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DC600 Tips and Technical Updates

Q - How to select video or playback mode when the camera is in the housing.
Q - Battery performance upgraded and tips to maximize battery life.
Q - Using 1GB (or larger) SD memory card.
Q - What brands of SD memory cards are compatible?
Q - I am having problems connecting the DC600 inner camera to my computer.
Q - Tips to prevent fogging [of the housing inside lens port].
Q - Tips for avoiding rust stains on stainless steel parts.
Q - Tips to avoid trapping lanyard in the sealing area.
Q - Tips for avoid out-of-focus pictures.
Q - If the DC600 camera does not easily attach to the SeaLife Flash accessory, do this?
Q - If the SeaLife Flash accessory does not fire AT ALL when connected to my DC600, do this?
Q - A "card error" message appears on the LCD after powering on the camera?
Q - Only getting a few pictures with SD memory card inserted in the camera.
Q - The black rubber tube ring (flashguard) in the lens port area is removable.
Q - It is not recommended to use the SeaLife 3X, 8X or 16X lens with the DC600 camera.
Q - Dark area in picture when using camera´s internal flash.
Q - DC600 Read / Write speed specification.

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.

2. Battery performance upgraded and tips to maximize battery life.

A freshly charged battery, should yield about 1 hour of use or approximately 100 pictures depending on how you use the camera and conserve battery power. It is helpful to have a spare battery as back-up. A DC600 Spare Battery (item # SL1614) is available at your local SeaLife Dealer. Here are some tips to maximize battery life:

Make sure the battery initially charges overnight (minimum 8 hours). Then, the battery must be fully discharged through normal use prior to the next complete charge. This only needs to be done the first time the battery is charged.
Keep the Auto Off setting set to 1 minute. This setting is located under the set-up mode menu. The camera will power off in 1 minute to preserve battery power.
Turn the camera power off when not in use. It has a fast 3-second start-up so you won't miss any of the action.

3. Using 1GB (or larger) SD memory card:

SeaLife recommends a maximum memory size of 1GB made by Sandisk, Toshiba or Panasonic. A 1GB mb card will take about 300 6-megapixel images or ½ hour of video. Larger memory size and other brands may work fine, but we can not guarantee their compatibility with the DC600 camera.

4. What brands of SD memory cards are compatible?

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 performance problems with your SD memory card, first make sure the contacts on the card are clean and the card is not damaged. Test the card in another SD card device to see if the card is possibly damaged. If you experience a card problem with your SeaLife camera, please email us at service@sealife-cameras.com.

5. I am having problems connecting the DC600 inner camera to my computer.

The DC600 camera is compatible with Windows operating system versions 98, 2000, ME, XP, and later, and MAC operating systems version 9.0 and higher. The DC600 camera will automatically connect to your computer when following the connection instructions outlined on page 67 of the DC600 instruction manual. Here are some tips if you are still having problems connecting the camera to your computer.

Make sure the camera battery is fully charged.
Reboot your computer and try again. Most connectivity problems are fixed when you restart your computer.
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.
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.
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.

6. 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:

Keep the inside of the housing perfectly dry. Even one water drop can evaporate inside the housing and condense (fog) on the lens port.
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.
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.
Use a fresh Moisture Muncher desiccant capsule (item # SL911) inside the housing.

7. Tips for avoiding rust stains on stainless steel parts.

The DC600 uses 316 stainless steel hardware, which is the best grade of stainless steel available 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 surface clean. Avoid contacting metal camera parts with other metals This may contaminate the 316 stainless steel. Rust stains should wipe off with soft plastic bristle brush or clean moist cloth. A great source for more information on stainless steel is http://www.ssina.com/knowledgebase/.

8. Tips to avoid trapping lanyard in the sealing area.

The DC600 uses the most reliable O-ring sealing design in the industry, but a leak will likely occur if something gets trapped at the main O-ring. It is important to carefully inspect and clean the main O-ring and o-ring contact surfaces before every dive. After closing the housing, look around the sealing area for any uneven gaps that suggests that something is trapped in the O-ring. Here is one creative solution we heard from a SeaLife customer:

9. Tips for avoid out-of-focus pictures:

There are many factors that may affect picture sharpness and focus:

The camera's auto focus system has an effective range is 2" (5cm) to infinity. Here are some tips to ensure a sharp focus:
1. The normal shooting range is 1ft (30cm) to infinity. When using the telezoom feature, normal focus is 1.5ft (45cm) to infinity.
2. For macro pictures between 2" (5cm) and 2ft (60cm), set the focus button to Macro.
3. 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.
4. For more information about focusing, please refer to page 32 of the DC600 instruction manual.
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 if they are closer or farther away. The depth of field for close-up pictures is only a few inches.
The camera's auto focus system needs light to "see" the subject. In darkness, the camera uses the red focusing light located next to the camera's flash to illuminate the subject. You can also use another light source, like an underwater flash light, to illuminate the subject.
When you push the shutter button ½ way, the camera will set the focus and exposure on the subject. The focusing square in the center of the LCD will be green if the camera has accurately determined the correct shooting distance. If this square is red, the camera may not be certain of the exact shooting distance and will use a best estimate.

10. If the DC600 camera does not easily attach to the SeaLife Flash accessory, do this:

Make sure to remove the original flash deflector from the flash base (See picture below). The DC600 uses the Flash Link adapter and optical cable to fire the External Flash. The deflector attached to the flash base is used for other SeaLife camera models.

11. If the SeaLife Flash accessory does not fire AT ALL when connected to my DC600, do this?

There are a few important steps that will ensure the External Flash fires:

1. Set DC600 camera to Ext Flash mode.

2. Set Digital Flash Pre-Flash switch to "0". Make sure Camera and External Flash batteries are fully charged. Turn Flash to ON and wait for green ready-light to turn on.

3. Here's an easy test to make sure the External Flash is firing and synchronized with the camera. Take a picture of the External Flash, pointing the camera at the flash sensor. Do this with the camera removed from the flash base and without the Flash Link optical cable connected. The picture should show the flash firing. If you do not see the flash firing in the picture make sure you followed the set-up step #1 defined above.

12. A "card error" message appears on the LCD after powering on the camera

Most likely is that the SD memory card is not completely inserted into the memory card slot. Make sure memory card is completely seated and "clicks" into position when inserted into camera. The other possibility is that the memory card is damaged or dirty. Check to make sure contacts on the card are clean. Also check that there is no debris lodged in the memory card slot. Blow or shake-out any dirt or debris in the memory card slot. Do not stick any object into the memory card slot - this can damage the camera. If you are still experiencing a card error message, replace the memory card.

13. Only getting a few pictures with SD memory card inserted in the camera.

Most likely is that the SD memory card is not completely inserted into the memory card slot. Make sure memory card is completely seated and "clicks" into position when inserted into camera. The camera may also lock up if the card is not fully seated into position.

14. The black rubber tube ring (flashguard) in the lens port area is removable.

The black rubber ring inside the housing lens port area is designed to be removed for easy cleaning of the lens. This is an important part that and serves as a flashguard to prevent the inner camera's flash from reaching the lens and causing glare. This should be placed back into the lens port area so it's completely seated. If this part is missing or needs to be replaced, contact your local SeaLife dealer or the SeaLife Service Center (Item# SL15014)


Flashguard out of position	Flashguard completely seated

15. It is not recommended to use the SeaLife 3X, 8X or 16X lens with the DC600 camera

The SeaLife close-up lenses may fit the DC600, but does not offer any real benefit. The close-up lenses are design for our fixed focus film and digital cameras. The DC600 uses and auto focus system to focus from 2.5" to infinity, so the lenses are not required to get the picture in focus. Some DC600 customers that use the close-up lens say it helps the camera to focus quicker. On the downside, we have seen the lens cause a glare "ring" that shows up in the picture. SeaLife does not recommend using any of the close-up lenses with the DC600.

16. Dark area in picture when using camera´s internal flash

Shadows in the lower left corner of your picture are most likely caused when using the camera's internal flash (i.e. not external flash accessory). The shadow is created when the underwater housing lens extension or wide angle lens accessory obstructs the camera internal flash. See picture samples below.

There are a two ways to eliminate this shadowing:

Use the SeaLife External Flash (SL960) or Digital Flash (SL960D) accessory (sold separately). The flash accessory will not only eliminate the shadowing, but results in the brightest and most colorful underwater pictures.
When not using the external flash accessory, it is recommended to turn the camera's internal flash to OFF. The camera's internal flash is intended for land use and is not powerful enough for underwater use. The camera's internal flash will also cause backscatter. Backscatter is the many small white dots in the picture that you see when the camera's flash illuminates the small particles floating in the water. Keeping the internal flash ON will also cancel the camera's underwater color correction software


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.

17. DC600 Read / Write speed specification

The DC600 camera can transfer data to the SD memory card at 10MB/s (mega bytes per second). Panasonic, Sandisk and Toshiba make SD cards with faster read / write speed, however there is no benefit in purchasing SD cards with read/write speeds faster than the camera.

SD Card spec		Read / Write speed
60x		9MB/s
70x		11MB/s
110x		17MB/s
130x		20MB/s

Sealife Service Center
c/o Pioneer Research
97 Foster Road, Suite 5
Moorestown, NJ 08057
ph. 856-866-9191