Second Time out with the A620

[mach2plus]

I've read some of that myself... I bet many of the o-rings that we order as replacement parts have sat there for years in some manufacturer's warehouse prior to our stretching them for the first time, so I'm not real worried about that right now. I think that I'll just order up a couple of spares, just in case. I use the freezer type baggy technique myself, have done so for years with my old radio collection, and it's served me well. In the old days you had to worry about PVC outgassing, etc., but that isn't much of an issue these days. Gotta run to take a look at a dive boat. Thanks for your help -- Mach

 

[huskychemist]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. I'm from Seattle, but I'll be diving SoCal this summer...so it's nice to see some of the life you've got.

 

[booth22]

That's kind of funny since we'll be up in Seattle in August checking out what's under the water up there.... hope to get some good pictures- maybe an octopus, as we have yet to see any of those in our early diving careers.

 

[huskychemist]

Well, if you want, let me know when you're here. I've got a place that has been 100% with the octos on every night dive for the past five or six months... There are other places that have the bigger GPOs also.

Lots of folks on the "Orca Bait" Forum here that can show you great dive spots. It might be worth a look.

 

[mach2plus]

Hi Huskychemist. Just checked out your scuba page -- pretty neat! Noted that you're using the A620/WP90 combo, just like me, though I haven't used it diving yet. Was wondering what mode you use it in -- UW maybe, with the flash? Have you tried the white balance underwater yet? Just out of curiosity, I used the movie mode at the highest resolution and frame rate, and with a low formatted, empty 1 GB card, I got 22 minutes total time until the card filled up (which is anotated on the LCD). I'm thinking that I'm going to try the custom mode my first time out, using some presets, and a white board for balance. I've taken about 400 test shots so far trying to get a feel for the camera, and having been a photo bug since the late 60's, and digital since about 2002, I've got to say that the A620 is simply amazing! Keep up the good work and keep us posted! Regards -- Mach

 

[huskychemist]

Hi Huskychemist. Just checked out your scuba page -- pretty neat! Noted that you're using the A620/WP90 combo, just like me, though I haven't used it diving yet. Was wondering what mode you use it in -- UW maybe, with the flash? Have you tried the white balance underwater yet? Just out of curiosity, I used the movie mode at the highest resolution and frame rate, and with a low formatted, empty 1 GB card, I got 22 minutes total time until the card filled up (which is anotated on the LCD). I'm thinking that I'm going to try the custom mode my first time out, using some presets, and a white board for balance. I've taken about 400 test shots so far trying to get a feel for the camera, and having been a photo bug since the late 60's, and digital since about 2002, I've got to say that the A620 is simply amazing! Keep up the good work and keep us posted! Regards -- Mach

Thanks for checking out the website Mach. I appreciate it.

So far, I've just used the "Underwater" setting...and the internal flash with diffuser. I am hoping to try movies soon, but I've had trouble with my camera eating memory cards (there's another thread about it...it seems to be the manufacturer I chose. Won't happen again!). I am soon to try the custom modes, but I didn't get into the water this weekend. I haven't set white balance yet. I'm in poor vis without much ambient light...so I've been hesitant to go without a flash. But I'm going to try...first in shallower water, then maybe deeper. And I agree...the A620 has been a great camera. I can't wait to see what I can get out of it when I learn more!

Thanks.

Lowell

 

[Enigmatic]

Thanks. Just another thing that I'd chance to lose, so I thought that I'd ask. Don't know if you've got any experience with other type uw housings, but do you happen to know if other manufacturers recommend keeping the o-ring on the housing when not in use? Canon says to keep it on (with the housing open, so it won't deform), but I'm thinking that I can take it off, put it in a baggy, and then close the housing, if just to keep the dust out. Any ideas? Mach

For my A620 and WP-DC90 housing, I remove the o-ring and put it in a ziploc bag with a light coating of silicone grease when in storage. This keeps the o-ring from being permanently "stretched" around the groove and taking a memory to the housing shape. The o-ring has to be removed anyway to properly clean and lubricate, so you might as well leave it off between dives. This also allows you to store the housing closed and latched. This has worked quite well for me with many different camera housings.

...just my $0.02 worth.