Ikelite SP-350 instruction manual Control Maintenance, General Tips, Photo Tips

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

3.Some of the controls have a short shaft and cannot be pulled out exposing the shaft for lubrication. In the unlikely event one of these controls sticks or becomes difficult to operate you can remove the control from the housing and lubricate it, or return the housing to Ikelite for maintenance. To remove the control, loosen the set screw in the knob (allen wrench required); remove the knob. If there is salt or dirt build-up on the exposed control shaft, clean the shaft. Open the housing and gently slide the control shaft out of the control gland. Clean and lightly lubricate the shaft, including the end of the shaft. Slide the shaft back into the control gland and gently slide it back and forth a few times without fully removing the shaft from the gland. Replace the knob, NOTE the flat area on the shaft, the set screw in the knob should tighten down against the flat area on the control so the knob does not turn on the shaft.

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.

control	housing	gland
shaft

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)

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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. (See page 6)

NOTE

6. If you are shooting with the camera’s built-in flash at approximately 2 feet (0.6 m) or less, zoom the lens to maximum telephoto. The lens port on the housing blocks a portion of the light from the camera’s built-in flash when shooting close up. If you do not zoom to maximum telephoto, a shadow may appear in the lower left corner of close-up photographs. (You can test this above water)

To shoot wide angle photographs closer than 2 feet (0.6m), you need to use a preflash compatible external strobe such as the DS51 or DS125. With an external strobe you can position it so nothing blocks the light path between the strobe and the subject.

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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. The camera’s built-in flash is very close to the camera lens. The flash can light up any suspended particles in the water and they can be recorded in your picture. This effect is called backscatter. To eliminate as much backscatter as possible, photograph close. Photograph in clear water; do not stir up the sand or silty bottom. If backscatter becomes a problem in the environment you are photographing, an external flash will help eliminate much of the backscatter.

3. 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.

4. 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 using the blue water as a contrasting background.

5. Underwater flash is used to restore the warmer colors filtered out by the water as well as to illuminate the subject. When photographing underwater, set the camera to use flash on every shot. If the camera’s flash is set to AUTO and the sun is behind your subject, the camera may see enough light that it does not fire the flash. With the sun behind the subject the subject is shaded (dark) and needs flash for a good exposure.

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