Maintenance
The Ikelite Digital Housing should be given the same care and attention as your other photographic equipment. In addition to normal maintenance we recommend that the housing be returned to Ikelite periodically to be checked and pressure tested.
1. Do Not leave the camera and housing in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. Heat may damage the camera.
2. Do Not ship the camera in the housing.
3. Before using the housing, always check the tightness of the set screw in each control knob.
Check each control gland to make sure they are tight. There is a slight chance that either could vibrate loose during travel.
4. Keep the back o’ring clean and lightly lubricated. To lubricate remove the o’ring from the back. Put a small amount of lkelite lubricant on your fingers. Draw the o’ring through your fingers to apply a light coating of lubricant. Only apply enough lubricant to make the o’ring feel slick. Do Not stretch the o’ring. This light coating of lubricant will help to keep the o’ring from drying out and will help to show a dark sealing line when the housing back is properly sealed.
5. Keep the area where the o’ring fits and the sealing surface of the housing clean.
6. Rinse the housing exterior in fresh water after each salt water use. Dry with a soft cloth. Dry lens port to eliminate spotting. After several uses in salt water soak the housing in a mild soap solution, rinse and dry before storage. When storing the housing, remove the back o’ring, lightly lubricate and place in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag with o’ring inside the housing for safe keeping.
CAUTION
Never use spray lubricants as the propellant ingredient can cause the plastic housing to crack.
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3.Someofthecontrolshaveashortshaftandcannotbepulled outexposingtheshaftforlubrication.Intheunlikelyeventone ofthesecontrolssticksorbecomesdifficulttooperateyoucan removethecontrolfromthehousingandlubricateit,orreturn thehousingtoIkeliteformaintenance.Toremovethecontrol, loosenthesetscrewintheknob(allenwrenchrequired);
Control Maintenance
Ikelite controls are designed to provide years of reliable service with minimal maintenance.
1. Push button controls require no maintenance other than rinsing in fresh water after saltwater use. If a push button control becomes difficult to push or if it sticks when depressed, soak the housing in luke warm fresh water. After a few minutes operate the push button. If this does not correct the problem, return the housing to Ikelite for maintenance.
2. Some of the controls have long shafts. These controls can be
lubricate shaft
housing
pull out to expose shaft
pulled out, exposing the shaft (see drawing).
To lubricate the control, gently pull on the knob until the stainless steel shaft is exposed. Lightly lubricate the shaft, then move the shaft in and out several times. This will lubricate the x’ring in the Ikelite control gland. This should be done before using the housing after a prolonged storage period, or once a week when the housing is in use.
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General Tips
1. Due to the power required to operate the camera, flash, and LCD screen it is a good idea to start each dive with a fresh set of batteries.
2. Some cameras reset their flash to AUTO when the camera is turned on. If you prefer another setting be sure to select it.
3. As soon as you enter the water, take a moment and check the housing to see that it is properly sealed.
4. Next, check to see if there are any bubbles on the face of the lens port. If there are, take your finger and remove them. If there are bubbles on the lens port they can produce soft focus spots in your photographs.
5. If you use the housing Zoom control, make sure to move it back to the center position. If the housing Zoom control is pushing the camera zoom lever to either side the camera will not function.
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Flat Tighten set screw down against this area when
replacing the knob. Lubricate end of shaft before reinserting into gland
Loosen set screw (allen wrench required)
Photo Tips
1. The number one rule in underwater photography is eliminate as much water between camera and subject as possible. Get as close as you can to the subject, then use the zoom. If you are using flash, subjects beyond 6 feet (1.8m)will not have much color.
2. Digital cameras have a slight lag time between when you press the shutter release button and the camera actually takes the picture. Hold the camera steady a second or two after pressing the shutter release button.
3. Do not shoot down on subjects as they will quite often blend into the background and be difficult to see in the photograph. Shoot subjects straight on or shoot up at a slight angle usin g the blue water as a contrasting background.
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