My Take on mo2vation's Custom Otter Bay Lens Cover

[Fish Eater]

My wife gave me a new camera system for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to ensure that it didn't get all beat up in NorCal diving, so I did some i'net searching for how to keep a lens cap on (and not lose it).

I stumbled across a photoessay on Wetpixel showing how a diver directed Cricket at Otter Bay to make a custom neoprene lens hood for his Nauticam housing and wide angle port. Hmm. Photoessay of a DIY project? Featuring Otter Bay? Sure enough, it was a post by our very own mo2vation!

See it here: http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php...2Botter+%2Bbay

Here's mo2vation's lens hood:

[Fish Eater]

Part Two:

Rather than make a trip down to Monterey to have Cricket measure and construct a custom hood for my Olympus PT-EP06L housing (for the E-PM1), I went with an Op/Tech XL neoprene hood, available at any good local camera store (or on-line).

Here is the lineup of "Hood Hats" from Op/Tech:



It fit, but was a bit loose and too long, extending all the way back to the body of the housing. Plus, it was a bit of a challenge to grab the edge of the hood to fit it over the lens port. I considered cutting the length in half and folded the hood inward to see where to cut. That did it! With the fold, the size was perfect, the length was perfect and the stiffness and edge was perfect for refitting it. So, I broke out the can of black neoprene cement and gooped the inside up and folded it inward. Perfect.

Then, after two trips to the local fabric and craft stores looking for suitable nylon webbing without any luck, I found exactly what I needed from REI. I just needed $0.70 worth of military grade tubular webbing and elastic. (BTW, is there a secret recognition code or sign that one must flash in order to get any kind of actual service at a fabric store? Or, did I blow it by being male?)

The local shoe repair lady sewed it up for me, while I waited and for FREE!

Photos of my rig to follow.

[Fish Eater]

Here's my lens hood with the regular port, in protection mode:



Here's my lens hood in shooting mode:



Here's my lens hood with the wide angle wet lens:



THANKS KEN!!

[Mo2vation]

Dude... I just shed a tear



So excellent - great thinking.

I love this place.


-K

[Fish Eater]

I finally had a chance to test this out on a dive. Three dives at Annacapa off the Raptor.

It worked like a charm!

In the water, it slipped off and under the tray, where I could completely forget about it. Before handing it up to the boat, it was super easy to slide back into place.

Why isn't this "standard issue"?

Thanks again, Ken!


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[Mo2vation]

Hahahaha

Lots of things should be "standard issue" - that's a great topic for another thread.

You pull yours down? Interesting. I pull mine UP, and kinda pile it on TOP of the port - not at the bottom of the tray.

So glad you're loving it. Wish I had this BEFORE I scratched my Dome port....

:-D

-K

[Fish Eater]

I pulled it down, because up would interfere with the zoom control on the front. I haven't found any downsides to down (so to speak).

Also, I was inspired by your soft handle. I use a piece of 1" mil spec tubular webbing. I burned holes in each end and ran the bolts that hold the balls on the top of the tray handles through them. That, too worked great.


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[Mo2vation]

Nice!!!

Great idea. Some pics, please!


-K

[Fish Eater]

Nice!!!

Great idea. Some pics, please!

-K

Here are some shots of my soft handle:

[Fish Eater]

[Fish Eater]

[Fish Eater]