A650IS flooding issue

[smellzlikefish]

I have had my camera (A650 IS) for about 7 months now, but I keep having a similar issue and was wondering if there was a better way of doing things. I tend to be pretty anal (or at least I thought) about checking and greasing the O-rings before dives. I have a girlfriend with long hair and black and white cat with very fine hair that can be tough to see on the O-ring. On three separate dives, I have come up to find my camera housing fogged. Once may have been attributable to a bit of rain on the camera when I put it in the housing, but the other two times I came up to find a single hair on the O ring. Sony housings have a second gasket in addition to the Oring that prevents little slip ups like this from occurring, a system I wish Canon would adopt with their housings. How do you guys check your O-rings before a dive and has anyone had this problem? I try picking up a new O-ring somewhere? BTW, so far the camera is fine, I have to wonder how much of that mist has gotten onto the internal parts such as the photo sensor.

 

[Nemrod]

Sounds like you need to get some disectant bags and use them. It may be just humidity.

Next time you get a cat get a hairless.

I doubt your gf's hair is an issue unless she uses your housing as a comb.

Don't over lube an O ring, wipe it clean with a non lint soft cloth, wipe the sealing areas as well.

Get a new O ring--NOW.

Charge, rig and install the camera with dissectant bags into the housing in a shaded, cool, preferably air conditioned hotel room, the night before your dive. Avoid opening the camera during the dive trip until back to your accommodations.

N

 

[smellzlikefish]

In all honesty, it was my girlfriend's hair that screwed me on my last dive (I tried picking it out underwater, but it broke off at the case). I could see the drips leading from the Oring into the housing...

 

[wally2]

You think you are anal?

Not really.

I keep all of my camera parts [including spares] in sealed baggies. I never lay them down anywhere as they are either in our housings or in the sealed baggies. I also carry a small lens with a light that I check the O-rings before installation. I use a camera lens cloth to clean the surfaces of the housings as well. I also have a spare O-ring that I use in the housings when we travel. That way my housings stay sealed and free from unwanted moisture, dust and other junk.

Use the lubricant sparingly as a drop will do. To much lube is about as bad as no lube.

We do 4 - 5 photo trips a year and have never had a housing flood.

 

[Rynomar]

It is also a good idea to store the housing with the o-ring removed. This will make it last longer. I also strongly recommend that you do not let your significant other place money inside the housing to keep it from getting wet. My dear wife tried that a few weeks ago in Bonaire after I had carefully cleaned the housing and o-ring before closing it. She accidentally let a corner of one of the bills lay under the o-ring. About 30 minutes into the dive, she called me over and showed me a G7 marinating in about an inch of water. It is amazing how fast seawater can corrode electronics.

I guess the point of the story is, you cannot be too careful with your housings. You should also check to see if you can get the housing serviced. I know that Ikelite will replace the seals on all of the buttons on the housing I you send it to them. I do doubt that Canon would do that though. Happy shooting.