QUESTION: Leaky ikelite underwater housing

On 12/19/2010 1:59 PM, wrote:
Greetings:

I have an Ikelite housing for a Canon A75. Have had for 10 years.
Never a problem. One time recently, after returning from a dive I
noticed that there was condensation on the INSIDE of the housing. I
knew it was a bad sign and indeed, my camera suffered from water
damage.

I just purchased another housing...this time for a Nikon L-22.

On my very first dive with it, there was condensation on the inside.
But camera had no ill effects. I thought maybe it might be that
somehow ambient air was damp enough to cause the phenomenon. But it
has happened several more times (even once while cleaning) and even
though still no ill-effects to the camera I am starting to become
concerned.

So my question is: is there any "safe" reason that condensation will
form on the inside of a water tight underwater camera housing?


I can think of several.
(1) Do you open and close the u/w housing in a high humidity
environment, such as the deck of a dive boat, or on the shore just
before you go in?

(2) Do you giant stride into the water holding your camera?

(3) Do you maintain your main o-ring on the housing per manufacturers
instruction?


--
The two most common elements in the universe- Hydrogen & Stupidity

On 12/19/2010 2:58 PM, wrote:
Thank you for your reply........

On Dec 20, 3:05 am, wrote:
I can think of several.

(2) Do you giant stride into the water holding your camera?

The answer is no....but how/why would this cause condensation on the
inside?

Housings are depth rated from a standpoint of normal movement or almost
a "near static" pressure with uniform distribution. When you giant
stride into the water the force of the water hitting the o-ring can
place asymmetrical stresses on the o-ring and potentially cause a leak.
I ALWAYS have the boat captain or mate hand me my camera once I am in.



(3) Do you maintain your main o-ring on the housing per manufacturers
instruction?

Well...the answer is no...not really in terms of long-term maintanance
and replacement.. But the housing that is exhibiting the phenomenon is
only a week old (that is to say a week in my possession). And as I
said, the older one has never exhibited a problem until recently
(which I am tentatively attributing to the extremely rough conditions
encountered during our egress on a rocky shoreline....getting bashed
around quite a bit by the waves)

The o-ring is practically the life of your camera and housing.
Certainly a tough egress can cause problems. Based on your description,
I might also look at the possibility some of your camera control feed
throughs were damaged.
My camera manual specifically says, "DO NOT USE ANY LUBRICANT ON THE
O-RING". This can attract dust and debris and allow water to enter.
Even small amounts.

You did not address my first point- opening the housing in high
humidity environment. I try and never open my housing unless I am in an
air conditioned environment. Opening the housing in high humidity,
closing it up and then diving with it will cause the humidity to
condensate in the housing from the cooler surrounding water.

I had a leak in a housing some years back which was ENTIRELY my fault.
I was on a dive boat off the coast of Virginia. A short distance away a
submarine had surfaced and I wanted to get a picture of it. I removed
the camera from the housing (Ikelite), took the picture and put the
camera back into the housing. This housing had 3 snap downs. One on
the top, and two on the sides. For some reason that escapes me, I
closed the TOP snap first instead of the two side snaps. This put an
asymmetrical stress on the o-ring. When I snapped the two sides, the
housing could not seal. Result- a partial flood of the housing and a
ruined camera. This was very early in my experience with underwater
housings. Now, as I said, I try never to open the housing on a dive
boat unless it is in an air conditioned environment.

Some housings have slots for dissicant. You may want to try that in
your housing also.



--
The two most common elements in the universe- Hydrogen & Stupidity

On 12/20/2010 9:27 AM, wrote:


My concern with with the new housing owned for slightly over a
week...used on 7 or so dive...and had a condensation problem 4 times.

You did not address my first point- opening the housing in high
humidity environment. I try and never open my housing unless I am in an
air conditioned environment. Opening the housing in high humidity,
closing it up and then diving with it will cause the humidity to
condensate in the housing from the cooler surrounding water.

I am "hoping" that this is what the problem is (atmospheric as opposed
to a true leak). I will apply this advice in the future about being
aware of the conditions when and where I load the camera into the
housing.

Thanks again for the advice!!

If that is the problem then it is probably the easiest to fix. Either
close your camera in an air conditioned environment, or put dissicant
(moisture absorbing packs) in the housing.

One thing you can try. Removed the camera from the housing and fold
several light blue or light brown paper towels and put them in the
housing. Take the housing to depth. When you surface, do not open the
housing immediately. Dry it off thoroughly with a towel. Use a light
stream of compressed air to blow out any remaining water around the
o-ring. Open the housing and look at the paper towels. If any of the
control feed throughs are leaking, it will be obvious on the paper
towels. If the o-ring is leaking, again, the location of the leak will
be obvious.




--
The two most common elements in the universe- Hydrogen & Stupidity

[Default] Thus spake 1hogrider :

On 12/19/2010 2:58 PM, wrote:
Thank you for your reply........

On Dec 20, 3:05 am, wrote:
I can think of several.

(2) Do you giant stride into the water holding your camera?

The answer is no....but how/why would this cause condensation on the
inside?

Housings are depth rated from a standpoint of normal movement or almost
a "near static" pressure with uniform distribution. When you giant
stride into the water the force of the water hitting the o-ring can
place asymmetrical stresses on the o-ring and potentially cause a leak.
I ALWAYS have the boat captain or mate hand me my camera once I am in.

When I have a camera I try to back flop in. Some boats get ****y
about this, but if they do I find another operator.

You can also see some condensation if you descend rather quickly and
that teeny, tiny crack admits a small amount of water before the
pressure seals it off. Experience.





(3) Do you maintain your main o-ring on the housing per manufacturers
instruction?

Well...the answer is no...not really in terms of long-term maintanance
and replacement.. But the housing that is exhibiting the phenomenon is
only a week old (that is to say a week in my possession). And as I
said, the older one has never exhibited a problem until recently
(which I am tentatively attributing to the extremely rough conditions
encountered during our egress on a rocky shoreline....getting bashed
around quite a bit by the waves)

The o-ring is practically the life of your camera and housing.
Certainly a tough egress can cause problems. Based on your description,
I might also look at the possibility some of your camera control feed
throughs were damaged.
My camera manual specifically says, "DO NOT USE ANY LUBRICANT ON THE
O-RING". This can attract dust and debris and allow water to enter.
Even small amounts.

You did not address my first point- opening the housing in high
humidity environment. I try and never open my housing unless I am in an
air conditioned environment. Opening the housing in high humidity,
closing it up and then diving with it will cause the humidity to
condensate in the housing from the cooler surrounding water.

I had a leak in a housing some years back which was ENTIRELY my fault.
I was on a dive boat off the coast of Virginia. A short distance away a
submarine had surfaced and I wanted to get a picture of it. I removed
the camera from the housing (Ikelite), took the picture and put the
camera back into the housing. This housing had 3 snap downs. One on
the top, and two on the sides. For some reason that escapes me, I
closed the TOP snap first instead of the two side snaps. This put an
asymmetrical stress on the o-ring. When I snapped the two sides, the
housing could not seal. Result- a partial flood of the housing and a
ruined camera. This was very early in my experience with underwater
housings. Now, as I said, I try never to open the housing on a dive
boat unless it is in an air conditioned environment.

Some housings have slots for dissicant. You may want to try that in
your housing also.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

An object's desireability to a dog is directly
proportional to its desireability to another dog.