Housing yearly maintenance - should it be done by professionals?

[CUunderH2O]

Something just occurred to me as I'm considering which DSLR housing to buy. I currently take apart and thoroughly clean my Olympus PT-010 housing every year, but I don't touch the small stuff like the o-rings for the buttons, etc.

I'm just wondering, is it possible to do the annual cleaning and maintenance of a DSLR housing (Sea & Sea, Aquatica or other metal housings) and ports on your own, or it is best to send it off somewhere to get it done by a professional? Or maybe once every X number of years? Are the o-ring kits available to the general public, or do you need to know someone to get them? Anything else I should know?

[undefined]

I would send it in to Olympus (or Canon, or Ikelite, etc) for servicing. They will probably either take it apart and replace appropriate parts, or in the case of Olympus or Canon they very well may just replace the housing.

I'll be diving empty (no camera) with just the housing for my P&S to pressure test everything and make sure I cleaned it properly. Hopefully that will be a boring dive and I won't miss any good shots.

[CUunderH2O]

I'll be diving empty (no camera) with just the housing for my P&S to pressure test everything and make sure I cleaned it properly.

Well, that's a standard "must-do" whenever you've fiddled with the housing, or with a new housing.

I'm looking for more specific info from DSLR users who use their housings on a regular basis (ie. weekly).

[muddiver]

It probably really boils down to "can you get the parts"? Some manufacturers will only sell replacement O-rings and parts to a retail store which maks it hard to do your own repair work. It is understandable with regulators because they would be a world of hurt if someone serviced their own gear and it failed resulting in a casualty. As for a camera housing? Good luck with that. If it was mine, I would do it my self. It's just parts.

[Larry C]

Undefined, don't worry. That will be the dive where you see three things that you've never seen before, and they all hang around and pose for you because they think you have a camera. Never happens when you actually have it along.

[alcina]

undefined...I never bother with that. I stick the camera in and go. The only thing taking an empty housing down will show you is if there is a manufacturer's defect, really. And you'd likely see a glaring defect with a careful inspection - done before each use. User error can occur at any time so you won't avoid that just by not having the camera in there ymmv

As for servicing, the manufacturer should be able to tell you how often they recommend and also give you a list of possible service centres. So far, I haven't sent any of my housings in for service...even my trusty Nikonos Vs didn't get annual services. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it LOL Regular, careful and thorough maintenance should give you a nice long life span for your toys!

[Cacia]

I made it almost six years.....if you have insurance, why do it yearly?

I just sent it to Ikelite, costs about 150. The only reason I sent it, was my strobe quite firing (the cord was bad)

To mail it and do it yearly would have cost me 1,200. dollars so far. I think the most important thing is to flush the buttons individually very well, with fresh water. (which I did every fourth use or so, which is very poor form)

[justleesa]

I hope Gilligan finds this thread. I know he has serviced his oly housing himself and had it posted on his website, but I can't seem to find it....If you really want to do it, it can be done.