New PT-020

[ScubaGil]

Greetings,
I just finished reading the manual (yes...I am a geek), for my new PT-020 housing. A few questions come to mind that I was hoping you could help me with:
1. What is the Weight Balance for? Do I need to use it or is it for convenience?
2. The manual says that I should take out the O-rings before flights. Do you find that to be true?
3. Does anyone know of any online resources I can use that have tips and tricks for a C-5060 underwater shoot?


Thanks in advance,

Gil

 

[jlyle]

1. If you don't have a tray, arms, and strobe(s), the housing is buoyant. The weight will make the camera/housing negatively buoyant - it won't float to the surface if you inadvertantly let go of it.

2. Take the door gaskets off the housing before getting on an airplane. If you don't, you may find it impossible to get the housing open at sea level. The gaskets are designed to keep positive pressure out of the housing, not vice verse. On a plane, air inside the housing may leak out, when you descend the pressure outside the housing will be greater than inside.

3. Much of what is covered here for the 5050 is applicable to the 5060:
http://www.splashdowndivers.com/photo_gallery/underwater_photography/up_settings.htm

 

[slowhands]

Greetings,
I just finished reading the manual (yes...I am a geek), for my new PT-020 housing. A few questions come to mind that I was hoping you could help me with:
1. What is the Weight Balance for? Do I need to use it or is it for convenience?

The weight is of dubious value. The idea behind it is to have more or less neutral buoyancy, I suppose so the camera is easier to hold. Without it, your camera will float to the surface if it becomes untethered, or if it is not caught when being handed off a boat. I prefer not to use it because I know people who have had their cameras sink to the depths.

2. The manual says that I should take out the O-rings before flights. Do you find that to be true?

No.

3. Does anyone know of any online resources I can use that have tips and tricks for a C-5060 underwater shoot?

You will find shooting manual exposure to be much faster than any of the automatic modes, because the camera does not have to figure out the exposure (less shutter delay). When fish are moving, this can make the difference between getting or missing a shot.
The settings for the 5050 are a good start for the 5060:
http://www.splashdowndivers.com/photo_gallery/underwater_photography/up_settings.htm
Even though this is for an older Oly housing, it's still a lot of good advice.
http://pt010.da-kine.info/topics.htm
His Photoshop macro for color correcting is great too.
http://pt010.da-kine.info/adjustments.htm

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.....