Trays and Base Adapters for Underwater Photography

What will your camera be attached to?

If you own a Nikonos Camera or a Sea and Sea Motor Marine II you need to decide whether you will use the tray you own or get one of Ultralight’s trays. See trays below.
Trays for Digital cameras available, see digital still housing section.

For all trays you will need to start building your arm set with a Base Adapter.

For a Nikonos tray you have the choice of a handle (AC-H), a quick disconnect handle (AC-HQD) or a base ball adapter (AD-3816). Any of these three choices slide into the slot on the Nikonos tray. If you are only using one strobe then the base fits on the left side of the tray. All handles have a ball on the top of them. The handles and the AD-3816 are base adapters.

If you own a Sea and Sea tray our handles will not fit on it. Your tray may have a “T” plate on it, so you would start your arm system off with a BA-TG which fits over this “T” plate. If you do not have a “T” plate on your tray then you can put any number of base adapters on this tray.

BA-TG
"T" plate, BA-TP with BA-TG
               BA-DT               BA-AD

                      BA-DB (plate)

BA-DB BA-AQ
                                           BA-AQN                  BA-AQW

BA-DB- A dovetail plate
BA-AQW - Fixed ball screws directly onto the handle
BA-DB - a dovetail shoe into which you would slide a BA-DT (straight dovetail)
BA-DB - a dovetail shoe into which you would slide a BA-AD (angled dovetail)

The BA-TP will then require a BA-TG to go over it. The BA-DB will require a BA-AD or a BA-DT to slide into it. It is important to inform your dealer what you are putting the piece you select onto so they can supply the appropriate thread size bolt or screw for the base adapter. Some are metric, others are US threads.

Any of these three base adapters fit on the handles of the housings that have built in handles. You need metric screws (5mm) for Nauticam, Sea and Sea and US screws for the Aquatica housings (1/4-20). If you need to remove the arm in a hurry usually underwater to hand the light or strobe to someone else, use the base adapters with two parts. If you don't need to remove them in a hurry, then the BA-AQ's are recommended. If you are using any ULCS trays a handle would be your base adapter.

TR-SBLD is a tray that is 14.5" long, takes the AC-H handle on one or both ends or the AD-3816-2 ball adater. Either can be moved right or left for positioning for your hands. This picture shows it on a Subal housing; but can be used on Hugyfot housings, Ikelite SLR housings and others. Can be supplied with a 1/4-20 bolts or metric bolts. For Subal housings and some Ikelite SLR housings, also works well on the Sea and Sea housings that do not come with handles

TR-SBLD

TR-SBLD on a Subal housing

Quick disconnect handle and plain handle

On the single or double Nikonos trays you can put a handle (AC-H) or a quick disconnect handle (AC-HQD) on the left side of it. You can put a AD-3816 on the right side for your second strobe or on both side instead of a handle for attaching your strobes. These handles and AD-3816 are base adapters. These handles are also used on our TR-DM in the digital tray section or the TR-SBLD, above

CP-NK - Our pivot tray that can be used for one or two strobes for use with Nikonos cameas only Pivot without any attachments)

For the pivot, base adapters can be attached to one or both sides. A handle is a nice addition to the left side. This handle mounts with a handle bracket.
(AC-HB). This bracket allows you to move the handle from right to left so you can have a nice compact system for macro or moved all the way to the left will allow you to pivot the camera with a large view finder on it.

Nikonos on a pivot with handle on left
and BA-AQN on right

If you are using dual strobes with your pivot, you will need a base adapter for the right arm set. You have three choices:

BA-AD - Dovetail shoe (plate) with a BA-AD, an angled dovetail ball
BA-DB - Dovetail shoe (plate) with a BA-DT, dovetail ball
BA-AQN - A fixed base ball direct to the pivot

If you do not desire a handle on the left, these three base adapters can be used on the left side also.

Three choices of base
adapters for right side of
pivot (top to bottom)

TRAYS FOR NIKONOS CAMERAS

TR-NKS - A single tray, designed for use with only strobe TR-NKD - A double tray, designed for use with one or two strobes
Picture shows Single tray with handle and a double tray with handle and base adapter, AD-3816, these trays are for NIkonos cameras only

Getting Started - Trays and Base Adapters