5060 Camera Flooded

[ABQdiver]

Interesting situation with the housing and camera. Keep your fingers crossed. Just how many o-rings to the PT-20 have anyway? I read some where two, is that true?

Hey, hows the diving in Hawaii?

 

[justleesa]

I dont know what to say.... I got decent pics and vids from the dive today. And lisa came by the site!!!!! She is SOOOOOOOOOO cooooooool!!! Angelita really likes you you know.

:blush: Give your sweet girl another hug from me...and tell her I like her too.
As for dropping by, that's the good part about being the boss...I get to say where we go!
Oh yeah. Thanks to Dee, I spotted them while driving by because of the super colorful Dee Rag Mike was wearing!

Camera is working fine, although some of the vid functions seem a little off, still the vids and pics are good. I just dropped today and the seal held. But I am worried about rust and oxidation as fpoole and others have now mentioined to me. If I can just get through the next set of dives in Kona, including the night Manta dive.....

I'm glad that you got some pictures and stuff at the cove. Looking forward to seeing them. As others have suggested...it won't hurt to touch bases with DEPP. Good luck with it on your other dives.

I really hate to see you guys go, but I think they hold this convention every year, huh? I am sure you will have something to say and get to come back. :wave-smil

 

[MVillanueva]

Convention is held in a different place every year. Hawaii is not on the list for the next 5 years.

ABQdiver: Yes, there are two main O rings that seal the case; but a ton of little O rings that seal all the buttons.

I just dont know about the operator error. I cannot say. I thought I checked the seal twice, I thought I laid the smaller O ring right... and I am enough of psychologist to know that our most cherished perceptions and steadfast memories are often simply wrong. I cannot trust my memory in this case.

And I lost my Dee Rag. Now that blows goats.

 

[justleesa]

:11: :17:

 

[CLA]

Hi! I have a new 5060 with PT-020 housing. I've tried bringing the housing (without the camera) to the max depth of 40m and had no leaks.The Oly housing manual also recommends doing a water immersion test (with the camera) in a fresh water tank before diving with the camera. Would you recommend this or should I just go ahead and dive with the cam in the housing?

 

[Gazzer]

I have had people argue with me till they are blue in the face about my opinnion about rinse buckets.

But over the last 15 years, I have seen many cameras, including one of my own flood because of placing them into a rinse bucket, BEFORE THE FIRST DIVE.

DO NOT, put your newly closed camera into a rinse bucket.

Why? you ask

Pressure assists with sealing o-rings into place within the camera. The rinse bucket is normally less than 2 feet deep and does not provide enough pressure to properly seal a slightly misplaced O-ring or a camera back with a non-captured o-ring.

What I have learned to do is, Right when you jump into the water with your camera, drop quickly to 10-15 feet holding your camera with the dome port downwards. This pressurizes the housing and if any water is leaking it you will see it in the port. If not, your set to go.

Once you return to the vessel, dip and clean your housing in the rinse bucket. Remove and place in a safe location. Multiple cameras in a rinse bucket get banged around during rough seas etc. Not really good for your glass ports or knobs.

Just to get you 'blue in the face again' I would question the logic of this.

Just because you've decended to 15' does not mean the camera is not going to leak. The higher the external pressure the greater the force on the rear door but what about control 'O' rings or port 'O' rings. These would tend to leak at deeper depth. Also I would seriously doubt that a higher pressure on the camera back door will magically cure the problem of a incorrectly fitted 'O' ring. If Mvillanueva had followed this advice his camera would be scrap!

Likewise the only advantage of putting your camera in a fresh water rinse tank pre-dive is:

a) As in the case here, allow a camera to be saved (hopefully ) by comming into contact with fresh rather than the killer salt water when the housing has a major leak.

b) Keeping the camera cool in tropical climates.

The best way to prevent leaks is to prepare the camera and housing properly. Most leaks are caused by diver error not equipment failure. Take the time to do it 'by the book' then you'll be OK. Rush it and you'll be sorry (I know I've rushed a few!)

Also would suggest you never store your camera in a rinse tank in rough sea conditions or on fast moving dive boats as that is asking for trouble and secondly never jump into the water holding your camera, again this is a flood waiting to happen.