E 330 change of housing

[Reefwalker]

Hi SeaYoda
I'm not sure quite what you are refering to Can you describe the problem you were having with the controls a bit deeper - we are a bit slow down here in the colonies you know!

 

[SeaYoda]

Hi SeaYoda
I'm not sure quite what you are refering to Can you describe the problem you were having with the controls a bit deeper - we are a bit slow down here in the colonies you know!

My problem is with the button on the camera behind the shutter release that you have to push and hold down in order to change from shutter speed to aperture adjustment with the dial. The normal mode is shutter speed and when you press and hold the button it switches to aperture until you let go. I believe you mentioned in your review that other Olympus cameras had a toggle feature rather than having to hold the button down.

The hard part for me was doing this maneuver underwater with the housing. I cradled the housing in one arm to push the aperture/shutter control button down on the top of the housing and used the other hand to push in and turn the dial button on the back of the housing. This was not as easy as it sounds. I might have gotten quicker at it if I had more practice.

 

[Reefwalker]

Hi SeaYoda
The problems you enountered were 2 issues I had with my 10Bar housing Prototype. These issues were very easily fixed.
1. The Aperture/Shutter Speed button is a push and twist button, when it is twisted it locks in the lower position. But it wasn't the correct height (too short) on the Prototype, so I simply removed the slide-on rubber cap (inside the housing) and dropped a small piece of plastic inside the cap and refitted it. This stopped the cap from sliding on to the shaft quite as far and it then reached the button on the camera when pushed and twisted. This then holds the camera in shutter speed or Aperture adjusting mode (whichever way you want your camera menu programmed).
2. The Turn-dial on the rear of the housing also didn't reach the dial on the camera on my Prototype, it had to be pushed in to reach the camera dial. I figured it didn't need to be spring-loaded at all and advised 10Bar of the correct dimensions. 10Bar sent me a new shaft and rubber which was not spring loaded, with a different type of rubber and it touches the camera dial all of the time, now it just needs to be rotated to select Aperture/Shutter Speed and the front push-button is pushed down and rotated to hold the camera in the opposite function (as per 1. above it is pre-programmed by the user as to which function is available all the time and which is available by pushing the forward button and rotating).
10Bar assured me this would be happening with all production model housings, I really don't know who builds the Fantasea product, but perhaps they didn't get any testing carried-out or didn't get the feedback as it sound like the mods hadn't been done to your housing??

 

[SeaYoda]

I thought both companies were manufactured at the same place - my housing did not have either of those modifications. The only other weak area I found was the multi piece tray that attaches the handles to the bottom of the housing. When I got the first housing, it had taken quite a whack in shipping and the handles were loose. One piece cracked and the screws from the upper handle into the housing on the other side were loose. If the tray was one piece instead of three (with those two large screws holding the sections together) it would be much sturdier in my opinion. Maybe the Fantasea folks will take up on some of the suggestions here. If they are going to make some port changes, they could incorporate these ideas and have a fantastic product for the price.

Ike offers TTL and strobe control on the back of their housing - I would guess that I'll try TTL but will go back to manual for effects after I figure the bells and whistles out.
If Fantasea had all this it would be a killer housing.

The FE 330 would have been a good housing if the ports would have worked for my 14-54, but it could be the housing to beat with the improvements mentioned here.

PS - If the Fantasea manufacturers are listening, it has cost me about $200.00 in shipping charges to do all this research for you. Maybe you can remember me when you make all these modifications (Hint Hint - Wink Wink)

 

[SeaYoda]

I forgot to mention the other small issue I had. The on-off / mode button operates in a way that you need to move one mode then release and twist back to turn the dial again. If you try to turn multiple positions, you rotate the part that turns off the camera. This was of minimal concern since I keep the camera in manual the whole time I'm underwater. The on-off part was all I really used.