Beginner Tips and Tricks

There is a lot of useful information on this forum about lighting techniques, composition etc. But I would love it if some of the more experienced u/w photographers out there could chime in with some good info on some of the basics with "equipment upkeep" habits.

So with that in mind, here is a list of questions that I put together that I think could help, not only myself, but many other beginners.

1. What is the best way to remove a port? Should you pull from the outside of the housing or push from the inside? I don't think there is much of a difference between domes and flats in this case.

2. Is there any specific way to store a housing to keep it in tip top shape? What about storing strobes and optical cables (or electrical syncs)?

3. Should you do a seal test without the camera inside the housing every time you get wet? Practically speaking, this can be a pain, but I would like to know if people actually do it.

4. I've heard that chlorine in pools is harder on your camera than salt water. First, is this true? Second, is there anything people do differently with their equipment after they have put it in the pool?

5. Lastly, if there is anything I am missing on here that you think I should have (staying with the focus of equipment upkeep for beginners), then I would be eternally grateful for the advice.

Cheers Gents (and ladies).

I always remove ports from the outside rather than push from the inside. Not so much because of the physics of the operation but rather that there is someplace to grab on the outside that won't get fingermarks on the inside of the port.

After diving in salt water or the pool, I soak the housing in fresh water for at least an hour and work every button a few times. I then dry it off and take it inside. Optical cables are stored in a small bin, same as electrical sync. I always lightly lube the threads on sync cords since I had one freeze in a strobe once.

I never seal test without a camera but I always if I can put it in a rinse tank and check the leak alarm.

I am not sure that chlorine is necessarily bad for a housing, but I do rinse after each pool soak.

Bill

3. Should you do a seal test without the camera inside the housing every time you get wet? Practically speaking, this can be a pain, but I would like to know if people actually do it.

I'll address Question # 3. I have never heard of anyone doing a seal test without the camera inside the housing every time they get wet. However, when diving with a camera for the first time, I always do a dive with just the housing without a camera inside to make sure that it does not leak. I won't do any dives with the camera inside the housing until I can be assured that the housing does not leak.

Since a frequent source of leaks is when your camera is inside the rinse tank after a dive, a lot of folks bring their own rinse bucket to use on the boat. For example, I know friends who buy a bucket when they go to Cozumel, use it for their rinse tank on the boat, and then leave the bucket behind when they go home. That way, their housing won't be bumping against all the other cameras in the rinse tank, which could cause a leak.

Finally, while on the topic of leaks, I always take the DeoxIT pen with me when I go on dive trips. It's great at cleaning electrical connections if you've had a flood.

It was recommended to me by the folks at Reef Photo. When I had a flood in Indonesia, I used this product to restore the electrical connections to useable condition and was back diving with the back up camera I'd brought with me.

DeoxIT Pen

Ellen

My $0.02

There is a lot of useful information on this forum about lighting techniques, composition etc. But I would love it if some of the more experienced u/w photographers out there could chime in with some good info on some of the basics with "equipment upkeep" habits.

 

So with that in mind, here is a list of questions that I put together that I think could help, not only myself, but many other beginners.

 

1. What is the best way to remove a port? Should you pull from the outside of the housing or push from the inside? I don't think there is much of a difference between domes and flats in this case.

 

CADiver> If it's Ikelite, they will come off pretty easily :-) Others usually a twist or turn. I think we often over tighten port which makes it hard to remove after dive. If you don't over tighten it, you will not have to use excssive force which is the potential of damaging the equipment.

 

2. Is there any specific way to store a housing to keep it in tip top shape? What about storing strobes and optical cables (or electrical syncs)?

 

CADiver> Again, it really depends upon the equipment, I tend to like not seal/lock the housing when storing at home, which basically not compressing the o-ring. Clean them, store them relax. I take off the o-ring if it's Iketlite (because it's easy), for my Nexus housing, I just leave it comfortably relax and not lock up the housing, cover the front port w/ the port cover. Ikelite strobe, I left the battery unattach. Inon strobe, I unscrew the battery compartment cap and let it relax. Everything store in a nice and dry rubber mate container. If you live in a humid place, you can drop some of those drier packs.

 

3. Should you do a seal test without the camera inside the housing every time you get wet? Practically speaking, this can be a pain, but I would like to know if people actually do it.

 

CADiver > Probably not, I never other then when it's brand new wet for the first time.

 

4. I've heard that chlorine in pools is harder on your camera than salt water. First, is this true? Second, is there anything people do differently with their equipment after they have put it in the pool?

 

CADiver > I don't really have any opportunity to take pictures in a pool, photo students ? :-) I would however mention when diving from a boat, try to encourage people not rinse their mask where the camera is soaking, the stuff they put in the mask for defgogging are not nice to o-ring in the long run.

 

5. Lastly, if there is anything I am missing on here that you think I should have (staying with the focus of equipment upkeep for beginners), then I would be eternally grateful for the advice.

 

CADiver > Mostly common sense and good habits. Sand, grits, salt & excessive rough handling are your equipment's enemies.

 

Cheers Gents (and ladies).