Raynox HD 5050 - Snag hazard?

[Tommy_O 0]

Hi there,

I have a camera set up on order, and have been looking for a lens for it (see my other thread). I've decided on a Raynox 5050 as it's HD, and here in the UK it's cheaper than the low profile Royal lenses (as well as better quality). I'd love a century 0.55, but I can't afford to pay import on it (you can't buy them over here, would import from B&H), and they won't send to certain addresses.

Anyway.

Is the Raynox going to be too much of a snag hazard?

Relevant info:

Setup - Sony CX7 topmounted on a Tonfly Fuego Pro. Cutaway system installed.

Me - 200 jumps, 100 within the last 2 months, continuing to jump at a rate of 40 jumps/month over the summer. Sabre 2 170, moving to a Sabre 2 150 soon, probably before I start jumping camera.

I've seen the lens in person, and it's BIG, but will topmounting it help at all? I guess that would reduce the chance of an entanglement, or is it only going to help reduce riser strikes? Or neither?

Cheers!

Tom

I would have put this in my old thread, but it's not been discussed before and is a totally seperate issue IMO!

[frost 1]

It definitely has a much higher snag factor. You can minimize the chances of that happening by putting your chin on your chest on opening, but it's not a guarantee - i do it all the time but, as i wrote in a neighboring thread, I had mine snapped off the camera on a bad opening last weekend. Has it been my Royal .5 - it would still be here. The awesome High Def 100 dollar Raynox 5050 is now somewhere in the field :)

[PharmerPhil 0]

Depending on how you mount the Raynox, it will present somewhat of a hazard. But I can't imagine any side-mount not presenting a little hazard unless it is just a single element lens (and even then sometimes). However, the Raynox is smaller than most other multi-element lenses.

The safer bet would be to top mount the camera, and fill the area under the lens so lines would just glance off the lens and not be able to loop around the lens. Here is a photo of the Raynox 5050 lens on my top-mount. Notice the block under the front of the lens which I think is critical for safety:

http://www.philroberson.com/skydivephotos2007/J2727.htm

[Tommy_O 0]

Cheers Phil, that seems a good solution. Is that just a wooden block cut and stuck?
You just do that with a lump of wood and a jigsaw?
I don't have the setup yet, but would hope that the lens doesn't overhang the front of the helmet (if that makes sense), as then it's not going to be possible to do this. If that were the case, I'm not going to jumping it with a multi-element lens on! (At least not yet anyway...)
Tricky thing is, no-one knows what a top-mount CX7 on a Fuego Pro looks like, as the first helmets with that cover are on the production line right now (mine being one).

[PharmerPhil 0]

Quote

Is that just a wooden block cut and stuck?

I used a piece of 3/8-inch thick nylon stock I had around (UHMW), but wood should do. You may even find some thick plexiglas to make it out of. Come to think of it, if you could find some thick carbon-fiber sheet stock, that would be very cool. I used a circle cutter to get the part that butts onto the lens, and then tapped the bottom and screwed it to the top plate from below.

I have also seen some flyers use round metal stock bent around the top of the lens and then fastened to the top plate on either side. Looked like it worked well too.