Aquatica Digital AGH5 User manual

AGH5
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Product #35000

2 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Thank you for purchasing your Aquatica AGH5 housing. Before you start to use
your new housing, please read these instructions carefully. Keep this manual
in a safe place for future reference.
This instruction manual assumes that the camera user is already familiar with
the Panasonic GH5 camera. If not, please read your camera instruction
manual before attempting to use the housing.
Please visit the Aquatica Digital website for further information.
AQUATICA PRODUCT NUMBERS
35000-NK
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including a single Nikonos connector
35000-OPT
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including dual optical connectors
35000-IKE
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including a single Ikelite connector
35000-NK-VC
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including a single Nikonos connector + Surveyor kit
35000-OPT-VC
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including dual optical connectors + Surveyor kit
35000-IKE-VC
Aquatica housing for Panasonic GH5
Including a single Ikelite connector + Surveyor kit
NOTE: Shown housing illustrations may differ from your actual housing.

3 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Table of contents
Table of contents ......................................................................................... 3
Safety precautions........................................................................................ 4
Product specifications.................................................................................... 5
Package contents ......................................................................................... 6
Housing schematics ....................................................................................... 7
Housing preparation ...................................................................................... 9
Camera preparation and installation.................................................................. 11
Port mounting ............................................................................................ 14
Port removal.............................................................................................. 15
Housing closing ........................................................................................... 16
Housing opening.......................................................................................... 18
Accessories ............................................................................................... 19
Care and maintenance .................................................................................. 28
Storage and transportation ............................................................................. 30
Warranty .................................................................................................. 31

4 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Safety precautions
Please carefully read and follow the following precautions and recommendations:
Improper transportation, handling or use of this housing might cause a flood or a
malfunction. Follow all recommendations stated in the next sections of this
manual.
Never remove, change a port or open the housing in a location where sand or
similar foreign material might come in contact with an O-ring. Be wary of strong
winds as they could potentially be carrying sand or other harmful particulate
matter.
Always perform a simple preventive seal test without the camera inside after doing
maintenance on the housing.
Non-authorized use of third party accessories, as well as modifications and/or
alterations not specifically authorized by Aquatica may affect performance, cause
poor functioning of the controls or impair the sealing integrity of the housing.
Always handle the ports carefully. Protect them when not in use to avoid scratching
the acrylic or glass surface of ports and windows.
Always confirm that the ports remain properly attached before rinsing the housing.
When rinsing without a wired strobe, confirm that the bulkhead strobes connectors
are sealed with their plug.
Never jump into the water with the housing. Have the system handed to you after
you have made your entry or have it lowered to you on a rope.
Never handle the housing by grabbing the port, or if using one, the Aqua View
finder.
Make sure that boat staff are familiar with these procedures and advise them to
manipulate the housing by using the grips provided with the housing.

5 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Product specifications
Construction
Housing body
6061-T6 Aluminium
Surface treatment
Anodized + powder coated
Windows
Optical acrylic
Grip handles
Black PVC
Physical
Dimensions WxHxD
(w/o grips)
7.65”x6.40”x4.49”
194mm x 163 mm x 144 mm
Width (w/ grips)
13.55” (344mm)
Weight (w/o camera)
5.4 lb (2.45 Kg)
Buoyancy
Slightly negative
Depth rating
100 msw - 330 fsw
Features
Ergonomic control
placement
Easy access to following controls:
Shutter
Front & rear dials
REC
ISO & WB
Focus mode lever
Zoom-focus wheel
Fn2 & Fn5
Self-aligning
controls
Housing levers align to the right position
regardless of camera levers position for
the following controls:
On/off lever
Focus mode lever
Quick snap saddle
Saddle safely locks in when pushed into
the housing. Saddle is easily released
with one hand.
Aqua View finder
compatibility
Aqua View finder 45°
Aqua View finder 180°
Moisture/vacuum
alarm
Supplied with the Surveyor moisture and
vacuum sensor alarm.
Flash capability1
Compatible with the following depending
on flash option:
Optical triggering
Nikonos-style bulkhead
Ikelite-style bulkhead
1
Note that all of the AGH5 flash triggering options are not TTL compatible.

6 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Package contents
AGH5 housing
Handle grips (2) with screws (2)
AGH5 instruction manual
Lens chart
Spare housing seal O-ring
CR 2032 coin cell battery (for Surveyor)
Aquatica O-ring lubricant container
Set of Allen keys
Slim flash trigger
(for 35000-OPT and 35000-OPT-VC kits)
CR 2016 coin cell batteries (2)
Vacuum pump
(for 35000-NK-VC, 35000-OPT-VC and 35000-IKE-VC kits)

7 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Housing schematics
Housing components
2
For HDMI bulkhead
3
Options: Optical (shown in figure), Nikonos, or Ikelite (page24)
4
Accepts ½” Vacuum pump bulkhead (page 21)
5
Options: Aqua View finder 45° or 180° (page26)
1
Handle ball mounts(4)
2
Top 16 mm port2
3
Flash port3
4
Top ball mount
5
½” port4
6
Bottom 16 mm port
7
Zinc anodes(2)
8
Tripod mount
9
Eyepiece5
10
Closing latch
11
Surveyor LED

8 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Housing controls
1
Port release
2
Lens release
3
White balance lever
4
ISO lever
5
Exposure compensation button
6
Fn1 button
7
Mode dial
8
Mode lock button
9
On/Off switch
10
Drive mode dial
11
Zoom/Focus dial
12
Fn5 button
13
Playback button
14
Disp. button
15
Fn2 Q.MENU button
16
Fn3 Autofocus mode button
17
Menu/Set –Cursor buttons
18
Delete/Cancel button
19
Focus mode lever
20
AF/AE Lock lever
21
Rear dial
22
Shutter lever
23
Front dial
24
Record lever

9 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Housing preparation
Follow these steps to prepare your AGH5 housing for use:
STEP 1: Assemble your handle grips (2) onto
your housing (1) using the provided
screws (3) and Allen keys.
STEP 2: If you are adding any shoes,
brackets or ball mounts onto your
housing, mount them using the
intended ¼-20 UNC threaded holes.
You can use the threaded holes on
the handle grips, the top one, or the
bottom ones for your tripod. Refer
to Housing components page 7.
STEP 3: Mount your strobes and their arms onto the housing. For details about optical
flash triggering and wired bulkheads, refer to the Flash triggering section, page
24. Follow your strobe manufacturer manual and its recommendations.
STEP 4: Before use, remove the main O-ring seal from its groove on the rear half of the
housing and carefully verify that the O-ring and its groove are free from scratches
or foreign matter. Lubricate the O-ring with a light coat of silicone grease.

10 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
WARNING: For proper handling of O-rings, follow the detailed instructions outlined in the O-
rings section (page 28).
STEP 5: Insert the provided CR 2032 coin cell battery in the Surveyor alarm as described
in the, Surveyor sensor section (page 19).

11 | A G H 5 I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
Camera preparation and installation
Follow these steps to prepare your Panasonic GH5 camera for use with your housing. To save
valuable time underwater it is also advisable before inserting the camera into the housing, to
set your camera shooting preferences beforehand.
STEP 1: Remove the camera rubber eye cup and the two shoulder strap eyelets.
NOTE: Camera diagrams are taken from the Panasonic GH5 instruction manual.
STEP 2: Turn off the automatic viewfinder on your camera. This will prevent your camera
from automatically switching from the screen to the viewfinder when the housing
is closed. Press the LVF (Fn5) Button to toggle between:
Automatic switching / Viewfinder display / Monitor display
NOTE: Camera diagrams are taken from the Panasonic GH5 instruction manual.

12 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
STEP 3: [OPTIONAL] If you wish to take full advantage of your Panasonic GH5 camera
underwater, you can remap your camera Dials and Fn buttons to best fit your
shooting style and maximize ergonomics.
To access dial remapping:
Note: The housing dial mechanisms reverse direction of the camera dials.. If you
want to keep using your dials in the direction you are used to on land, you can also
reverse the dial direction in these settings.
To access buttons remapping:
STEP 4: To remove the saddle from the housing, grab the saddle with one hand as shown
in in the figure below and press to disengage the locking mechanism, then
simultaneously pull the saddle out of the housing.

13 | A G H 5 I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
STEP 6: Install the camera on the saddle by aligning the threaded hole under the camera
and screwing the bottom screw with either a flat screwdriver or a coin.
NOTE: If you are using an optical flash triggering, install your flash trigger on your
camera by following the procedure outlined in the Flash triggering section
STEP 7: Slide the saddle and camera inside the housing using the two guiding pins. Push it
all the way through until you feel the saddle lock engaging. Perform a check by
pulling on the saddle to ensure it is firmly attached to the housing.
NOTE: If you are inserting your camera with a lens attached, make sure to first pull out
the zoom-focus knob to avoid interference between the gear ring and the
housing. To lock the knob out during insertion, rotate it in either way while
pulled until it sits on the locking pins.

14 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Port mounting
The AGH5 housing is equipped with a bayonet locking system that firmly attaches compatible
ports and extensions.
STEP 1: Before mounting the port, remove the O-ring seal from its groove and carefully
verify that the O-ring and its groove are free from scratches or foreign matter.
Lubricate the O-ring with a light coat of silicone grease. Also check that the O-
ring mating surface on the housing is clean and free of any physical damage.
WARNING: For proper handling of O-rings, follow the detailed instructions outlined in the O-
rings section (page 28).
STEP 2: Place the housing on its back on a soft and steady surface.
STEP 3: Place the port or extension ring inside the housing bayonet. Align the bayonet using
the four alignment notches in the housing.
STEP 4: Push with even force on both sides of the port or extension ring until you feel it
snap into place. Make sure the bayonet is completely inside the housing.
STEP 5: Rotate the port clockwise until it stops. Do not force it. If there is too much
resistance, take the port off, check the O-ring and see that the port or extension
ring is properly seated before attempting to rotate it again.
STEP 6: Confirm that the port or extension ring is safely locked in the housing by gently
trying to rotate it counter-clockwise. The bayonet lock should prevent any
counter-clockwise rotation.
WARNING: Never attempt to manually focus the camera if it is set to autofocus mode with a
mounted focus gear engaged. This will strain the focus mechanism motor and
might damage your lens.

15 | A G H 5 I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
Port removal
STEP 1: While pressing the port release button, rotate the port or extension ring counter-
clockwise until it stops.
STEP 2: Carefully pull the port or extension ring out of the housing.

16 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Housing closing
STEP 1: Before closing the housing, remove the O-ring seal from its groove and carefully
verify that the O-ring and its groove are free from scratches or foreign matter.
Lubricate the O-ring with a light coat of silicone grease. Also check that the O-
ring mating surface on the housing is clean and free of any physical damage.
WARNING: For proper handling of O-rings, follow the detailed instructions outlined in the O-
rings section (page 28).
STEP 2: Perform either a Surveyor moisture alarm test or a vacuum check if you are using
a pump. Refer to the Surveyor sensor and Vacuum pump sections (from page 19)
for a complete procedure.
STEP 3: Make sure that the housing is free of any foreign object that could interfere
during closing.
STEP 4: Rotate the closing latch counter-clockwise until its round side is pointed at the
front of the housing. If it is locked in position, press on the latch tab (marked
“PUSH”) to release it then rotate.
STEP 5: To close the housing, bring the housing shells together, then rotate the closing
latch clockwise until it clicks in the locked position.
WARNING: In the event that you should feel any unusual resistance when attempting to close
your housing, do not force closure. Reopen and inspect carefully for any potential
obstruction before trying again.

17 | A G H 5 I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
STEP 6: Make sure the latch is properly closed by trying to rotate it counter-clockwise
without pressing the releasing tab.
NOTE: All the control mechanisms in your AGH5 housing are self-aligning. This means
you don’t have to worry about matching the lever positions on your camera and
your housing. However, note that if the control levers on your housing are not
matching those of your camera upon closing, you may need to cycle them one
time. This will allow the housing to “grab” the camera levers if they were not in
a matched position upon closing. The two controls that needs to be cycled are
the On/off and the Autofocus lever.
#
#

18 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Housing opening
NOTE: If your housing is under vacuum, you won’t be able to open it directly with the
following procedure. See note in the Vacuum pump section.
STEP 1: While pressing the release tab, rotate the locking latch counter-clockwise.
NOTE: The latch is shown in its initial locked position.
STEP 2: Pull on the rear shell to rotate it and open the housing.

19 | A G H 5 I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
Accessories
Surveyor sensor
Your AGH5 housing comes standard with the Surveyor moisture alarm. This sensor device has
two distinct purposes, a moisture detection circuitry and an ambient pressure sensor circuitry.
NOTE: Once a battery is installed, the moisture detector function of the Surveyor alarm
will remain on standby and does not need to be activated. If not being used for a
prolonged period of time, it is recommended to remove the battery from the
sensor circuit to avoid unnecessary drain.
To insert your CR 2032 battery:
STEP 1: With the (+) side facing up, slip the battery under the plastic tab (B).
STEP 2: Push the part of the battery that is sticking out into the holder (on A side).
To remove your CR 2032 battery:
STEP 1: Push the plastic tab (B) away from the holder.
STEP 2: Grab the battery by each side sticking out of the holder and pull it out.
WARNING: If you are only using the moisture alarm function without the vacuum, it is
recommended to perform a quick test of the circuit before every dive. To do so,
simply moisten the tip of your finger and establish contact between the board
probes (#7). If it fails to activate the alarm, check that the battery is correctly
inserted and replace it with a fresh one if required.
1
Sensor circuit
2
Battery holder
3
Vacuum power switch
4
CR 2032 3V battery
5
External LED point
6
Integrated warning LED
7
Probe wire harness
A
B

20 | A G H 5 I N S T R UC T I O N M A N U A L
Moisture alarm mode LED code:
If you want to benefit from the full capabilities of your Surveyor sensor, you can order the
optional vacuum pump system (#19228). The vacuum function of the Surveyor offers the user
an efficient monitoring tool to check its housing sealing integrity before and during his dive.
The next table shows the vacuum sensor mode LED code. See the Vacuum pump section (page
21) for the required procedure to obtain a vacuum using the pump.
Vacuum sensor mode LED code:
6
Everything is OK, just stop pumping vacuum.
7
Indication of a slow leak behavior.
8
Alarm will stay on during 30 seconds before going back to standby mode.
Standby mode
LED is off
System is on standby
Water detected
Red LED flashing with audible alarm
Water is making contact with probe
Standby mode
LED is off
System is on standby
Vacuum ready
Green LED flashing
System is ready to be depressurized
40-100% Vacuum
Yellow LED flashing
Building vacuum inside housing
100% Vacuum
Green LED solid
Required level of vacuum is achieved
Over-
depressurization6
Green LED flashing
System is getting over depressurized
Vacuum standby
Green LED flashing every 4 sec
Housing system is holding vacuum
Loosing vacuum7
40-60%
Yellow LED flashing
Housing is losing vacuum over time
Lost vacuum
0-40%
Red LED flashing w/ audible alarm8
Housing has lost vacuum
Water detected
Red LED flashing with audible alarm
Water is making contact with probe