Underwater photographers, do you have trouble balancing different dome-ports, keeping your set-up stable and safe on a rocking dive-boat or achieving rapid one-handed attachment of accessories such as strobes or snoots?
California manufacturer Ultralight Camera Solutions (ULCS) has released three new accessories designed to solve what it says have been identified as recurring challenges for underwater photographers.
Its Camera Dome Weight Trim Kit; a Stabilising Plate for video and stills photography; and AC-AQD04 Quick-Release Adapter were all developed after identifying gaps in the underwater camera accessory market, according to ULCS.
“We had dealers asking for these solutions,” says owner Ken Kollwitz. “These products exist because people kept running into the same problems, and there weren’t good options available – or the existing options had significant drawbacks.”
The Camera Dome Weight Trim Kit addresses the “fundamental challenge” of achieving proper balance when using dome ports of different sizes and materials, according to ULCS.
Acrylic dome-ports create upward buoyancy, causing the front of the camera housing to rise under water, whereas glass dome-ports, particularly larger ones, add significant weight to the front of the housing – both conditions affecting a photographer’s ability to maintain proper trim and control.
The ULCS trim kit mounts to the bottom of the camera housing and allows photographers to add adjustable weight where needed.
The protective rubber pad on the base of the housing can be badly damaged when using the only comparable product, says ULCS, whereas its design can accommodate different dome sizes and materials and allows photographers to customise the weight configuration for their specific dome port set-up. It costs £96.
Heavily rigged underwater camera systems, with multiple strobes arms, and accessories attached tend to tilt and rock when placed on the deck of a dive-boat operating in rough conditions, increasing the risk of damage and complicating pre-dive preparations, says ULCS, with its Stabilising Plate offering reassuring stability during staging and deployment.
Kollwitz says that he identified the need for the product after observing the challenge repeatedly in the field, and claims that the ULCS plate suits a more universal range of video and stills camera housings while remaining less expensive than competing products. The price is £132.
The AC-AQD04 adaptor is a 10cm quick-disconnect arm designed for fast, one-handed attachment of underwater lights, strobes, snoots and other equipment.
The adapter features a push-button release mechanism and compact design to streamline underwater photo and video set-ups.
“There are other brands making similar products, but ours has fewer moving parts, can be used with one hand and photographers can service it themselves,” says Kollwitz. “We also plan to use this as a starting point for other quick-disconnect products.” It retails for £33.
ULCS was founded in 1995 and its products are available internationally from its website.
Also on Divernet: TigerShark Quick-Release System for Photographers
