Greasing O-rings

[jwlast]

Recently read an article where the author suggested the o-rings should be removed before every dive and regreased. This seems like overkill to me but I've got to admit after having previously flooded a cheap camera I don't want to throw caution to the wind with my new more $$$$$ camera.

Anybody use this technique? If so or if not, how often should the o-rings be greased? Should the rings be greased periodically with the rings still in the camera? If so, when is considered "adequately greased?"

Thanks...

JT

 

[Dee]

I depends somewhat on the diving you're doing. For instance, if you do alot of shore dives where your housing will be in water filled with silt or sand, you'll need to clean the o-ring more frequently. But if you are boat diving, entering and exiting in clear water, you can get by with less frequent cleanings.

A memory card usually lasts for two dives and a set of batteries for 2-3 so every other dive my housing is opened to chang things in the camera. At this time I inspect the o-ring. If there is ANY debris at all on or around the o-ring, it is removed, cleaned and greased. Use very little grease, just enough to make the o-ring shiny and slick. If you can see the grease, there's too much. Remember that too much grease actually attracts stuff!

To the best of my knowledge there are no housing o-rings that are greased while in the groove of the housing. That would be like sealing the grunge in!

 

[amandasdaddy]

JWlast,

I came back from Cozumel last week. I rented a camera from Island Photo & Video. Holly (at IPV) is an international service center for many camera manufacturers. After wathcing her service my rented digital every day, here is what I learned:

She has never had a flooded camera that she serviced. She removes all of the o-rings, cleans the housing with a dry clean tooth brush. She uses windex to clean the o-rings and the housing. She then uses a small amount of a japenese silicone greese and runs the o-rings between her fingers.

She said that you should clean and greese each o-ring, each time that you dive. She showed me the residue after 1 dive, and it would have been enough to flood my camera had she not cleaned it. I also have flooded a small digital camera, and thought it was a flaw in the mfg., but now realize it was my fault for not servicing my camera properly.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[DJ69]

with cameras and lights,
Greas is cheap - camera/light expensive.

If you do it correctly (Like Dee explaind) and not over-doing it then I suggest you greas the oring evry time or at least once a diving day.

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

this is what all the pro's do. They do one serious anal inspection the night before the dive and do a good cleaning once a day. Durring the day of diving things get chaotic and people forget things, this leads to floods.

Ed

 

[amandasdaddy]

And I have determined that I rely on a Spell Checker way too much!


ut:

 

[clive francis]

blacknet once bubbled...
Hello,

this is what all the pro's do. They do one serious anal inspection the night before the dive and do a good cleaning once a day. Durring the day of diving things get chaotic and people forget things, this leads to floods.

Ed

lol.......what are you using the camera for?

are you a proctologist?

a smuggler?

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

No endoscopic work here!

Seriously tho, in this case it means very intense.

Ed

 

[Diver Lori]

I recently sat in on a shop photog class before I head to Nikon School next month and the owner/instructor cleans and greases everytime he opens his camera to change batts or film. And since he shoots a roll every dive.....well, it's done every dive!

He also cautioned against using the air guns at dive boat camera tables.....said he's seen them shoot a bit of water into unsuspecting owner's cameras. He says leave the thing hang or only use it to blow off the table before you set your equipment down.

 

[debcov]

I clean my housing and O-ring any time I open my camera. When on a boat doing 2 dives, depending on the size of the boat, I will change batteries and clean. I recently returned from Bali and dove using engine-powered outrigger canoes, essentially. Knowing this ahead of time, I turned off the LCD to the display on my digital to save battery life, as I did not want to open the housing on what essentially was a motorized canoe.....Such is diving in Asia.

I use Q-tips to clean the grooves in the housing and I remove the O-ring, running it thru my fingers to remove any grit. I then inspect for any damage and apply thin coat of "grease". When I close the housing (I have an Olympus 3040), I try to press the housing up/down and to the sides to make sure the O-ring is properly seated.

The camera and housing, as well as the priceless pix I take when I pay a lot of $$$ to travel around Asia are worth the time to take a few extra min to make sure the camera does not flood.