees so can cover a much wider area than the flat lens. I actually have already almost all the photo set up but have not got around to put it together and take some pictures. I should do that in the next few weeks, stay tuned
Excellent, thank you.
Hi, I have a question about auto-focus. I have the Sony RX100 Mark II and I’ve been following your results. Your work is superb and much appreciated. I too find the color and results to be the best I’ve ever had and I used to shoot a Sony 1000 DV video. But the one thing I can’t seem to get working well is the auto-focus. It seems to be very slow to react and when it’s good, it’s very good. But often it’s not. I’m shooting mostly Video. I have an Ikelite housing with both the V8 video light and vf35 strobe. I’ve shot in both Bonaire and Maui since I got the RX100 Mark II so the water has been pretty clear and I was filming squid and when they approached within about 2 feet, I lost the auto-focus for awhile. I didn’t move, not much I could do. Any suggestions? I was shooting in auto. You’ve commented that you like the auto-focus, but I’ve been having repeated problems.
Hi Drew. From what you write I assume you area shooting with the bare port? I use a wet wide angle lens that means that the camera has pretty much anything in focus from few inches to infinity. If you don’t have already I recommend you buy an Inon UWL-H100 28M67 Type 1 that is ideal for the ikelite. This lens will sort out 95% of focus issues
Interceptor. I have a new to me Rx100ii in a Nauticam Housing. I have noticed I am unable to get the autofocus to work after zooming. Any tips?
When you zoom in the minimum working distance changes. At mx zoom is half meter, objects closer will be blurred
Thanks for this great blog.
I just review your photo rig and noticed you were not using the same lens as for video.
Why do you use AD mount for still et LD mount for video?
Hi Sowback, yours is a very pertinent question that probably deserves a post on my blog by itself. The short version is that I use bayonet mounts for both stills and video otherwise I would be shooting my DSLR in water. Now for video I use flat lenses that are not too wide as I do not want barrel distortion. I have the option of Inon UWL-100 28AD and Inon UWL-H100 28LD, I had the UWL-H100 since I used it on the Panasonic LX7 this lens has the widest field of view of the two and even on land in video mode does not vignette. For photos I want the widest field of view at wide angle and no vignetting both in water and on land if I wanted to take a fisheye shot. The UWL-H100 has a small vignetting that the UWL-100 28AD with dome does not have, also this lens is wider (because it does not vignette) in water. When I use close up lenses for video I want the least amount of vignette possible as I may zoom in during a shot, for stills instead are usually fully zoomed in so vignette at medium is not important. For this reason I also use LD lenses that do not vignette for close up and AD lenses (that vignette until 50mm but I don’t care) for stills. I also did not want to mount a dome on the UWL-H100 and loose that lens for video as I use a push on filter with the flat lens, and if I was using the dome I would need to rely on white balance that on the RX100 is not the best idea
Hi Interceptor,
after i read your post about LD/AD and what Lense is the best choice for the RX100 Setup, i have decided to buy the Inon UWL-H10028LD lens for my RX100 Setup.
For that topic, I have still two more questions:
Fisheye sells on their Homepage (http://www.fisheye-jp.com/english/products/lens/fe_adapterringpro/index.html) the Adapter you use but there are just ADM/LDM-M52/M67 adapters? Is there any difference between the Adapters and the Adapter that you use the LDF?
And the other questions is, i use this setup for Video and Photo, i have read that the UWL-H100 have small Vignetting in Photo Mode in wide angle. Is the Vignetting just with optional Dome or also without the dome?
I do not use the Inon dome whether in video or photo.
Thank you very much for your help.
Greetings from Germany
Marcus
Hi Marcus
LD adapter you need the LDM-M67 Pro version the others are not compatible. The UWL-H100 without dome has no vignetting in water and has just a small vignetting in air in photo mode. It has no vignette in air nor water in video mode.
So the only vignetting you may see with this lens is if you take a fisheye photo on land at the 3:2 format. Even in that case if you disable image stabiliser and put it on a tripod the vignetting may be zero. This is the lens I use myself for video and has a great optical quality and the widest field of view for a flat lens
Hi Interceptor,
thank you so much for this reply, this was very helpful 😉
Why do you use the version LDF instead of the “new” LDM What are the difference?
Do you have an adress were i can buy the LDM Adapter? I found nothing to buy the LDM-M67 Pro Adapter. On the Fisheye HP i think i can not buy directly ;-(
I just found this one:
http://www.uwvisions.com/fix-ldf-m67pro-adapter-ring.html
Or the ADM(F) in M52.
The topic with vignetting is great to hear there are no Vignetting in Video and Photo mode under water. Above water i think i do not so much photos with wide angle, and when i do it i can crop it after the trip at home in Computer 😉
Thank you again very much
Greetings
Marcus
I think it is actually LDF it is a type error. I can ask Uwvisions if he has any on stock. I am aware fix may stop producing them since they have been taken over by nauticam. Maybe also aquafoto team in Germany?
Okay, maybe you right with the type error, because on your Blog on the package there also LDF on it 😉
at uwvision i found the LDF Version! It would be great if you can ask them if there is a LDF in stock! UW-Fotopartner is just a few km away from me, i buy normally my equipment there! They are Nauticam sellers! Did you think they have the Fix Adapter? I think the only have the Nauticam original!
I will write them an email and ask for the Fisheye Adapter!
If you have any Infos about uwvision let me know!
Greetings
Marcus
If you don’t plan on buying the dome I recommend you get the nauticam adapter from your local shop
Hi,
okay, normally i don’t want to buy the dome also not in future. Because my main area is Video and not Photo. For the few photos I make, the wide angle without dome is okay for me 😉
Then i can buy it from UW-Fotopartner 😉
Sorry for the questions, but one more thing i do not understood correctly is the topic with the problem with the lens hood in your post from the LX7
If i do not use the lens hood everything is perfect and nothing more to do as to put the UWL-H100 in the Nauticam Adapter and go for it, but if i use the lens hood i have some problems with the alignment of the hood?
You tell us in your Blog that there is an alignment issue with the adapters if you use the hood. Have I understood this correctly that if i have this problem with my housing i have just to unscrew the 6 screws of the Adapter and change the position so that the thumb screw is on top of the port and the release lock is on the left side (when i look from behind of the housing) and then fix it again with the 6 screws?
At your picture
i can see the hood in this picture, is this just to show the problem with the alignment or did i see the hood on the pictures/videos at 28mm?
Thanks again
Greetings Marcus
On the rx100 you will not notice that problem. I recommend the hood also buy deeproof red filter for the lens thy sell it. Tell the. I referred you
Perfect, now is everything clear 😉
Thank you so much.
Yes a red filter is planned 😉
The Deeproof filter can i buy only by uwvision right?
It is a pity that UR / Pro not offers a red filter for UWL-H100.
Greetings Marcus.
Actually no onluy from uw-fotopartner
UW-Fotopartner sells “H20-Tools” redfilter for the UWL-H100.
Maybe this is the same Filter like the Deeproof filter under a other name?
Because i think there are not many manufacturers they produce the filter for the UWL-H100.
In Germany they want 79€ if i buy it from divervision the filter it self will be a bit cheaper but with tax/customs it is more or less the same price.
And the delivery time is much shorter i i buy it in Germany 😉
But i want also a good quality for the filter and “H20-Tools” i did not hear before.
it is the same product don’t worry
😉 Sounds great, then now really everything is perfect.
Now I can give up the big order 😉
Thanks again and see you next time 🙂
Greetings from Germany
Marcus
Interceptor121,
I just ordered a RX100 II and have never taken video before.
Forgive me for the stupid question about your rig regarding the Inon UCL-165LD and Inon UCL-165M67. Aren’t these the same lens but one bayonet mount and the other screw on? Why one of each, does one have a filter semi-permanently installed?
They both have an M67 thread to stack another lens. If you look at my recent article on digital settings I would recommend LD mount and a single lens to start as focus with two requires very steady hands or a tripod
Hi,
If you weren’t using bayonet mounts would the Wide-angle lens UWL-H100 28M67 be something you would use?
Thx
Yes it’s a good lens. Taking it on and off in water is a pain so only good for dives where you know you will have wide angle shots with the m67 mount. Also the mount can be changed with a service part the glass is the aame
Hi, do you mean that the UWL-H100M67 can be changed to UWL-H100LD? What is that service part?
Thanks!
Joss
Yes you need to contact an Inon dealer to get it
Hi Interceptor, I just wanna ask if you ever consider adding something that work like a tripod under the camera tray? I have seen some camera rig with tripods, looks very helpful while taking a steady and smooth macro footage underwater. I am looking at the ulcs tripod system. but not sure if it will work to fit under the nauticam twin handle easytray. appreciate your thoughts on this.
I have already covered this look under the tag tripod
Hi Interceptor,
I have Ikelite’s W20 wide angle lens. It has M67 thread wich is fine for my Nauticam housing. I use LocLine arms. My question is, does the ULCS BA-FBd would be sturdy enough to hold the lens attached to an Inon Single LD lens caddy? Do I better buy the double LD lens caddy if I plan to buy Inon UCL-165LD in the future?
I have a mess with the adapters you need on the housing and on the lens to transform it to bayonet mount in order to take it off without loosing the lens: LDM-M67 or is it LDF or what, and also, where can I buy it in Europe. One last thing, I’ve seen the i-Das 67 mm flip adapter, but I read that you get blurred images using it. I don’t think it could hold the W20 because it is a heavy lens. What do you think?
Thanks from Spain
Your lens cannot be converted to bayonet so no point thinking about adapters until you change it to an inon. And no the flip diopter holder is not designed for such heavy lens
On that topic, can the UHL-04 or a subsee diopter be converted to a bayonet-style mount? Would be much more convenient than threading the 67mm UW. I’m afraid one day i’ll just drop the whole lens and bye-bye it goes.
You can there are m67 to LD adapter. I have both LD M67 and AD lenses and M67 are always useful
Thanks. I didn’t know it. So if I want to take W20 off to take some pictures what do you recomend, get it covered by some neoprene cover and put it inside the pocket, or try to screw it to a threaded lens caddy using the ULCS BA-FBd?
Thanks again!
That lens is heavy I would not recommend taking it off and on during the dive. If you want to be able to change buy am inon bayonet lens
Hi!
My Inon ad-adaptor is stuck:/
I would like to see a supermacro config comparison for the Sony RX camera regarding image quality. I would like to see comparison between these lenses:
2-3 (+12–+18) stacked inon 165ad and 67 mm
1 inon ucl100 + Inon 165 and or Inon 330 (+13–+16)
1 Nauticam SMC + Inon 165 (+12– +18)
1 Saga +15
1 Aquako +15
I Subsee +10 + Inon 165 (+10–+16)
If possible even higher magnification combinations of the above lenses, closer to +20.
Cornersharpness, CA and brokeh comparisons would be nice:)
Best Regards
David Rehman
Hi Interceptor,
i have just one question, can you please tell me the dimensions of the BA-FBd plate. (height, width, length and thickness.)
I have a Nauticam Easytray with an M8 thread so i need to drill the 1/4″ hole from the BA-FBd to an 8mm hole for my screws… Is there enough material for an 8mm hole?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Greetings from Germany
Marcus
I noticed that your photo rig has been modified from using STIX for buoyancy to using INON float segments. Have you also updated your video rig as well? If so, how were you able to add them and still use the Locline segments for the SOLA lights?
Thanks,
Kevin
The photo rig is much more negative due to strobes and wet lenses. If I go on a trip solely for video locline is fine. If I also take stills i tend to use float arms
How realistic is it to have an rx100 system that doesn’t require committing to photo vs video before the dive? How would such a system look?
Technically is possible however photo and video mindset is very different for me. Would probably end with mediocre footage and photos and nothing good
Thanks for the reply. I’m trying to narrow down on a system to get, and am heavily leaning towards a video one rather than a photo rig at this point, because I’m thinking this will alter the behavior of my dives less. I’m currently on the fence between a gopro or a compact setup. I’ve come across a few posts by you from a few years ago where you heavily recommend compact over gopro for this. Have your views changed at all due to current options? Also If i do go compact I’m leaning towards an rx100 ii, mostly using your rig as a guide. Is this still fine in 2017 or would you recommend differently? I mostly value ease of use, ease of travel, ease of maintenance, and quality of footage. Obviously there are trade offs between these, just trying to strike the best balance. Thanks!
Gopro are ok for wide angle but that’s pretty much it. Also am not convinced by the newer models. If you are happy with HD the mark II will be fine otherwise get the mark IV for 4K. I have been using the mark IV for HD at 50 mbps and I really like the picture profiles. It could also be harder to find a mark II housing
Is getting good quality video more difficult on an rx100 than on a smaller sensor camera like an s95? Also would you say video is easier than stills in general for a newbie to underwater photography/videography?
Do you find the macro lenses to be of much use in this rig without your monopod?
Interceptor, great blog and information. Would you have suggestions for autofocus settings when shooting in a cave with large video lights. No zooming, no macro, just passage footage with divers out front. I am using a Nauticam Housing with UWL-100 wide angle lens. With older setups I would shoot in manual and infinity focus setting. My first few attempts I had the lighting figured out and the center area was in focus but if panning to the left or right the footage would blur. You suggest photo program mode and auto white balance with video lights and wide angle? Autofocus center or manual?
For caves with lights and autofocus use centre singles area. For no lights I lock both focus and exposure to avoid hunting