Flooding of Olympus housings

[ali]

Hi everyone!!

We bought three Olympus 5050 with PT 015 housings at the University. Two of them had flooded already. We have heard of at least other 3 PT 015 flooding and some other coleagues had 2 cybershots flood as well. Our use of the cameras is very intensive, we are all very careful and all coincide in now knowing what went wrong. We are of course not confident at all to use the third camera. We think one of them might have trickled from the shutter button.

Is there anyone out there who has had their rig flood too? Where from? Does anybody know if institutional insurance cover this? Will Olympus try to fix the cameras?

Thanks!

Ali

 

[wetman]

I've often wondered about the buttons on these as well - since you dont really have the opportunity to remove the orings in them and relube them, there must be some period of time after which its more likely to leak through them.

steve

 

[bandit_TX]

There is an extensive thread on www.digitaldiver.info about this. The concensus is that the housings are somewhat vunerable after 150 or so dives in salt water. Fresh water use hasn't been raised as an issue. Several folks are removing the E-clips and lubing the o-rings. Someone has also out sourced the o-rings for replacements. There are thousands of these housings in use. If your floods are happening in 100 dives or less, I would suggest better handling procedures. If they are above that, you may need to consider Ikelite or other housings, or learn how to service the o-rings. Insurance is available through DEPP and DAN.

 

[RESCUEDIVER]

1. Get Insurance

2. Olympus doesn't acknowledge there is a problem

3. If the housing is still in warranty AND YOU SCREAM loud enough, they may cover the camera. I'd try the service center on the West Coast. The east coast service center is clueless. My housing leaked after 30 dives (in warranty), and when it was returned, the rep didn't know what at PT-015 was (luckily my camera survived small leak caught early) they have had it for over 4 weeks. I can't get an answer as to what they are doing (if anything)

4. Get Insurance, again

5. The common area of leakage appears to be either the jog wheel (it wobbles and may unseat the o-rings) or shutter switches. Once again, Olympus acknowledges nothing and has been less than cooperative

6. That said, the PT-015 has dropped to $134.00 (US), so expensive repairs are unwarranted. Just buy a new housing