Plastic Step Rings

[j3zz 0]

I have just bought a sony PC 107 with a 25mm filter thread.

I also bought a kenko X0.43 wide angle with a 37mm thread.

I got a raynox step up ring, my concern is the lens is quite bulky and the ring is only make of hard plastic,

Do people use these sort of step rings or is there a danger of the lens falling off on a firm opening?

Thoughts please preferably from exprience

If a plastic ring is not suitable any idea where I can get a metal ring in the UK

Thanks
Jezz

"Now I know why the birds fly"
Hinton Skydivers

[mr2mk1g 10]

Opinions differ but personally I want a plastic step ring.

My lens costs a TINY fraction of the cost of my camera. If something's going to break I'd prefer it to be the step ring and I lose my lens rather than the whole front of my camera getting ripped off.

If you knock your lens and rip the thread out of the front of your camera you’re looking at an economic write off. A plastic step ring can be seen as sacrificial armour that would prevent that kind of damage.

If you want a metal ring though - try e-bay. I turned this one up in about 3 seconds. I'd hazzard a guess you could find em cheeper if you took longer. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64329&item=3837775917&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

[j3zz 0]

I take it then that you in fact are using a plastic step ring
If so have you lost any lenses and how many jumps have you done using one,

Also what lenses are you using,

Thanks
Jezz

"Now I know why the birds fly"
Hinton Skydivers

[mr2mk1g 10]

I use a Sony 0.6 with a 30mm thread so I don't need a step ring. So I can't give you any assistance with cold hard exp. - I'm a total noob camera flyer - my thoughts are pure theory for me but other exp. camera jumpers I've spoken to have the same take on it. Others don't care and use metal - hence that I say opinions differ.

Either way I think the risks of anything bad happening from a normal opening shock (where the strength difference of the two materials actually matters) are low. If it's something out of the ordniary - riser/plane/person strike then with the forces potentially involved in that sort of impact it won't matter what kind of step ring you're using - you're losing that lens. I'd much rather sacrifice my lens than the front of my camera.

I do have lenses that I use for some jumps (eg a .42 fisheye for inside a tube or something) which require a step ring but I only managed to find myself a plastic one this very weekend. I'll use that in future as I know lenses are peanuts on e-bay. Camera's aren't.

As I said, these are just my thoughts. Others may well differ and I only have something like 80 camera jumps so know virtually nothing more than I've read.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=26379;
http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=26378;

[riggerrob 643]

I got a couple of good aluminum stepper rings from

www.generationfreefly.com

The last one only took two days to get here.

I used them to adapt after-market lenses - with 37mm threads - to cameras with 30 mm and 25 mm threads.

[j3zz 0]

I am planning to do my pre second camera jump tomorrow,

First with no additional lens then with the wide angle I will let you know how I get on. Thats the plan but it might change.

I have a soft opening spectre so should not have a problem but occasionally if I dump in a track it can open a bit brisk, will have to watch for that.,

Jezz

"Now I know why the birds fly"
Hinton Skydivers

[StevePhelps 0]

I had a PC7 with a metal step ring. A riser slap knocked off the wide angle and the front of the camera. Who knows if a plactic ring would have saved the camera, but it would be nice to know.