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TennisCoach
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Funny I have this same question.
My camera keeps getting Fogged!!!
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Funny I have this same question.
BHB ScubaTroll
Contributor
A lot of people have that question.
I can push my camera to about 200 pictures if I shut it off in between shots. A three tank dive day and I must change batteries
I used to change film both on my Nikonos and my Ikelite housed Nikon FMII on the boat. Occasionally with the Ikelite it fogged but we had them fancy silica bags back then too. Then I bought a second Nikonos and no longer had to open the cameras on the boat.
I would ranter not open a camera on the boat but people do and especially in the past it was routine, or carry a second camera. Batteries were not the problem, 36 exposure film rolls simply would not last through multiple dives.
My current little Canon will shoot hundreds of pics and the strobe will too so it just makes sense to prep it in a clean, dry, cool room if possible rather than on a wet, hot, humid deck.
If you must do it on a boat, rinse the camera housing if possible, dry it as best you can, dry yourself and your hands off. Open the housing in the best shade you can find, work fast, check, dry and quickly relube the O ring and close it up with a new silica bag in place. I have had to do it a few times, now I again have two cameras.
N
I would ranter not open a camera on the boat but people do and especially in the past it was routine, or carry a second camera. Batteries were not the problem, 36 exposure film rolls simply would not last through multiple dives.
My current little Canon will shoot hundreds of pics and the strobe will too so it just makes sense to prep it in a clean, dry, cool room if possible rather than on a wet, hot, humid deck.
If you must do it on a boat, rinse the camera housing if possible, dry it as best you can, dry yourself and your hands off. Open the housing in the best shade you can find, work fast, check, dry and quickly relube the O ring and close it up with a new silica bag in place. I have had to do it a few times, now I again have two cameras.
N
I'm also a newbie, and just ordered my first UW setup - G10 w/Canon housing.
I'm heading on a 10 day liveaboard, so changing batteries and cards will happen a few times.
Recommendations are clearly to do it quickly and in the shade, any others? How should i store the camera and housing overnight when I'm sleeping? I haven't gotten the camera in the mail yet, but i should lube the O-ring after every opening?
Any advice would be wonderful!!
I'm heading on a 10 day liveaboard, so changing batteries and cards will happen a few times.
Recommendations are clearly to do it quickly and in the shade, any others? How should i store the camera and housing overnight when I'm sleeping? I haven't gotten the camera in the mail yet, but i should lube the O-ring after every opening?
Any advice would be wonderful!!
if you are new to it then don't try to do your O ring quickly, that's when you could make an expensive mistake. take some corron buds (q tips) and clean the groove for the O ring every time you take the camera from the housing. wash the O ring in clean water to make sure all traces of sand & salt are removed, lace it on an absorbant LINT FREE cloth then using a glob of the silicone grease (use the one which is supplied with the housing) no bigger than a pearl gently rub the o ring, don't pull your fingers along it as this may stretch it. and after checking no hairs etc are in the groove replace the o ring & fasten the camera in the housing. putting time into maintenance pays dividends.
i would take enough small pouches of silica gel to use one on each dive, store the unused ones in a 'tupperware' style box. I know some people don't agree, but i would also bring them home & dry them out, it seems to work for me.
keep your camera as cool as you can, a damp towel over the top of it when you aren't diving (if you can put the end of the towel in a bucket of water it will keep it damp), better still keep it in your cabin.
if you can put your rig in a bucket of fresh water which you are not sharing with everyone else so much the better.
take spare batteries & cards.
i notice you have done less than 25 dives, spend some time just diving, your pictures will be better for that.
i would take enough small pouches of silica gel to use one on each dive, store the unused ones in a 'tupperware' style box. I know some people don't agree, but i would also bring them home & dry them out, it seems to work for me.
keep your camera as cool as you can, a damp towel over the top of it when you aren't diving (if you can put the end of the towel in a bucket of water it will keep it damp), better still keep it in your cabin.
if you can put your rig in a bucket of fresh water which you are not sharing with everyone else so much the better.
take spare batteries & cards.
i notice you have done less than 25 dives, spend some time just diving, your pictures will be better for that.
Hey Sylpha - thank you for all the info.
I completely agree with you on more experience before picture taking. My plan is to complete a number of dives first on the liveaboard, and only take the camera on a few trips thereafter....i just couldn't dive for 10 days straight and no UW photos of my own. I'm also going to use the camera for land photos, so it should get some good use on the trip.
Just for clarification..you are recommendating I place my underwater housing (with camera inside the housing) INSIDE a bucket of freshwater and keep it in there until dive....meaning overnight for many hours at once?
Thanks again for any insight!!
I completely agree with you on more experience before picture taking. My plan is to complete a number of dives first on the liveaboard, and only take the camera on a few trips thereafter....i just couldn't dive for 10 days straight and no UW photos of my own. I'm also going to use the camera for land photos, so it should get some good use on the trip.
Just for clarification..you are recommendating I place my underwater housing (with camera inside the housing) INSIDE a bucket of freshwater and keep it in there until dive....meaning overnight for many hours at once?
Thanks again for any insight!!
TheWallDiver
Registered
My suggestion is to buy a soft sided cooler (WalMart has them for about $12). Pull the stiff insert out. For the boat put your camera in that before and between dives. Cover it with a wet towel between dives to keep it cool and to keep it from drying out (don't want salt crystals to form). DON'T use the common rinse tank on the boat unless you can get in there alone. If you can do a couple of quick dunks to remove the bulk of the salt water and then put it in the cooler. Most leaks happen in the rinse tanks from cameras banging around. I lost a camera that way early on, and on my last trip a guy on the boat lost his that way.
I now actually show the guys on the boat how to handle my camera (arms etc.), and then have them put it directly in my soft-sided bag rather than in the dunk tank.
After diving I take the camera to my room and fill the soft sided cooler with water and use it as a rinse tank (if land based) or get in the camera tank alone (Liveaboard) and soak the camera/housing for at least 30 minutes. During that time in the water I press all the buttons and turn all the knobs to try to get the salt out of the tight spots. As long as the camera doesn't dry out salt crystals won't form and they are what I'm worried about the most.
Finally, remove it, dry it with a soft towel and also air dry if possible, and then I have everything laid out and ready to go before I crack it open. When I do I tell everyone (politely) I don't want any interruptions (including my wife). Don't try to multi-task while doing this. Getting distracted at this point can cause a flood later!
I remove the battery & card and swap in a charged battery & fresh card. I then remove and clean the "O" ring and groove, inspect them with reading glasses or a magnifying glass, put a tiny amount of grease on the "O" ring and replace it, put in a fresh moisture absorber, and button things up.
Take a light and inspect the "O" ring as best you can using reading glasses or a magnifying glass looking on air bubbles, hairs, or most commonly lint. If I suspect anything I crack it open and check it, wipe it if needed and repeat until I'm happy. You can't afford one mistake or your camera is history.
On trips I never leave the camera case open. It is always sealed due to humidity and "dirt" that may get inside.
Another suggestion is to do a leak test EVERY TIME you crack the case. Again I don't leave my camera in the tank but just slowly place it in the water looking for bubbles. Some from the outside are common. What you are looking for is either a tiny stream or series of bubbles from one place.
There are a lot of past posts in more detail than I can go into here. I highly suggest you do some reading before committing your camera to the water.
Good luck and have fun.
Wally
I now actually show the guys on the boat how to handle my camera (arms etc.), and then have them put it directly in my soft-sided bag rather than in the dunk tank.
After diving I take the camera to my room and fill the soft sided cooler with water and use it as a rinse tank (if land based) or get in the camera tank alone (Liveaboard) and soak the camera/housing for at least 30 minutes. During that time in the water I press all the buttons and turn all the knobs to try to get the salt out of the tight spots. As long as the camera doesn't dry out salt crystals won't form and they are what I'm worried about the most.
Finally, remove it, dry it with a soft towel and also air dry if possible, and then I have everything laid out and ready to go before I crack it open. When I do I tell everyone (politely) I don't want any interruptions (including my wife). Don't try to multi-task while doing this. Getting distracted at this point can cause a flood later!
I remove the battery & card and swap in a charged battery & fresh card. I then remove and clean the "O" ring and groove, inspect them with reading glasses or a magnifying glass, put a tiny amount of grease on the "O" ring and replace it, put in a fresh moisture absorber, and button things up.
Take a light and inspect the "O" ring as best you can using reading glasses or a magnifying glass looking on air bubbles, hairs, or most commonly lint. If I suspect anything I crack it open and check it, wipe it if needed and repeat until I'm happy. You can't afford one mistake or your camera is history.
On trips I never leave the camera case open. It is always sealed due to humidity and "dirt" that may get inside.
Another suggestion is to do a leak test EVERY TIME you crack the case. Again I don't leave my camera in the tank but just slowly place it in the water looking for bubbles. Some from the outside are common. What you are looking for is either a tiny stream or series of bubbles from one place.
There are a lot of past posts in more detail than I can go into here. I highly suggest you do some reading before committing your camera to the water.
Good luck and have fun.
Wally
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