Fantasea FD-70N Housing User's Manual
Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 3 INCLUDED WITH HOUSING ....................................................................................... 4 CAMERA MODEL .......................................................................................................... 4 A VARIETY OF USES.
Introduction Fantasea has upgraded the housing for the Nikon D-70 and the FD-70N is the result. Improved features include, embedded optical view finder, enhanced trigger/shutter control system, new port mounting system, zoom lens capability and separate button for On-Off control. Welcome to the exciting world of underwater digital SLR photography. Your purchase of the FD-70N housing for the Nikon D-70 digital camera will set you apart from other photographers.
Included With Housing • The FD-70N 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 18-70mm lens (without a manual zoom control). Other optional ports are available for different lenses ( 5 inch super wide angle Dome Port, 60 mm macro/close up port and 105 mm super macro port) • Two housing handles are attached to the camera body and the base plate.
A Variety of Uses The Fantasea FD-70N housing is more than just an underwater camera system. It protects the D-70 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 D-70 to be used without danger of damage.
Controls Orientation 8 6 1 5 7 4 3 9 2 Top and Front of Housing: • Flash Sync Port 1 • Zoom Port Control 2 • Handles 3 • Trigger Release Control 4 • LCD Control Panel Illuminator 5 • Light Meter/Exposure Compensation Control 6 • On-Off Control 7 • Exposure Mode Control Dial 8 • Sub Command Dial 9 6
11 19 18 10 12 13 17 14 16 15 Back & Right Side of Housing: • Command Dial 10 • AE-L/AF-L Control 11 • Four Way Multi-Control 12 • Delete Control 13 • Playback Control 14 • White Balance/Image Control 15 • ISO Sensitivity/Menu Control 16 • Auto Bracketing/Advance E-mode Control 17 • Latching Buckles 18 • Viewfinder 19 7
Control Details The following is a partial list of the most common uses of housing and camera controls. For the full list of camera functions and settings accessed by each control, you should consult your D-70 camera instruction manual. Please note that some of the FD-70N housing controls are designed to operate more than one camera control. The command dial and sub-command dial will perform multiple functions when operated in conjunction with other camera/housing controls.
LCD Control Panel Illuminator: 5 • Push housing control button activates the control panel backlight [LCD Illuminator], allowing the display to be read underwater. Light Meter/Exposure Compensation Control: Dual Control Swivel Button: • Rotate housing control over camera Light Meter control. o Press button and rotate command dial to choose Matrix Metering, Center Weighted Metering, or Spot Metering.
AE-L/AF-L Control: 11 • 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. Four-Way Multi-Control: 12 • Press Up and Down buttons to scroll through Menu options. • Press Left and Right buttons to make menu settings and confirm settings. • Use Left and Right buttons in Playback mode to scroll through images recorded on memory card.
ISO Sensitivity/Menu Control: 16 • Rotate housing control over camera ISO Sensitivity control. • Press button and rotate command dial to choose from ISO sensitivity settings between 200 and 1600. • Rotate housing control over camera Menu control • Use Four Way Multi-Control to navigate through menus and make setting choices. 17 Auto Bracketing/Advance Control: • Rotate housing control over camera Auto Bracketing control.
Preparation of Housing Before the Dive Make Common or Required Camera Settings: Prior to inserting camera in housing, it is recommended that Menu option settings be made according to the preferences of the user. Most of these choices are ones that will remain unchanged for most of the time while diving, and therefore it will be more convenient and less time consuming to make the settings prior to diving. Mount Housing Port: Clean & Lubricate Port O-ring [for Port O-ring only] 1.
Note 1: The FD-70N lens port uses 2 radial O-rings for a watertight seal. This is a different type of seal than used to seal the two main halves of the housing itself. That seal is a compression gasket. Radial O-rings are affected by friction when closing the seal, as it rubs against a housing wall. Compression gaskets are not affected by friction as there is no movement or rubbing against any wall. It is a direct face-to-face seal.
Insert D-70 camera and lens in housing: • • • • • • • • Mount camera and lens on the removable tray, using the tripod screw. Slide the tray and camera into the housing tray slot. Make sure it is completely inserted. Slide the flash sync cord into the D-70's hot shoe. Align the housing controls with the corresponding buttons on the camera. Take caution to insure the flat sync cord does not get caught in the housing seal by storing the slack alongside the left side of the camera.
Recommended Initial Camera Settings: • • • • • • • Set D-70 on M (Manual) Exposure Mode o This is to keep the built-in flash from trying to pop up in low ambient light. o The Auto Exposure Modes are not always appropriate for underwater photography. Set camera to AF focus mode Use menu option to set camera for Focus Priority Release mode. Set Camera to Single Advance Mode Choose Matrix light meter.
Care & Maintenance • Before a dive: o Protect the FD-70N from sun and heat. This will reduce the possibility of fogging due to condensation of the warm, moist air inside the housing when immersed in the colder water. It also reduces the possibility of sun damage to the polycarbonate. An insulated camera bag is a good means of protection from overheating. o Protect the FD-70N from accidental impact damage.
o Detach sync cords, arms & brackets for overnight storage. This will greatly reduce the possibility of electrolysis and corrosion that can build up between similar metals on the housing. o Dry with a clean towel or allow drying naturally in a cool shady place. • Traveling: o Use protective hard case when traveling to protect the camera and housing from impact damage. o If possible, do not check camera and housing case on airlines.
Basic Shooting Techniques • Practice handling the FD-70N on land. o Getting familiar with the location and movement of all the controls and how the changes in settings can affect your image is an important part of the process. It is better to learn the basics of the camera’s operation on land, rather than when first underwater. It is faster to operate the camera out of the housing and you will not have the limited time frame as you would if you were underwater. • Focusing and Shutter release control.
• Changing Exposure Settings o Using the camera in its Manual (M) Exposure Mode gives you the ability to change either shutter speeds or apertures to control the exposure the way you want. Get used to making these changes while your eye is in the viewfinder and you are referencing the LCD display for guiding you in the exposure process. The command dial is set to change shutter speeds, and the sub-command dial is set to change apertures.
• Get close to you subject when shooting underwater o This will improve the effectiveness of your strobe in restoring lost color. It will also expand the sharpness of the image by reducing the amount of backscatter between the lens and the subject. • Begin by choosing subjects o Those that are easy to approach and will not scare off readily when you approach. Choose subjects that will result in a large image size. This will make a more dramatic image.
Camera Lenses and Ports The Fantasea FD-70N has an interchangeable port system that will accommodate a wide variety of SLR lenses for use underwater. These ports include: • • • • Standard Flat Port: This port will accommodate the 18-55 mm zoom lens in its wide angle 18mm position. This lens is very popular and is the most common lens first purchased by D-50 owners. It does not include a manual zoom control. It is meant for use in only one position.
Fantasea FD-70N Warranty The FD-70N includes a two-year limited warranty for defective parts which the manufacturer will replace. Flood Insurance: Every Fantasea housing includes a one-year flood insurance policy. Supplied by the Divers Equipment Protection Program (DEPP), this insurance policy acts as additional protection to the warranty and is good for one year. If your Fantasea housing experiences water leakage in this period of time you will be compensated for the loss of the camera.
