Fantasea CP 8N User manual
Manual for Fantasea CP 8N Camera Housing for
Nikon Coolpix 8800
www.fantasea.com - [email protected]
1
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------4
FEATURES AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDED WITH THE HOUSING-------------4
FUNCTIONS [CONTROL DETAILS]--------------------------------------------------------5
SET UP INSTRUCTIONS -----------------------------------------------------------------------6
EXCLUSIVE PRESSURE RELEASE PLUG----------------------------------------------------------6
OPENING LEVERS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
MAINTENANCE OF THE O-RING SEAL-----------------------------------------------------------8
MOUNTING THE CAMERA IN THE HOUSING----------------------------------------------------9
USE & CARE OF HOUSING ----------------------------------------------------------------- 11
PRE DIVE FUNCTION CHECK ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
GENERAL OPERATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
CLEANING & STORAGE--------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
CARE AND MAINTENANCE --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
TRAVELING -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
ACCIDENTS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
WARRANTY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
2
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the exciting world of underwater digital SLR photography. Your purchase of the
Fantasea CP 8N housing for Nikon's 8800 digital camera will set you apart from other
photographers. With this system, you will enjoy the best chance of capturing the widest
variety of superior underwater images. The CP 8N offers you the opportunity to use the exact
Nikon lenses for the best circumstances, including a choice of macro, wide angle, fisheye and
zoom lenses. You will find the housing to be easy and intuitive to use and operate and you will
have countless dives in which to experiment with the CP 8N's advanced imaging capabilities.
Fantasea Line Photo is please to offer our help with any of your photographic needs.
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with the basic introduction to your CP 8N,
which should get you comfortable with the housing and allow you to get started taking great
underwater images right away. We strongly urge you to thoroughly read the Nikon 8800
instruction manual as well to familiarize yourself with the most common controls and settings
that you will use for your underwater photography. The CP 8N housing will permit access to
most of the important controls on the camera. To take full advantage of these features, it is
recommended to have a good command of what each option can do for you, so you will know
when you should use each specific control.
3
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
•Test Pressure Fantasea Housings are individually tested to 300 feet
•Closure Design Air Lock
•Body Material Polycarbonate
•Overall Size 210 x 210 x 170 mm (LxWxH)
•Total Weight Approximately 2.0 Kg (Housing only)
•Buoyancy
(with camera) Approximately neutral in salt water
FEATURES AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDED WITH THE
HOUSING
•Additional Features Visible main O-ring for final pre-dive check
•Double O-ring design on all controls
•Bulkhead and hotshoe plug for strobe
•Accessories Standard Port (included)
•Spare main O-ring (included)
•Universal tool (included)
•Silicone O-ring grease (included)
•Carry bag (included)
•Red filter (optional)
•Extension arm for strobe or video light (optional)
•Video light VL035(optional)
•Macro, Wide Angle Lens (optional)
•Macro, Wide and Dome Ports (optional)
•Housings for DTTL Speedlight SB800 (optional)
4
FUNCTIONS [CONTROL DETAILS]
1. ON/OFF, Shutter
2. Mode:
•Exposure
Compens
ation,
•Backlight,
FUNC
3. Command Dial
4. Flash, Image Quality:
•AE/AF
Lock,
Focus
Mode
5. Zoom
6. Quick Review / Play
7. Selector Confirm
8. Monitor
9. Quick View
10. Multi Selector
11. Delete, DISP
5
SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
Exclusive Pressure Release Plug
The body and lid are uniquely designed with a "no clip" closure arrangement. Our testing has
shown that this arrangement allows the water to exert an even pressure on the O-ring, thus
increasing the reliability of the watertight seal. To open the housing, the pressure release plug must
be first unscrewed and then pulled all the way out. This provides a channel for the air to pass
though and eliminate the pressure differential between the inside of the housing and the ambient air
pressure.
The plug consists of an internal double O-ring seal on a stainless steel slide shaft. These internal O-
rings form the watertight seal. There is also a large outer O-ring under the knob. This O-ring serves
to prevent contamination [dirt or salt] of the slide shaft, and is not required for watertight integrity.
If this O-ring should become detached, it can simply be pushed back in place.
Important! Before diving, make sure the pressure release
plug is pushed closed, and then screwed home, do
not over tighten this plug (finger tighten only).
6
Opening Levers
After unscrewing and pulling out the pressure release plug, the lid can be opened. To overcome the
friction of opening, two levers are used to push against the lid with a cam action. On some models
these opening levers are bolted to the body. On the other models, they are detachable levers.
Important! Be sure they are inserted all the way flat to the
housing before turning to avoid damaging the
protrusions on the lid.
The body has two holes on opposite corner edges of the housing for opening. Gently lever off the
lid with the supplied cams taking care not to twist the lid excessively. The lid should be opened
keeping it approximately parallel to the body at all times. If using a single lever, turn first one side a
little, then the other an equal amount, and repeat again until the lid is opened. Remember to
unscrew and pull out the pressure release plug all the way first, otherwise the air pressure will resist
attempts at opening. Lay the lid on a flat stable surface after opening.
Cam Levers Cam Lever in Housing
7
Maintenance of the O-Ring Seal
The O-ring seal is the only barrier between the water outside and the air space within the camera. It
is an effective barrier only if the seal is properly maintained. The O-ring seal should be inspected
before every dive. The following information is provided for your guidance in using and
maintaining the O-ring seal.
Maintaining the O-Ring Seal:
If the main body to lid O-ring is not installed, install the O-ring before diving. This is the only user
serviceable O-ring. Its care and maintenance is critical to the watertight integrity of the housing.
The O-ring should be replaced at the proper service interval (see Section on Service). If the O-ring
is contaminated, or not already installed, inspect, grease and install the O-ring according to the
following guidelines.
Guidelines For Inspection, Cleaning And Re-Instillation Of The O-Ring
[Gasket]:
Materials Needed:
You will require a soft cotton cloth or q-tip. Make sure these are free of all chemicals or
contamination such as loose fibers. You will also require the tube of silicone grease supplied with
the housing. Note that other types of silicone grease specifically for use with underwater camera
equipment can usually also be used. It is advised to carry out the following procedure on a firm
clean level surface, e.g. at a table), to prevent skidding. This is especially useful if you are doing
this maintenance from your diving boat as it moves with the wave swells.
When To Maintain the O-Ring Seal:
Remove the O-ring periodically for inspection. It is not necessary to remove, clean and re-install the
O-ring after every dive provided the O-ring did not become contaminated. The housing may be
required to be opened between dives, to replace memory card or recharge the batteries. Before
opening, make sure the outside of the housing is thoroughly toweled dry. After removing the lid and
servicing the camera, replace the lid straight away rather than leaving it lying around. Before
replacing the lid, make sure that no contamination such as dust, hair, salt, etc. has fallen onto the O-
ring or O-ring recess, as a precaution we recommend maintaining the O-ring every time the lid is
opened.
8
Procedure for O-Ring Maintenance:
1. Place the lid on a firm non-slip level surface.
2. The O-ring can be extracted using an O-ring extractor tool (make sure
the tool has no sharp edges). Alternatively use the flat surface of your
thumbs to gently stretch the O-ring on two faces thus making a small
loop protruding a few mm. The loop can then be grasped between finger
and thumb, to pull the O-ring over the lip.
3. Clean the O-ring recess (the square groove where the O-ring sits) with a
cotton bud.
4. Inspect the O-ring all the way round its surface for damage such as cuts
tears or contamination. This should be done visually and also by feeling
the surface texture between finger and thumb.
5. IF THE O-RING IS DAMAGED OR SUSPECTED OF BEING
DAMAGED, DISCARD IT IMMEDIATELY. A spare O-ring is supplied
with your housing, or a replacement O-ring can be obtained from
Fantasea. If the O-ring is contaminated or suspected of being
contaminated, clean it with a cotton cloth that is free of all chemicals or
contamination. After cleaning inspect the O-ring again.
6. Once the O-ring has been inspected and verified fit for use, apply a
SMALL amount of silicone grease to the O-ring. The silicone grease
must be evenly distributed around the O-ring
7. Replace the O-ring into the groove; run a finger round the O-ring to
make sure it is snugly seated in the groove.
Mounting The Camera In The Housing
Remove the lens cap and wrist strap:
Make sure the camera lens to body orientation is set so the LCD screen is at top view with lens at
the extended position. The pressure release plug is pulled out before inserting the camera.
Attach the plastic slide plate:
Attach the plastic slide plate to the camera’s tripod mounting fixture with a coin, screw driver or the
end of the universal tool supplied. Take care not to excessively tighten the screw. Slide the camera
into the body along the guide rail inside the bezel. Make sure the camera body is inserted to the
limit and test the function of the ON/OFF button on the body of the housing.
Note! If you find that the control levers do not articulate
properly with the camera buttons, please check
again that the camera is properly seated to the
limit of the guide rail.
9
Replace the lid:
Remember to pull the pressure release plug all the way out while closing the lid, otherwise the air
cannot escape. Squeeze the lid closed all the way, you will hear the hiss of air being expelled.
Screw home the pressure release plug:
There is no need to excessively tighten this plug. The internal O-ring makes the seal. The O-ring on
the underside of the plug is just to keep the shaft dirt free.
After replacing the lid, make a final visual inspection of the main O-ring for contamination.
Note!
If the O-ring is in good contact, a thin black line,
about 0.5-1mm in width should be visible where
the O-ring is in contact with the lid. Follow this
line all the way round the edge of the seal as a
final check that the seal is good.
The housing is now ready for the dive.
10
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