Fantasea FD-50N User manual

Fantasea FD-50N
Housing
User's Manual

Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 3
INCLUDED WITH HOUSING....................................................................................... 4
CAMERA MODEL .......................................................................................................... 4
A VARIETY OF USES..................................................................................................... 5
SPECIFICATIONS........................................................................................................... 5
CONTROLS ORIENTATION........................................................................................ 6
CONTROL DETAILS...................................................................................................... 8
PREPARATION OF HOUSING BEFORE THE DIVE............................................. 12
USING EXTERNAL STROBES:.................................................................................. 15
CARE & MAINTENANCE........................................................................................... 16
BASIC SHOOTING TECHNIQUES............................................................................ 18
CAMERA LENSES AND PORTS ................................................................................ 21
FANTASEA FD-50N WARRANTY ............................................................................. 22
FLOOD INSURANCE:.................................................................................................. 22
2

Introduction
Fantasea has upgraded the housing for the Nikon D-50 and the FD-50N 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-50N housing for the Nikon D-50 digital camera will set you apart from other
photographers. With this system, you will enjoy the best chance of capturing the widest
variety of superior underwater images. The FD-50N offers you the opportunity to use the
exact Nikon lenses for the best circumstances, including a choice of macro, wide angle,
fisheye, and zoom lenses. You will find the housing to be easy and instinctive to use and
handle and will have countless dives in which to experiment with the D-50’s advanced
imaging capabilities. Fantasea Line Photo is pleased to offer our help with any of your
photographic needs.
The purpose of this manual to is to provide you with the basic introduction to your FD-
50N, which should get you comfortable with the housing and allow you to get started
taking great underwater images right away. We strongly urge you to thoroughly read the
Nikon D-50 instruction manual as well, to familiarize yourself with the most common
controls and settings that you will use for your underwater photography. The FD-50N
housing will permit access to most of the important controls on the camera. To take full
advantage of these features, it is best to have a good command of what each option can
do for you, so you will know when you should use each specific control.
3

Included With Housing
•The FD-50N 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.
These handles are made with the standard Fantasea strobe arm mounting
shoe on the top of each one for attaching a Fantasea (or other company)
Flex arm or Ball and Joint arm for the accessory flash and/or underwater
light.
•Base plate for mounting other tray and arm systems.
•Zoom Control Guide Band that is attached to the camera lens.
•Optical viewfinder eyepiece built into the back cover of the housing to assist
the photographer in viewing and focusing.
•A five-pin TTL flash sync port to connect with the D-50’s hot shoe.
•Removable camera mounting tray that slides into position with the D-50
attached, positioning the camera in the exact location for perfect control
alignment.
•Spare gasket
•Adjustment tool
•Wrist lanyard
•Warranty and other documents
•Instruction Manual
Camera Model
The FD-50N is dedicated exclusively to the Nikon D-50 camera. The size and shape of
the camera, plus the location of controls for alignment with housing controls requires this
precision design. Together, the D-50 camera and FD-50N housing offer the best
combination of advanced digital photography at an affordable price. No other camera
may be used in the FD-50N housing.
4

A Variety of Uses
The Fantasea FD-50N housing is more than just an underwater camera system. It protects
the D-50 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-50 to be used without danger of
damage. The lightweight, compact housing and handles make it easy to hold and use
while sailing, fishing, kayaking, backpacking, or just for fun at the beach or around the
pool. It will also provide a valuable tool for many commercial, industrial, and medical
applications, because it is impervious to most liquids, and sprays.
Specifications
•The FD-50N is an injection molded polycarbonate housing
•The main seal between front and back halves is a compression gasket
•The ports are sealed when mounted by a radial O-ring
•Controls use stainless steel shafts and springs
•Controls are sealed by double O-rings
•Control knobs and buttons are made of molded polycarbonate
•Latches are stainless steel
•Handles are made of molded polycarbonate
•Flash sync port is a standard five-pin Nikonos type TTL connector
•The Fantasea FD-50N has a maximum working depth rating of 200’ (60m)
5

Controls Orientation 8
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-OffControl 7
•Exposure Mode Control Dial 8
1
2
3
4 7
5
6
6

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17 18
Back & Right Side of Housing:
•Command Dial 9
•AE-L/AF-L Control 10
•Four Way Multi-Control 11
•Delete Control 12
•Playback Control 13
•White Balance/Image Control 14
•ISO Sensitivity/Menu Control 15
•Auto Bracketing/Advance E-mode Control 16
•Latching Buckles 17
•Viewfinder 18
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-50 camera instruction manual.
Please note that some of the FD-50N 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.
Flash Sync Port: 1
•Connect any standard five-pin Nikonos type sync cord to this bulkhead
connector.
•Align the index dots to correctly position cord to seat in flash port.
•Push down on cord to seat the O-ring seal, and make connection with the
five pins.
•Tighten collar on sync cord to insure cord does not come loose or separates
while underwater or during use.
Zoom Port Control: 2
This button activates the zoom lens of the camera.
•Attach the Zoom Control Guide Ring to the lens. This is attached using the
Velcro strip. Insure that the projected nub is directly on the bottom.
•The camera and tray are inserted in such a way that the nub of the Zoom
Control Guide Ring is sandwiched between the two projections found on the
lens port. All are pointed a downward direction. The Zoom Control is
operated when camera is installed in housing is this manner using button #2
Handles: 3
•Ergonomically located for easy gripping and access to controls. Strobe arms
can be mounted on the base shoe on top of each handle.
Main Shutter Release Control [Trigger]: 4
•The camera has a two stage shutter-release button. The camera sets focus and
exposure when the button is pressed halfway. Focus and exposure will remain
locked while the shutter-release button is kept in this position. To take the picture,
press the shutter-release trigger [of the housing] the rest of the way down.
8

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: 6
•Rotate housing control over camera Light Meter control.
oPress button and rotate command dial to choose Matrix
Metering, Center Weighted Metering, or Spot Metering.
•Rotate housing control over camera exposure compensation control
oPress button and rotate command dial to choose amount of
compensation.
On-Off Control: 7
•The Control Panel will turn on and the display in the viewfinder will light.
Exposure Mode Control Dial 8
•Push down and rotate housing control to change camera’s main exposure
modes. Choose Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Program, or any
of several Scene Modes.
Command Dial: k
•Rotating dial independently changes Shutter Speeds in M or S exposure
mode.
•Rotating dial independently while in P mode shifts the program exposure
into flexible program, and changes the combination of shutter speeds and
apertures.
•Rotating while pushing other control buttons affects:
oFlash Mode
oLight Meters
oExposure Compensation
oAuto Bracketing Set or Cancel
oAdvance Mode
oISO Sensitivity setting
oWhite Balance Mode
oImage Size
AE-L/AF-L Control:
•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.
10
9

Four-Way Multi-Control:
•Press Up and Down buttons to scroll through Menu options.
11
•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.
Delete Control:
•Press Playback button to turn on LCD Monitor and show last image
recorded on card.
12
•Use the Four-Way Multi-Control to scroll through images on card until you
find the one you want to consider for deletion.
•Press Delete Button once to activate delete function
•Press Delete Button a second time to confirm your decision to delete the
image shown in the LCD Monitor
•Press the Playback button again, or depress the shutter release button half
way to turn off the LCD Monitor and return to Shooting Mode.
Playback Control:
•Press housing Playback button to activate LCD monitor in Playback mode.
13
•View any image on memory card by scrolling with the left and right arrows
on the Four Way Multi-Control.
•Press housing Playback button once more, or depress shutter release half
way to turn LCD monitor off.
White Balance/Image Control:
•Rotate housing control over camera White Balance control.
•Press button and rotate Command Dial to choose Auto White Balance Mode
or specific Modes for the situation.
•Press button and rotate Sub-Command Dial to choose a White Balance
Compensation value to deviate from the camera’s normal value setting in
each White Balance Mode.
•Rotate housing control over camera Quality control
•Press button and rotate Command Dial to choose Image Quality. Choose
from Raw, Fine, Normal, Basic, or Raw & Basic options.
•Press button and rotate Sub-Command Dial to choose Image Size. Choose
Large, Medium, or Small Image size.
10

ISO Sensitivity/Menu Control:
•Rotate housing control over camera ISO Sensitivity control.
15
•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.
Auto Bracketing/Advance Control:
•Rotate housing control over camera Auto Bracketing control.
16
•Press button and rotate Sub-command dial to choose between two or three
frame exposure bracketing, and amount of change between each exposure.
•Rotate housing control over camera Motor Drive Advance control.
•Press button and rotate command dial to choose between single frame or
continuous advance shooting modes, and self-timer settings.
Latching Buckles: 17
•Provides positive closure to the housing and activates the gasket seal. See
below for directions on how to close.
Optical Viewfinder Eyepiece
•Built into the back cover of the housing to assist the photographer in
viewing and focusing.
18
11

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. In order to properly maintain the Port O-ring you must periodically
remove port O-ring from channel using only your fingers.
2. Push and lift the O-ring from its channel.
3. Do NOT use any sharp instruments, such as knives or dental picks, to
remove O-ring. You may accidentally cut the O-ring causing a potential
leakage.
4. Inspect the O-ring visually and by feel for any cuts, nicks, flat spots,
stretching, or any debris, such as sand, dirt, lint, hair, or other matter that
could compromise the integrity of the seal.
5. Clean O-ring by soaking in fresh water until all debris is removed.
6. Dry O-ring with a soft clean cloth. Be careful it does not leave any lint on
the O-ring.
7. Lubricate the O-ring with the supplied silicone grease. Do not over-grease
the O-ring. It only requires enough grease to allow it to slip into place and
make a seal. It should be slippery and shiny but without any abundance or
build-up of grease. A teardrop amount is usually sufficient for proper
lubrication.
8. Inspect the O-ring channel for any debris or foreign matter that could
damage the O-ring or cause it to lose its seal.
9. Clean the O-ring channel using a damp cloth or Q-tip. Be careful not to
leave any lint behind.
10. Replace the O-ring in the channel by lifting it over the end of the port until
it sits in its channel. Be sure the O-ring is not twisted or deformed and out
of position in any way.
11. Mount the port on the housing body by aligning the threads on the end of
the port with the mount on the housing and screwing clockwise until it is
FULLY screwed in place.
12

Note 1:
The FD-50N 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.
Therefore a radial O-ring, such as the O-ring on the port, requires
lubrication. The main housing gasket, a compression seal, does not
require any lubrication. It only requires cleaning.
Note 2
Lubrication of an O-ring does not improve the seal. It only reduces the
amount of friction on the O-ring when it is being moved into sealing
position. The amount of lubrication required on the port O-ring is only
enough to allow it to slip into place without friction, so it does not twist or
become dislodged. More grease is not better, and could in some cases
have a negative affect if it is applied in large amounts to form a build-up
that could trap any debris or foreign matter.
Open Housing:
•Release all three latches at same time, and lift off back half to open housing.
Inspect and clean gasket:
•Use a clean wet cloth. Use only water to clean the gasket’s sealing surface.
•Do not remove the gasket unless there is evidence that there is a need to
clean the underside surface, or the channel it sits in.
•If the gasket does need to be removed for cleaning or replacement, pull up
on the gasket tab to lift it out of its channel.
•When replacing or changing gasket, begin by aligning the gasket tab with its
cutout slot in the housing channel. Work the gasket down and into the
channel around the full circumference of the opening. Be sure it is
completely seated in the channel for a proper seal.
•Do not use any lubrication on this gasket. This is a compression seal gasket,
which is not affected by friction and does not require lubrication for proper
closure of the housing.
Attach the Zoom Control Guide Ring to the lens:
•.This is attached using the Velcro strip. Insure that the projected nub is
directly on the bottom when you wrap it around the lens.
•The camera and tray are inserted in such a way that the nub of the Zoom
Control Guide Ring is sandwiched between the two projections found on the
lens port of the housing. All are pointed a downward direction. The Zoom
Control is operated when camera is installed in housing and button # 2
moved in an upward or downward direction.
13

Insert D-50 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-50’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.
•Place housing back over front and align the complete mating surface of the
housing and the gasket, forming a proper seal.
•Position all three latches over latch hooks in ready position.
•Close all three latches at one time. If it is not possible to close all three
latches at the same time, close the bottom latch first, maintaining pressure
on the other side. Then close the two side latches simultaneously.
•Inspect the gasket seal for proper closure. A complete seal can be visually
confirmed by looking for the black line made by the gasket around the
complete circumference of the housing.
Take a Test Dive:
•Make the first dive without camera in housing.
This will give you a chance to inspect the housing
seal for proper closure. In this case, any mistakes
will not result in the loss of the camera.
•Operate all controls under pressure in the water and
inspect for watertight seal.
•Before all dives, immerse the housing in the camera
rinse tank, and press all buttons, to visually inspect
for any leakage.
•While descending on every dive carefully observe
the housing. If you see any bubbles rising from it or
water entering surface immediately while holding
the lens port in a downward position. Once on dry
land carefully open the housing, take out the camera
and dry it off if any water is on it and check to see if
there is any damage. Please inspect the housing,
rinse it in fresh water, dry it out and then take a dive
without the camera in the housing to check for leaks
or other malfunctions.
14

Recommended Initial Camera Settings:
•Set D-50 on M (Manual) Exposure Mode
oThis is to keep the built-in flash from trying to pop up in
low ambient light.
oThe 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. This will provide the most sophisticated light
meter for evaluating complicated and fast changing ambient light conditions.
oThe Matrix meter in the D-50 is a 1,005 sensor RGB light
meter, insuring the most accurate evaluation of the ambient
light.
•Set ISO to desired sensitivity setting. Use ISO 200 for the least amount of
noise (digital grain), when possible.
•Set personal preferences by using camera menus.
Using External Strobes:
Compatible Strobes include any that can use the standard Nikonos five pin TTL sync.
These strobes will have to be used in the Manual Flash Exposure mode.
•Nikon Speedlights, such as the SB-600 and SB-800 can be used with the D-
50 in the iTTL Auto Flash Exposure mode.
•Connect the strobe sync cord to housing's bulkhead sync port. On the side of
the housing port notice a simple alignment indicator [dot] The 5 pin cord
contains a small channel [groove] between two of the female pins of the
cord. You must insert the cord into the port so the groove is aligned with the
indicator of the housing. This assures proper alignment. Hold firmly in place
while fastening locking screw. Tighten the collar to secure the cord in place.
•The O-ring on the end of the sync cord should be inspected, cleaned and
lubricated in the same way the port O-ring was treated.
•Using different arms are and tray systems can be accommodated by
attaching to the shoes on the top of the FD-50N’s handles, or by attaching to
the base tray tripod mount. An adapter may be needed to physically mount
the arms to the housing handles.
15

Care & Maintenance
•Before a dive:
oProtect the FD-50N 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.
oProtect the FD-50N from accidental impact damage. Secure
the housing and camera in a safe location on the boat or in
any vehicle, so it does not bounce around or bump into
other cameras and housings. The insulated bag mentioned
above should be padded for this reason. Do not leave the
camera and housing in a camera rinse tank or bucket on the
boat in route to the dive site. Rough conditions can cause
impact damage and photo gear can often get tangled if too
many systems are together in the tank.
oInspection of all user serviceable gaskets and O-rings
should be a routine pre-dive check. Required maintenance
for the main gasket involves cleaning only (if there is no
damage requiring replacement). O-rings may require
lubrication. Use the silicone grease supplied with the
housing. Use only enough grease to lightly cover the O-ring
to reduce friction as it is put into its place and the seal is
made. Over-lubrication should be avoided and can result in
debris accumulating on the O-ring, and compromise the
seal.
oIt is highly recommended that the housing be immersed in
the rinse tank or in shallow water before every dive and all
its controls operated to visually confirm that it is watertight
before descending to depth.
•After a dive:
oRinse the housing with a strong stream of fresh water. Let it
soak for about 20 minutes to allow the water to dissolve
any salt residues under the controls or in tight spaces.
oOperate all the controls while the housing is soaking to help
dislodge any salt residue that may be caught under or
around the controls.
oDip the housing vigorously several times to agitate the final
remains of salt from the narrow areas or around the controls.
16

oDetach 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.
oDry with a clean towel or allow drying naturally in a cool
shady place.
•Traveling:
oUse protective hard case when traveling to protect the
camera and housing from impact damage.
oIf possible, do not check camera and housing case on
airlines. Use a hard case that can fit under the seat or in the
overhead compartment of aircraft, and hand carry.
•Annual Maintenance and Storage:
oThe housing’s main gasket and port O-ring should be
replaced every year or more often if used frequently. The
frequency of replacement depends on the user’s inspection
of these seals and their condition at the time. If in doubt, it
is always better to change them in order to not take the
chance of flooding the housing.
oThe seals on each of the controls should be replaced every
couple of years or more often if needed. The best indicator
of the need for replacement is if the controls become harder
to operate due to a build up of salt or corrosion.
oStore housing in a cool, dry location when not traveling. It
is recommended that the housing be stored with the two
halves together, but not with the latching buckles closed.
This will take the constant compression off the main gasket.
It is also recommended that the housing is not stored with
the port mounted.
17

Basic Shooting Techniques
•Practice handling the FD-50N on land.
oGetting 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.
oGet used to operating this control on the camera in both
half depress, and full depress movements. You will
frequently depress the shutter release only half way to
activate the exposure meter and auto focus to preview the
shooting conditions and make setting changes. Once you
get the feel for operating the camera control directly, you
can then try it in the FD-50N, using the housing’s trigger
control in the same manner.
•Use the viewfinder eyepiece
oCompose and view exposure information display. It is very
important that you become familiar with the information
display in the viewfinder so you can make proper exposure
settings and know what other settings have been made. You
will use this often and it is good to become familiar with it
before attempting to read it underwater. Also practice
composing and focusing the camera by eye, before using it
underwater to get the feel for this operation as well.
18

•Changing Exposure Settings
oUsing 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 and aperture settings. Practice operating each of
these controls so they become instinctive in operation.
•Familiarize yourself with the movements required
oUtilizing each housing control to properly and efficiently
change camera settings. Some controls only require a
straight pushing movement, while others may require
pushing and rotating simultaneously to operate.
•Using the camera’s light meter to determine ambient light
oThere are three light meters in the D-50; Matrix, Center
Weighted, and Spot. Read the D-50 instruction manual for
complete descriptions on each of these meters and when to
use each. No matter which one you choose, they all help
guide you to the proper shutter speed and aperture
combination for proper ambient light exposure. Where you
aim the meter is also important. In underwater photography,
it is important to remember to aim the meter at the
background water or “sky” to get the proper exposure
information. It is often necessary to gather this information,
make your exposure settings, and then re-compose the
scene before shooting.
•Sometimes it is good to operate the AE-L button
oWhen locking in the exposure value of the background
before re-composing and taking the photo.
•The ISO Sensitivity setting on the camera
oThis is the same as the film speed that photographers set
on film cameras, with one small difference: There is no
film. This setting is the equivalent of the film speed you
would normally set. The higher the ISO sensitivity number,
the more light is captured and the brighter the image.
Higher ISO sensitivity numbers have more “Noise”, a term
that is the digital equivalent of grain in higher speed films.
Try starting out with a lower ISO sensitivity such as ISO
200 if the lighting conditions permit.
19

•Get close to you subject when shooting underwater
oThis 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
oThose 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.
•Change F/Stops and shutter speeds to “bracket” your exposures
oThis will give you a range of image exposures, from which
you can choose the one that you like the best. It improves
the probability of getting a good shot.
•Use flash all the time
oThis will restore the vivid colors lost through selective light
absorption. Get to know the full manual power rating of
your strobe, by shooting at a constant distance from an
average reflective subject, and take several shots at
different F/stops.
•Focus lock on your subject
oPractice depressing the shutter release half way, and hold
the focus until you are ready to record the image. If you are
shooting a moving subject, it may be helpful to focus lock
on a nearby part of the coral reef and wait for the subject to
enter into your plane of focus.
•Take lots of shots of any subject or scene
oIt is important to vary each shot by changing exposure
settings or composition. This will give you a good sample
of shots from which to select the best one.
20