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DIGITAL U/W HOUSING FOR NIKON D200
OPERATING MANUAL
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FOREWORD Thank you for having selected the AQUATICA Pro Digital Camera Housing System for your underwater photography. The AQUATICA Pro Digital Housing is the result of a long and continuing relationship with the most demanding under- water photographers in the world. Each housing is handcrafted, quality checked and pressure tested to 300 feet by a small group of specially trained individuals, each of whom takes the utmost pride and satisfaction in offering the best underwater camera housing in
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1. SHUTTER RELEASE LEVER 2. ON / OFF CONTROL SUB -COMMAND INPUT KNOB 3. SUB -COMMAND INPUT KNOB 4. EXPOSURE MODE SELECTOR / FORMAT BUTTON 5. EXPOSURE COMPENSATION / RESET BUTTON NEW. EXPOSURE MODE & COMPENSATION KNOB 6. FLASH EXPOSURE / MODECONTROL 7. BULKHEAD FOR FLASH CONNECTOR 8. SECOND BULKHEAD FOR FLASH CONNECTOR 9. FOCUS/ZOOM KNOB 9a. FOCUS / ZOOM RING CONNECTING GEAR 10. LENS LOCK RELEASE LEVER 11. FOCUS MODE SELECTOR LEVER 11a. FOCUS MODE SELECTOR LEVER FORK 12. MOUNTING TRAY(REMOVABL
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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. SUB-COMMAND INPUT / APERTURE KNOB : Rotates clockwise and counterclockwise. Use alone or in combination with other controls to select or set various camera functions or modes. In “Manual” the exposure mode controls the aperture settings (see camera manual). 3. ON / OFF / ILLUMINATOR KNOB : Rotate to swi
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20. METERING SELECTOR CONTROL : Push and rotate clockwise or counter clocwise to select the metering mode, Spot, Center-Weighted or Matrix metering options. 21. AF-ON BUTTON : Press to activate autofocus, refer to camera manual for a description of the different options. 22. VIEWFINDER : A full view of the illuminated camera viewfinder displays all necessary information. 23. MOUNTING HOLES FOR ACCESSORIES : Two 1/4"-20 TPI holes are supplied to accept TLC accessories. 24. ISO CONTROL BUTTON :
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FEATURES The Aquatica Pro Digital housing serie is issued from the world's most technologically advanced underwater housing lineage, ergonomically designed to place all the essential camera controls under your finger tips and features the following: A. A Lens Lock Release control that will activate the lens release button of camera from the outside of the housing. B. A quick release tray, allowing fast and easy removal of camera. C. Large ergonomic and easy to operate controls for most of the
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PREPARATION OF THE HOUSING 1. Attach Grip Bracket to the housing: The housing comes with two Grips for both right and left hand grips which should be installed on the sides of the housing with the supplied screws and Allen key. Occasionally remove the grips and lubri- cate 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 TL
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PREPARATION OF THE PORTS 1. Select the correct port: Depending on whether you've decided to shoot macro or wide angle photography, you will be installing either the flat Macro Port (product # 18426), or 8" Dome Port (Product # 18405). See lens chart for the suggest port and accessories. Macro Port Extension Rings: the Macro Port will accept the AF Micro-Nikkor 55mm AIS lens or 60mm lens or Nikkor AF Zoom lens 35-80. If you intend to use a longer lens such as the 105mm or 200mm Micro Nikkor, y
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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 mount- ing 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 the
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CAMERA PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION 1. Set the Focus Mode Selector to the M position 2. Important Note: “D” Clips that attach the strap should be removed or tucked away prior to installing the camera in the housing. 3. Make sure the ON / OFF /ILLUMINATOR knob (key # 2) is pulled in the UP position. 5. Remove the saddle from the housing and carefully place the camera on it and ensure the camera is properly installed and aligned as follows: a) The camera is properly aligned and secured against
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LENS INSTALLATION With the camera inside the housing, install the lens prepared with the gears through the port opening in the front of the housing. Ensure that the lens mounted gears are properly installed and aligned. Rotate the focus / zoom control knob to ensure that the gears are properly meshed, do not grind and that their rotation is smooth. Note: to avoid breaking the auto-focus mechanism of the camera you should always set the Focus Control to “M” Manual when using or testing the prope
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MOUNTING AND ATTACHING FLASHES Depending on which strobe system you are using, you can mount the necessary shoes or brackets or Base Ball onto the threaded holes on the top of the hand grips. Use of the Aquatica TLC Strobe Arm System is recommended. There are also two 1/4"-20 threaded holes on the bottom of the housing that can be used for various mounting applica- tions. For example, Aquatica TLC makes a strobe arm mounting tray that will fit on the bottom of the housing. A 1/4"-20 threaded hol
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FOCUSING MODE NOTE : Select the proper focus mode M / S / C with the focus mode selector prior to closing the housing. For more detailed information concerning the operation of the different focus modes consult the Nikon instruction book for the D200 camera. USING THE HOUSING Whenever changing ports or O-rings, it is highly advisable to perform a simple seal test without the camera inside. Strapping a weight to the housing and lowering the unit to a depth of 30 to 50 feet of water for at least
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Of the Latches: The two latches of the AQUATICA Pro Digital housing are designed to have a locking action to prevent accidental opening. Always ensure that the locking mechanism is secure. Watch for the build-up of corrosion or salt residue around the latches. This will appear as a white material. Lubricate the latches with a small amount of WD-40 to remove the corrosion or salt residue build-up. Of the O-Rings: The O-rings that need to be maintained on a regular basis are the main housing O-
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WARRANTY PLEASE READ CAREFULLY One year Limited Warranty. Thank youfor purchasing an AQUATICA manufactured product! Your AQUATICA housing is hand- crafted by a small group of specially trained individuals - each of whom takes the most pride and satisfaction in offering you the best underwater camera housings in the world. All AQUATICA products are guaranteed against defects in material or workmanship for (1) one full year from the date of purchase for consumer use. these same products when used
