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Maintaining
underwater camera systems
by
Mark Webster
Reproduced
from in focus 69 (October
2002)
Underwater
photographic equipment, whether you are a professional or
simply looking for snapshots, requires a serious investment
before you even start to take your pictures. In addition to
absorbing all the technical details required to produce a
good picture you must also learn how to look after your equipment
to ensure that it functions correctly throughout its life
and does not let you down at that crucial moment, probably
when you have spent a mint on that tropical trip which places
you alongside a whale shark, great white, mantis shrimp or
whatever!
Water,
particularly salt water, is an extremely hostile environment
to take any type of mechanical equipment into. Although our
amphibious cameras, housings and flash guns are designed to
keep water out and operate under these harsh conditions they
will not do so forever unless a little tender loving care
is applied at regular intervals to keep control of that marine
attrition. The some basic principles will apply to both totally
mechanical cameras and housings as well as the latest auto
focus models, although the hazards of even a minor flood for
the latter are much more dangerous as water and electronics
generally do not mix!
The
best approach is to establish good basic procedures for "every
dive" maintenance backed up with regular detailed attention
and your camera system should then last you a lifetime. You
may even want to plan more advanced servicing and. maintenance
which is not as complicated as it may first appear. For those
with slightly less confidence or time there are a number of
specialist suppliers and service agents who will undertake
those longer term complete overhauls.
Pre-Dive
Preparations:
When
planning to take your camera on a dive, be it a single day
out or part of an extended trip, the first step is to ensure
that you have enough time set aside to attend to the preparation
of your equipment. More cameras and flash guns have been flooded
by inadequate or rushed preparation than any "0"
ring or structural failure. Even the experts and professionals
' flood their equipment and it is almost always due to something
forgotten in the haste to get into the water to chase that
special shot. So find a clean area, decide what lens and film
combination is required for the dive and then commence a set
of routine steps to prepare the camera system for the water.
Listed below is a suggested procedure which should help to
establish your own requirements:
o
Remove the main "0" rings from the back plate
(amphibious camera or housing) and lens or port. Clean the
"0" ring seats thoroughly with a cotton bud or
the edge of a paper kitchen towel. Now clean each "0"
ring by wiping it with a paper kitchen towel and then regrease
each one. Many people make the common mistake of assuming
that more silicone grease on the "0" ring will
produce a better seal. Wrongi This will only attract more
in the way of dirt and debris ? the "0" ring should
only be lubricated lightly until it shines by putting a
dab of grease between you thumb and forefinger and then
gripping the "0" ring as you pull it through.
Replace the "0" rings and, if using a housing,
install the camera and connect the hot shoe.
o
Prepare your flash gun or flash housing in the same
way, remembering to fit fresh batteries if necessary.
o
Before loading a film in the camera, connect up your flash
gun, having cleaned and greased the connector "0"
ring, and test fire it. This way if you have a malfunction
you will not unnecessarily waste film as you test the system.
If you have a TTL flash system it is wise to also check
that this is functioning correctly at this point. This is
simply done by setting the flash and camera to TTL, setting
the lens to a medium aperture (say f8 or f11) and pointing
the gun straight into the lens from 15-20cm. When the flash
is fired from this range then the TTL indicator on the gun
or in the viewfinder should indicate that the shot was OK
and TTL has functioned correctly. The flash should also
recycle almost immediately indicating that it has not fired
on full power and that TTL control has functioned.
o
Once you are happy with the flash you can then load
your film and check it is advancing correctly - also conf
irm you have the correct film speed selected on the cameral
Close up the camera back or fit the back plate of your housing
with a final check that the "0" is clean and seats
properly as you close up and latch.
o
Now you are ready to assemble the remainder of the system.
Connect flash arms, base plates, aiming torches etc. and
check their functions. give the lens or port a final polish
and the system should be ready for the water.
Post
Dive Maintenance:
With
the correct preparation your camera system should have survived
the dive intact and dry inside. However, it is after the dive
some of the greatest potential damage can occur as the water
evaporates and leaves behind salt crystals which will cause
corrosion, dry out "0" rings and eventually cause
leaks if not properly washed off. This is particularly important
if you are diving in tropical water with a high salinity,
such as the Red Sea, where the water will evaporate quickly
leaving large crystals which are especially invasive.
The
best treatment is to submerge the system totally in luke warm
fresh water, before the salt water dries, and let it soak
for a while and then work all the controls to ensure that
the salt water is fully flushed out. You can then finish off
with ageneral rinse under running water before leaving the
system to dry. If soaking is not immediately available then
a quick rinse under running water will suffice in the interim,
but the system should be soaked when the opportunity crises.
If you are on an extended trip going through this operation
after each dive it is still worthwhile soaking all your equipment
once again when you return home as the water in the rinse
buckets at dive centres or on live aboards quickly becomes
contaminated with salt from other equipment. Between dives
prepare your camera system as described above.
Regular
Maintenance:
Many
photographers use their equipment in short intensive bursts,
such as a week's live aboard trip, or regularly for a few
months during a summer diving season. During these periods
the pre and post dive maintenance is normally sufficient to
keep your system up to scratch. However, when the time comes
to store the equipment for a period or the equipment has been
in regular use for some time then it is a good idea to extend
your maintenance procedures to ensure all will be working
when next required. The suggestions below are not gospel,
but once again I hope will aid you to establish your own procedures
for your system:
o
If you are storing your equipment for any length of time
it is best to remove all "0" rings. If they (ire
left in place with the camera or housing closed they will
become squashed and deformed and retain that shape, which
could have disastrous consequences. For "0" rings
which are difficult to remove with your fingers, use a blunt
instrument to ease them out ? never a knife point or pin
as this will cut the "0" ring. Clean and grease
them and store in a zip lock plastic bag. Make sure you
mark the bags with the origin of each "0" ring
if they are similar in size and section.
o
Do the same for all leads and connectors and then clean
and grease all threaded shafts, locking catches, baseplate
attachments etc. Use a silicone spray or silicone grease
and this will ensure that items do not seize during storage.
Electrical contacts can be cleaned with a pencil eraser
or, if inaccessible with a proprietary electrical spray
cleaner.
o
It is best to remove all batteries in case of leakage during
storage. Before removing them from your flash, turn it on
to let it charge up then remove the batteries without firing.
Flash gun capacitors are best stored charged. If you use
Ni?Cad batteries it is best to fully discharge them and
then fully charge them for storage, this will help them
retain their "memory" of being fully charged.
o
Check ports for scratches. If your ports are perspex then
it is possible to polish out the scratches using ""T"
Cut (abrasive car polish) or Brasso, finishing off with
toothpaste for a really smooth finish.
If
you have a glass port which is scratched then there is not
much you can do with it. Small scratches will fill with water
when you dive and often will not be noticeable in your pictures.
However, deep scratches will show and will require the replacement
of the port.
Clean
lenses with a lens cloth or proprietary cleaning fluid and
remove dust from the inside of the camera body, especially
around the film transport mechanism and pressure plate. You
can use a camera blower brush for this or one of the canned
compressed air products from photo shops.
Your system should now be ready for storage in a dry dust
free environment, either a cupboard or a camera case will
do nicely.
Longer
Term Maintenance:
Just
like a car a schedule of routine maintenance supported by
regular detailed servicing will ensure that your camera system
won't let you down at the crucial moment. The frequency of
these services will be largely dictated by how much you use
your equipment and how well you conduct your routine pre and
post dive maintenance. If you are only using your system occasionally,
say for an annual overseas trip, then you can probably plan
to service your camera or housing very eighteen months to
two years. If you use your system more frequently then an
annual service is probably advisable.
Whether you have an amphibious camera (Nikonos or Sea &
Sea) or a housed system, the objective is the same - to dismantle,
clean and grease the "0" rings and control shafts
which are inaccessible during routine maintenance. These are
the areas which will gradually dry out or suffer from a build
up of salt crystals on shafts or under controls which eventually
work their way past a seal and cause a flood.
It
is perfectly feasible for the "amateur" technician
to strip and service his or her own equipment given reasonable
manual skills, the correct tools and guidance from a handbook.
These guides tend to be written by independent photographers,
who have developed their own procedures, rather than the manufacturers.
There are several excellent publications with procedures supported
by illustrations and photographs for the Nikonos and Sea &
Sea owner and servicing kits are available either from the
manufacturer or from specialist dealers. I will not attempt
to guide you through the individual systems here, but simply
recommend that you consult books such as "A Manual of
Underwater Photography" (de-Couet and Green), the Nikonos
Book series (Jim and Cathy Church) and How To Use Sea &
Sea (Joe Liburdi and Cara Sherman) all of which provide sufficient
guidance if you have the courage.
If
you own a housing then the prospect of a full strip down and
service is perhaps not so daunting. Controls, shafts and "0"
rings are larger and more accessible although you must be
cautious not to break components whilst dismantling the housing
? housing designs and manufacturers come and go frequently
and it is not always possible to get spares. Whether you are
stripping a camera or housing adopt a methodical approach.
Keep a series of notes as you strip a component detailing
spring positions and the orientation of controls on shafts.
Place parts into individual containers (ice cube trays are
good for this) so that parts do not get mixed up during reassembly.
Replace all accessible "0" rings and clean and grease
those that cannot be removed by coating the cleaned control
shaft with grease and running it back and forth through the
seal.
Occasionally
you will encounter seized controls or attachments, especially
where stainless steel or brass is mixed with aluminium. Do
not try to free these by force as it will inevitably end with
either the bolt/screw shearing off or the thread stripping
in the camera/housing. I have found that soaking parts in
warm water with a little vinegar normally helps dissolve the
corrosion deposits. Having done this apply W040 or Plus Gas
and leave the parts whilst this penetrates. If the parts still
refuse to come apart then you can try applying a little heat
with a heat gun and try to free the parts as they expand.
This treatment is a lost resort, heat should not be excessive
and should not be used anywhere near plastic parts or very
fine control rods for obvious reasons.
If
the prospect of this effort and responsibility fills you with
horror then the easy alternative is to pack your kit and send
it to a specialist service centre or dealer and let them deal
with the potential problems! A full service appears to be
expensive at first, but if it saves you from a flood then
it is money well spent. Most service agents return the equipment
pressure tested and with a short term guarantee which gives
you time to test the equipment before your next trip.
Packing
Equipment for Travel:
In
my view protecting your equipment whilst travelling is a key
requirement in your preventative maintenance procedure. All
that effort will be totally wasted if your equipment is damaged
in transit to that exotic location you have saved for months
to afford. Strong equipment cases with plenty of foam padding
internally should be used. The injection moulded resin cases
are some of the hardiest (e.g. Pelican, Underwater Kinetics
etc.) (although aluminium and plastic are also suitable dependant
on their contents and how you travel. Fragile items, such
as lenses, should be wrapped individually in foam or felt
to prevent them chaffing against other equipment. When packing
the cases consider that you may well have to unpack them all
for a security or customs inspection - repacking a complete
jigsaw can be very frustrating and stressful especial ly if
you are running a little late for your flight!
If
you are travelling by air it is always preferable to hand
carry expensive camera equipment as cabin baggage. However,
airlines are becoming increasingly strict on the allowable
size and weight of hand baggage, so it is sometimes necessary
to place it in the hold. If this is the case then pack your
equipment very carefully with extra padding around individual
items even if this means using additional equipment cases
- you have to imagine not only the rough treatment it will
receive during handling, but also the weight of all the other
baggage on top of it in the aircraft hold! It is wise to lock
or padlock each case and add a luggage strap to each in case
of a failure of a hinge or latch on the journey. Covering
hold baggage with stickers identifying it as containing photographic
equipment is not wise for obvious reasons.
Whether
your equipment travels with you in the cabin or in the hold,
there is one very important action not to forget whilst packing
the equipment ? remove at least one main "0" ring
from each camera, housing or flash gun. Even the cabin pressure
will be slightly less than atmospheric pressure at sea level
and unless this differential is allowed to equalise in your
equipment small "0" rings can be displaced by the
now higher pressure in your equipment. Many have suffered
thinking that their equipment cases are "pressure prooC
because they have an "0" ring in the lid, only to
find that a camera or flash floods on the first dive via an
unseen "0" ring dislodged on a cable gland or controlshaft.
Precautions
on Location:
So
you have arrived for your one day dive excursion or that long
awaited live aboard trip to coral seas, but your troubles
are not over yet! More often than not you will be joining
a group with mixed interests and perhaps assisted by a crew
who have little appreciation of the fragility of you expensive
camera equipment. In order to ensure that your precious equipment
survives the first day let alone a week you must take some
basic precautions and offer some guidance to your fellow divers
and crew. Here are a few tips for a happy trip:
o
Make sure that anyone likely to handle your camera system
(crew or divers) knows how to lift it and hold it correctly
-I have witnessed more than once camera gear being hauled
in by the flash lead. If you use the flash arm to lift the
system then make sure it is attached securely before you
enter the water and at the end of a dive - if it parts company
then the camera hits the deck!
o
If you are diving from a small boat, RIB or inflatable try
to carry your system in a brightly coloured plastic storage
box with foam padding and find space for it at the stern
of the boat (less slamming movement here). Make sure everybody
knows it is there and that it should be placed in the box
immediately it is handed back into the boot after a dive.
These boats are always cramped and heavy equipment is constantly
dropped or falls over especially when deploying and recovering
divers. By taking these precautions hopefully you will avoid
errant feet or worse still a weight belt or cylinder making
contact with your camera system.
If
you are on a live aboard then find a safe storage area which
will not allow your equipment to fall to the deck if the boat
rolls. Many boats provide "cubby holes" for photographers
with charging points which is very convenient until items
begin to roll out - make sure everything is chocked to prevent
movement when the boat is beam onto the swell. Often the best
place for your system between dives is on your bunk well supported
by blankets and towels.
Be
wary of leaving your system in direct sunlight as the internal
pressure in cameras and housings can rise rapidly. This could
cause condensation on lens elements or ports when you enter
the cooler water, or worse a flood from a popped "0"
ring seal. Keep your equipment cool by covering it with a
towel when you bring it on deck for the dive.
If
you (ire making a safari style trip, such (is those popular
in the Red Sea, then you must take extra precautions for the
preparation of your equipment. There is almost always a breeze
on the coast which will carry fine sand particles. Make sure
you prepare your equipment inside your safari vehicle or inside
a tent on a clean surface. It is best to bring a small table
cloth to lay out when you change films and clean "0"
rings and bring plenty of small plastic bags for storage of
clean items. Washing your equipment after a dive is even more
important under these conditions as you have sand and salt
to contend with. Fresh water is often at a premium on these
trips so make sure that there is suf ficient allowance for
photographers when you book.
The
above advice is by no means exhaustive and will probably seem
daunting to consider at first. However, developing your own
routines is more than worthwhile (is it will ensure the survival
of your equipment and your peace of mind in the water. More
importantly it ensures that your equipment operates when you
really need it to and remains intact to bring back those stunning
images of the underwater world.
Reproduced
from in focus 69 (October
2002) |
