Shades of Colour Competition winners!
Check out the new gallery on our website, and congratulations to our winners (clockwise from top left):
- Advanced winner David Haintz "Sun Burst Cuttle"
- Advanced runner up Alex Stammers "Snapper Spin"
- Novice winner Jack Abbott "Here Piggy Piggy"
- Novice runner up Warrick Powrie untitled
Winners, check your inboxes for those sweet vouchers!
Look out for the magazine in the next month! Looking for more info on the mag? Try here.
Send us your newest masterpieces for the next competition!
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You need a vacuum pump!
Most camera housing floods are preventable with good assembly technique, but even the most experienced shooter can get in a rush and make a fatal error. Take all the guesswork out of the process by getting yourself a vacuum system!
But why?
- You just dropped thousands of dollars on your shiny new gear, are you really going to risk it to the chance that your o-rings are sealing properly?
Got a Nauticam system? Then it’s extra super duper important, because if you flood your housing, it’s not just the camera and lens that can be destroyed but also all the electronics in the housing itself, which will all need to be re-installed to get that housing operational again. Yikes!
- It is a simple process that adds less than five minutes to your camera prep, why not? It’s much easier and more reliable than trying to figure out if you’re airtight by manual means. No need to find a pool or fill the bathtub, you can do it anywhere.
- Even for those who have insurance on their gear, it may not pay out what you believe it will. (We’ve all been there with insurance policies, right?)
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Vacuum Systems in brief
Most vacuum systems involve a simple bulkhead that screws into a bulkhead port on your housing. Usually there are internal electronics installed in the housing that monitor the pressure and trigger the LEDs to report if all is good, or if pressure loss has occurred; alternatively, you may also find the pump itself includes a pressure readout dial.
Your housing manufacturer has likely designed a vacuum system specifically for your housing - if you purchased your housing from Sea Tech: Nauticam, Ikelite and Fantasea all have vacuum systems. Not sure which one to get? Just ask!
The system will include at least two parts: a pump that is used to draw out the air and set the vacuum seal; an item to purge the vacuum, either on the pump or on the bulkhead itself so that you can relieve the pressure and open your housing after a dive. Some may have additional parts like an installation tool.
If the system requires electronic components to be installed in the housing, check whether these are pre-installed. Hint: Nauticam, they likely are. Ikelite does not use electronic circuits in the housing. Fantasea - it depends (just ask us directly about Fantasea, it's a bit confusing so I won't be covering it here).
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Getting down to specifics
Ikelite
Due to popular demand for installation of third-party vacuum systems, Ikelite made the smart move of developing their own integrated system. If a picture says a thousand words, a video says millions. Ikelite’s system is one of the lower-tech versions, but that does also make it a simple job to install in any Ikelite housing, with no special internal electronics required.
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Video covers installation of gauge and operation of vacuum pump.
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Things to note:
- Ikelite’s “control gland” (ie, the bit that screws into the housing) comes in two sizes. The 1/2 inch version is for newer housings that have a standard accessory port, or the DSLR top mount. The 3/8 inch version is for older housings that don’t have a free port - just remove a control lever from the front of the housing and install this instead.
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Nauticam
As expected, Nauticam have gone all out in developing their vacuum system. Every Nauticam housing comes with the electronics installed out of the box for their high-tech Vacuum Leak Check System. It’s got (metaphorical) bells and whistles, and literal flashing lights.
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Video covers installation and operation of standard valve/pump.
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Things to note:
- Nauticam vacuum valves come in two sizes, M16 or M14, which have a few variants. To find out which one is appropriate for your housing, check your manual (protip: you can download this from the Nauticam website, or send us an email if you can’t find it and we can send you the PDF).
- The following come in M14 or M16: standard version or an offset connector version (offset connector variants shown below).
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- The M16 Dual Activation Valve system (available in standard or offset, shown above) for larger cinema housings like the ARRI ALEXA Mini allows you to connect a BCD low pressure inflator hose so you’re not working away at your hand pump for two years.
- We really recommend Nauticam users to invest in the vacuum system. You spent so much money on this gear, and unlike Ikelite housings, if this one floods, there's a lot of internal electronic circuits that will need to be replaced, as well as your camera gear.
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Hello!
We've updated our website!
Please check it out if you haven't visited lately -- it's a real upgrade.
If you have any feedback, you can send it to sophie@seatech.co.nz |
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Happy to help.
Need anything? You can find us over at our website! Email or call, we're happy to help!
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