Ikelite 6950.12 User manual

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200DLM/A Underwater TTL Housing for Olympus
OM-D E-M10 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four-Thirds
Cameras
Product # 6950.12

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Introduction
Thank you for your purchase of Ikelite products.
Our primary focus is to provide quality, professional grade products
for use in and under water. Our products are designed, manufactured,
and distributed from our sole facility in Indianapolis, USA where we
started in 1962.
We are available if you have any questions or want photo advice.
Send us an email 24 hours a day to [email protected]. We strive to
reply within 1 business day.
An electronic version of this instruction manual is available for
download via the product page on our website:
https://www.ikelite.com
In the Box
• Housing
• Rear o-ring # 0110 (installed)
• Front o-ring # 0132.36 (installed)
• Waterproof bulkhead cap # 9104.7 (installed)
• Silicone lubricant 1cc tube

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Important Notices
»This housing requires a compatible DLM lens port for
waterproof operation. The housing is not waterproof without a
DLM lens port attached.
»A bulkhead cap or sync cord must be attached to the housing
bulkhead for waterproof operation. Never submerge the
housing in water without either a sync cord or bulkhead cap
attached.
»Do not pull the shutter trigger without a camera installed. You
may accidentally detach or damage the control spring.
»Never leave a housing in a rinse tank, even if it is the only
system in the tank. Accidental damage may occur when the
user walks away from a housing while it is in the rinse tank.
»Do not use alcohol, cleaning agents, spray lubricants, Rain-X,
or other solvents on the housing or lens port. Use of an
incompatible chemical compound can damage the plastic and
o-rings, and may result in leaking.

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Contents
Product Registration 1
Introduction 2
In the Box 2
Important Notices 3
Getting to Know Your Housing 6
Tray Mounts 9
Setting Up Your Camera 9
Pre-Installation Checklist 9
Camera Settings 9
Exposure Settings 10
Setting Up Your Housing 10
Opening the Housing 10
Installing the Camera 11
Attaching the Hotshoe 12
Closing the Housing 12
Attaching a Lens Port 13
Installing the Lens and Port 13
Setting Up An External Strobe 16
About Electrical Sync Cords 16
TTL Strobe Compatibility 16
Attaching an Electrical Sync Cord 17
Shooting Manual Flash with a DS Strobe 18
Getting in the Water 19
Final Check 19
Entering the Water 19
Shooting Underwater 20
Learning about Underwater Photography 20
Maintaining Your Housing 21
Post-Dive 21

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Lens Port 21
Storage 22
Servicing Recommendations 22
Lubricating Controls 23
Lubricating Push Buttons 23
Lubricating Control Shafts 24
Troubleshooting 26
Spare Parts 28
Limited Warranty 28
Service and Repairs 28
Contact Us 29

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Getting to Know Your Housing
Shutter
Bulkhead
with cap
Lid snap
Tray mounts
Lens
release
Port mount

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6950.52
MADE IN USA
MENU
INFO
Viewnder
Rear o-ring
6950.52
MADE IN USA
MENU
INFO
Left
Menu
Erase
Lid
snap
hook
Up
Down
Right
Live view
OK
Playback
Info

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Bulkhead
without cap
Thumbscrew
groove Front dial
Mode dial
Front o-ring
Rear dial
On/off

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Tray Mounts
This housing features two 3/8-16 threaded tray mounts on the bottom
of the housing. The spacing between the tray mounts is 3” (76.2 mm).
Optional tray with dual handles and mounting hardware are sold
separately.
It is recommended to detach and thoroughly rinse the tray mounts,
tray, and mounting hardware, with fresh water routinely during
continuous use and prior to storage.
Setting Up Your Camera
Pre-Installation Checklist
1. Insert a fully charged camera battery.
2. Insert a properly formatted memory card.
3. Remove any attached lanyard or neck strap.
Camera Settings
• Set Built-in EVF Auto Switch to “Off.”

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• Set X-Sync. to “1/250” when using an external strobe.
• Set Flash to “Fill In” when using an external strobe.
Exposure Settings
Refer to the Cheat Sheets in the Photo School section of our website
for recommendations on exposure settings for a wide variety of
shooting situations:
https://www.ikelite.com/blogs/cheat-sheets
Setting Up Your Housing
Opening the Housing
1. Push the lid snap lock forward and lift the curved end away from
the housing.
Lock
2. Lid snaps are designed to provide enough force to compress the
o-ring for a proper seal. Keep rm pressure against the lid snap
while lifting it away.
3. Repeat with opposite lid snap.
4. Remove the housing back.

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Installing the Camera
1. Remove any lanyard or neck strap which may be attached to the
camera.
2. Remove the camera mount plate from the housing.
3. Line the mount screw up with the camera’s tripod socket. Use a at
screwdriver to tighten the mount plate to the camera.
LENS
Mount screw
1/4-20 tripod
mount
Camera
tripod socket
4. Pull out on the housing control knobs to move the controls out of
the way.
5. Insert the mount plate into the slot on the inside bottom of the
housing. Push the camera all of the way forward until it stops.
6. Push housing control knobs in and check orientation with the
camera.
»The camera may be attached to a tripod using the 1/4-20
threaded mounting hole on the bottom of the mount plate.

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Attaching the Hotshoe
1. Orient the hotshoe with the arrow on top pointing towards the front
of the camera.
2. Slide the housing hotshoe into camera’s hotshoe mount until it
stops.
»The hotshoe must be all the way forward in the camera mount
for proper ash operation.
Closing the Housing
1. Make sure the o-ring is clean and in its proper location on the back
of the housing. The rear housing o-ring does not require lubricant
to make a seal.
2. Place the back onto the housing front.
3. Make sure no controls or wires are interfering with the o-ring or the
back of the housing.
4. Place each lid snap into the corresponding hook on the housing
back.
Housing
hotshoe
Camera
hotshoe
mount

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5. Push the lid snaps towards the housing until they are at against
the housing and the lock has engaged. Close both lid snaps at the
same time.
6. Check the o-ring seal. The o-ring should form a uniform, solid line
visible through the back of the housing.
7. Check control functions.
Attaching a Lens Port
Refer to the DLM/A lens port chart to nd compatible lens ports for a
wide variety of popular wide angle, zoom, and macro lenses.
Choose a dome port for wide angle and zoom lenses. Larger diameter
domes are better for split shots (half-in, half-out of the water) and
provide sharper images.
Choose a at port for macro lenses. Flat ports magnify the subject
underwater. Flat ports are not recommended for wide angle or zoom
lenses due to their limited eld of view and risk of vignetting (dark
shadows around the edges of the image).
»This housing requires a compatible DLM lens port for
waterproof operation. The housing is not waterproof without a
DLM lens port attached.
Installing the Lens and Port
1. If using a zoom gear, refer to the zoom gear instructions for proper
assembly procedure. Attach the lens to the camera.
2. Check that the port sealing surface and o-ring are clean and free
of debris.
3. Apply a very thin, even layer of lubricant to the exposed portion of
the front o-ring and to the lens port sealing surface. Avoid dry spots
or uneven build-up of lubricant.

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4. Loosen the port thumbscrews until they do not show on the inside
of the lens port.
5. If using a port with a dome shade, align the port so that the tall
projections on the dome shade are in the 12 and 6 o’clock
positions.
Shade
Thumbscrew
O-ring
Thumbscrew
groove
Zoom gear

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6. Press the port rmly towards the housing until the base of the port
is almost ush with the housing front. If there is resistance, remove
the port and re-check that the thumbscrews are loosened and the
o-ring is properly lubricated.
7. Tighten all three thumbscrews while holding the port rmly towards
the housing. The thumbscrews should thread in completely until
the head touches the port. If the screws are difcult to turn and/or
they bottom out before their heads are ush, it is an indication that
the port is not pushed far enough down on the housing.
Small gap
~ 0.15” (4mm)

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»The port must be fully seated onto the housing for waterproof
operation. There should only be a very thin, even gap of
approximately 0.15” (4mm) between the bottom of the port and
the front of the housing.
Setting Up An External Strobe
We recommend attaching an external strobe for the optimal color and
clarity in a wide variety of photographic situations, including daylight
photography.
This housing provides a direct electrical connection to the camera’s
external ash hotshoe via a ash hotshoe. An external strobe may be
triggered via electrical sync cord.
About Electrical Sync Cords
Connecting a strobe via electrical sync cord provides faster strobe
recycle times as compared to a ber optic connection, and prolongs
camera battery life.
»To connect two strobes to the camera, you must use a dual
sync cord.
»A second slave strobe may be triggered optically off of a
primary strobe connected by sync cord.
TTL Strobe Compatibility
When compatible Ikelite DS strobe(s) are attached by electrical sync
cord, the TTL circuitry built into the housing allows the camera to
communicate directly with the attached strobe(s). The camera triggers
the strobe(s) and adjusts the strobe(s) power automatically for perfect
exposure.
The following strobes are TTL compatible with this housing:
• Ikelite DS50 above serial # 70000

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• Ikelite DS51
• Ikelite DS125 above serial # 5000
• Ikelite DS160, DS161
• Ikelite DS200 above serial # 7163
Flash exposure compensation may be added or subtracted using the
camera’s menu settings.
Strobes from SEA&SEA, INON, and other manufacturers may be
attached by electrical sync cord. These strobes are not capable of
powering the TTL circuitry built into this housing. Non-Ikelite strobes
must be used in manual power modes.
Attaching an Electrical Sync Cord
1. Remove connector protectors and bulkhead caps from each
connection.
2. Apply a very thin, even layer of lubricant on all threads, sealing
surfaces, and the exposed portion of the plug o-ring. Do not allow
lubricant to get into the pins and receptacles of the plug or
bulkheads.
Bulkhead
Bulkhead
cap
Retaining
ring

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3. Align plug and insert into the housing bulkhead. Each male pin
mates with a female receptacle. Failing to line up the contacts
properly before tightening may result in damage to the converter
plug and/or housing bulkhead.
4. Hand-tighten the retaining ring.
5. Attach the other end of the sync cord to the bulkhead on your
strobe.
6. Turn on the strobe(s).
7. Turn on the camera. Take a test photo to ensure that your strobe(s)
are functioning properly.
»A bulkhead cap or sync cord must be attached to the housing
for waterproof operation. Never submerge the housing without
either a sync cord or waterproof bulkhead cap attached.
Shooting Manual Flash with a DS Strobe
1. Set the camera’s Mode Dial to “S” or “M.”
2. Set the camera’s Flash Mode to “Red eye reduction.”
3. Press the shutter button once. The strobe will re four short bursts.
The lightning bolt ash ready indicator will disappear from the
camera’s monitor.
4. Set the DS strobe(s) on a manual power setting. Adjust the power
setting as needed between photos.
5. To revert to TTL, turn the primary strobe off and back on. Set the
camera’s Flash Mode to “Fill in.”

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Getting in the Water
Final Check
1. Re-check the rear o-ring seal. The seal should form an even, solid
line visible through the back of the housing.
2. Turn on the camera and check all control functions.
3. Make sure the camera can take a photo.
4. Check camera battery level and available storage space on your
memory card.
5. Draw a vacuum on the housing to check for leaks using the
optional vacuum kit, if using (sold separately).
6. Submerge the housing in a fresh water tank dedicated to
underwater photography equipment. Visually conrm that there are
no signs of water intrusion. One sign of water intrusion is a steady
stream of bubbles coming from one of the housing’s seals.
Entering the Water
1. Before entering the water, turn the camera on and operate each
of the housing controls to get a feel for using the camera in the
housing.
2. We recommend entering the water without your housing to ensure
you are comfortable and your life-saving equipment is in working
order. Once you are stable, have someone pass your camera
housing to you.
3. Submerge the housing at the surface of the water and visually
conrm that there are no signs of water intrusion. Look for water
droplets or fogging inside of the housing, or a steady stream of
bubbles coming from one of the housing seals.
4. Use your hand to gently ush away any small bubbles that may be
on the face of the lens port. Bubbles will produce soft focus spots
in your photo or video.

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»If water appears to be entering the housing, point the lens port
downward and return the housing to the surface immediately.
Please observe all necessary safety precautions. NEVER
ascend faster than accepted safety limits.
Shooting Underwater
• Get as close as possible to your subject. For the best results, only
photograph subjects that are less than 6’ (1.8m) away.
• Be careful not to stir up sand or silt.
• Photograph subjects straight on or at a slight upward angle.
• If you err in exposure, it is better to have the image slightly
underexposed rather than overexposed. An overexposed image
is missing color information which cannot be adjusted in a photo
processing program. A slightly underexposed image has color
information that can be adjusted.
»It is important to respect all living creatures underwater,
including people, marine life, and coral. Get as close as you
can to your subjects when taking a photograph, but never
touch or disturb the marine life.
Learning about Underwater Photography
Visit the Photo School section of ikelite.com for a wide range of
information on shooting underwater including:
• Product Tutorials and Videos
• Cheat Sheets with exposure setting recommendations for a wide
variety of situations
• Advanced Techniques with in-depth articles on different shooting
techniques
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Photo Galleries showing examples of real results underwater