Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 Zoom Gear Installation // Ikelite 200DL Underwater Housing [VIDEO]

Featuring John Brigham

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S is a popular mid-range zoom lens for topside photography, which can make the transition to underwater photography using your Ikelite underwater housing and dome port. 

Watch the video below or scroll to read the full video transcript.
 

 

If you're shooting a newer Nikon Z-mount style camera and you find yourself wanting to shoot the 24-70mm F4 Z-mount lens, let me show you what you're going to need and how to put it together.

Installing the Zoom Gear in the Housing

In order to zoom the lens, we're going to use the zoom sleeve and clamp assembly. I'm going to be shooting it with the DL Compact 8 inch Dome Port # 75344, and I'm going to combine that with two DL 28mm Port Extension # 75028.

I'm going to use the included tool and remove the protective cap from the housing and set that with my spare parts. Reach in, take the body cap off the camera. 

I'm going to take the gear sleeve and drop it down into the port opening. You'll notice that on the inside diameter of the gear sleeve there are two ribs. I'm going to purposefully make sure one of those ribs corresponds to, and lines up with, the white dot on the camera body. That'll make further assembly when we line the lens up a lot easier. Once you've got that lined up, drop it down into place. Then I'm going to take the sleeve retainer, drop that down and around the gear sleeve. Using the same tool, I'm going to just simply snug that retainer down.

If you didn't get that rib lined up, you can always use the knob on the side of the housing to fine tune that adjustment. Now that we have that in place, I'm going to set that aside.

 

Installing the Zoom Gear Sleeve onto the Lens

Next I'm going to turn my attention to the lens itself. On the clamp you'll notice there are two tabs, make sure that those two tabs are facing away from the camera body. Then I'll take my lens and kind of pre-zoom it to around the mid range, let's shoot for 35mm here.

Before fully installing the lens onto the camera body, make sure the lens switches are set to “A” for auto.

I'm going to take one of those two tabs and that is going to align with the white dot on my lens. Then just walk the clamp up the lens until I get to the zoom ring (the highest ring on the lens).

Now you'll notice that my white dot corresponds to my tab and my rib corresponds to the white dot on the camera, so it'll make it a lot easier for me to just feed that down in and bayonet it onto the camera.

Take the protective cap off the back of the lens and align the ribs in the two tabs of that clamp. Then you're going to simply feel the bayonet the lens onto the camera body. Once you feel the lens click into place, take the zoom knob and make sure that you have proper zoom function.  Now all we have to do is assemble the port and put it onto the housing.

Port Extensions and Compact Dome Port

As mentioned before, I'm going to shoot the Compact 8in. Dome and that's going to require two 28mm Extensions.

I'll combine the two extensions first and make sure that both of the extensions have their three thumb screws unthreaded so that they're not protruding to the inside diameter. I'm also going to check the same thing on the dome port itself.

I'm going to take a little bit of lubricant on my finger and thumb - just enough to overcome the friction so that the o-ring glides into place - and I'm going to apply a little bit on the o-ring and on the ceiling surface. In addition to applying some lubricant on that ceiling surface, I also get the opportunity to feel for any debris that may have built up there that I can't visually see. Then finally applying some lubricant to the ceiling surface of the compact dome port. 

To assemble these I will start by lining up the thumb screw with the corresponding pocket on the extension, then simply push the two pieces together, and then tighten the thumb screws of the top extension ring. When tightening the thumbscrews keep in mind that the seal occurred when the two pieces went together, not when we're tightening down the thumb screws. They just keep the two pieces retained so you only need to finger tighten these. I'll do the same with the thumbscrews on the dome port.

Here you can see the thumbscrews on the extensions properly aligned with the thumbscrew and shade on the dome port. These will be at the top "noon" of your housing when assembled.

When looking at the dome port, you'll see there's a shade at the top and the bottom. Only one of those three thumb screws is going to correspond to one of those two shades, that will be the top. Again correspond that thumb screw to the pocket and the extension, line those up and push together, then tighten those three thumb screws down on the port.

Then repeat that step one more time on the housing itself: apply a small bit of lubricant, check for debris on sealing surfaces, make sure thumbscrews are backed out, align the top shade with the top of the housing, press together, and then tighten the three thumbscrews. 

Now you have a fully encapsulated 24-70mm lens as well as the ability to zoom it. If you have any questions whatsoever feel free to shoot us an email to ikelite@ikelite.com.

 

Products Featured

• DL Compact 8" Dome Port # 75344
• (2) DL 28mm Port Extension # 75028
• Zoom Gear # 5509.28

 

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John Brigham is the Vice President & head of product development at Ikelite. He was born with a flair for design and an entrepreneurial spirit as son of Ikelite founder Ike Brigham. He worked his way up in the business and is a natural fit in the R&D side of things. John dives the equipment as much as possible to test product and put himself in the "fins" of the user. You may also find him on the other end of an email or phone call when you reach out for product advice and support. When he's not underwater he's flying drones, setting off rockets, training his German Shepherd "T2", and spending time with his family.