To Grease or Not To Grease

[jk17]

Does anyone know where to get o-ring grease for Fuji housings? No place seems to have it, even Fuji claims not to sell it when I called.

Thanks
John

Thanks. I"ll be heading to Cozumel Friday and this will be the first time this camera is ever in the water. And thanks Herman for checking the manual and pointing out this SeaLife camera is a compression type not needing grease. That moved me into even further study about the types of housings. Question. It makes perfect sense to me that lightly greasing the ring would help with the drying situation, as well as inserting a new one. But how in the world do I find out what type of grease to use on the ring if the manual doesn't even mention grease? Should I contact SeaLife? Wanna bet they will be so proud of that compression housing they'll tell me not to grease that ring? Any generic type of grease that will play nice with everyone?

 

[BRS]

Be sure to carefully check your O ring before diving. I had a flood from a single hair wrapped around the ring. It was almost invisible.

 

[danclem]

I dive with a Subal DSLR and a Casio point and shoot rigs. The Subal requires grease prior to each dive after the case is opened: The ports turn, and the compression ring is quite large. Very small amount on the ends of thumb and forefinger while cleaning salt, etc off.

The point and shoot compression housing O-ring is checked each day, and I apply a very small amount of grease every ten dives or so.

I believe the grease is pretty standard: I use the same for all photo and strobe O-rings.

Good Luck,

Dan

 

[Poolstok]

Man, you guys are making me paranoid!!!!

I am a photographer as well, but this weekend will be my 1st underwater photo shoot.

After discovering that a housing for my 40D will cost 3 x the camera, I opted for a Fuji Finepix with housing.... I had the thing in th bath, and all went well, but 4 inches is not 60 feet!

Now I'll have to check, recheck, and recheck! :11:

Thanx for the nice read though.....

John, Ill ask my supplier if they know where to find, but if you can't find in NY, chances are slim.

What about vaseline though? Will that damage a ring?

Pools

 

[jk17]

Man, you guys are making me paranoid!!!!

I am a photographer as well, but this weekend will be my 1st underwater photo shoot.

After discovering that a housing for my 40D will cost 3 x the camera, I opted for a Fuji Finepix with housing.... I had the thing in th bath, and all went well, but 4 inches is not 60 feet!

Now I'll have to check, recheck, and recheck! :11:

Thanx for the nice read though.....

John, Ill ask my supplier if they know where to find, but if you can't find in NY, chances are slim.

What about vaseline though? Will that damage a ring?

Pools

Do not use Vaseline. A Fuji rep told me any non-petroleum based underwater grease can be used as there is nothing special about Fuji's o-ring grease. The Fuji o-ring is silicone rubber, not acetate based. Being paranoid, I did, however, purchase the Fuji grease. The part number is 70300900. It helps to know this if you order from Fuji becasue they will tell you they do not have it and trensfer you to Fuji Mall. The Mall does not carry it.

I previously had an older 35mm film based Sealife camera that required no grease on the housing and I never worried about a flood. I started reading these posts and feel like it is only a matter of time before a flood will occur. Have to stop worrying and just dive!

Went diving this past week and had no issues with the case. Amazed at how well just using the underwater preset with no flash worked.

John

 

[ronski101]

I had a sealife dc500 that I put about 50 dives on. I didn't use any grease but religiously inspected the O ring for any foreign material especially sand grains. It never leaked but the control buttons started sticking on me so I would spray some sylicone on them to keep them loosened up. I now have a Casio and use a very small amount of grease on the ring. The Casio has a clear case so I can see how the O ring seats itself when closed. The bit of grease facilitates that seating process.

 

[divengolf]

I work with a dive shop and have raised this issue with the manufacturer, Pioneer Research. They recommend that you do not grease the o-rings in the DC500/600 housings.

Of course carefully inspect them each time.

 

[herman]

I had a sealife dc500 that I put about 50 dives on. I didn't use any grease but religiously inspected the O ring for any foreign material especially sand grains. It never leaked but the control buttons started sticking on me so I would spray some sylicone on them to keep them loosened up. I now have a Casio and use a very small amount of grease on the ring. The Casio has a clear case so I can see how the O ring seats itself when closed. The bit of grease facilitates that seating process.

By spray silicone, I hope you mean pump spray and not aerosol cans. The pump spray has a water base and is OK, an aerosol may contain solvents that are very bad for Orings. I pour out some into a container and use a tooth pick or similar item to place a drop carefully on the shaft.
Also be aware that some silicone grease that is listed for Orings is still not acceptable. I saw someone selling tubes of grease on Ebay for use with housing but if you read the manuf description of the grease it clearly states it will swell the oring for a better seal, this is really bad news for a camera Oring.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I grease even my compression o-rings while I check for hairs, dust or even salt granules. Why not?