Warning with the Ikelite 8" dome port

I love Ikelite. This is my second Ike housing, the first for the D100.

I just got back from the Galapagos on the Aggressor. At Darwin, dove with the 10.5mm to take pixs of the whale sharks. The 8" dome port is a great dome port, but with the 10.5mm, there is no true lock to make sure the port is attached to the housing. For all other lenses, the port is locked, for the 10.5mm, you push the port on, and rotate to the stop to keep the port on. At depth, there is absolutely no problem. The port is staying on ( i think probably due to the high water pressure). The problem is when you get to the surface.

Getting on to the panga, i handed up my camera, got myself into the panga, looked over to attend to my camera and the port was partially off. About 10 cc of salt water in the housing. F**k!!!!!! I think what happened was when my buddy helped to grab my camera out of the water, the port got twisted and part of the port got pulled off. Luckily the camera and lens were fine.

I dove the rest of the wk with the dome port and there were no problems. Of course, i retired the 10.5 after the scare. I made sure to use lenses and port combos that were locked in.

So warning to everybody, be careful using the 10.5mm with the Ikelite 8" dome port, especially in surge and strong current. I wish I hadn't sold my 6" dome for the 10.5mm. .....

Larry (and others),

Because of having to locate super wide tiny body lenses close enough to the 8" dome port to avoid vignetting the low profile rear extension was developed. You use "low profile" port locks and as you state lLOCK THEM and bayonet your port on rotating until it hits a stop. This is the same sealing concept as many other housings use. And as long as you don't grab the port and rotate back it works fine.

I make a habit of showing a guide where and how to grab my housing, BY THE HANDLES, after I fold up the strobe arms. I als avoid rinse tank soaking like the plage since there is so little water pressure on all the seals.

I've also posted many times the following suggestion. With ANY bayonet or threaded port system slap some duct tape behind the port body and housing body. Like at 3 and 6 o'clock. One glance and you can tell if it's coming unthreaded. Many people inlove with their housing's looks versus using the tool to make images refuse to do this at their own peril

In addition you can mark two aligning spots on the port back body and your housing body, so you can glance over the top of your housing and see it's still rotated all the way on.

Just my 2 cents, and we all know as we get older people usually don't want to hear opinions from old salty curmudgeons

Hope this helps!

dhaas

One more thing.....

The 8" dome is great for over / under shots, etc. But the super wide Nikon 10.5mm also works very, very well with Ikelite's lower profile #5503.15 super wide mini-dome port.

Many Nikon shooters I know use this smaller port very effectively with their 10.5mm lens.

YMMV

dhaas

2nd one more thing

Why oh why do people insist on putting a scratchy, salt water saturated neoprene port cover on their ports IN THE WATER where is simply rubs against your port? The very act of stretching, yanking, screwing with this on your port at a whopping physical 1' of water pressure is simply asking for trouble IMHO....

Protect your port once back on the boat by rinsing the port with the freshest water possible and patting, not rubbing dry. This is after all your underwater viewing window the lens looks through on your system!

Something I'll never understand.....There goes that old curmudgeon in me again

Argghhhhh me mateys!!!!

dhaas

thanks dhass

I'm going to try the duck tape idea.

I unfortunately sold my low profile 6" dome port. I'll have to obtain another one.

Thanks for posting the tips David,

I was intrigued by your comment about the rinse tank.

I als avoid rinse tank soaking like the plage since there is so little water pressure on all the seals.

Of course I agree never to put your housing in the public rinse tank where it sloshes around with all the other cameras and accidental mask defog. But you seem to imply that you don't rinse it at all?

I usually rinse my camera in the 12-pack sized soft cooler that is my camera bag. This prevents ut from banging with others and keeps it wet to prevent salt water crystalizing on the seals. I have noticed on occasion even after careful rinsing/soaking back in the hotel bathtub 5mm x 5mm salt crystals growing after storing the camera awhile.

What do you recommend? Is a quick freshwater rinse on the boat sufficent?

Chris,

I just returned tonight from a Tiger Shark Expedition where I used my Ikelite housing for 5 straight days with barely a longer than 30 second to 2 minute soak. The key as you mentioned is to rinse in fresh water before salt can crystallize. I submerge and push the little spring loaded push buttons mostly. Control shafts are usually fine for years and only need a bit of o-ring grease once in a while.

I really pay attention to the port and eyepiece window, rinsing with clean fresh water, and patting, not rubbing these two important parts dry.

Home tonight, everything is aprt, and over the next couple days will go to my basement and push the little buttons a few more times. No matter what you do, you will NEVER get it all. Small white crystals will be on stuff, and after about a week an old toothbrush can remove any of that.

Anything more than that, I think you are wasting your time to no benefit.

And as far as big rinse tanks, as I mentioned I avoid them. I'll wait a couple minutes to get my gear off and do my "shake and bake" slow sloshing and button pushing rather than risk a bang ' em up with other people's gear and possible flood.

YMMV

dhaas

Thanks David,

Good to know that the salt crystals are "normal" and don't seem to cause any harm. The eyepiece window for some reason is where I see this the most as well.

Good advice about following up with a toothbrush while soaking as well.

Thanks again for the advice.