Leaking housing ( only when the camera is inside ) ??

Hi everybody,

I recently purchased a used but very nice AD7000 Aquatica housing. I'm the second owner. The housing is in almost brand new condition.

I've perfomed the immersion test w/o the camera inside, and after an hour inside the water and pressing the buttons regularly, I was pretty confident and I decided to go ahead with the camera inside. It didn't even took 5 seconds and the alarm system started to ring. Water is going badly inside the housing. I took the water off the housing and repeated the test w/o the camera. No leak. I verified everything again ang again, applied lube on my o-rings and did another trial with the camera. Same thing, water goes inside. I'm completely puzzled. What I'm doing wrong ?

Does anyone had the same problem ? As I'm writting this, the housing is inside the water ( no camera ) and still dry inside. No leak. Weird.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Frederic

Hi Frederic.

It sounds like the camera - or some part of it - is not seated right inside the housing and creating a breach in the o-ring/housing seal.

A Nikon D7000? Have you removed the screen protector off the camera and the viewfinder surround? If you leave those on that may well create the slight space in the seal which will lead to the leak.

Tim

Hi Tim,

thank you for your reply. Yes I've removed both the LCD protector and the viewfinder surround before the first test. Like you said, it may be only my camera not being fully inserted inside the housing. I can't see how my housing can be watertight while empty and no longer with the camera in. It doesn't make any sense.

Thanks.

Frederic

maybe the lever which is used to change the lens is not in the right position, happened to me once with the same rig. try to rotate it all the way.

If it does not leak with out the camera, then something is not located correctly.

Check the following to make sure there is no interference with the controls: lens release button , off/on switch, on the top left, the focus selection and shooting mode controls.

Lastly set the camera in the housing without securing it to the base late - sort of setting in the housing in a free state. Now lower it into the test tank and check for leaks.

Yes, it has to be something with the camera. Remove all straps, LCD protectors, viewfinder protectors, ect. Then make sure the camera is set and seated properly.

Repeat until the housing seals properly.

Be sure all the camera controls are set as per the housing manual.

Here is a link to the Aquatica users manual: http://www.aquatica.ca/en/manuals/d7000.instructions.pdf

It is obvious that something is binding with the camera body in the housing

Follow the manual completely. Usually some control is wrong.

Check the camera tray rails. I once had one come loose and it pushed against the back of the housing just enough to cause a leak.

I once had to send a camera and housing to nautical. Some control had gotten out of alignment and the camera would not set properly.