Fantasea FD-40X User manual

Fantasea FD-40X Housing

User's Manual

Table of Contents

FANTASEA FD-40X HOUSING ................................................................................................................. 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................................. 2

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 3

INCLUDED WITH HOUSING.................................................................................................................... 4

CAMERA MODEL ....................................................................................................................................... 5

A VARIETY OF USES.................................................................................................................................. 5

SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 5

CONTROLS ORIENTATION..................................................................................................................... 6

CONTROL DETAILS................................................................................................................................... 9

TRAY AND HANDLE SYSTEM ASSEMBLY........................................................................................ 12

PREPARATION OF THE HOUSING BEFORE THE DIVE ................................................................ 14

USING EXTERNAL STROBES:............................................................................................................... 17

CARE & MAINTENANCE........................................................................................................................ 18

BASIC SHOOTING TECHNIQUES......................................................................................................... 19

CAMERA LENSES AND PORTS............................................................................................................. 21

FANTASEA FD-40X WARRANTY .......................................................................................................... 22

Introduction

Fantasea has introduced a new housing for the Nikon D40, D40x and D60 cameras, and the FD-40X is

the result. New and improved features include: embedded optical view finder, enhanced trigger/shutter

control system, new port mounting system, zoom lens capability, with new aluminum B and J handle

design.

Welcome to the exciting world of underwater digital SLR photography. Your purchase of the FD-40X

housing for the Nikon D40, D40x and D60 digital cameras 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 FD-40X 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 instinctive to use and handle and will have countless dives in which to experiment with the D40's,

D40x's and D60's advanced imaging capabilities. Fantasea is pleased 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 FD-40X, 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 D40/D40x/D60 instruction manual as well, to

familiarize yourself with the most common controls and settings that you will use for your underwater

photography. The FD-40X housing will permit access to most of the important controls on the camera. To

take full advantage of these features, it is best to have a good command of what each option can do for you,

so you will know when you should use each specific control.

Included With Housing

The FD-40X housing consists of a front and back shell that latch together to form the

housing body

A screw in standard flat port is included. This port will accommodate the 18-55mm lens

(with a manual zoom control). Other optional ports are available for different lenses (5 inch

super wide angle Dome Port, Macro Port, Semi Dome Port and Extension Rings to enable a

wider variety of lenses)

Two Aluminum B and J housing handles come with your housing, (due to packaging

restrictions they may need to be assembled by the customer). These handles include 1"

(25mm) round ball mounts which integrate nicely with most B and J Arm systems, making

for easy integration with most underwater lighting and flash systems. The handles are easily

assembled by tightening one screw head per handle. They are also adjustable to fit divers

using gloves

Base Plate for mounting other tray and arm systems

Zoom Control Guide Band that is attached to the camera lens

Optical Viewfinder eyepiece built into the back cover of the housing to assist the

photographer in viewing and focusing

A five-pin TTL flash sync port to connect with the D40/D40x/D60's hot shoe

Removable camera mounting tray that slides into position with the D40/D40x/D60 attached,

positioning the camera in the exact location for perfect control alignment

Spare O-Rings for the housing lens port

Adjustment tools

Wrist lanyard

Warranty and other documents

Instruction manual

Silicone

Cleaning cloth

Lens port cover

Camera Model

The FD-40X is dedicated exclusively to the Nikon D40, D40x and D60 cameras. The size and shape of the

camera, plus the location of controls for alignment with housing controls requires this precision design.

Together, the D40/D40x/D60 camera and FD-40X housing offer the best combination of advanced digital

photography at an affordable price. No other cameras should be used in the FD-40X housing.

A Variety of Uses

The Fantasea FD-40X housing is more than just an underwater camera system. It protects the camera

against damage from such environmental conditions as rain, snow, dust, sand, and dirt. It is perfect

protection for active outdoor sports, where these elements would normally not allow an advanced camera

like the D40/D40x/D60 to be used without danger of damage. The lightweight, compact housing and

handles make it easy to hold and use while sailing, fishing, kayaking, backpacking, or just for fun at the

beach or around the pool. It will also provide a valuable tool for many commercial, industrial, and medical

applications, because it is impervious to most liquids, and sprays.

Specifications

The FD-40X is an injection molded polycarbonate housing

The main seal between front and back halves is a Gasket Seal

The ports are sealed when mounted by 2 O-rings, one Radial and one Compression type

Controls use stainless steel shafts, E-clips and springs

Controls are sealed by double O-rings

Control knobs and buttons are made of molded polycarbonate

Latches are stainless steel

Handles are made of plastic covered aluminum

Flash sync port is a standard five-pin Nikonos type sync cord connector

The Fantasea FD-40X has a maximum working depth rating of 200' (60m)

Overall Size is 220 x 300 x 230 mm [LxWxH]

Housing weight approximately 2.8 kg

Controls Orientation

Top and Front of Housing:

Front View

Flash Sync Port 1

Shutter Release Control 2

Latching Buckles 3

Power Switch 4

Exposure Compensation/Aperture Control 5

Shooting Information Control 6

Left View of Housing

Zoom Port Control 7

Back Side of Housing:

AE-L/AF-L / Protect Control 8

Mode Selector 9

Command Dial 10

Multi Selector 11

Delete Control 12

Playback Zoom/Setting Control 13

Thumbnail/Help Control 14

Menu Control 15

Playback Control 16

Optical Viewfinder Eyepiece 17

Control Details

The following is a partial list of the most common uses of camera controls which are available on this

housing. For the full list of camera functions and settings accessed by each control, you should consult your

D40/D40x/D60 camera instruction manual.

Please note that some of the FD-40X housing controls are designed to operate more than one camera

control. The command dial will perform multiple functions when operated in conjunction with other

camera/housing controls.

1. Flash Sync Port:

Connect any standard five-pin Nikonos type sync cord to this bulkhead connector.

Align the index dots to correctly position cord to seat in flash port.

Gently and carefully push down on cord to seat the O-ring seal, and make connection with

the five pins. Make sure that the pins are properly aligned and do not use force to make

the connection.

Tighten collar on sync cord to insure cord does not come loose or separates while

underwater or during use.

2. Main Shutter Release Control [Trigger]:

The camera has a two stage shutter-release button. The camera sets focus and exposure when

the button is pressed halfway. Focus and exposure will remain locked while the shutter-

release button is kept in this position. To take the picture, press the shutter-release trigger [of

the housing] the rest of the way down.

3. Latching Buckles:

Provides water tight closure to the housing. The 3 Stainless Steel buckles have a safety latch lock

which should be manually pressed into the lock position and then carefully checked to ensure that

the buckle cannot open by mistake during the dive. This can be checked by physically trying to

open the latch without depressing the lock release. If the latch does open then you must try again to

lock it down so it cannot open.

4. Power Switch:

The Power Switch is used to turn the camera On and Off.

5. Exposure Compensation/Aperture Control:

Exposure compensation is used to alter the exposure from the value that the camera

suggests—making the picture either brighter or darker.

oAdjust the exposure compensation by pressing the button and rotating the command dial

until the desired value is shown in the viewfinder or shooting information display (P, S

and A modes only). The viewfinder display is illustrated at right.

Aperture Control

oAdjust the aperture in A mode by rotating the command dial until the desired aperture

appears in the viewfinder or display screen.

oAdjust the aperture in M mode by rotating the command dial while pressing the Exposure

Compensation/Aperture Control, until the desired aperture appears in the viewfinder or

display screen.

6. Shooting Information Control:

Pressing the Shooting Information button displays shooting information on the monitor.

Settings may be changed by using the multi-selector control buttons. Please note that on the

D60 camera, pressing the shutter release button half way displays the information on the

monitor.

Underwater you may find it useful to set your camera to display shooting information also

when after the shutter-release control is released. This is done by choosing "Auto Shooting

Info On" in the Settings Menu.

7. Zoom Port Control:

This button activates the zoom lens of the camera.

oAttach the Zoom Control Guide Ring to the lens. This is attached using the Velcro strip.

Insure that the projected nub is directly on the bottom.

oThe camera and tray are inserted in such a way that the nub of the Zoom Control Guide

Ring is sandwiched between the two projections found on the lens port. All are pointed a

downward direction. The Zoom Control is operated when camera is installed in housing

and by using the Zoom Port button.

When using a fixed lens that doesn't enable auto focus with the D40/D40x/D60 camera, it is

possible to attach the Zoom Control Guide Ring around the focus ring instead of the zoom

ring. This will enable manual control of the lens focus.

8. AE-L/AF-L/Protect Control:

Press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button to lock exposure and focus prior to recomposing a

scene. The original exposure value and focus distance will remain set after re-composition.

Press the Protect Control to protect the photograph currently displayed in full-frame or zoom

playback or highlighted in the thumbnail list. The photograph will be marked with a

protected icon.

9. Mode Selector:

The D40/D40x/D60 offers a choice of twelve shooting modes. Rotate the Mode Selector in

order to choose one of the Advanced Exposure modes (P- Programmed Auto, S- Shutter-

Priority Auto, A- Aperture-Priority Auto and M- Manual) or the Point-and-Shoot modes

(Auto, Auto (flash off), Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up and Night Portrait).

10. Command Dial Control:

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