Setting Up

The underwater world is alive with drama, a theater where you seldom see the same scene twice. A digital camera, lightweight and easy to use, is an ideal way to bring back images of that drama. In this section, we'll learn the basics of setting your camera up properly so you won't miss your chance when that perfect shot appears.

Use a Clean, Well-lit Location and Avoid Dust & Sand

Setting up a camera in a housing is very simple. If you learn the basics, anyone can do it. You want to set up correctly, though, because once you're underwater it's hard to correct any mistakes. Mistakes can lead to a spoiled dive or, much worse, a flooded housing and camera. Salt water and electronics make a bad combination.

To avoid mistakes, set up your housing in a clean, well-lit place like a desktop. If you set up where it's dusty or sandy, dust or sand can stick to your hands, get on an O-ring, and compromise the seal in the housing. Take your time during set-up. Relax, don't rush, and check your steps as you go. If possible, set up your camera and housing in a well-lit room in your house or hotel before you go out to dive, not on a boat or on the shore where it's hard to concentrate and keep everything dust-, sand-, and water-free.

Check the Camera Before Mounting

Make sure your camera is ready to shoot before mounting it in your housing. Check to make sure your recording media has ample free space for photos during this dive. If you have a high-resolution camera, the larger the capacity of the recording media, the better. Check the battery to make sure it's fully charged, and make sure the lens is clean. You can't change batteries or clean a lens once you're underwater, so it's a good habit to check each time you put the camera in the housing.

Check the recording media first. If there are still images stored there and you've already backed them up somewhere else, clear the media by formatting it. Check your camera's shooting mode as well.
Make sure the battery has enough charge for your dive. Keep in mind that rechargeable batteries will discharge if left unused for a long periods of time and verify that they're still charged.
Check for dust, dirt, or fingerprints on the camera lens. They can build up on the surface without you realizing it. Once underwater, you can't clean them off.

Check the Housing

O-rings are a critical element in waterproofing. Before mounting the camera in the housing, examine the O-ring and the O-ring groove, and check to see that it's been properly lubricated and maintained. If there are dust, droplets, or other particles in the housing, blow them out with a commercially available blower.

A blower is the best method for blowing out the housing. Don't use towels or tissues if possible?they can leave lint behind. Pay particular attention to the housing port where it's easy for dust to accumulate. A dirty or dusty port will show up in your photos. Carefully blow it out with a blower.
Every time you examine the O-ring, use an O-ring remover or similar tool to carefully remove the O-ring from the groove. Then wipe the O-ring clean and gently apply a thin film of grease to the ring. Be careful not to apply too much grease?it can catch sand or dust. Gently clean out the O-ring groove with a Q-tip.

Mount the Camera in the Housing.

Now let's put the camera in the housing. Point the camera toward the housing's lens port and gently press-don't force!-the camera into place. (Be sure to read the manual for instructions.) Be careful of dials, levers, and other controls within the housing. Avoid catching and forcing them. Never use more force than necessary so you don't break camera controls.

Slowly and carefully insert the digital camera into place.*Be sure your hands are clean so you don't leave sand, dirt, or oil in the housing.
If you're using silica gel (a desiccating agent to avoid fogging in the housing), drop it in place according to the housing's instruction manual.
Before closing the housing, check once more to make sure there's no dust or hair caught inside or on the O-ring. If everything is okay, slowly close the buckle. Make sure as you close that the strap isn't caught in the housing.

Install Accessories

If you're using one or more strobes, set the digital camera mode to "forced flash." Check to see if the housing lets you change the flash mode or shooting mode when the camera is sealed in the housing. If not, make sure to set the modes before you install the camera.

Install the housing onto the arm stay (tray), the piece that connects your camera to the arms holding the strobe or strobes. Turn the screw from below to fix the housing firmly in place. Check for looseness. If necessary, tighten the screw.
Check the strobe(s) to make sure the O-rings are properly maintained and that the strobe batteries are charged, then securely tighten the strobe battery cap. Attach the strobe to the strobe arm according to the directions that came with the strobe and the arm. Tighten the arm, but not too tightly. An over-tight arm is hard to adjust for strobe angle when you're underwater.
Install the fiber-optic cable on the correct sockets on the housing and strobe for the slave sensor. (The manual describes where these sockets are located.) This completes the basic setup.

This movie shows the set-up steps just described.

Before getting in the water with your housing...

If you're using one or more strobes, be careful when you transport the camera and housing. This is particularly true when you pack the camera and housing in a suitcase for air travel. Be sure to properly remove the strobe arm and stow the equipment with proper padding.
Before your dive, be sure to test your housing by submerging it in fresh water. Slowly insert the housed camera into a water tank and look closely for bubbles that might signal a leak. Check to make sure there's no water penetration after 3 seconds, after 30 seconds, and-finally-after 3 minutes.
If you see the bubbles arising from the housing continuously, or the lens is fogging up, it might be flooding. Stop soaking and take the equipment from the water tank immediately.

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Let the equipment soak in fresh water for several minutes.

Make sure to check your housing and carry out routine maintenance each and every time you open and close the housing. When it's time to enter the water, gently immerse it after you're already in. Do not hold the camera in your hands when you enter with a giant stride or back entry. Have your buddy or a someone on the boat gently hand you the camera once you're in the water, and be sure you have a good hold on the camera before they let go. Remember that although a housed camera is built to withstand the pressure of water as you dive, it can be sensitive to sudden shocks.

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