Changing batteries in humidity and heat

[Doctorfish]

I never, ever open a camera housing on a boat. It's very bad luck.

If you want to maintain a dry housing, keep it in an AC dehumidified room when changing batteries. Keep a small bag of silica gel in the housing when using, and use the vacuum system if you have. The vacuum does not need to be excessive either, just enough to give the o-rings a squeeze.

The OP as pointed out, is taking way too many shots. 300 shots in one dive? Hard to have any time to enjoy the environment. Better to frame, compose, focus and shoot far fewer frames per dive. Also, power the camera off when not shooting.

I can usually get through a 3 tank day on one battery, and if I run out of juice, I don't sweat it.

 

[DevilEyeDog]

I'm impressed that you get that long on a single TG-6 battery. I've found a single high quality battery safely lasts one ~60 minute dive, but never the full length of a second ~60 minute dive. I keep the screen at low intensity but still, I cannot get two dives.

The battery indicator is not linear... it shows 100% until about the last 10 minutes and then goes red, and finally the camera shuts off. For reliability I just swap in a new battery on every dive. I do this on the dive boat, no special prep other than drying the outside of the dive case. No dessicant in the case and no fog.

If you shoot any video on the TG your battery try life will get sucked quickly but just photos it lasts 2-2.5 hours with almost 500 shots.

 

[TNEngineer]

No video, only stills. I agree it seems limited but that's with multiple batteries from different sources. GPS off, every option disabled to save power.

Sadly, my TG-6 just got stolen at a car rental agency so perhaps the next one will be more power efficient. I'll get another one because the thieves were too stupid to take anything but the camera body, leaving all of its batteries and charger and Backscatter lens and dive case behind, so I still have all of the infrastructure.

 

[Nemrod]

The number of pictures reported per dive are not really believable.

Are these Olympus branded OE batteries or those after market junk that is at best 60% of a branded OE battery? There are no after market camera batteries that out perform the branded OE batteries.

 

[TNEngineer]

Both Olympus and high end aftermarket that I carefully selected for this application from brand name actual manufacturers, not relabelers of cheap junk.

 

[Nemrod]

Both Olympus and high end aftermarket that I carefully selected for this application from brand name actual manufacturers, not relabelers of cheap junk.

I have never found any "high end" replacement batteries that equaled OE batteries. If you are using branded OE Olympus batteries then you can either take fewer photos and videos per dive or you can purchase a high end camera that can do what you need. With my Nauticam NA6400 I can run four or five dives with the auxiliary battery installed and can recharge via a capped port if needed on the boat from a cell phone booster battery without opening the housing. If you open a camera housing on the boat, especially something like a TG acrylic housing that is prone to fogging, you have what you have. One thing the OP might try is to carry a large zip bag, place the camera housing in the bag for battery change and purge with dry tank air before closing housing inside the bag. Use an air nozzle from your BC LP hose to purge. Dry your hands good, keep the bag dry inside. I have done this on old time Nikonos and other film cameras that needed film changes between dives, back when we could only take 36 pictures per dive. You are pushing the limits of what is a little point and shoot camera for your purposes. Might be time to start saving money for a higher end rig.

 

[rmorgan]

I'm interested in the recommendations to keep the camera/housing in air conditioning. My experience is that moving from AC to tropical outdoors is a guaranteed few minutes of fog, while when the camera is at ambient temperature (e.g. on a boat with tables on the dive deck)--no fog, ever. I'd say the majority of camera rooms either have no AC or are only slightly cooled. Thoughts?

(p.s.: For OM-1 users, OEM batteries are "only" $70 now, instead of the usual $100)

 

[TNEngineer]

I have never found any "high end" replacement batteries that equaled OE batteries.

Olympus is not a battery manufacturer. They rebrand batteries made for them by an actual battery manufacturer like Panasonic, LG, and Samsung. When I buy spare batteries I seek out manufacturer-branded batteries and buy them either direct or from a distributor listed as authorized on the manufacturer's website, to avoid the countless counterfeits.

WRT fogging, I don't have any fogging issues and I swap batteries on the dive boat with no dessicant. I've found carefully drying the exterior with a terrycloth towel that I bring specifically for that purpose gives me fog-free results.

 

[bvanant]

If you put your camera in the housing in an air conditioned room, and take it outside you will definitely get condensation on the outside of the housing but not fogging on the inside. Cold air has less moisture than warm air (the vapor pressure of water) so when cold air has a RH of 100% when it gets warmer more water will stay in the vapor phase so no condensation.

Bill

 

[living4experiences]

I have a TG-6 and the PT-059 housing. My routine is to put the camera and the housing outdoors in the heat and humidity to allow the components to reach the ambient temperature. I do this about an hour before assembly and leaving for the boat. I've never had any fogging with this method. I use two desiccant packets for extra moisture absorption.

I can get 3 dives from my OE battery. I limit my use of the video and don't take as many pictures as you do. If you cut back on your shots, you'll get more battery life. I also power off the camera when I'm done with my shots versus letting the auto shut-off run in due time. I carry an extra battery but have yet to need to change it on the boat.