Housing for Nikon Coolpix 5400

[bkpix]

I am looking for a housing for a Coolpix 5400 in good shape. Any out there?

 

[Michael Folise]

Sea & Sea DX 5400 housings are still avialable new (Helix photo). they are expensive but work great. You can use a Nikonos SB 103 (in manual mode) or get any strobe with an auto function (Epoque 230, Sea & Sea ys 15, 25, 90 auto). The housing blocks the flash and flash sensor on the camera. The ones that attach with a 5 pin sync cord will use the Nikon sleep mode.

 

[RHill]

Hello Michael;

I'm looking for the same housing. Did you have any luck? Find two? Upgrading and want to sell yours? Any info would be appreciated.

Richard Hill.

 

[Dave_M]

Did you guys find your housing for the Nikon 5400 camera yet?
How much are you willing to pay for a Sea & Sea DX-5400 housing in good shape?
I'm debating whether to buy a camera for the housing or just sell it.

 

[RHill]

Hello Dave;

I did, in fact find a Ikelite housing (throught this site) from a student in California. The Sea and Seas are better quality and I'd think $500 +/- would be a fair price. There was another person on the board looking for a housing, so maybe he'll be interested. Cheers.

Richard.

 

[RHill]

Michael;

Thanks for the info, but I sure couldn't find one, new or used, anywhere. Dave (see above) has one if anybody's interested.

 

[Dave_M]

Richard,

How do you find the Nikon 5400 as an underwater camera?

I suspect that you dive in cold water in BC just like we do in the Great Lakes. Do you find the battery life acceptable for your diving? The problem I have with my current underwater camera is that a fully charged battery dies before I get to depth. Would a similar problem occur with the Nikon?

I still have the Sea & Sea housing and am still debating whether to purchase a used Nikon 5400 camera or not. Any insights would be great.

Dave

 

[slowhands]

Richard,

How do you find the Nikon 5400 as an underwater camera?

I suspect that you dive in cold water in BC just like we do in the Great Lakes. Do you find the battery life acceptable for your diving? The problem I have with my current underwater camera is that a fully charged battery dies before I get to depth. Would a similar problem occur with the Nikon?

I still have the Sea & Sea housing and am still debating whether to purchase a used Nikon 5400 camera or not. Any insights would be great.

Dave

Do you mean the camera and batteries get cold and the batteries don't work due to cold? I'm surprised. What kind of batteries? I could be wrong, but lithium batteries are not typically as sensitive to cold as some of the older technology batteries like alkaline. You did not say what camera you are using, so I don't know for sure what kind of battery you use. If you are using alkaline, you might consider the newer lithium replacements.

If your battery is lithium, it should not die before you use it. It may be used up, and you could buy a new one if you can, before spending for a whole new setup, just my opinoin. They are rated for 1000 charges, but I have seen a lot of batteries that won't take a charge any more, or just hold charge for a short time. They have been charged too often and need to be replaced.

Do you descend with the camera on? If you go down with the camera on, it should stay slightly warm and prevent loss of battery capacity.

 

[Dave_M]

slowhands
I am using Lithium batteries in this camera. Additionally, I turn the camera on when I'm in the water on the surface. I have found that should it get turned on on the boat, the battery life is significantly less.

When the original batteries developed this short life problem, I replaced them with new ones from the internet. Same problem. After talking with the factory rep about this issue, the camera manufacturer has replaced the batteries. Same problem.

Because there is little good to say about this camera, I will not state the model or manufacturer.

Do you know if a Nikon coolpix 5400 is significately negatively affected by cold water?

Dave

 

[slowhands]

slowhands
I am using Lithium batteries in this camera. Additionally, I turn the camera on when I'm in the water on the surface. I have found that should it get turned on on the boat, the battery life is significantly less.

When the original batteries developed this short life problem, I replaced them with new ones from the internet. Same problem. After talking with the factory rep about this issue, the camera manufacturer has replaced the batteries. Same problem.

Because there is little good to say about this camera, I will not state the model or manufacturer.

Do you know if a Nikon coolpix 5400 is significantly negatively affected by cold water?

Dave

I think your camera is defective, witness short battery life if you turn it on topside before. Since you don't mention the brand or model, I can't comment on it. Send me a PM and I can reply privately if I know anything in particular about that model/brand. I will respect that you don't want to mudsling, just trying to help you solve this.

My gut feel is your camera has a fault, probably due to corrosion, that is causing the short battery life. Seen that many times, all cameras can be affected in our housings due to condensation, particularly if you close your camera in a warm humid room, then cool it off when you dive. Most electronic items are not rated to handle condensation at all - it shorts everything which is usually fatal. Silica gel packs and Maxi pads in your housing are the partial remedy.

Since you have a 5400 housing, you could pick a 5400 up cheaply and simply try it. I have sold literally hundreds of 5400s, they are tough and reliable. I don't know the specific temperature rating of them, but suspect it would be the commercial range (0-70C), non-condensing, since that is the rating of most commercial components.