SP350 / PT030 - Buttons not working at depth?

[RussR]

Hi,

I just returned from a short trip to Cozumel. On the fifth dive of the trip my Camera started acting funny at depth. The buttons seemed to stop working altogether. I could not change modes or settings and even the shutter release would not function. The only button that did work was the power so I could turn on and off and take a shot nd then do that again before the next one.

Once I got to 20' all the buttons started working again. This was the first time this has happened. It happened again on the next dive.

Has anyone else expierenced this? How do I keep this from happening in the future?

Thanks!

 

[Larry C]

Mine has locked on me a few times. It is almost always toward the end of my second dive and always in menu mode. I'll go to the menu to change shooting modes and it will simply lock there. Not even the power button works. In all cases, I've had to open the camera topside and pull the battery to turn it off, then the camera resets and everything works fine. I've attributed it to a low battery and cold temps. It wouldn't be cold temps in Coz, though. My shutter button has locked in the down position several times as well. I've even taken to carrying a tool to pull it out. Again, generally depth and cold water. Might need a heavier spring.

 

[jlyle]

It sounds like you didn't properly seat the camera in the housing. The Oly housing will deform at depth and the tolerances for the controls are pretty tight. Look very carefully at how the camera sits in the housing and how the controls work before closing the lid.

[The PT-015 mode-control dial has a similar problem - it's important to seat the mode dial in the control to avoid sideways pressure on the shaft.]

 

[RussR]

It sounds like you didn't properly seat the camera in the housing. The Oly housing will deform at depth and the tolerances for the controls are pretty tight. Look very carefully at how the camera sits in the housing and how the controls work before closing the lid.[unquote]

That sounds like it - The day before I had to remove the card to transfer all the images to my computer so the camera must have went back in on a bad angle


Thanks for the help, it was very frustrating not being able to get certain shots. Although I didnt "get" many of the shots i thought I did anyway but these were the first dives with a strobe.......

 

[Old Diver]

The shutter release has stuck about 2/3 depressed on my 030 on two occasions. I used a very small amount of the silicone grease on the shaft, inside and out and that has freed it back up. Just something to watch for.

 

[RockyHeap]

Dare I say it?

"Dudes, lube your shaft if it's getting sticky........." <grins>

You may not be fully rinsing the housing after a dive with fresh water?

sand is an invisible killer too at times..........all it takes is one grain.

 

[Larry C]

Rocky Heap: Been there, done that! Rinsed, soaked, lubed, greased worked in rinse tub...................They still stick-it's the design.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Yup, it's the design. I'm on my second PT-030 housing now (convinced it was a lemon, I *****ed at Oly until they replaced the first one).

I like the camera, but the shutter issue on the housing is definitely a design flaw. I've done all the lubing and rinsing one can do, and it still sticks from time to time.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)