The Sea Frog Swims Again

TEXT & PHOTOS BY NICOLENE OLCKERS

Photography underwater only came to my interest once I was working as a scuba instructor at a busy resort not far from the then-notorious Manta Reef. Underwater photographers came from all over the world to dive with and photograph the iconic Manta Rays and Whale sharks in the Mozambican Indian Ocean.

Last year, I had the privilege to use the ‘Rolls Royce’ of housings, the Nauticam, with an 8inch wide-angle dome port for a short while. To say I felt spoilt rotten is a gross understatement. I own a Sea Frogs housing 9 (also called the Meikon housing). Both housings fit the Canon EOS 5D MK IV with a 1635mm f28 MK II lens.

On a recent trip around the country’s coast, visiting dive centres for marketing purposes, I had the privilege to dive with shark legend. Walter Bernardis He took me to see the Bull Sharks around the Aliwal shoal reef. This female, known as ‘Smiley’, suffered a broken jaw after being caught on a heavy hook. Equipment: Canon EOS5D MK IV, 16-35mm Mk II lens set at 20mm, 1/160 sec, f/71, iso 640, Manual spot metering in the Sea Frogs housing).

BULL SHART ON ALIWAL SHOAL REEF BULL SHART ON ALIWAL SHOAL REEF

I will not compare these housings and will let you know my thoughts and experiences of owning the composite Sea Frogs housing instead. Yes, the logo is still on the housing. The housing was originally purchased online. The package deal included a flat or so-called “standard” port and the small 6-inch dome port It was given a name after all – the “Vlei Parra”. The translation to English is the Wetland Frog because it wants to float to the surface.

HOUSING WITH STROBES FITTED HOUSING WITH STROBES FITTED

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Most serious photographers would, by now, just shake their heads. Buying a plastic housing, online, to take an expensive camera underwater is not for the fainthearted, and most would tell you that you are taking a considerable risk. Taking any digital camera, in any underwater case, is risky business. You need to know how to look after the housing. How to set it up and what precautions to take once you have loaded the camera and connected the lighting systems.

This setup procedure must be done preferably the night before diving. It will allow you to test that every switch, dial, and strobe is working or doing what it is supposed to do before you go underwater. But you all know that by now.

My initial impression of the Frog was that it was bulky but lightweight The box showed that it would be able to either house the Canon EOS 5D MkIV. Or the MkIII camera with minor changes. The first issue was to find out what lens would fit in the flat port that arrived fitted to the housing. Nowhere in the paperwork, on the port or the web, does anyone advise you on which lens to use with this port It also has no markings to indicate this I only use the flat port when I feel like trying some macro images with a Canon 50mm compact macro lens.

The dome port - WA 0005 -comfortably fitted the 16-35mm Mk II wide-angle and the 2470mm Mk II lenses. These are the ones I use primarily for underwater photography I find it relatively easy to do wide-angle underwater images, although I prefer an 8-inch dome. And don’t forget the Tokina 11-17mm fisheye lens for those perfect superwide close-ups (the latter is on my wishlist).

THE VACUUM

Generally, the housing does what it was designed for – to keep the imaging equipment inside safe, dry and operable.

THE FITTED VACUUM UNIT THE FITTED VACUUM UNIT

Fellow diver and renowned macro photographer, Carel van der Colff, advised me to invest in the vacuum system as the housing design includes a vacuum port. The sensor and pump can be purchased separately. Once again, it is a simple design that takes getting used to. With the miniature pump, to evacuate the air from the housing, you feel like pumping or vacuuming for a long while before the red indicator light change to green. The green light confirms the housing is sealed. The vacuum unit manual states that one should remove the unit after testing the seal I leave it in place and have dived with it to 37 m without issues. All controls or buttons are operational outside, and the green light blinks cheerfully.

THE PUMP BEING USED TO VACUUM SEAL THE HOUSING

ZOOMING

With both lenses having zoom capabilities, it is possible to fit them with a zoom accessory. I received one that fits the 24-70mm lens circumference. The basic design is crude, and I find the zoom to be uneven and scratchy. The gear ring also tends to move out of alignment when fitting the camera into the housing and port. So, I don't usually use this.

STILLS OR VIDEO

The next issue was experienced while diving on the wrecks at Smitswinkel Bay, Western Cape. As usual, I fell off the boat, holding the camera close to my chest Doing so protects it from the water impact. Once underwater, I discovered that I had accidentally switched from camera to video mode and could not return the switch to camera mode. Even if you get it set up correctly on the surface, once underwater and the control makes it impossible to revert back. The arm/switch connector design is really silly. Once you use it, you cannot switch it back without opening the housing. This happened to me on several occasions, so since then, I have realised that I have to decide in advance whether I will be shooting still images or doing video clips before setting the vacuum and going underwater.

THE STILL-VIDEO CONNECTOR - OUTSIDE OF HOUSING THE STILL-VIDEO CONNECTOR - OUTSIDE OF HOUSING

LIGHTING

The housing is fitted with a standard Nikonos bulkhead for strobe connection. Although Ikelite state on their website that their cable does not fit this housing, I have tried it and found it fits and functions with two DS 160 Strobes. Fortunately, I was given an Ikelite to Ikelite dual sync chord and found that the standard Ikelite bulkhead fits the opening where the Nikonos bulkhead connector was. The non-TTL and hot-shoe connector works and fits perfectly.

INSIDE THE HOUSING, THE IKELITE NON-TTL INSIDE THE HOUSING, THE IKELITE NON-TTL HOT-SHOE AND BULKHEAD CONNECTORS ARE VISIBLE HOT-SHOE AND BULKHEAD CONNECTORS ARE VISIBLE

INSIDE THE HOUSING, THE IKELITE NON-TTL INSIDE THE HOUSING, THE IKELITE NON-TTL HOT-SHOE AND BULKHEAD CONNECTORS ARE VISIBLE HOT-SHOE AND BULKHEAD CONNECTORS ARE VISIBLE

CONCLUSION

Many underwater photographers in South Africa are fortunate to have the means to purchase durable equipment at least once in their lifetime. Looking at the cost of wellknown housings, this is a bargain. There are some niggles and simple design issues, but – in the final analysis – it works. With the rate at which technology in photography is developing, one will need to upgrade constantly to have the best at your fingertips and hope that you can justify spending a small fortune on the equipment most would use 2 to 5 times a year. This housing does what it was made for and keeps your gear safe, just like the more expensive ones do. Yes, it does not look like much, but treated correctly, it will work fine – both under and on top of the water.

This Frog loves diving, and having proof of what I witnessed underwater, put a warm hand on my heart many times. And I certainly have a few new cool images in my archives, thanks to that.