Sticky Buttons on Ikelite Housing

[Laurie S.]

I always soak the underwater housing for my Canon G11 in freshwater after diving but it still seems to have sticky keys. I just came back from French Polynesia where I did 18 dives in about 15 days and on the last day the case refused to let the macro to normal conversion work and also wouldn't zoom. It seemed stuck on menu. After the first dive, I took the camera out and it worked fine outside the case. When I put it back in for the second dive, the problems reoccurred. The shutter button also seemed to require a harder push with almost every dive.

I'm guessing there are salts built up on the buttons and springs? What would be a good (safe) way to really clean up the housing and free up everything?

 

[Warren_L]

The springs may lose some of their tension over time, so if you've had the housing for a long time, it may be time to send it in for servicing. I'm not familiar with the housing, but perhaps contacting Canon about this might be the best way to go. It may not be user serviceable, so I would find that out first.

One of the things I do with my housing is to press all the buttons and levers on the housing whenever I have it in a fresh water rinse bucket to help flush out any trapped salt water. Just soaking it in fresh water may not be enough.

 

[phillybob]

May need a tune up. You can also open the housing, depress a button and apply a little Ikelite silicon grease to the push rods with a toothpick or remove the rods completely and lube them as per the maintainance section of the manual (pgs. 14, 15 & 16). It's no big deal. Check out the link to the G-11 manual below. You should have the same manual.




http://ikelite.com/downloads/instructions/DC_Housings_pdf/Canon_pdf/can_g12.pdf

 

[Laurie S.]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

 

[pjhansman]

Also have the G11 case. After each trip i've soaked it for an hour in warm water and a bit of vinager. I also press all the buttons and levers a couple times during the soak.

Only 2 trips on the case to date but so far so good.