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FAQSport Housings What is a “Sport Housing”? A Sport Housing is a waterproof camera housing designed for use in or around shallow water environments. The AquaTech Sport Housing is ideal for photographers shooting water sports, underwater portraits, lifestyle, or fashion photography. Splash housings should not be used for diving applications or at depths greater than 10 meters. What materials are used to make AquaTech Sport Housings? AquaTech Sport Housings are made of an epoxy construction making them lightweight and durable. The back plates are made from clear acrylic sheet that allows you to easily see the camera’s back LCD screen as well as a clear view into the housing. The controls on the AquaTech Sport Housing are fabricated from marine grade stainless steel and hard anodized aluminum for strength and longevity. Do I have to send my camera or lens to AquaTech before purchasing a housing or port? We do not require that you send your camera body or lenses to us prior to purchasing one of our Sport Housing or standard lens port models. We have all Canon and Nikon cameras on hand so each Sport Housing is control tested with the specific camera body prior to shipment to ensure that all buttons and features are working properly. Can AquaTech Sport Housings be converted to accommodate new camera models? In many cases you can purchase a conversion kit to allow your Sport Housing to accommodate several different camera models. Although due to changes made by camera manufacturers we not able to guarantee that your Sport Housing will fit new camera models that have not yet been released. Does AquaTech make custom still camera or video camera housings? Over the years AquaTech has made a number of custom video and motion picture housings for the motion picture industry and many other customers. The manufacture of a custom housing is an involved process that varies from customer to customer. We will work closely with you to try to meet your specific needs and/or deadlines. What do I do if any of my buttons or controls are stiff or stuck? Providing the given button or control shaft is not bent, using one of the cotton buds (provided) or some small tweezers, you can apply a very little amount of silicon o-ring grease (provided) to the outside of the shaft. Not the inside. Where else should I use the silicon grease? Do NOT use the provided o-ring grease on the back main o-ring or the front grey o-ring in the front of the sport housing. However, you can use it on the black piston o-ring at the base of all the port threads. That is, the one that is on the Lens Port, not the Sport Housing. AquaTech Lens Ports and Sport Housing Accessories
If your specific lens is not listed on our Lens Port Cross Reference Sheet you may need a custom port. Please contact AquaTech directly to see if your lens will work with an existing standard port or if a custom port is required for your specific lens. In most cases we can manufacture a custom port to fit your specific needs within a few weeks. Are AquaTech lens ports interchangeable between different Sport Housing Models? All current model AquaTech ports are interchangeable between current model AquaTech Sport Housings. This means that if you are shooting with two housings, say an AquaTech DV-4 for your Canon 1Ds Mark III and an AquaTech D-35 for your Canon 5D, you will only need one set of ports. Do AquaTech ports use acrylic or glass elements? AquaTech lens ports feature replaceable acrylic port elements. Acrylic elements are lighter weight and less expensive than glass yet still provide excellent optical quality. Acrylic elements are more prone to scratching than glass elements but most AquaTech lens ports have removable elements that allow the user to easily change the element should it be needed. Please contact AquaTech to get more information about ordering and replacing port elements. How do I eliminate water droplets on the lens port element? There are many different methods to eliminating water droplets on the lens port elements. Although some methods work better than others there is no foolproof method that works 100% of the time in all conditions. The most popular and consistent method for wide angle ports such as the LP-1 is to use saliva on the port which will cause the water to sheet off evenly eliminating water droplets. For telephoto lenses such as the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS you will actually need to keep the port element completely dry. This takes a bit of skill and finesse to achieve. Some photographers carry a small microfiber clothe or chamois in the water to remove water droplets on the port element. *Please note that you should NEVER use any alcohol based products such as Rain-X, Windex, or rubbing alcohol on any part of the lens port as alcohol can severely damage acrylic and can cause it to crack. It is best to us warm water and a mild dish detergent to clean you ports. What is the difference between the LP-1 and LP-3 Dome Ports? Although the LP-1 and LP-3 ports are both dome ports they serve two very different functions. Our LP-1 dome port is a six-inch dome designed for surface level use in turbulent water such as in sailing, surfing, or whitewater rafting. This port allows you use super wide-angle fisheye lenses to get in the middle of the action. Our LP-3 dome port is an eight-inch dome designed for underwater and over/under photography in calm water. When used with the Canon 20mm f2.8 or Nikon 18mm f2.8 this port creates incredibly sharp images underwater. The LP-3 port also allows for over/under photography with the underwater and topside environments in the same frame. Does the AquaTech Pistol Shutter Release feature auto-focus? The AquaTech Pistol Shutter Release does not feature auto-focus. This is because the Pistol Shutter Release is designed to allow the user to put the camera in unusual positions or “Hail Mary” type shots. This means that the camera is away from the photographer’s eye and therefore is relying completely on the camera to pin the focus on the subject. In most cases the camera will focus on the horizon creating a soft image. Presetting your focus yields the most consistent results and ensures that camera is focused on the subject, not the horizon. AquaTech Sport Shields Do I need to purchase an AquaTech eyepiece? An AquaTech eyepiece for your camera is required to create a proper watertight seal. Please refer to our Eyepiece Reference Chart to find the appropriate eyepiece for your camera. What other equipment do I need to use with the Sport Shield? Other than the AquaTech eyepiece you will also need the appropriate lens hood for your specific lens. These can be purchased at your local camera store. Please refer the lens manufacturer’s website for information on the lens hood needed for your lens. Does the Sport Shield protect against wind, sand, snow, and other harsh environments? The AquaTech Sport Shield is designed to protect your camera equipment from all harsh environments such as wind, rain, snow, sand, and dirt. Even though many new lenses are sealed to protect against these elements there is still a possibility that water or dirt can make its way into your lens or camera’s sensor. The AquaTech Sport Shield helps keep these harmful elements away from your valuable equipment. Can I shoot vertically (portrait) while using the Sport Shield? It is possible to shoot portrait with the Sport Shield when handholding the camera and lens but is not possible when the camera or lens is mounted on a tripod or monopod. Can I use a tripod/monopod with the Sport Shield? All AquaTech Sport Shields except the Sport Basic allow for the use of either the camera’s or the lens’ tripod mount. This allows you to shoot as you normally would while still protecting your camera and lens from harsh elements. Can I use a tele-converter with the Sport Shield? The AquaTech Sport Shield allows for the use of tele-converters with many lenses. Please refer to the AquaTech Sport Shield Reference Chart for more details. Will one Sport Shield model fit multiple lenses? AquaTech Sport Shields are designed to accommodate several cameras and lenses. Due to the large difference in the sizes of some lenses it is not always possible to use one Sport Shield to cover every lens in your bag. Please refer to our Sport Shield Reference Chart for a full list of supported lenses. What is the difference between the AquaTech Sport Shields(SS-600, SS-300, SS-200, and SS-Zoom) and the AquaTech Sport Basic (SS-Sport)? There are several differences between the AquaTech Sport Shield and the AquaTech Sport Basic. The AquaTech Sport Shield is designed with the professional photographer in mind. It is constructed from a 3-ply waterproof breathable fabric that is designed to allow regular camera use in harsh environments. The AquaTech Sport Shield comes in many different sizes (SS-600, SS-300, SS-200, and SS-Zoom) to accommodate a large number of telephoto and wide-angle lenses. Each AquaTech Sport Shield has access to the camera/lens tripod mount as well as the ability to use the camera strap. Drawstrings at the armhole and tripod hole allow for a snug fit to keep the elements out. The AquaTech Sport Shield is also compatible with our SS-Flash cover. The AquaTech Sport Basic is designed with fewer features to be an economical choice for amateurs and hobbyists. It is constructed from a 2-ply waterproof breathable fabric. It does not have access to the lens tripod mount and it is not compatible with the SS-Flash. The AquaTech Sport Basic comes in one size to fit lenses no larger that 9 inches in length and 4.5 inches in diameter. AquaTech Field Jacket What material is used to make the AquaTech Field Jackets? The AquaTech Field Jacket is made from a 3-ply waterproof breathable fabric called Antartech. How do I know what size to buy? Please refer to our AquaTech Field Jacket Size Chart for a full list of size conversions. |