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FA-490/495 Housing
For Canon PowerShot A490 & A495 Digital Cameras
Instruction Manual
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TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 2 GENERAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................... 3 THE FANTASEA FA-490/495 HOUSING ................................................................................................................... 3 FANTASEA FA-490
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GENERAL INFORMATION The Fantasea FA-490/495 Housing Fantasea has specially designed the FA-490/495 housing for the Canon PowerShot A490 and A495 digital cameras. This housing is ideal for outdoor and underwater photographers who enjoy the cameras automatic exposure features for capturing fast action pictures easily and creatively. The FA-490/495 housing ensures easy handling and accurate access to camera functions through the critical placement of push-button controls and a compact desi
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HOUSING PARTS Top/Front Side of Housing 3. Removable Flash 1. Shutter Release 2. Power On/Off Diffuser 5. Buckles to Secure Housing 4. Lens Port Numbered description below refers to corresponding numbers on the top/front housing graphic. 1. Shutter Release This is a two stage shutter-release button. First lightly press the shutter-release button halfway, stopping when you feel minimal resistance. When the camera successfully focuses, it beep
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2. Power On/Off To turn on the camera, press the power switch. The start-up image will display on the LCD monitor. To turn off the camera, press the power switch again. 3. Removable Flash Diffuser The Flash Diffuser is used to diffuse the internal flash's intensity. There are two different diffusers included with the FA-490/495 Housing: Transparent diffuser - this diffuser allows for a large amount of light to illuminate your subject, but doesn't reduce the shadowing effect when ph
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Back Side of Housing 6. Zoom In/Out 11. Macro / 7. Playback Infinity / LEFT 8. Exposure Compensation / JUMP / UP 12. FUNC / Set 9. Flash RIGHT 10. Erase / Self-Timer / DOWN 13. Menu 14. Mode Numbered description below refers to corresponding numbers on the back housing graphic. 6. Zoom In/Out In the Shooting mode, pressing the right zoom button will zoom in on your subject, making it appear larger. Pressing the left zoom but
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7. Playback In order to review images on the screen, press the Playback button. The last image taken will appear on the screen. Browse through the images using the multi-selector buttons. Pressing the Playback button again will turn the camera off. In order to switch to the Shooting mode, press the shutter-release button halfway. Multi-Selector buttons (8-12) 8. Exposure Compensation / JUMP / UP Exposure Compensation You can adjust the standard exposure set by the camer
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10. Erase / Self-Timer / DOWN Erase In the Playback mode, in order to erase an image, use the multi-selector right/left arrows to select an image and press the Erase button. Confirm that the erase is selected, and press the FUNC / Set button. Self-Timer In the Shooting mode, press the Erase / Self-Timer button in order to activate the Self-Timer. Use the multi-selector up/down arrows to select the desired mode and press the FUNC / Set button. Take a picture. 11. Macro
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After selecting an item, use the multi-selector left/right arrows to select an option. Press the Menu button again. 14. Mode In order to switch between the different shooting modes, press the Mode button. Use the left/right multi-selector buttons to browse available shooting modes. Press the Func / Set button in order to confirm your selection. It is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the Note controls topside before using these controls unde
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Low Light mode enables great shots in dimly lit situations, while Smart Flash Exposure technology enables the user to balance the flash to avoid over or under exposure. New Scene Modes - such as Super Vivid for additional bursts of color and Poster Effect for a unique artistic look, which give the shooters more creative freedom to capture images their way. Large, clear 2.5-inch LCD makes taking and viewing images a breeze. This AA battery-powered camera enables you to easily power u
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4. After camera insertion, check that the extended camera lens does not catch or bend the black rubber seat on the inside of the lens port. It is vital that the lens does not disturb this rubber seat. 1. It is recommended to make some camera settings prior to inserting the camera into the housing. Please refer to the camera owner's manual for menu options and personal preferences. Note 2. Take a few test shots: it is recommended to turn the camera "on" and program to “Flash Always” m
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CLOSING THE HOUSING 1. Place the housing back over the front and align the complete mating surface of the housing and the O-ring, forming a proper seal. 2. Position all four latches over latch hooks in ready position. 3. Close one of the bottom latches first, maintaining pressure on the other side. Proceed by closing the other side's top latch. Then close the remaining bottom latch and the remaining top latch. Test all latches carefully to make sure that they are completely locked into pl
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VIEWING THE SUBJECT The A490/495 camera doesn’t have a standard eyepiece, but underwater photographers and outdoor photographers will appreciate the large LCD viewing monitor for composing photographs. The LCD monitor allows you to see your subject in sharp focus and framed properly. Hold the camera housing in your outstretched arm at a position that is both comfortable and also allows you to easily see the LCD monitor, for best compositional options. TAKING THE PICTURE Once you have c
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BATTERY LIFE AA-Size Battery Compatibility AA-Size is one of the most widely available battery sizes in the world - in alkaline, lithium, rechargeable or other forms. AA compatibility enables use anywhere in the world. There are certain things that users can do to help with battery life. The most important is to set the camera to turn the LCD off after a short time, during periods of non-use. It can then be automatically turned back on if you depress the shutter release control half wa
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ACCESSORY SLAVE FLASH If you use the camera built-in flash as the master, you can trigger a second slave flash to provide better artificial light when needed. To do this, you must use an accessory flash that has a slave feature built in. The flash from the camera must be aimed or bounced towards the accessory flash's slave sensor, or other fiber optic sensor. This will trigger the slave to fire in sync with the master flash. When using an accessory slave flash with fiber optic cable, it is
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water clarity and artificial light sources. SharpEye Macro Lens M46 (#5127): Perfect for shooting close-up images of fish, corals, textures and more. This macro lens magnifies the subject and enables the camera to focus on short distances for creating super sharp images. RedEye Color Correction Filter M46 (#5178): Used to restore the red color absorbed by the water. In shallow depths, these filters can serve as an attractive alternative to artificial light sources. For more informat
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SHOOTING TECHNIQUES ZOOM CONTROL Zoom in for telephoto photos and larger subject size. Zoom out for wide-angle scenes. It is generally not recommended to use the zoom underwater as it is preferable to get physically closer to your subject. The digital zoom has no value at all. MACRO FOCUS For capturing the tiny and exotic subjects that require close focus. Macro focus is possible when the lens is in the wide-angle position. QUICK REVIEW Immediate review of your most recent image is
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CARE & MAINTENANCE The Fantasea FA-490/495 housing requires only a minimum amount of care for reliable performance. The following tips will enable you to get the best results: 1. Always rinse your housing with a strong stream of fresh water and if possible soak the housing in a fresh water tub or rinse tank for about 20 minutes after every dive in order to dissolve the salt water crystals from around the controls and openings of the housing. Manipulate each of the movable controls to ass
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the heat given off by the LCD screen, which can contribute to condensation inside the housing and fogging. 10. You should take the first dive without the camera inside the housing. You should check that the water tight seal has not been affected during transport and long periods of storage. 11. It is likewise recommended to visually monitor the housing during every descent, especially for the first 10 meters/33 ft. If water is observed entering the housing or bubbles escaping from it, the
