Manuale d’uso / di manutenzione del prodotto DIGITAL FLASH del fabbricante Sealife
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DIGIT AL FLASH Instruction Manual with T ips fr om the Pr os DIGIT AL FLASH Instruction Manual with T ips fr om the Pr os.
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1 Contents : I. SeaLife Digital Flash Features and Benefits .......P AGE 2 III. Picture samples .....................................................P AGE 5 IV . Preparing your Digital camera and Flash ............P AGE 7 V. How to use Digital Flash underwater .
2 I. SeaLife Digital Flash Featur es and Benefits Universal Underwater Flash for all film and digital cameras* • Deeper , richer colors and reduces backscatter • 5 pre-flash cancellation settings • V ariable power adjustment for correct image exposur e.
3 Without Digital Flash With Digital Flash Novice and experienced dives alike know that the deeper you dive the less light penetrates the water column. While this descending drama adds to your excitement as a diver , you will find that it also will chal- lenge you as an Underwater Digital Photographer .
4 The SeaLife Digital Flash is fully adjustable allowing you to control the brightness of your “sun” as you need. The variable power adjustment lets you accent colors and bring out the brightness of a reef scene or the brilliant blue and yellows of an Angelfish gliding by you.
5 III. Pictur e samples – you can do this!.
6 Photos by John Chandler with SeaLife DC310 digital camera, Wide-Angle Lens and Digital Flash.
7 IV . Preparing your camera and SeaLife Digital Flash Prepar e your camera for use underwater . Here is a simple checklist that is useful for most popular digital cameras and their housings. • Insert blank memory card. It’ s good practice to regularly format the memory car d.
8 • Important: T ur n off camera’ s red-eye r eduction. • Select your desired image r esolution. • Use camera’ s manual exposure mode to control apertur e and shutter speed, if possible. • Read your digital camera instruction manual for how to adjust the above mentioned cameras settings.
9 Prepar e your Digital Flash Open latch as shown below to access battery compartment and pre- flash cancellation setting. Important: Make sure the Flash (and you) are perfectly dry befor e opening co.
10 Caution: Discharge flash. Before opening flash housing door , make sure to dischar ge the flash by moving the power switch to the “TEST” position, and then to the “OFF” position. Magnetic switch . The switch has small magnet inside to turn flash power ON/OFF and TEST .
11 Insert new or freshly charged AA batteries. Use SeaLife NiMH rechargeable batteries for best r esults. T o replace batteries, gently press down on the top front of the battery magazine and slide the magazine cover down. Replace all 4 batteries with Alkaline or NiMH type batteries ensuring the polarity is properly observed.
12 Setting the preflash cancellation switch. For all SeaLife digital and film camera’ s, set switch to “0” position. For all non-SeaLife digital cameras, set switch to the # 4 position to start. • T urn Digital Flash power ON. W ait for the “ready light” to illuminate.
13 • If you do not see the Digital Flash firing in the picture, set the switch to the #3 position and repeat the above test. • Continue moving switch down one position until you see the Digital Flash firing in the picture – This will be your permanent pr e-flash can- cellation setting.
14 Pre-flash cancellation settings: The Pre-Flash cancellation switch setting matches the number of pr e- flashes of your camera: Switch position Description of setting 0 Instant synchronization mode. For cameras with No pre-flash. Use “0” setting for all SeaLife cameras an other brands that allow you to disable the camera’ s pre-flash.
15 Close and seal battery compartment as shown. Make sure O-ring is perfectly clean and undamaged. Note: Inspect O-ring for cuts, tears, dirt or other damage.
16 Carefully inspect that the latch is closed and the O-ring is completely seated into the housing..
17 Attach camera (housing) to DIGIT AL FLASH mounting base. Hand tighten screw – Do not over tighten! Caution: A) Only attach mounting screw to hous- ings with standard 1/4 - 20 tripod mount adapter . B) The tripod mount adapter thread depth MUST be at least 0.
18 Attach Flash Link optical cable to Digital Flash head and camera Refer to the Flash Link instruction manual for details. The Flash Link optical cable will transfer the flash from the inner camera to the light sensor of the Digital Flash.
19 T est Flash T urn ON/OFF switch on top of flash to “ ON ”. When green flash-ready light is on, turn switch to TEST . This will test fire the flash.
20 T est Pictures T urn on camera and Digital Flash and take some test pictures to make sure camera’ s flash and Digital Flash fires together . Check that both the “ready lights” of the camera and Digital Flash ar e illuminated.
21 The flexible arm consists of seven 1-inch (2.5cm) links covered by a foam rubber sleeve. Y ou can bend the flexible arm in any direction. If you want to take the arm off or apart, you can bend it beyond the point of resistance, until the link separate.
22 The built-in flash of the camera should be covered by a flash deflector to pr e- vent unwanted backscatter of light caused by a reflection fr om particles floating in front of the camera lens. All SeaLife cameras come with custom made deflectors that attach to the bot- tom of the flash base and align over the camera’ s flash.
23 Use of a second Digital Flash . In order to avoid shadows and to further intensify brightness and color , you may mount a second identi- cal flash. Remove the attachment knobs from both flashes. Place a longer mounting screw thr ough both base mounting brackets and into the camera housing.
24 A camera with two Digital Flashes This double flash system can also be used with the SeaLife Macr o Lenses at a distance of 8” to 48” (20cm-120cm).
25 V . How to use the Digital Flash underwater Making camera adjustments for proper image exposur e is easy with a little practice and knowledge. Just follow these few guidelines with your SeaLife camera or other digital cameras (in a suitable housing).
26 Adjusting camera settings For SeaLife digital cameras, set the camera to External Flash mode . For more details r efer to your SeaLife camera instruction manual. For non-SeaLife cameras , set-up the digital exposure settings as r ec- ommended here.
27 Y ou notice the deeper you go, the lower the visibility . The darker the light conditions are, the higher the ISO. This makes your camera mor e sensitive to light and will serve to compensate for the absorption of light at depth. Exposur e V alue (EV) also allows you to increase, or decrease, the camera’ s light sensitivity .
28 White Balance (WB) . This setting will match the color temperature (not heat) of the light source to your camera’ s sensor . Before using the SeaLife Digital Flash set your WB to AUTO.
29 Using the Digital Flash variable power adjustment : If the test image is over exposed (white or washed out colors), turn the power adjust- ment clockwise to the first “bar” and take another picture. Do this until the image exposure is satisfactory .
30 Important: For SeaLife digital cameras, make sure camera is set to External Flash mode. See camera instructions for more details. Tip: For SeaLife DC300 and DC310 Digital cameras, press the LCD button once to set the camera to “F AR FLASH”. This will increase the sensitivity of the camera and brighten the image.
31 VI. Tips fr om the Pro’ s STEPHEN FRINK Stephen Frink is the world’ s most widely published under- water photographer . With a career spanning over two decades, his photos have appeared in a wide variety of dive journals and magazines world-wide, and he has provided stunning imagery for hundreds of pr omotional campaigns.
32 Still, there ar e a few principles that can make even digital photography better: STEPHEN’S TIP 1: MINIMIZE BACKSCA TTER Backscatter is the most important variable in point-and-shoot photog- raphy because the strobe is near the lens with most systems.
33 • One important advantage with the SeaLife Digital Flash, is that when particles are illuminated, it is with rim-light rather than fr ont-light, and the backscatter effect is minimized. • Position your strobe high and to the side, pointing down to the subject.
34 STEPHEN’S TIP 3: CHOOSE THE RIGHT SUBJECT Because the best results will be obtained when working close, ther e is a limited universe of subjects possible with these cameras. With the normal lens on a SeaLife digital camera a full-figure shot of divers must be taken from eight to 10 feet away , making the shot inevitably mono- chromatic blue.
35 STEPHEN’S POINT -AND-SHOOT WORKSHOP This series of four photos taken with the SeaLife flash shows the tremendous ef fect water has on color saturation. In the first photo (above right) the subject is approximately five feet away . Note the dull, muted colors.
36 CA THY CHURCH Cathy Church has been photographing the beautiful underwater world since 1967. She has a Masters degree in Marine Biology , and is recognized as one of the world’ s foremost teachers and authors on underwater photography . She was inducted into the W oman Divers Hall of Fame in 2000.
37 • Get closer with your strobe. • Shoot in deeper water or on darker days. • Use manual control to make backgr ounds darker and strobe brighter • When shooting close, use a fast shutter speed such as 1/500 th second. • Use the smallest aperture on your camera (usually ar ound an f8.
38 • If you fall forward when kneeling, move your weights towar d your back. • If you use integrated weights, put part of them on a belt on your back to prevent falling forwar d. CA THY’S TIP 3: Get close for better color • Use wide add-on lenses or the widest zoom setting to allow you to get close to medium and lar ge subjects.
39 • Aim your strobe straight out, rather than tilted down, for subjects beyond a foot from the camera. • Extend your strobe as far away fr om the lens as possible to reduce backscatter . CA THY’S TIP 5: Set the white balance for cloudy to increase color .
40 JOHN CHANDLER John has been a certified P ADI Divemaster since 1982 and has remained active in leading dive trips ar ound the world. In 1996, John took some time off to earn his P ADI Open W ater Instructor certification.
41 JOHN’S TIP 3: Adjust the speed of your sensor (ISO) to be more sensitive (higher ISO) the deeper you go. If your subject is at 3 feet (1m) or less, never set your camera’ s ISO above 200 ISO. JOHN’S TIP 4: Always try to use a horizontal or up angle when capturing images with your camera.
42 VII. Car e and Maintenance 1. After each use, Digital Flash and camera housing must be soaked in fresh water immediately to remove salt and dirt . Keep housing and flash sealed. 2. Never use any deter gents, cleaners, solvents or chemicals to clean the flash.
43 5. Always keep the compartment cover O-ring clean, dry and free fr om obstructions. Latch and inspect the compartment door . 6. Inspect O-ring for cuts, tears, dirt or other damage. Clean O-ring with damp cloth and allow to dry . Replace O-ring if damaged.
44 VIII. GLOSSAR Y ISO. International Standards Organization . This term ISO relates the ability (speed) of the camera’ s sensor to accept light. Higher the ISO the more sensitive the camera is to light r esulting in a brighter , but more grainy image.
45 Shutter speed. The amount of time the camera shutter opens to permit light through the apertur e and on the image sensor . Fast shutter speed (125/sec and above) will stop action. Slower than (60 th /sec) will be blurry , unless the camera is held very steady or on a tripod.
46 IX. T rouble Shooting Guide 1. Digital Flash does not fire when switch is turned from “ON” to “TEST .” a. W ait until the green flash-ready light is on. If r eady light does not turn on, check that batteries are inserted correctly . b. T est or replace batteries, if necessary .
47 i. For SeaLife digital cameras, set to External Flash mode. Make sure camera’ s ready-light is on. ii. For other camera brands, set camera to Flash ON. Make sure Red-Eye r eduction is tur ned off. Refer to your camera instructions for problems r elated to the camera.
48 b. Make sure flash sensor cover is covering light sensor farthest from camera. c. Refer to Flash Link instructions for correct installation pr ocedures. 4. Dark areas in your pictur es. a. Direct the flash head closer to the center of your pictur e frame to have a more even light coverage.
49 e. The reflectivity of your subject will cause some ar eas to appear brighter than other areas. For example, dark coral needs mor e light than would white coral. Adjust flash intensity accordingly . f. The further the flash head is away from the camera lens, the bigger will be shadows due to the angle of light (flash) in relation to the subject.
50 c. T est flash arm flexibility underwater . The flash arm will become stiffer underwater . 6. Rust accumulating around power on and test swtich. The switch is magnetic and will attract metal debris, like rust, from a shipwr eck. Clean off rust and metal debris with a brush.
51 X. Accessories, Spare Parts and Related Pr oducts to use with your SeaLife Digital Flash Spare Parts: Item #SL96012: Digital Flash (head only) Item #SL9605: O-Ring Replacement Kit (authorized servi.
52 Item SL968: SeaLife ® Diffuser: Softens the light fr om SeaLife External Flash to prevent over -exposure of close-up subjects. Results in richer color balance of pictures and softer shadows. Fits on both SeaLife Digital and Standard Flashes. Item SL970: SeaLife ® Wide Angle lens: Widen your underwater photos with the SeaLife wide-angle lens.
53 Item SL972: New! SeaLife ® Lens Dock Protects and stor es wide angle lens while diving. Lens quickly slides in and out for instant access. Quickly and easily attaches to the bottom of SeaLife cameras or flashes.
54 Item SL951: SeaLife ® Macro 3X Close-Up Lens & U/W filter: Close-up shots are the keys to good pictur es, espe- cially with less then perfect water visibility . For greater underwater photos at a comfortable range of 2 to 4 ft, snap on the SeaLife Macro 3X Close-up Lens.
55 T wo neoprene protective lens covers included. Fits all SeaLife cameras. Item SL194: SeaLife ® Sunshade: Prevents sun glar e so you can see the LCD monitor on your SeaLife digital camera. W orks in the absolute brightest light conditions, above and below water .
56 Item SL911: Moisture Muncher Capsules: Absorbs moistur e to prevent fogging and corr osion of your SeaLife camera. Each capsule contains 1 gram of color indi- cating crystals. When crystals turn from blue to pink color , it’ s time to replace the capsule.
XI. W arranty statement and service This product will be r epaired or replaced fr ee of charge within 1 year from the pur chase date in the case of a manufacturing defect, if the complete defective pr.
IMPORT ANT DO NOT send any non-SeaLife cameras housings or other equipment. Shipments other than manufacturers equipment will be pr omptly returned in their entirety at the owners expense. The USA Service Center is open M - F , 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (EST).
Un punto importante, dopo l’acquisto del dispositivo (o anche prima di acquisto) è quello di leggere il manuale. Dobbiamo farlo per diversi motivi semplici:
Se non hai ancora comprato il Sealife DIGITAL FLASH è un buon momento per familiarizzare con i dati di base del prodotto. Prime consultare le pagine iniziali del manuale d’uso, che si trova al di sopra. Dovresti trovare lì i dati tecnici più importanti del Sealife DIGITAL FLASH - in questo modo è possibile verificare se l’apparecchio soddisfa le tue esigenze. Esplorando le pagine segenti del manuali d’uso Sealife DIGITAL FLASH imparerai tutte le caratteristiche del prodotto e le informazioni sul suo funzionamento. Le informazioni sul Sealife DIGITAL FLASH ti aiuteranno sicuramente a prendere una decisione relativa all’acquisto.
In una situazione in cui hai già il Sealife DIGITAL FLASH, ma non hai ancora letto il manuale d’uso, dovresti farlo per le ragioni sopra descritte. Saprai quindi se hai correttamente usato le funzioni disponibili, e se hai commesso errori che possono ridurre la durata di vita del Sealife DIGITAL FLASH.
Tuttavia, uno dei ruoli più importanti per l’utente svolti dal manuale d’uso è quello di aiutare a risolvere i problemi con il Sealife DIGITAL FLASH. Quasi sempre, ci troverai Troubleshooting, cioè i guasti più frequenti e malfunzionamenti del dispositivo Sealife DIGITAL FLASH insieme con le istruzioni su come risolverli. Anche se non si riesci a risolvere il problema, il manuale d’uso ti mostrerà il percorso di ulteriori procedimenti – il contatto con il centro servizio clienti o il servizio più vicino.
