Flooded my 2nd camera. It sucks. What's going on?

[divebrasil]

Hi Guys,
My luck is getting worse when it comes to UW photos. I have used the camera/housing several times when diving locally. When I travel somewhere with great dives, my camera floods. The last time was on the last dive in Oahu, but this time it's was on the freaking 1st dive in Playa del Carmen.

The case seemed fine, the o-ring as well, it was clean, everything looked sealed.

When I got in the water I did some quick dips with the housing to see if there were leaks, and all was fine.

We were diving the mama vina wreck at about 25 to 30 meters (82-98feet). In the beginning of the dive everything was fine and I even took about 10 pictures. But after a few minutes the LCD was acting weird and I realized there was water inside.

Later on I tried to revive the camera by rinsing with freshwater and let it dry. Long story short, it's my 2nd dead Olympus SP-350.


Someone said that when we travel with the case closed sometimes it can compress the o-ring so much that it dosn't seal very well.

I am not sure that was the case.

I think now what I have to do is do a dive with the case with no camera inside and see what happens. Probably put a new o-ring in it.

Do you agree?

Thanks

 

[DiverBizz]

Sorry to hear about your camera situation. I flooding two of them would just drive me nuts. Did the 1st camera flood in the same housing you used for the 2nd camera.

 

[divebrasil]

Yes, the same housing. But I have used it other times in between the 2 floodings and it worked fine.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Yes, the same housing. But I have used it other times in between the 2 floodings and it worked fine.

O-rings are very touchy beasts... I always have a spare with me... and take out the orings for travel (but I know people that don't)...

I would suggest it might also be lint or some small dirt.. I have had one leak from cat hair (which was not easy to see)..

Replace the o-ring.. do your test.. would be interested how it works.

 

[fisheyeview]

Sorry to hear about your camera. I flooded my first D200 due to cat hair on the o-ring.

 

[llqwyd]

first things first...next dive, dive your housing empty. put some tissue in it to see if it gets wet. that may answer some of your issues.

the problem is most likely the O-Ring. Make sure you put a fine coat of silicon on the O-Ring so that the housing closes completely. not too much silicon, though, as that will also make it leak. did you use silicon on the O-Ring?

 

[Larry C]

I've removed the O-ring from my PT-030 a few times to clean the groove and lube the o-ring, but so far it's been stored entirely in the housing which is closed 99.9% of the time. It's been three years now and, knock on wood, not a drop. Put the tissue in the housing and maybe some baby powder around the buttons to see which one leaked if it wasn't the main o-ring. I'm betting on sand, salt or hair on the o-ring. Sorry about your floods. Hope you figure it out. If mine died I'd probably tell my wife it's fate and I have to house my D300 now!

 

[divebrasil]

I had even cleaned the o-ring before the trip with air duster. I didn't apply silicon since it still felt had some lube in it. But yes, I will do a test and see what happens.
Thanks guys

 

[jcclink]

If you're using a Oly PT housing ditch it & get an Ike. These housings are considered disposable - now you know why. Some of the PT series have known design flaws. You may have a dirty o-ring or a housing defect. If you've flooded 2 cameras in the same housing I'd start looking for alternatives instead of a new o-ring. Good luck.
Also - if the main o-ring is silicone (red) DO NOT grease it - with anything. Grease will eventually make it swell & elongate to the point where it does not fit properly in its groove. Spit makes a good lubricant for assembly.

 

[spoolin01]

Run your finger around the o-ring to feel for nicks and flats, or something stuck to it. Also, run your finger along the flat and groove where the o-ring mates. Lube the o-ring lightly with the recommended grease. It's usually not advised to store the case with the o-ring compressed, but that isn't so likely to be the issue - the case back o-ring is not all that compressed when closed. You may well have a leak at one of the buttons or shafts, or at the lens or sync ports. Try the dive with a bunch of kleenex stuffed inside so you can see where the leakage begins. If you want to go to the trouble of sending it up to me (San Francisco), I can wet pressure test it to 170 ft or so to try to reproduce your leak. Someone nearer to you should be able to do that as well.