Setting Up Your Housing
Setting Up Your Equipment
One of the best ways to ensure good results from your underwater imaging equipment is to be sure you have set it up properly. We often hear tales of missed shots due to leaving a lens cap on, forgetting to put on a fresh battery or other improper housing preparation. As in most situations, getting yourself into a good, solid routine can increase your comfort level and help ensure success. Below is a list of steps to follow when setting up your equipment. As they become familiar to you, set up time will be easier and you will feel confident that you are ready to capture the next great underwater video.
___Read the owner’s manual again before your trip and take it with you for reference.
___Find an uncluttered work space. You can do all this in your room or salon, but beware of condensation build up when going from cool to warm environments.
___Remove the housing, port(s), camera and accessories from your travel bag and put all pieces within easy reach so you do not forget any necessary items.
___Take your time. Give yourself plenty of pre-dive prep time.
___ Do not let people rush you or interrupt you in mid-assembly.
___Do not let anyone else handle (open or close or change ports) your housing. If you must hand your housing to a divemaster after a dive, take the time to explain to them how you want them to hold and carry your equipment. It is also best to mention how not to hold or carry the housing.
___Prepare your camera by removing lens caps, hoods or external filters. Tighten hand straps as necessary. See your owner’s manual for details on your specific camera. Be sure you have a fresh battery and room on your tape, hard drive or card.
___Put a thin film of lubricating silicone on the black port o-ring before you install it on the housing. You may also want to put a thin film of lubricant on the port sealing surface on the housing. This will aid in port installation.
___Do the Heimlich maneuver when installing ports **** (see below)
___Inspect the port seal all the way around to be sure there are no gaps – it should sit flush against the housing.
___Don’t remove a port if you don’t have to.
___Put a thin film of lubricating silicone directly on your control shafts and run them in and out of the gland (this lubricates the internal o-ring).
___Pull controls away from housing before installing camera.
___Be sure the camera mount plate is securely and properly attached to the camera.
___When installing the camera into the housing tuck hand strap COMPLETELY out of the way of the main seal and controls.
___Push in all controls and be sure they are in the correct position to contact the control on the camera.
___Inspect the main sealing surface (on the half without the o-ring) for hair, sand or other debris. Clean as necessary.
ญญญ___Inspect the main o-ring seal before you close the housing for hair, sand, lint—it should fit snugly in the groove. Do not use if you observe any cracks or nicks. NEVER lubricate the orange o-ring.
___When closing the housing, be sure the o-ring does not slip out of its groove.
___Latch the housing.
___Inspect the main seal all the way around to be sure there are no gaps.
___Check that the latches are closed properly.
___Be sure the gold or black knurled nut on the handle or foot plate mount is tight and secure.
___Use the Seal Check unit if you have one installed on your housing.
___Always dive the housing without the camera on the first dive after travel to be sure nothing happened in transit.
___Whenever possible, enter the water first and ask the divemaster to hand you your housing.
___Relax, control your buoyancy and have a good dive.
___After the dive, beware of the rinse tank—rinse your housing when no other housings are in it. Do not let your housing sit in the rinse tank during rough travel.
___Leave the ports on the housing when rinsing. If there is no need to remove a port, don’t. In fact, some ports are not watertight on the backside and should never be rinsed off the housing.
___At the end of the trip, thoroughly rinse and dry all parts of the housing, accessories and port and repack in the travel case using your checklist (see Pre-trip Checklist Article).
**** Heimlich Maneuver as mentioned above means to sit with the housing on your lap and to position it facing away from you. Line the port up to install it and place your fingers on the outer rim of the port. Pull the port toward the housing (your body will act as a brace) until it is mounted and flush with the face of the housing. Then turn it into position with the dots on the port and the dots on the housing lining up. This is easier when there is no camera in the housing.