Ikelite 8" Dome/Super Wide Port Question

Ok, so I had a play with my new Tokina 10-17 last night and got the dome port out of the box. Eventually having figured out how to attach it all and that the port locks need to be locked rather than unlocked to get the dome on, having positioned it, turned clockwise etc .... when fitted, the port is not quite rigid but a bit wobbly. Well, maybe not wobbly but it will move (rock) a bit if you put a bit if pressure on it. Is this as it should be when correctly fitted? I have nightmares about it falling off before I even get in the water.

Hi,

That is how mine fits too. I've been using it for about 3 years now and no problem. I do take care to make sure its still in the correct position when I get ready to get into the water.

Stephen

Thanks Stephen - that's reassuring.

Yeah it was pretty frightening at first. However it is stable. I used it in Holbox where I had to jump off the boat about 40 times. Just make sure everything is locked.

Elaine:

I've had the same fear - it does seem to wiggle a little on the o-ring with no water pressure to compress it in - but again, never had a problem. Even "towed" my rig by a tether behind me on a surface swim, so it was getting a bit jostled by waves, and it didn't open up.

All that aside, I've frequently said that Ike should add a 3rd clip and perhaps split-shoe one of them to set a preferred 'clocking' so the port shade doesn't get rotated in conditions like this. Even if the seal is sufficient and secure with only 2, the psychological aspect of it is obvious enough to both new and existing users that a little overkill would be welcome. That, and I'm still convinced with really fat lenses that barely fit the port adaptor barrel (when including a zoom gear), a little wiggle ends up putting some twisting pressure all the way back on the camera mount screws, or perhaps risks unseating lens contacts a bit. It's just not ideal.

But that is the way it is "supposed" to feel. I believe I've seen posts from Ikelite representatives to the effect that they're reconsidering adding another clip to newer housings, as this is a pretty common question to come up.

Good luck with the new rig; I hope you like it!

Great - thanks. Will feedback how I get on at the weekend.

Well, from today I have also a 8 inch dome port (the biga doma)I bought it second hand,.

I have a different question, but thought best to bring it in this thread. When I installed the low profile port locks, the screws wont screw in so far, that the low profile port locks are completely tight. They wont move out of position (you have to lift a section and then slide it out, but just screwed in completely, but the port locks themselve already wobble.

It is better with a washer, but the manual clearly states "no washer required" in bold. My trip is coming in two days, and no time to try out....

Any thoughts how bad it would be to use the washer ??? with the port closed, the top of the screw touches the bottom plate, but the seal seems OK. Seller mentions he also found the low profile locks a bit loose and always used it with a washer...

Gerard

I'd email Ikelite directly. I have the low-profile locks as well, but my screws are in to the point where the locks don't "wobble" any. I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding that, to be honest....do you mean the screw isn't pinching the 'base' of the lock tightly against the housing face? Or the slidey part can wobble a bit as well as slide? The first would worry me, lots.

I already did, but no answer yet. However. I think the screws were a little longer the they were supposed to. I shortened the original ones (with the original locks) slightly more, and now everything grips.

PS It did the first thing : even when it was supposed to be all tightened up, the screw would not keep it to the housing.

The Ikelite port system (both 8" and 6") is a compression flange that seals with water pressure once you are below the surface. It wobbles a bit and feels a bit loose on the surface. You can even rotate it on the surface if for instance your light shade is in the wrong position. Relax though once you get it in the water water pressure compresses the O-ring and its sealed. This system works well. I would welcome a third latch though and a way to retrofit my D70 housing. The third latch would also need to deal with the 8" port for the 10.5mm fisheye which fits on like a loose bayonet plug.

The only place where this system doesn't do well is in rough conditions at the surface (surf etc.) I'm suprised that you have been OK jumping in with your camera. I wouldn't do that with any camera. I once had the divemaster drop my strobe when he grabbed it to hand it to me. It promply flooded on that dive.

Well, I baptised the lens and the port didn't fall off! It wasn't the best dive to try the lens out because visibility was vey poor, there were lots of particles in the water and below about 30ft it was pretty much like a night dive. I also think I may have inadvertently left the lens on manual focus - DOH! It was at the infinity end so it was ok for some things but other images are out. Oh, well! It's like starting all over again. Again!

There are a couple of very uninspiring sample shots at these links:

http://sublimescubaphotography.blogspot.co...s-baptised.html

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?src=fftb#...id=115720052458

Although I had little success on the image side, it was a good first outing in getting used to handling the port and lens. I am paranoid now not just about the port falling off but also about scratching the port! But I'm gong to have fun perfecting technique.

Underwater photography esp. with DSLRs takes practice so take it slow. There is a lot of task loading on you with so many features, equipment choices, knobs etc. its easy to get flustered. On top of that you usually have expensive dive trips and limited time pressures to deal with. Just remember this all takes time to master and to relax. I have had this problem before with lens settings esp. when I use a manual focus or zoom ring that can brush the side of the lens barrel when assembling.

Some tips:

1) Fully assemble the rig in the hotel the morning before and test it. Then leave the same lens set-up for the whole day. Here's my proceedure.

a) charge batteries overnight

b) Get up early set up camera

c) Make sure you hear a click on both port latches

d) test that focus, flash, work. Camera set to manual. Shoot a few frames to test

e) Quick dunk in the pool as a leak test

f) Wrap everything up in a 24 can soft cooler and head to the dive boat.

Ther's usually no time to futz with extra gear on the boat so I don't bring anything. Everything is ready to go.

2) Simplify. I have waaaay too much gear and lens, filter, strobe combos. I get the best shots when I simplify the gear.

3) get the dome shade, it helps protect the dome port from scratches

4) I usually leave the cover on until its time to get in the water

5) don't worry about the port falling off. It won't. Just be careful it doesn't bang on the side of the boat etc.

6) With the 10.5mm port be sure its centered in the lock position. The shade helps identify if this is good or not.

7) Don't ever jump in with a camera.

Hi,

one more advice to add:

carefully lubricate the o-ring between the housing and the port (the wobbying one) each time you assemble the gear.

This is the only o-ring you're supposed to lubricate that often.

I guess it's because it's tight with pressure, it can be a bit twisted if the dome rotates before you enter the water... Not sure, but failing to do this lubrication costed me a Nikon D300, at my 8th photo dive... 3 weeks before liveaboard-honeymoon trip, aaaaahhhhhh!!!! Fortunately Ikelite has been very reactive and checked + fixed the sync cord (flooded too) before my trip :-)

One remark: I acknowledge it's not recommended to jump in with a housing, but I've met some photographers doing so (e.g. negative buoyancy entry; due to strong current), and they're just fine. I believe Sea&Sea housing have a screw-in for the port, that's more reasurring. Even when I don't have to jump with the housing, snorkelling on the surface (whales...) can be necessary, and I would be a bit scared to do so with my Ike housing.

Would it help to go down-to 2-3m with the housing to 'secure the seal' before snorkelling?

i've had a dslr ikelite housing where the ports 'clicked', but the pin was not all the way down. i would have to push the clip towards the port with a bit of pressure and push the pin down.

the dome port rocking is normal, but at depths, i can't even rotate the dome/port. the key is to look closely at those clips and make sure they are in the locked position.

if locked, i dont think the dome/port can come off unless the housing threads gets stripped or something breaks. i bet all incidents of the port coming off is from the locks not in 'fully' locked position.

only 1 of 3 of my dSLR housings have needed this attention. the others are looser and lock upon hearing the click. but i always do a visual check to make sure the locks are down, and a physical check to make sure it cannot be moved out (without pulling the pin).

Just as another note on jumping in with a camera. On the JASA dolphin trip in June it was standard procedure to just go for it. I was watching the pros on the boat pretty carefully because I was trying to see how it was done. With 6 or 8 guys stacked up on the swim step all waiting for the go signal from Jim there is no opportunity to just hand your camera in. These were all Subals, Sea & Sea's and Aquatica housings. I saw two methods used to get in the water quickly; a few went straight in, dome first, holding the housing in front of them so the pressure of hitting the water would hold the dome on. (no strobes) Scarey to watch but it worked. My method was to sit on the step and put the housing into the water before jumping off. I just sort of trailed the housing in the water below me as I went off sideways. Before this trip I would have never thought about even attempting an entry like this. Each of us must have jumped off the back of the boat 80 or 100 times that week, no one had any issues with floods. My conclusion was that the aluminum housing dome seals were a lot tougher than I had thought. After hearing your issues on the plex housings I'm real sure I would never try the entries we were using with an Ike.

My 2 cents,

Steve

I have had an Ike housing for a number of years now. I have jumped in many times with it without flooding problems. That said, I would certainly rather have it handed to me. When I jump in, I fill the BCD, hold the camera high (not directly above my head!), and jump in. The camera barely touches the water surface. This is of course best when entries doesn´t have to be negative, however with a quick release of air it works quite well even then (at least I am seldom the last remaining on the surface). I don´t feel that the jumps from a dive deck is the real scare with the Ike´s, backrolls from RIBs are certainly scarier. Even then, a full BCD more or less keeps the housing out of water at impact.

So with quite a number of dives with the Ike system, I would have to conclude that the dome and port locks work pretty well. However, there is, at least to me, a scary feeling when submersing a wobbly dome in salt water. Experience really doesn´t help, I would very much prefer to have the dome fixed with at least three port locks, and four would be heaven. Ikelite seem to be working on a solution, which I hope will be possible to retrofit to older housings.

Regards

Bent C

Experience really doesn´t help, I would very much prefer to have the dome fixed with at least three port locks, and four would be heaven. Ikelite seem to be working on a solution, which I hope will be possible to retrofit to older housings. Regards Bent C

Agreed!

I'm sure there are lots of folks that are jumping in with their cameras including Ikelites but even with the tougher aluminum housings I wouldn't recommend it.

Another thing to consider is that with DSLRs you usually have one or 2 strobes on wobbly arms. Sure you can crank down the arms (and I've even seen temporary ties to hold them together) but you'll have the strobes to bang around as well.

There are a lot of hard objects that you can bang the housing on besides the water surface--tanks, personal gear, other divers. I once had the divemaster backroll onto my head and conk me with his tank.

Then there is your mask and regulator. I can't hold my camera with 2 strobes with one hand very securley out of the water. So now you risk loosing your reg and mask on entry.

A better solution is to let the camera down on a line before you enter if you can't have the divemaster hold it for you. If not, choose a more photo-friendly dive operator.

I have jumped a lot with my Ike housings on rough seas. But NO WAY I will jump with the 8"dome. The momentum is too big for the small locks.

With the 6" you can press the housing with the dome hard om your stomach and fall in the water on your back to break the surface.

Your mask will stay on your face if you suck it hard. A good bite will hold your reg.

I dropped my housing on the floor once when the 8" dome was on. Imediatly one portlock broke and the 8"dome fell off. (Not verry reassuring)

I use several bands, elastics, extra nuts and bolts to secure the strobes and arms (The Ike armsystem will come loose with a big jump). The 8" dome is for quit water, where the housing can he handed to you.