CNF & Camera, how do you do it?

[rslomkow]

At the end of my vacation last week I was doing some CNF dives, already packed up my long fins and sent them home. Had my silly diving outfit of mask, nose-clip, socks, gloves and swim-suit. (weights packed, wetsuit packed) and I was saying good by to the water.

I had my camera with me. A basic Canon SD700IS in the Canon case.

Diving CNF with a Camera sucks!

I tried the following.

1. Attach it to my hand.
   
   Interfered with the pull and would wrap tightly around my hand.
2. Attach to my swim-suit
   
   decent to swim with, but really annoying to actually take pictures with, especially as I was positively buoyant even at 12m (39feet), and taking pictures from the hip is not that great.
3. Attach it to my nose-clip lanyard (neck)
   
   This worked OK, other than it felt like it was choking me from time to time. Which is still uncomfortable even if you aren't planning on breathing.

Of course there is a general problem of try to photograph when positively buoyant that really shortens your bottom time. I have to frog kick to stay down and frame a picture! Anybody have any better ideas for how to deal with a camera in very low gear diving?

 

[fabrice]

You should try FRC CNF...

 

[Stavros]

Yeap - most UW photo work is done FRC or even full exhale if we are talking very shallow.

I normally get to the depth gradually exhalling and continue exhalling when I get to the depth I want till I am neutral

Cheers Stavros

 

[azapa]

like they said.

I was very surprised after diving with a 7mm suit and 6 to 8K of lead how hard CNF was in Sardinia recently with just shorts, snorkel and mask. I was so positive at even 10M, BECAUSE I was slightly packed as I am normally.

(this is the really dumb part) After 2 hours in the water and getting cold, THEN I decide on a partial exhale dive, it worked a treat, I was negative a even 2 or 3M depending on how much I exhaled. It felt really good, other than those really cold thermoclines the med. seems to have. I wish I had realized earlier in the day

 

[rslomkow]

I probably should have been letting more air out at depth, I don't sink in salt water at the surface even with a forced exhale . Simply going down with the camera still sucks. After getting home I noticed the case came with a yellow hang around you neck strap (which I didn't take on vacation) maybe a 1m in length maybe I could put that under one arm-pit like a diagonal should strap and that would work better.

 

[azapa]

you could make the case negatively buoyant and let it sink before you, if the water is clear enough to see, and the bottom is within your reach, and if there were no strong currents I think most cases have optional weights to screw on via the tripod mount thread, but I'm sure your could make your own (string and a stone!)

 

[Jon]

When I was camping this summer we would bike from lake to lake for a swim with the kids. I didn't have room to bring along all of my stuff so I just swam in my, baggy, running shorts and brought along a mask and snorkel.

For my dives I would stick my camera housing down my shorts and swim to depth- it's a Casio Z-1000 camera with a Casio housing. Once I was where I wanted to be I would pull it out and start snapping pictures.

It sounds rather silly, but it did work. The other idea would be to clip it off to your belt, while you swim, and then unclip to shoot when you get to where you want to be. It's pretty simple to attach a D-ring to your weightbelt- even if you don't have any weight on the belt.

Jon

 

[samdive]

I've got a big D ring on my weightbelt and clip my camera to that - it floats around a bit but you get used to it

 

[sciencemike]

I snorkel/train a lot with a canon underwater camera. Every vacation i go on i take my S70 or S80 out on my swim training sessions in the water. Usually 1 -3 miles of free ocean water swimming with only a speedo and a set of racer/socket goggles and my s80 in its case (No Strobes!). I always use the canon weights to make my case just ever so slightly positively buoyant. Your case the Dc-5 is already neutral in the water and canon does not recommend any weights (Check web page at bottom of message). What i use is the large yellow lanyard and i tie both ends through the same end on the camera case so it can have the least drag (versus the hammock style). I loop the camera over one shoulder and under the other one so its diagonal across my back. then i place the camera in the center of my back and go for a swim. it stays there nicely but bangs around a little bit during choppy days and you always get a couple of extra photos you didn't want of your lower back or butt (Not as funny as the ones down your pants!). Just watch out i also have too many wasted photos with this large yellow strap in them. This method has worked well for me and i have logged hundreds of miles with my camera like this.


The weight belt clip idea is very nice. I dont like any quick release stuff on my camera that i might not feel coming undone. I would use your tripod mount in the bottom and semipermanently screw your camera in place, undo the quick release on your belt and take photos with your camera and belt as one unit, that way you dont loose your camera and not know it if it comes off your belt.

Look here for weighting suggestions for the DC underwater lines.
Digital Cameras - High-End, Advanced Digital Cameras - Performance and Style, Digital ELPH Cameras - Easy and Fun! A-Series Digital Cameras - Underwater Photo - Canon USA Consumer Products

 

[rslomkow]

I think I wear too small of swimming trunks and running shorts to put my Camera in the pocket! I tend to wear Speedo Surf runners in places where people are offended by "speedos" (brief-style/racing swim-suits). I like low drag swim-suits to put the Camera in my Pocket like Jon.

sciencemike's suggestion is great. The yellow lanyard (which I had left at home) is probably the right solution for me, and attaching both sides together to reduce drag is a great idea.

 

[Sean Smith]

I think I wear too small of swimming trunks and running shorts to put my Camera in the pocket!

Excuse me sir, is that a Canon SD700 in your swimsuit? OR are you just happy to be swimming here? :naughty