OMD EM5 blacks out after repeated shots

I have an issue where it seems like if I take reapeated shots in quick sucession, the camera blacks out and shut down.

I suspect it is because the water is a little bit chilly, about 5dgrees centigrade, and I take flash shots in quick sucession. After 3-4 shots, the last shot does not come up in review-mode, but the screen black out once, and then the camera comes up again in camera mode but is unresponsive and then blacks out again. At this point I flip it on and off again, and it is ok.

So i suspect that the battery does not deliver enough power when recharging the strobe and the voltage drops so the camera shuts down. However, to contradict that, no battery symbol shows, and I am not shooting in TTL mode, but 1/64 manual mode which should conserve power to some extent. The batteries (both) are originals, only a couple of years old maximum.

Cheers

/O

No one had this happen?

One other ergonomic issue i've noted is that if I hold the housing with my right hand in thick dry-glove, I often accidentally switch of the camera with my palm. However I don't think this is the case in the above, I have now adjusted the right handle so it is up right next to the housing, which gives some distance to the on/off lever.

Cheers

/O

I've tried to repeat this on land after having stored the batteries in the fridge over night, no problem.

So I am leaning towards that maybe there's som problem with the actual on-off lever.

It is quite loose and wiggly on my hosing, should it be? Are there any known issues with the on-off lever?

The contact surface looks a bit worn, I think that the housing has been closed some times with housing lever and camera in different positions and thus it has become worn and might be loosing grip.

Thoughts?

Cheers

/O

No one had this happen?

 

One other ergonomic issue i've noted is that if I hold the housing with my right hand in thick dry-glove, I often accidentally switch of the camera with my palm. However I don't think this is the case in the above, I have now adjusted the right handle so it is up right next to the housing, which gives some distance to the on/off lever.

 

Cheers

/O

Two dives today where I repeated the problem on both dives. This brought some more leads. The issue is this:

The camera shuts down after sometimes one, but most often repeated shots, at second or third shot in a series.

This happens:

I take the shot, the rear screen momentarily blacks out, as usual, but instead of showing preview of the shot taken (i've set to 2sec) The camera flashes the "IS1" symbol red on the right side. Blacks out again and shuts down.

In order to get started again, I have to cycle the camera on-off again.

This happened frequently on both dives today. The housing was not opened between dives. Most shots taken with manual flash 1/64s (to trigger external strobes with fibre) all in M mode with 8m fisheye at 800Iso and f3.5-6 s at 1/20-1/200.

Conditions:

Fine, water temp from 13-9 degrees centigrade. surface temp about 17 degree centigrade. 2h between dives. Depth 9-30m

At home, I opened the housing and tried the camera with the same set-up. The issue does not repeat with the camera outside of the housing!!!

Analysis?

I initially though that the camera image stabilisation is broken, however it works a charm on land. What can be the issue?

I can only conclude that there must be something wrong with the Nauticam housing?!?

Issue: Does not like vacuum!!!!

Finally I tried to seal the hosing again. No issues. But when activating the vivid housing leak detector, and pumping it to flash green, the problem comes back. And it is repeatable!

So, what on erth is this, is really my camera individual pressure sensitive, or could this be a function of one or several stuck buttons? Any ideas for finding out?

Cheers/O

My wag (wild ass guess) is that under vacuum/depth pressure there is an applied force/torque being applied to your camera body.

After pumping down and at depth can you verify that there is a slight clearance between all invividual controls and the camera body?

I have had mine 'freeze' on me twice. Once when I was playing around with it topside and I had to turn it off and remove the battery for a minute or so and the second time when I was underwater and I turned it on and it didn't come on so I abandoned the dive.

I removed the battery but it didn't start so when I got home I inserted my other battery and it worked.

I am thinking it is a battery issue and have since bought some after market ones which I have just started using.

Checkout Scubaboard as there is a big thread on there about this issue - it isn't an isolated issue.

Karl

I tend to agree. I can repeat the problem by pumping down the pressure, and then reverse by releasing the pressure again.

This makes me think there's no issues with the batteries. I cannot test actual diving for a longer while alas. If i could, i could test diving without any under pressure in the housing to see what difference that would make.

IF the problem is a too soft button that pushes down by pressure, however the effect of the water pushing the buttons should soon overshadow the effect of the vacuum pump and give the same result.

For now, the main culprit must be assumed to be a misalignment or bad button.

I think i have to do what you suggests, okuma, however I don't know how to check the button play when the housing is closed. I would very much appreciate suggestion for this. How about you Nauticam dealers, how do you analyze issues like this?

Cheers/O

My wag (wild ass guess) is that under vacuum/depth pressure there is an applied force/torque being applied to your camera body.

After pumping down and at depth can you verify that there is a slight clearance between all invividual controls and the camera body?

Try this:

Remove housing view finder

Mount camera in housing with out lens, with out port and tighten stage screw. With body 'o' ring in place close back.

Slip a length of heavy paper, try 0.5 mm, down through view finder opening and see if it will pass between housing buttons/levers and camera buttons. Try same procedure through the front port.

If this will show clearance it will eliminate one problem area as if you have 0.5 mm clearance, the aluminum housing will not compress enougk to actuate control buttons under pressure or when pumped down.