Alternatives to Olympus O-Grease?

[Fibonacci]

I've had very good results with Super Lube 21030 PTFE modified Synthetic Grease:

Super Lube® Grease is a patented synthetic NLGI grade 2 heavy-duty, multipurpose lubricant with PTFE. Synthetic base fluids and the addition of PTFE micro powders combine to form a premium lubricant that provides longer life protection against friction, wear, rust and corrosion. Machinery lasts longer, downtime is reduced, and productivity is increased. Super Lube® is compatible with most other lubricants and will not run, drip, evaporate or form gummy deposits, and will not melt or separate.

Super Lube® is Food Grade, rated H-1 by the USDA and NSF for incidental food contact. It is an excellent Dielectric and operates over a temperature range from -45° to 450° F.
Impervious to salt water.​

Super Lube® 21030 Synthetic Grease Tube 3oz Super Lube® 21030 Synthetic Grease Tube 3oz [21030] : The O-Ring Store LLC, We make getting O-Rings easy!

Seems to stay put on camera o-rings better than Tribolube and is much thinner viscosity than Dow 111 so the o-ring can deform under water pressure a little easier.

Much cheaper than either of the above and also comes in nifty 1cc sachets suitable for the spares box
Super Lube® 82340 Synthetic Grease 1cc. Packet [82340-1CC] : The O-Ring Store LLC, We make getting O-Rings easy!

 

[bvanant]

Yes it is much cheaper because the base oil is not a polyfluoro ether but rather simple hydrocarbon grease. If you look at their compatibility chart it is not good for some rubbers (https://www.super-lube.com/Content/...ose Synthetic Grease with Syncolon (PTFE).pdf) and only listed as good for silicone. If it is working for you great, but I never want to think about what grease for what o-ring, the Fluoroether ones just go on everything and are O2 friendly as well.
Bill

 

[Ardy]

When I started UW photography in the late 70's all o'rings were rubber(?) and there was only one o'ring grease. You greased them up and forgot about them for a year, at least I did, never had a leak in those days. The only leak I saw was an engineer mate of mine who would grease all o'rings before every trip and he lost a Nikon in his very expensive Subal Housing.
In the last 5 years I pinched an o'ring and lost new Inon Z330 and had a leak in EM5 Oly housing, luckily didn't lose the camera. Not sure if we are getting better at this. Maybe I am getting worse.

 

[bvanant]

The Inon's design is now quite old and I can assure you that you are not the only one who has pinched the Inon cap o-ring. In our garage we have a wall of shame (flooded stuff) and curiously all of it is mine and none of it is my wife's. Imagine that
Bill

 

[Ardy]

Bill, It's that female attention to details. They are a curse on our own self-worth.
I was really pissed with my Inon adventure I only had about 6 dives on it. Shot straight back to SnS and did not look back. Funny I had guys on the Strobes and Lighting telling me you can flood an Inon and it will still be OK, after cleaning and drying I turned it on and BANG! that was not it telling me all's OK!

 

[bvanant]

Yeah, my Inon flood (completely my fault) ended up with water in the main strobe compartment.
Bill

 

[Ardy]

Until Inon re-engineer their battery compartment, SnS only for me. I am not details focused enough to own an Inon.

 

[Ardy]

BTW what is the issue with the silicon grease that comes with purchase?

 

[bvanant]

Nothing wrong with the grease that comes with the strobe i.e. Inon grease or S&S grease but they should only be used with the product they were designed for. Many of us have Inon and S&S strobes and Nauticam/S&S/Ikelite/Seacam/you name it housings, plus focus lights plus plus plus gear that have different material o-rings. So you can carry a bunch of different grease tubes with you or just carry a little bit of "universal" grease meaning tribolube/christolube/krytox.
Cheers
BVA

 

[Germie]

What do you mean with 'punching' an oring? I had a couple of times with my Inon strobes that when putting the cap on that the Oring cam between the cap and the strobe. It did not stay in place. But if you use a lot of grease, and screw the cap on carefully, you can directly see if the oring is moving.
You can react before ruining the oring.