Nauticam Housing Broken Button safe to dive? Repair Options?

Sometime after my last trip (probably on the flight home), it looks like one of the buttons on the back of my housing has snapped off.  It's a Nauticam A9 housing, and the button that broke is the grey ISO button in the 4 way direction button cluster.  It looks like it had pressure applied horizontally, and just the top half of the button snapped off.  I can see the metal pin, but the button is still 'there', just the cap broke off. It does seem that maybe the spring for it was on the outside of the housing?  It doesn't seem to want to return unless I press it back from the inside.

I've got another trip coming up, and the broken button was noticed while I was pre-packing.  Of course, it looks like there isn't enough time to get an overhaul/replacement before I leave.  I pulled a vacuum on the housing this morning and it's still holding hours later.  I can work around not having an ISO/right button.  If it's holding a vacuum still, it's probably safe to dive? Right?!?!

Of course, the correct thing to do is send it in for service/repair, but it looks like that won't happen before my trip.  Any other options for a quick fix?  I'm pretty handy, but have never tried to adjust or pull one of these housings apart.  I'm pretty sure if I had a spare button cap, I could replace it myself, but it doesn't look like I can get one shipped in time.  I also have a Nauticam RX-100 housing.  I'd have to dig my calipers out, but maybe the buttons are the same size?  Think I could just tear out of the compact housing and replace the one on my bigger housing?

Any other ideas/suggestions?

A vacuum is a good sign, but 100ft of water might be a lot more force on that button. I would get it serviced if I were going to dive it. 

If the vacuum is holding you should be ok… but I might try some form of patch sealant on the outside over the button as an extra precaution. Something I could likely prise/scrape off later…. That being said. I’m a dude with an uninstalled 180degree viewfinder because I just can’t get my head round it just being a vacuum seal holding it in place! I probably wouldn’t enjoy risking it 

U should vacc it. Then press the button repeatedly to check.



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@Jurykov

If it's holding a vacuum you should be okay. One question (which I know isn't relevant to your current situation of needing to get ready for your trip). I would not try to replace it yourself - you are correct, the part that broke off is the cap, the mechanical part of the button is likely still completely place (although depending on the force that broke off the grey part, are you sure it didn't damage the mechanical piece? If it holds a vacuum then it's likely okay. BTW - the spring should be on the inside for that control - they use metal springs, on the outside that would risk corrosion over time.

Did you travel with the housing in the padded Nauticam case it ships with? Unless you had something else in the case as well, it seems like it would be hard to apply that much pressure to shear off the button. I occasionally pack things on top of the housing (like strobe cords) but nothing hard around the housing.

If it's like our A7R5 housing, that button is also shortest of the 3 in the horizontal line - something must have been right up against it to cause it to break off.

5 hours ago, Jurykov said:

Sometime after my last trip (probably on the flight home), it looks like one of the buttons on the back of my housing has snapped off.  It's a Nauticam A9 housing, and the button that broke is the grey ISO button in the 4 way direction button cluster.  It looks like it had pressure applied horizontally, and just the top half of the button snapped off.  I can see the metal pin, but the button is still 'there', just the cap broke off. It does seem that maybe the spring for it was on the outside of the housing?  It doesn't seem to want to return unless I press it back from the inside.

 

The spring is what pushes the button back out and the strength of the spring is related to the housing pressure rating - it is what prevents the water pressure from pushing the button inwards and pressing on the camera button until you add more force by pressing the button.

So while it might be able to seal against water ingress another concern is it may be pressing the ISO button continually at depth and this often results in other camera buttons becoming non responsive. 

It's hard to comment without actually seeing the button - you say you can see the metal pin, is this from outside?  Is it like you can see the pin in the centre of the button?  The seal is an o-ring around the Pin as I understand it so that should hold.  The button is under the pin inside so should still be there if the pin is still there.   Perhaps the pin is bent or the button cocked to one side a bit which may be why it is not returning.

44 minutes ago, ChrisRoss said:

So while it might be able to seal against water ingress another concern is it may be pressing the ISO button continually at depth and this often results in other camera buttons becoming non responsive. 

Highly probable.

He should try to understand if camera works with the ISO button continuosly pressed...

7 hours ago, ChrisRoss said:

So while it might be able to seal against water ingress another concern is it may be pressing the ISO button continually at depth and this often results in other camera buttons becoming non responsive. 

It's hard to comment without actually seeing the button - you say you can see the metal pin, is this from outside?  Is it like you can see the pin in the centre of the button?  The seal is an o-ring around the Pin as I understand it so that should hold.  The button is under the pin inside so should still be there if the pin is still there.   Perhaps the pin is bent or the button cocked to one side a bit which may be why it is not returning.

This is my concern as well.  Two issues.  Will it leak, and will the button continually press.  I can dive the housing empty and check for leaks during a checkout dive, that's easy enough.  I'm wondering if there's some way to block the button from depressing at depth.  Maybe fabricate a little block or something?  Maybe some glue/adhesive? I can easily get by without being able to press this button as I have the other 4 way selector to navigate menus, and I can program ISO to another custom button.  

I'm really stumped as to why the button isn't springing back if the only damage was to the outside.  Like others mentioned, I would guess that the spring is on the inside of the housing to protect against corrosion.  It should still be there.  The button cap was floating around the inside of my camera bag, so I'm guessing the damage was done in transit, rather than in the rinse bucket.  Maybe I need to look a little closer for other bits of my housing that might be floating around in my bag.

I reached out to my local distributor, but they don't think they can get replacement parts in time.  I'm also trying to chase down a rental housing.  For two weeks of liveaboard in the red sea, I'd be really disappointed if I didn't come back with any photos. Then again, carrying 50 lbs of gear just to find out that it won't work, or flooding my lens/body because I was impatient probably isn't a good idea either.

Also, looking at these photos up close is showing me what a poor job I did of rinsing the housing after my last trip...  Time for a service either way :(

If you do not have time to get it serviced, I would epoxy the button back in place(JB weld Plastic Bonder is excellent). Do not put too much. You have to apply pressure on the bond for at least two hours, but I would do  six hours. Apply with paper clip end. Make sure the to section are clean of oil and salt residue. Clean with vinegar and tooth brush. Vacuum test and if you can water test without camera. 

I was inspecting the inner part of my NA-GH5 back which has similar controls and I see no springs inside.

It seems that the spring is on the outer sideof the back, inside the button. Looking at your photo of the button, there's a space between the external shell and the broken plastic which fits on the pin. I guess there should be a spring there.

Before any temporary repair attempt I would check if my camera body works while pressing continuosly the ISO button with a finger. Because that's the main problem. 

P.S.

Look for a lonely minuscule spring inside your bag...

7 hours ago, Davide DB said:

I was inspecting the inner part of my NA-GH5 back which has similar controls and I see no springs inside.

It seems that the spring is on the outer sideof the back, inside the button. Looking at your photo of the button, there's a space between the external shell and the broken plastic which fits on the pin. I guess there should be a spring there.

Before any temporary repair attempt I would check if my camera body works while pressing continuosly the ISO button with a finger. Because that's the main problem. 

P.S.

Look for a lonely minuscule spring inside your bag...

Looked at mine also, thinking about it further mechanically a spring on the inside would press the button inwards not press it outwards, so the spring is under the button and may have jammed up in the incident - or.... it looks very much like a spring seat underneath the broken piece of button so maybe the spring is hiding in your luggage somewhere as Davide suggests.

The buttons are probably all the same dimensions - apart from length if you have calipers and can measure the length of the stainless rod while still in the housing you could check to see if an RX 100 button might fit without going through disassembly.  The C clips are normally single use as they probably get damaged easily when removing them so ideally you would source replacements.  Again ideally you would order a replacement button.