Nikon D80 with Ikelite only works above water?

Brand new to the forum, because i need help!

I recently upgraded to a Ikelite housing with DS-160 strobe for my Nikon D80.

I can't get the thing to work when immersed. Works fine out of the water, but the shutter (and therefore strobe) will not trigger underwater.

What am I doing wrong?

Brand new to the forum, because i need help!

 

I recently upgraded to a Ikelite housing with DS-160 strobe for my Nikon D80.

 

I can't get the thing to work when immersed. Works fine out of the water, but the shutter (and therefore strobe) will not trigger underwater.

 

What am I doing wrong?

Can you give some details about lens and port you are using?

IF you have a rectilinear lens and a dome it may be that you are not using a diopter to allow the lens to focus on the virtual image, so the shutter is not firing as it cannot achieve focus. It will work above water but the optical interface changes when immersed....

Just guessing as you haven't given us too much info....

What lens and port? Will it trigger if you take a shot with your thumb on the AF/AE lock button? If it does then your lens isn't achieving focus, may need a +dioptre, as Duncan said.

I'm using a DX 18-135, f3.5-5.6 lens with a 6" dome port. Going back to the Ikelite site I see that a +4 diopter is required for any lens that doesn't focus down to 12", and the min focal length is 16" for the lens.

I'll pick one up and give that a try.

Thanks for the reply's.

I wish I had those gear!

Mid-range telephoto zooms aren't the best lenses underwater as the telephoto end is too long, they often don't focus close enough and the wide end isn't wide enough...

... and in a dome port they won't focus on the virtual image, which is about 8-10" in front of the dome with your set-up, I would guess, without a diopter (+2 - +3, probably).

To get the best out of your dome, you really need a wider lens that focusses closer.

Tim

Mid-range telephoto zooms aren't the best lenses underwater as the telephoto end is too long, they often don't focus close enough and the wide end isn't wide enough...

 

... and in a dome port they won't focus on the virtual image, which is about 8-10" in front of the dome with your set-up, I would guess, without a diopter (+2 - +3, probably).

 

To get the best out of your dome, you really need a wider lens that focusses closer.

 

Tim

 

You may have already checked this -- but there are some "hold down" buttons on the Ike housing which are used specifically to hold a button down hands-free while you use the wheel or another button. I had a situation once where I had the White Balance knob turned "just slightly" on top of the button which depressed it and kept my shutter from working since the camera thought I was going into a menu mode. It was not "visually" apparent and I had to pull the body in and out of the housing several times to see what was happening.

Hope that wasn't a hopelessly muddled response, but net response is, check your button and lever alignment on your Ike and ensure something else is not being accidentally pressed keeping the D80 from working.

JP

Good point John. Check buttons are not stuck down preventing shutter release.

Your cheapest alternative lens that will work is the Nikon 18-55 kit lens. Works with or without dioptres.

UW photos with the 18-55mm here

My first thought was accidently depressed buttons, so i checked that first.

I realize after doing some research that i need better lens choices. I'll have a look at the lens you suggested Panda.

Thanks,