First time shooting underwater will be Honeymoon. What do I do?

I recently purchased a new Olympus PT-019 housing and a slightly used Olympus C-5000 camera. It was the best bang for the buck that I could find. I will be using it on my honeymoon in St. John (USVI) this fall.

So what is the best way to clean the camera and keep spots off the lens portal on the casing. We will be doing a lot of snorkeling, and won’t have immediate access to fresh water to wash the casing after our “dives†(very shallow dives, at that wink). So what would you recommend? Should I bring a water bottle to give it a rinse on the beach, then when we get back to the cottage, give it a nice bath in fresh water?

My other question has to do with the O-ring. The camera housing I purchased is new, but it’s obviously an older model. It’s probably been sitting around a warehouse for a while. So will the O-ring need to be replaced up front, or should it be in good shape until the housing is used in the elements? What about lubricating it with the silicone gel? To my eyes, the O-ring appears to be in good shape out of the box.

Please excuse my ignorance. I think I’m a pretty capable photographer on land, but underwater is new territory for me.

Thanks.

So what is the best way to clean the camera and keep spots off the lens portal on the casing. We will be doing a lot of snorkeling, and won’t have immediate access to fresh water to wash the casing after our “dives†(very shallow dives, at that wink). So what would you recommend? Should I bring a water bottle to give it a rinse on the beach, then when we get back to the cottage, give it a nice bath in fresh water?

Rinse it with a water bottle is a good idea and a good soak back in the cottage should be fine (particulalry since you do not have any other options it sounds like ) ). You could bring a cooler and fill that with water, but probably not really necessary and more of a PITA. Make sure you do not open the case on the beach, you do not want sand getting in there, or if you must open it be real careful. The spots, if any, should probably dissapear when you get back in the water (the salt build-up which may have occurred) fairly quickly.

My other question has to do with the O-ring. The camera housing I purchased is new, but it’s obviously an older model. It’s probably been sitting around a warehouse for a while. So will the O-ring need to be replaced up front, or should it be in good shape until the housing is used in the elements? What about lubricating it with the silicone gel? To my eyes, the O-ring appears to be in good shape out of the box.

You probably will want to buy an extra O-Ring at the very minimum. Using the lubrication as recommended by Olympus is something you should do, but do not put too much on it. And make sure you test this in the water before hand. Play with all the controls and see if water gets into the housing. You may want to have a shop look at it ahead of time (not sure who services the Oly housings off the top of my head, but some shops listed ---> are some places to call around to.)

You may also want your first dive to be without the camera in the housing, put a piece of tissue in the housing (and probably add the weight on the bottom so it does not float too much) then play with all the controls at depth. If water is getting in you will feel it on the tissue. (Colored tissue paper also works well since it will get darker where it is wet and is a bit easier to see.)

Please excuse my ignorance. I think I’m a pretty capable on land, but underwater is new territory for me.

Thanks.

A slight rearrangement of the above might provide some guidance for you, sorry I couldn't resist. The way my sick mind read your post;

I will be on my honeymoon in St. John (USVI) this fall. It was the best bang for the buck that I could find. So what is the best way to clean it? We will be doing a lot of it and won’t have immediate access to fresh water to wash after our “dives†very shallow dives, at that. (My condolences). So what would you recommend? Should I bring a water bottle to give it a rinse on the beach, then when we get back to the cottage, give it a nice bath in fresh water?

My other question is what to do with it. The one I purchased is new, but it’s obviously an older model. It’s probably been sitting around for a while. So when will it need to be replaced? What about lubricating it? To my eyes, it appears to be in good shape..

Please excuse my ignorance. I think I’m a pretty capable on land, but underwater is new territory for me.

(The way I read Drew's answer, just a slight edit)

Rinse it with a water bottle is a good idea and a good soak back in the cottage should be fine Make sure you do not open it on the beach, you do not want sand getting in there, or if you must open it be real careful. The spots, if any, should probably dissapear fairly quickly. Using the lubrication as recommended is something you should do, but do not put too much on it. And make sure you test this in the water before hand. Play with all the controls and see how they respond. You may want to have a look at it ahead of time.

You may also want your first time to be without the camera, play with all the controls at depth. If water is getting in you will feel it.

Welcome to Wetpixel McKev! While I can appreciate your dedication to underwater photography, I would have serious questions about your spouse's acceptance of your lack of attention to her during your honeymoon. That is my apprehension assuming she doesn't share your passion for U/W photos. If she does then my congratulations!

Steve

(The way I read Drew's answer, just a slight edit)

 

Rinse it with a water bottle is a good idea and a good soak back in the cottage should be fine Make sure you do not open it on the beach, you do not want sand getting in there, or if you must open it be real careful. The spots, if any, should probably dissapear fairly quickly. Using the lubrication as recommended is something you should do, but do not put too much on it. And make sure you test this in the water before hand. Play with all the controls and see how they respond. You may want to have a look at it ahead of time.

You may also want your first time to be without the camera, play with all the controls at depth. If water is getting in you will feel it.

LMAO. Steve, don't go scaring away the kids I do not think you are sick (well, that much )

Mckev

A piece of advise based on experience

1- Keep your housing and camera out of reach of you newly wife . Strange things can happen to it when you are not looking.

2- Find a good spa or shop for her ( a non limit credit card will help a lot )

3- Don't show like you are having a great time taking u/w pictures, just say that is ok.

No matter what you do , be prepared for the claims after a cople of days !

And may the Force be with you ........

JA

Everyone,

Thanks for the advice...I think

My fiance is in to the same things I am. We plan to spend the entire honeymoon hiking, snorkeling, taking pictures, relaxing on the beach. So no issues there.

Uh, aren't you forgetting one or more of the favorite honeymoon activities McKev?

No seriously - my wife and I both brought our cameras on our honeymoon to Bali and we had a great time.

Your strategy sounds fine. If possible, keep the housing wet after you get out of the water until you get back to the cottage to rinse it thoroughly. When SW dries in the buttons, it forms razor sharp salt crystals that can cut the tiny o-rings in there.

Cheers

James

Here is what I do on dive outings with no rinsing, after being taught this by another diver.

Buy a waterproof bag that is large enough for your camera housing.

DO NOT buy the backpacking, light weight models as they last about 5 minutes on a dive boat.

Go with the a thick, sturdy model designed for canoe trips/boating for keeping things dry.

(BassPro had them in the USA, probably Cabela's too.)

Fill the bag to 1/3-1/2 full of water, more or less - then fold the top down and seal in your fresh water.

Take it to the beach, dive boat, whatever.

Now you have your own personal rinse tank for your housing with you.

Your rinse bag is relatively small and light for travel and works well for rinsing.

Should be great for the beach.

Just leave it in the bag until you are at the cottage again or ready for the next dive.

NOTE: do not use it as a mask de-fog rinse tank as the anti-fog may effect the O-ring, from what I have been told. You CAN drain a bit of water out to the mask and rinse off the anti-fog that way.

When I get back to a real rinse tank or home, I give it a nice bath for a while prior to opening.

This has worked for me for quite some yrs now.. hope it helps.

AND

I am going to St John, USVI in FEB, 2009. Please be kind enought to let me know what dives to go on, which to avoid, and which operator you like - if any.

So far, I find none that have storage for any gear on their site based on websearches/phone calls.

Any info is welcome!

Hope that helps,

Dave

Here is what I do on dive outings with no rinsing, after being taught this by another diver.

 

Buy a waterproof bag that is large enough for your camera housing.

DO NOT buy the backpacking, light weight models as they last about 5 minutes on a dive boat.

Go with the a thick, sturdy model designed for canoe trips/boating for keeping things dry.

(BassPro had them in the USA, probably Cabela's too.)

 

Fill the bag to 1/3-1/2 full of water, more or less - then fold the top down and seal in your fresh water.

 

Take it to the beach, dive boat, whatever.

 

Now you have your own personal rinse tank for your housing with you.

Thats an awesome idea!!! Thanks Dave!

Greg

Dave,

Sounds like a great idea. I would imagine something like this would work?...

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...t=SearchResults

As for St. John, I would be glad to give any advice after we get back. We will be doing a lot of snorkeling, and may or may not go scuba diving. I am not certified yet, but my fiance is...and she would be going for her advanced certification, if we take a course before we go.

I've heard that St. John is a great snorkeling spot, but not the best for scuba diving, because of the shallow waters. St. Croix is supposedly great, though. This will be our honeymoon, and our first time to the USVI. So snorkeling in those waters will probably enough for this trip.

Thanks for the advice.

Dave,

 

Sounds like a great idea. I would imagine something like this would work?...

 

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...t=SearchResults

 

As for St. John, I would be glad to give any advice after we get back. We will be doing a lot of snorkeling, and may or may not go scuba diving. I am not certified yet, but my fiance is...and she would be going for her advanced certification, if we take a course before we go.

 

I've heard that St. John is a great snorkeling spot, but not the best for scuba diving, because of the shallow waters. St. Croix is supposedly great, though. This will be our honeymoon, and our first time to the USVI. So snorkeling in those waters will probably enough for this trip.

 

Thanks for the advice.

Your basspro website looks similar to what I have and I would think that would work.

Hoping St. John is great for you. My wife is certified but really does not want to dive on most vacations. If we find shallow, fun dives, maybe she will do some.

I hope to take a daytrip to BVI, perhaps Virgin Gorda.

Let me know how it all works out.

Dave

Dave

Your rinse bag is relatively small and light for travel and works well for rinsing.

Should be great for the beach.

Just leave it in the bag until you are at the cottage again or ready for the next dive.

 

Dave

Dave,

Do you leave the camera in the housing, while the housing is in the rinse bag...or do you give the housing a dunk in the rinse bag, dry it off, take out the camera, and put the housing back (sealed, of course) in the rinse bag?

Dave,

 

Do you leave the camera in the housing, while the housing is in the rinse bag...or do you give the housing a dunk in the rinse bag, dry it off, take out the camera, and put the housing back (sealed, of course) in the rinse bag?

I leave the camera IN the housing. After diving, I take off my strobe and dunk the housing in the bag with good mixing. The goal is to rinse off all the salt water before the water evaporates (or you dry it), generating salt crystals. I also dunk the strobe in after the housing comes out.

If I were at a beach, I would just leave the housing/camera and all in the bag. The bag works fine as a soft carrying case as long as you do not bang it into something. When ready to go back into the water, the housing is ready to go as well.

You certainly do not want to open the casing on a beach, in my opinion. Sand would find its way inside or into an O-ring.

You also do not want to expose the casing to direct sunllight for long as it heats, then cools, leaving 'fog' condensation inside the casing. I have had this happen and its not fun to find you have condensation inside while you are trying to take what could have been a great picture.

Drain the bag at the end of the day and refill it for the next day when its time to go out.

let me know if you have more questions. I will be out of touch for a week.

Dave

A slight rearrangement of the above might provide some guidance for you, sorry I couldn't resist. The way my sick mind read your post;

 

I will be on my honeymoon in St. John (USVI) this fall. It was the best bang for the buck that I could find. So what is the best way to clean it? We will be doing a lot of it and won’t have immediate access to fresh water to wash after our “dives†very shallow dives, at that. (My condolences). So what would you recommend? Should I bring a water bottle to give it a rinse on the beach, then when we get back to the cottage, give it a nice bath in fresh water?

My other question is what to do with it. The one I purchased is new, but it’s obviously an older model. It’s probably been sitting around for a while. So when will it need to be replaced? What about lubricating it? To my eyes, it appears to be in good shape..

Please excuse my ignorance. I think I’m a pretty capable on land, but underwater is new territory for me.

 

(The way I read Drew's answer, just a slight edit)

 

Rinse it with a water bottle is a good idea and a good soak back in the cottage should be fine Make sure you do not open it on the beach, you do not want sand getting in there, or if you must open it be real careful. The spots, if any, should probably dissapear fairly quickly. Using the lubrication as recommended is something you should do, but do not put too much on it. And make sure you test this in the water before hand. Play with all the controls and see how they respond. You may want to have a look at it ahead of time.

You may also want your first time to be without the camera, play with all the controls at depth. If water is getting in you will feel it.

 

 

 

Welcome to Wetpixel McKev! While I can appreciate your dedication to underwater photography, I would have serious questions about your spouse's acceptance of your lack of attention to her during your honeymoon. That is my apprehension assuming she doesn't share your passion for U/W photos. If she does then my congratulations!

 

Steve

Steve you made my night buddy..That was funny.

Thanks

ed

Steve

Dave,

Thanks for the advice.