Summary of the content on the page No. 1
Instruction for the
AQUATICA A300 HOUSING
Table of Contents
1. Foreword
2. Safety Precautions
2. Front View of Aquatica A300
3. Rear View of Aquatica A300
4. Features
5. Controls in detail
6. Preparation of the Housing
6. Preparation of the Port
7. Preparation of the Lens
7. Focus Gear installation
8. Camera preparation and Installation
8. Closing of the Housing
9. Changing the Lens
9. Mounting the Port
10. Mounting and attaching Flashes
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Improper transportation handling or use of this housing might cause a flooding or malfunction. Please read and follow the following precautions: • Store and transport the housing in a sturdy, shock proof container and avoid travelling with the camera mounted inside the housing as impact forces especially on the external push buttons will be transferred to the camera. • When travelling by air, either remove the port or open the housing. • Never change a port o
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
FRONT VIEW OF AQUATICA A300 1. SHUTTER RELEASE 2. MAIN DIAL CONTROL KNOB 3. MODE DIAL CONTROL KNOB 4. BULKHEAD FLASH CONNECTOR 5. BULKHEAD FLASH CONNECTOR (OPTIONAL) 6. FOCUS/ZOOM KNOB 7. STROBES ARM ATTACHMENTS (OPTIONAL) 8. GRIPS REAR VIEW OF THE AQUATICA A300 9. MOUNTING HOLES FOR ACCESSORY BRACKETS 10. LATCHES 11. VIEWFINDER 12. TOP WINDOW 13. AE/FE LOCK CONTROL KNOB 14. AF POINT SELECTOR CONTROL BUTTON 15. LCD PANEL ILLUMINATION BUTTON 16. E
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FEATURES The Aquatica A300 is the world's most technologically advanced underwater housing, ergonomically designed to place all the essential camera controls under your finger tips and features the following: - Large ergonomic and easy to operate controls for most of the manual and computerized camera functions. - The essentials controls for picture taking can be easily accessed underwater, these includes: A. Shutter release B. Main Dial. C. Mode Dial D. Focus and/or Zoom E
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CONTROLS IN DETAIL 1. SHUTTER RELEASE LEVER- pulling the shutter release lever back part way activates the camera meter and autofocus. Pulling the lever back all the way fires the camera. 2. MAIN DIAL KNOB: It rotates clockwise and counter clockwise. It can be use alone or in combination with other controls to select or set various camera functions or modes Refer to your camera manual. 3. MODE DIAL KNOB: Rotate to change the exposure mode (P, S, A, M) and different shooting modes .
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PREPARATION OF THE HOUSING 1. Attach Grip Bracket to the housing: The housing comes with two hand grips which should be installed on the sides of the housing with the supplied screws and Allen key. Occasionally remove the grips and lubricate the screws (see Care and Maintenance: of the housing.) Depending on which strobe system you are using, you can mount the necessary shoes or brackets onto the 1/4"-20 threaded holes on the top of the hand grips. The AQUATICA TLC strobe arm system is
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PREPARATION OF THE LENS Depending on the lens used, there are a number of gear options possible. Using the right gear (s) and correctly mounting them on the lens is very important for a smooth housing operation. Use the following chart to determine which gear(s) to use and follow the installation directions for each gear carefully. Since the aperture control is achieved through the Sub-Command Dial, the use of AF types of lenses is mandatory. The focus/zoom gear can vary from one lens to
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CAMERA PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION 1. Turn the camera Power switch to the ON position before closing the Housing. 2. Set the Focus Mode Selector on the lens to the proper setting AF or MF if using a focus gear 3. Important Note: Small “D” Clips and strap attachments that are used for the camera strap must be removed or moved out of the way before closing the housing. 4. Carefully place the camera on the saddle and ensure the camera is properly installed and aligned as follows
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Before closing the housing always ensures that: 1. The main O-ring on the front half of the housing is clean, lubricated and properly seated for a positive seal. 2. The sealing surface on the rear half of the housing is clean and free from any scratches or physical damage. 3. All cords or wires are tucked in so that they do not interfere with the closing of the housing. 4. The Function dials Knob on the rear half of housing is pulled out to allow clearance when closing the housing
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4. Push on one side of the port or extension ring until you feel it snap into place. Then press the other side until it, snaps into place. Make sure the bayonet is completely inside the housing. 5. Finally turn the Port clockwise approximately 60 degrees until it stops. Do not force it. If there is too much resistance take the port off, check the O-ring and retry. 6. Check to ensure for the proper seating and sealing of the port on the housing. Note: It is recommended that you famil
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FOCUS MODE Make sure to select the focus mode (manual or auto focus) on your camera prior to the dive. The location of the MF/AF selector on the lens prevent access trough the AQUATICA A300 Digital housing. AF: The camera will find, lock and hold focus as long as the shutter trigger is partially depressed. MF: You need to manually adjust the focus. The green dot in the information bar of the camera’s viewfinder indicates the proper focus setting for the target subject. For more
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Of the housing: After each and every salt water dive, your housing system should be soaked or rinsed in fresh water. The housing system should soak in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. During this soaking period reach into the water and operate all the controls several times. Be sure to remove the housing's main o-ring and clean it after every use. Refer to Maintenance: Of the O-rings. To ensure that the hand grips won't fuse on to the housing due to the e
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TO SERVICE O-RINGS Of the housing Main O-Ring, Ports and Extension Rings 1. Remove the O-ring. It is important never to use a sharp instrument when removing an O-ring as this may damage the O-ring groove or the O-ring itself. A bobby pin or edge of a credit card works well. 2. Once the O-ring is removed, it should be examined for damage. Check to make sure that the O-ring is free of nicks and cuts and that it retains its original round profile. O-rings that appear to be damaged shou
