Camera box Q's

[hobbzz]

OK, so I whipped together a camera box today, and managed not to spill any weld-on on the bottom piece...yay for me.

BUT, I get reflections in the acrylic. I have a canopy that opens on the top, and the lights are mounted to the lid. So I can't make a box that the camera sits in, because I wouldn't be able to steady it when shooting due to the fact that I wouldn't be able to get a tripod over the sides of the canopy. So I just made a 5"x5"x3" box that sits on the top of the water, and I hang the camera over the side of the canopy mounted on the tripod. There is about 6-8" between the lens and the bottom pane of acrylic.

So my question is...

Am I getting reflections because of the space between the lens and box, or because of the fact that I didn't paint the sides of the box black?

If it's because of the space, what do people with canopies like mine do?

 

[KurtsReef]

I think you having a problem due to the space between front of your lens and the bottom of the box.

What kind of camera?
Are you using a flash, and is that what is reflecting?

I want to get a top down box, have never used one the above is purely a guess from experience shooting other things. When shooting hockey for instance if going through the plexiglass you want to be right on the plexiglass or you get reflections.

 

[hobbzz]

That's what I was afraid of. Camera is a D200 and I never use the flash on my tanks. Maybe I'll try painting the sides black and see if that helps a little, considering I can't think of anything else to do.

 

[KurtsReef]

(If you posted images, I cannot see them at work due to photobucket being blocked)

If the reflection if from an ouside source then making the sides impervious to light would help. I assume the box is too deep for the lens your using to reach the bottom?

I have asked for one to be made at a LFS by a guy that does a lot of acrylic work and gave them dimensions large enough (wide) for even my larger lenses to fit into but had given no thought to the depth of the box.

 

[hobbzz]

The box is only three inches deep. I'll try painting the sides and see how that works.

 

[hobbzz]

No one else has any ideas or experience?

 

[Scythanith]

I added a black liner in the box and try my best to block out any other light coming in from the top of the box. That's all you can do.