Emergency, help please!!

Hi all,

I'm getting my gear ready for my upcoming trip, 2 days from now, and I find a problem (?) with the sealing.

I now have an Ikelite 8" dome port to my D80 housing along with 5510.16 port body.

I'm placing the dome and port (as one unit) into the housing but the dome is too wide and too low for tightening the Port Lock Release Buttons with a screwdriver.

I've followed the instructions of the manual which were to fully screw down the retaining screw and loosen it 1/4 turn so I can Lock/UnLock the Port Lock.

[Are you following me guys? ]

having done that, it seems that the port locks are just "holding" the port body in place. They are not TIGHT on the port body and it seems as if the port body is somewhat "floating" on the housing. When "playing" with it, there's like a small gap. I didn't want to test it in the bathtub for I don't want to damage the TTL circuit.

Is it Ok from your own experience?

Please help, I'll be so grateful.

THANKS!

I hope the picture is helping somehow.

having done that, it seems that the port locks are just "holding" the port body in place.

I use an Ikelite housing. That's what the locks are supposed to do. They slide over the flange of the port, the locking pin pops down with an audible "click", and the port is held in place.

They are not TIGHT on the port body and it seems as if the port body is somewhat "floating" on the housing. When "playing" with it, there's like a small gap.

The locks have to be a little loose to allow them to slide. I just looked at my D200 housing and they're definitely snug to the housing, but will wiggle a little bit left/right with no port in place. I DON'T think there should be a gap. With no port on, use a screwdriver to screw them in a little tighter and see if that solves the gapping problem. But be careful not to over-tighten and strip the threads.

I didn't want to test it in the bathtub for I don't want to damage the TTL circuit.

At the risk of sounding snide, a bathtub flood is not going to be as bad as an ocean flood on your first dive. DEFINTELY check it (with no camera inside) in the tub after you've made the adjustments to your satisfaction.

Feel free to e-mail me privately if you have other questions.

- Ken

Remember that the port is pushed on to the housing by the pressure differential when under water.

That's not to say you don't have a problem. All I can add is that when my Ikelite ports are put in place (with the O-ring in place and lightly lubed), the locking clips will 'pop' into place, it all feels quite secure, although it is still possible to rotate the port without much effort - there are no gaps though.

Have you seen this thread- it has similarities to your situation:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32025

Well it sounds as if the equipment is operating as designed. The port to housing fit is not real tight but it works.

Bill Libecap

UWCameraStuff.com

The port to housing fit is not real tight but it works.

At the risk of sounding like a nit-picker, I don't think that's an accurate description.

On my Ikelite housings (I've had the N90, D70, and now the D200), when the port is seated, it's quite snug. "Not real tight" is not at all an accurate description IMHO and if mine was like that, I'd be concerned it would flood.

From my experience, the flange of the port will fit flush with the face of the housing. Yes, you can rotate it when it's seated, but it takes two hands and some effort to do so. It's not like the port just spins or moves at the slightest touch.

I seat my ports as the last thing. First I'll secure the camera to the back mounting plate (sometimes with the lens on, sometimes not), load the backplate/camera in and secure with the three latches. Next I'll mount the lens if needed (some of my lenses are too wide at the front to fit through the port opening when pre-mounted on the camera) with the zoom clamp (if it's a zoom lens - most of what I use is) in place. then I'll slide the zoom gear down, position it properly on the lens, and then seat it against the toothed wheel and make sure it engages the lens.

Finally, with the housing on it's back and the camera/lens facing straight up, I'll slide the port down over the lens and on to the housing. With no pressure, the port will sit just slightly not-flush with the housing face. I then gently but firmly push down on the port to make it flush with the housing. While holding the port down, I run my finger around the edges to make sure that everything is truly flush and snug. Still holding the port down with one hand, I then slide the first port lock into place and listen for the click. Then I do the second one.

At that point, I let go of the port and pull back on each of the port locks to make sure they're latched. I then run my finger again around the port edge to make sure it's flush. Now I'm ready to go shoot.

Hope that helps.

- Ken

Thank you all for the help,

I've read the similar thread about this "problem" and also checked my gear in the bath tub...all looks fine.

All I can say that it does look alarming and that Ikelite could have done more in their website in order to explain things in a simple way, maybe EVEN with photos and videos..

Again, thanks, I hope all will be OK with it during the dives.

I am currently working o a solution for this concern and will post some information here when I have the solution ready.

mares,

As everyone has detailed a very slight wobble" is normal even when BOTH port locks have clicked and dropped down. The o-ring sealing any port is maybe 1/8" or 3-5mm in diameter and this is what seals the connection.

I assemble my housing like Ken states (if using a big diameter zoom lens) and even show people when the port locks are closed securely you can literally lift the housing up and inch or two by the tapered flange under the shade.

One thing people totally don't understand and makes me cringe is when I read about people rotating their ports AFTER they've installed them. A thin shiny, not gloppy coating of silicone grease allows your port o-ring to slide into the sealing surface. Grease does nothing to seal the port, the o-ring does.

If your port o-ring is dry and you try and turn the port you can possibly roll a twist in it and voila', blub blub

I make sure the cut outs on my shades are lined up (widest sides at 12 and 6 o'clock) when I press the port into place. I NEVER rotate it after locking it on ESPECIALLY in the water!!!!

Ikelite port locks take a beating here on Wepixel and I won't debate it. I know what's worked for me over 35 years and lots of fellow Ikelite shooters.

Those who think other housings don't flood through port openings due to careless assembly, bumping and turning just want to believe they have a better mousetrap. Do a search here for "floods" and you'll see it can happen with any brand.....

Jumping in with dolphins, Whale sharks his July at Isla Holbox and many more adventures I've never had a customer nor myself have one come off or flood.

Bigger dome ports like the 8" on any housing need a bit more care. These days I'm using my 6" dome with the Tokina 10-17mm more and more. Very compact and Ikelite makes a shade with larger cut outs that even at 10mm (on any Canon dSLR with 1.6X crop factor ) I get no vignetting.

If shooting over under shots the 8" dome is required for accurate split people, arms lined up and proper size, etc.

I don't usually do a giant stride in scuba gear if someone can hand it in but for snorkeling entries like Shearwater, etc. the design has worked fine when assembled properly.

Good luck shooting!

dhaas

Update!

Everything worked well underwater:

The port locks should be almost fully screwed to the housing (with only a slight counter clock unscrewing, enough to lock the port). I've used B+W +2 close up diopter (to be on the safe side). The Sigma 10-20 is not as good as Tokina fisheye, but still it's good enough for an amateur like I am.

BTW - I didn't use the zoom ring. It was impossible to put the clamps on the lens. I fixed it on 12mm and 10 mm (10 was better).

Thanks for your help. Now my only problem is to free the dome from the port...

You can read my report here:

http://www.escapedia.com/english/taba-daha...-dahab2009.html

Take care!

Use a 'strap wrench' to get the dome off the extension - they're usually sold in automotive departments here in the states as they're mostly used for removing car oil filters and the like. Here's a link for an image as an example, not as any sort of purchase location recommendation (just the first site that came up in my search): http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=14455+TL The straps are usually rubber, but sometimes woven nylon, they grip the extension by friction and the handle gives you leverage to unscrew the dome from the ring.

As for the zoom rings, for some lenses with extra wide front elements, you need to put the clamp (the part with springs and the little 'grooves' to engage the channels inside the sleeve) onto the lens from the camera-mount side, which means your assembly sequence is to put the camera in the housing first with no lens but with the zoom gear sleeve in place (the toothed part is too big to fit thru the front port opening, unless it's one of the 'split' ones that can be compressed) and seal the back....your housing front port should not be mounted yet (just open, or with the cap on). Then put the clamp over the lens, mount the lens on the camera (simultaneously engaging the clamp with the channels in the zoom sleeve, and then slip your dome on the front last.

I don't know for the ultra-wide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) port bodies what the exact sequence is, but I do have to do something like the above for my Zuiko 7-14mm, while my 14-54mm can be on the camera body with the clamp on and all slid into the zoom ring 'from the back' at once.

In any event, nice pictures! Glad you got it sorted. The 'wobbliness' of the port has always been there and scares a lot of people (me included) but really is just psychological. And as noted in other threads even that fear is a thing of the past, with Ike's announcement that starting Nov this year all DSLR housing will have 4 locks! (The o-ring will still not be 'compressed' above water, so the port extension will 'float' on the oring a little, but with 4 attach points the wobble should be more or less gone.)

(p.s. I'm getting an automatic "(weitwinkel)" added on typing ultra-wide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel)...is this an auto-acronym type thingie???

The ikelite notes for the sigma 10-20 don't call for any diopter. Aside from that the the zoom ring should work unless you have to thick of a rubber strip installed on the clamp. here are the install instructions from ikleite http://ikelite.com/downloads/instructions/..._and_Sleeve.pdf

Take advantage of the new Ikelite housing update offer and determine if you really need that short an adapter. Other Wetpixel-members report Canon's crop of 1.6 actually allows the next size adapter with a Tok10-17, which should allow easier access to port locks. Maybe same with other lenses and no possible need of diopters due to increased port distance?

Bo

Update!

 

Everything worked well underwater:

The port locks should be almost fully screwed to the housing (with only a slight counter clock unscrewing, enough to lock the port). I've used B+W +2 close up diopter (to be on the safe side). The Sigma 10-20 is not as good as Tokina fisheye, but still it's good enough for an amateur like I am.

BTW - I didn't use the zoom ring. It was impossible to put the clamps on the lens. I fixed it on 12mm and 10 mm (10 was better).

Thanks for your help. Now my only problem is to free the dome from the port...

You can read my report here:

http://www.escapedia.com/english/taba-daha...-dahab2009.html

Take care!