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DC800 Tips and Technical Updates
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Switching between camera, video and playback modes when the camera is in its housing.
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Using 8GBor 16GB SDHC memory cards.
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Compatible brands of SD memory cards.
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Problems connecting the DC800 inner camera to your computer.
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Tips to prevent fogging [of the housing inside lens port].
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Tips for avoid out-of-focus pictures.
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Dark area in picture when using camera's internal flash
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Tips for avoiding rust stains on stainless steel parts.
1. How to select video or playback mode when the camera is in the housing.
When the camera is in Sea, Ext Flash or SplashWater modes, you can
push the LCD display button to toggle between picture, video and
playback modes. When the camera is in any other mode (and outside of
the waterproof housing) you can use the slide switch on top of the
inner camera to switch between video, playback and picture modes.
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2. Using 8GBor 16GB SDHC memory cards:
SeaLife recommends using SD pr SDHC memory cards up to 4GB,
which will take about 1500 large size, fine quality pictures or
at least 30 minutes of continuous video. We recently tested 8GB and
16GB SDHC memory cards from popular brands like Sandisk, Kingston,
PNY and Lexar without encountering any problems.
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3. Compatible brands of SD memory cards
SeaLife no longer recommends using ONLY SanDisk, Panasonic, or Toshiba
brand memory cards. Our testing over the last several years indicates
that these brands are reliable cards, but many other brands have also
proven to be just as reliable. We have not found any compatibility
problems with brands like Delkin, Lexar, Kingston, PNY, Kodak,
Polaroid, Kingmax, and Eye-Fi (wifi card). SeaLife cameras are
designed to work with any brand of SD memory card.
If you experience any performance problems with your SD memory card, it will most likely be a problem with the memory card.
Check the following:
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a) Make sure the is not locked
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b) Make sure the contacts on the card are clean and the card is not damaged.
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If the memory card is still not working with your SeaLife camera, return it to the dealer where its was purchased and exchange it with another brand or size.
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4. Problems connecting the DC800 inner camera to your computer.
The DC800 camera is compatible with Windows operating system versions
98, 2000, ME, XP, and later, and MAC operating systems version 9.0 and
higher. The DC800 camera will automatically connect to your computer
when following the connection instructions outlined on page 67 of the
DC800 instruction manual. Here are some tips if you are still having
problems connecting the camera to your computer.
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Make sure the camera battery is fully charged or connect the power cable to the camera.
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Reboot your computer and try again. Most connectivity problems are
fixed when you restart your computer.
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For Windows operating system users, visit the Microsoft support
site at http://support.microsoft.com/.
Search on "Digital Camera" for a list of helpful tips from Microsoft.
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For Mac operating system users, visit the Apple support site at
http://www.apple.com/support/. Search on "Digital Camera"
for a list of helpful tips from Apple.
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Consider purchasing a SD memory card reader which connects to the
USB port of your computer. You can quickly transfer pictures from
your camera to your computer by removing the SC card from the
camera and inserting it into your card reader.
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5. Tips to prevent fogging [of the housing inside lens port]:
Humid air or water drops trapped inside the housing may condense on
the cooler glass lens port and cause fogging. Here is the best way to
prevent fogging:
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Keep the inside of the housing perfectly dry. Even one water drop
can evaporate inside the housing and condense (fog) on the lens
port.
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Load the camera into the housing in a dry environment, like an
air-conditioned room. This will help to avoid trapping humid air
inside the housing.
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Apply a small amount of anti-fog solution to the inside surface of
the housing lens port. Apply the anti-fog solution once a day in a
dry room. Your local dive shop can recommend a good quality
anti-fog solution.
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Use a fresh Moisture Muncher desiccant capsule (item # SL911)
inside the housing.
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6. Tips for avoid out-of-focus pictures.
The camera's auto focus system has an effective range is 2"' (5cm) to infinity.
Understanding how your camera's auto focus system works will help you avoid taking
out-of-focus pictures.
For the camera to focus correctly there must be sufficient ambient light to illuminate the subject.
The camera may not "see" the subject in low light. The subject must also have some contrast.
It is difficult for the camera to focus on a white wall with no contrast.
The focus square in the center of the LCD display will turn green when the camera accurately
determines the focus. If the focus square is red, the camera did not accurately determine the correct focus.
Here are some tips to ensure a sharp focus:
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1. Learn how to use the focus button (the button with the flower icon on it):
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The "normal focus" [no icon] shooting range is 1ft (30cm) to infinity. When using the zoom feature, normal focus is 1.5ft (45cm) to infinity.
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Push the focus [flower] button and select "Infinity focus" (mountain icon).
This will lock the camera to infinity, so anything beyond 2ft (60cm) shooting distance is in focus.
This setting is very helpful in low light conditions or when the subject is low in contrast.
When the camera is set to Infinity focus, the camera will also have a very fast shutter response time.
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You can also set the camera to Landscape focus and benefit
from a very fast shutter response time. Landscape focus will
lock the camera to infinity, so anything beyond 2ft (60cm)
shooting distance is in focus.
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The camera will set the focus on the subject located in the center
of the picture. Align the square located in the center of the LCD over
the subject. Subjects outside this square may not be in focus.
The depth of field for close-up pictures is only a few inches.
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For more information about focusing, please refer to page 20 of the DC800 instruction manual.
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7. Dark area in picture when using camera´s internal flash
A dark area in the lower left corner of your image can occur when taking close-up pictures and the camera's internal flash fires.
The dark area or shadow is caused by the underwater housing lens extension which partially blocks the camera's
internal flash.
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Notice the dark shadow area in the bottom left side of the picture.
Turn the camera's flash OFF or use the SeaLife external flash
accessory (sold separately) to eliminate this problem.
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There are a two ways to eliminate this shadow effect:
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Turn the camera's internal flash OFF. There are a few factors to consider before you decide to turn on the camera's flash.
First, the DC800 has a built-in color correction filter (in SEA mode) that only works when the flash is turned off.
Turning on the flash cancels the color correction feature.
The internal flash is not very powerful and only reaches about 2ft or 3ft depending on visibility.
The camera's internal flash causes backscatter (those small white dots in the picture) unless you are in perfectly clear water.
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Use the SeaLife Flash accessory (sold separately).
SeaLife external flashes have flexible arms that allow you to aim the flash head in
virtually any direction. It will eliminate the shadow effect and also produce brighter,
more colorful underwater pictures with less backscatter.
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Use the optical zoom and maintain a shooting distance of 1 ½ ft to 2ft:
The shadow effect described above gets more severe the closer you are to the subject.
Back away from the subject and increase the optical zoom.
This is not recommended for longer shooting distances for the reasons described above.
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8. Tips for avoiding rust stains on stainless steel parts
The DC800 uses marine grade stainless steel hardware, which is ideal for use in saltwater and marine environment.
If not cared for properly, rust stains may appear on surfaces. Make sure to rinse off the camera with fresh water
after each use. Dry before storage. Make sure to completely remove the clear protective film that covers the metal
face plate. Keep all metal surfaces clean. Avoid contact of the camera's stainless steel parts with other inferior metals -
This may contaminate the camera’s metal parts and cause rust staining.
Rust stains should wipe off with soft plastic bristle brush or clean moist cloth.
A good source for more information on stainless steel is http://www.ssina.com/knowledgebase/.
If the rust stain does not clean off, or if you see that rust stains have entered inside the shaft of the metal buttons
[which usually will result in the button sticking], contact your local authorized SeaLife dealer
or the distributor/service center in your country for repair service.
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Sealife Service Center
c/o Pioneer Research
97 Foster Road, Suite 5
Moorestown, NJ 08057
ph. 856-866-9191
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