Canon Rebel XT hates u/w

[trinity_too]

I have a Canon Rebel XT and a Fantasea 350D housing. The camera performs flawlessly above water. If I use the XT in the housing, nothing extra attached (not even the flash connection attached), the camera will take photos perfectly above water. However, if I take the setup underwater, the XT will take a small number of photos (say 8) and then won't take any more. I haven't changed any settings between the last one taken, and then the stop. The green focus light stays on so it can focus.
Can anyone suggest what to try to narrow down what the problem is? Other than buy another housing to try? I don't know anyone else close with this rig. TIA, Trinity Too.

 

[Riger]

Hello Trinity,

I am a novice with U/W shooting but I'll ask stuff anyway.

Is there any humidity/fogging build up within the housing whilst underwater? Some Camera's detect a high level of humidity and then wont operate normally. Just a thought.

Regards
Richard (Riger)

 

[alcina]

Have you contacted Fantasea to see if there is a known glitch and a solution? It may be something simple.

Does it work underwater without the strobes or is only when the strobes are connected that you have a problem?

 

[trinity_too]

Hi: The camera doesn't take more than a couple of pics in the Fantasea housing when nothing is attached to the housing - no strobes, not even the hot shoe connection.
The idea about the humidity occurred to me too, so I shall try that one out. Presumably if I load up the housing with silica packets that would be the best way of testing. Pool on Thursday! Thanks for the ideas. Trinity

 

[alcina]

Can you reproduce the error on land with the camera in the housing?

If so, you have a screwy connection somewhere.

 

[bladephotog]

Warm water or cold water? Could be a battery problem. The BP 511 batteries aren't too good in cold water. My OEM Canon batteries behave erratically in cold water. I bought some replacement batteries off of eBay with a higher amperage and they perform much, much better in cold water. Just a thought.

 

[Riger]

Can you reproduce the error on land with the camera in the housing?

Now that is a good question in a fault finding process. I should have thought of that.

 

[jdcpa]

What are the settings on the camera?

P, Av, Tv, M, etc?

What shutter, aperture settings are there?

What conditions are you taking pictures? Low light?

What lens?

More info please?

 

[trinity_too]

Hi: It doesn't seem to matter what settings or lenses I use. The XT just takes 5-8 photos and then stops. So if the problem was a lens, or a setting, it wouldn't matter. I've tried the Canon with a Sigma 15mm, a Canon 60mm macro, and the Canon 18-55mm kit lens. I've tried P, and A. The light level was at say 45' in Roatan and Puerto Vallarta on sunny days. If I put the camera in the housing on dry land, like my living room floor, it will happily take as many photos as I ask it to.
I like the humidity idea the best - I hope to try in a pool on Thursday evening - I'll let you all know the result. Thanks for the contributions. Trinity

 

[dhaas]

Trinity,

One word, pressure.

If your camera will happily take photos in the housing on dry land, I'd bet under pressure something is flexing in the housing and a button somewhere is pressing a control.

This would effectively lock out any function of the camera until that control is not pressed.

dhaas