Sealife DC250 manual

Instruction Manual DC250 Digital Underwater Camera Set DIGIT AL[...]

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ii E E FCC ST A TEMENT This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference r eceived, including interference that may cause undesired operation Note: This equipment has been tested and found to c[...]

iii E 1. Read warnings in manual (pages 6-8). 2. If you have any questions after r eading this manual or problems r egarding the SeaLife digital camera, housing or accessories follow these instructions: Do not contact dealer; do this: • Check trouble shooting guide in this manual or on the SeaLife website www .sealife-cameras.com • If this does[...]

iiii E E Limited W arranty This product will be r eplaced or repaired fr ee of char ge within 1 year from the purchase date in the case of a manufacturing defect, if the complete defective product is sent fr eight prepaid at the sender’ s risk with prepayment for handling and shipping of US$10.00 to: Pioneer Research , Attn: SeaLife Service Cente[...]

iiv E This camera is not waterproof or water resistant. Use the inner camera only inside the SeaLife waterproof housing when in or around water . Follow waterproof housing instructions carefully to prevent water damage to camera. Water damage to camera is not covered by warranty unless it has been determined that the waterproof housing leaked water[...]

iv E E Do not insert or drop metallic or flammable foreign objects into the camera through access points such as the Compact Flash card slot. This may cause a fire or an electrical shock. Do not attempt to modify this camera. This may cause a fire or an electrical shock. Do not remove the camera casing. This may cause an electrical shock. Internal [...]

ivi E W ARNING Handle the camera carefully and do not bump the camera into any hard object. Handling the camera roughly may cause a malfunction. Do not move the camera while it is attached to AC adapter , USB or video cable. (If you are using the AC power adapter , unplug the adapter from the AC power outlet after you have switched off the camera.)[...]

ivii E E TRADEMARK INFORMA TION ■ Microsoft ® and Windows ® ar e U.S. register ed trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. ■ Pentium ® is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. ■ Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer , Inc. ■ SD TM is a trademark. ■ PhotoSuite, PhotoVista and the MGI logo ar e trademarks or register ed trademark[...]

iviii E CAUTIONS ■ Do not place the camera in damp or dusty locations. This may cause a fire or an electrical shock. ■ Do not place the camera in a location affected by oil fumes or steam, such as near a cooking stove or humidifier . This may cause a fire or an electrical shock. ■ Exposure to high temperatur es may adversely affect the camera[...]

iix E E INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 How It W orks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Common (Optional) Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 GETTING TO KNOW THE CAMERA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Rear view . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

ix E INST ALLING USING THE USER’S MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 ACROBA T READER . . . . . . . . . 44 MENU OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Record menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 LCD BRIGHTNESS . . . . . . . . . . 45 QUICK VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 DIGIT AL ZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 WHITE BALANCE . .[...]

13 E E INTRODUCTION How It W orks - A V ery Unique Camera Land & Sea ® The SeaLife Reefmaster Digital Land & Sea camera allows you to choose between Land Mode for taking land pictures and Sea Mode for taking underwater pictures. This is essential for taking gr eat pictures and achieving the perfect picture exposur e. Sea Mode: If the camer[...]

14 E Land Mode: If you are taking land pictur es, set the camera to Land Mode. Now the camera is automatically programmed to take gr eat land pictures. The camera evaluates light conditions through the lens. If it’ s too dark, the camera uses the built-in flash to fire a pr e-flash (to test the picture quality) and a primary flash for taking a pr[...]

15 E E Package contents Carefully unpack your package and make sur e that you have the following items. Common Product Components: ■ Digital camera ■ Software CD-ROM ■ Video cable ■ Camera strap ■ Quick Guide ■ Camera Carry Case ■ USB cable ■ Underwater Housing ■ Deflector for External Flash Common (Optional) Accessories: ■ SD m[...]

16 E GETTING TO KNOW THE CAMERA Front view 1. Status LCD 2. Shutter button 3. Viewfinder window 4. Lens cover 5. Focus switch 6. Flash button 7. Quality/Resolution button 8. Flash 9. Lens 10. Strap eyelet 11. DC IN jack 12. USB connector 13. Self-timer light[...]

17 E E Menu navigation button 1. Menu navigation button (up) 2. Menu navigation button (left) Self-timer button 3. OK OK button Digital zoom button 4. Menu navigation button (right) 5. Menu navigation button (down) Delete button Rear view 1. LED “camera ready” indicator 2. Viewfinder (option) 3. LCD monitor 4. LCD On/Off, Quick Review button 5.[...]

18 E Mode dial 1. Record mode 2. Playback mode (Review) 3. Setup mode 4. Movie mode Mode Description Record Mode Use this mode to capture still images. Playback mode Use this mode to view images & videos, (Review) delete images & video clips, view a slide show , view thumbnail displays. Setup mode Use this mode to adjust camera settings and[...]

19 E E Status LCD Flash mode Auto flash Red-eye reduction Fill flash (on) Flash off Slow synchro Image resolution 1600 x 1200 pixels 800 x 600 pixels Self-timer mode Card indicator Image quality Fine Normal Basic Macro mode Battery check Full battery power Medium battery power Low battery power (replace batteries) Virtually No battery power This di[...]

20 E LCD monitor information The displayed indicators when recor ding still images: The displayed indicators when recor ding video clips: The displayed indicators when playing images back: The displayed indicators when playing video clips back: Sea Mode indicator Ext Flash indicator[...]

21 E E GETTING ST ARTED Y ou can use either 2 AA size batteries (High-Ener gy Alkaline, Ni-MH) or an AC power adapter (optional accessory) to power the camera. Battery power is convenient for recor ding images or video clips while AC adapter power is recommended for transferring images to your computer . Installing the batteries 1. Make sure the ca[...]

22 E Loading a SD memory card (optional accessory) The camera comes with 8MB of internal memory , allowing you to store images and video clips in the camera. However , you can expand the memory capacity by using an optional SD memory card so that you can stor e additional images and video clips. 1. Make sure the camera is of f. 2. Slide the battery[...]

23 E E Choosing the language When you first turn the camera on, the language setting screen appears, pr ompting you to choose a language for displayed information on the LCD monitor . Follow the steps below to set the OSD (On-Screen Display) language. 1. Select a language that you prefer by using the / button. 2. Press the OK button to confirm. •[...]

24 E Setting the image resolution and quality Resolution and quality settings determine the pixel size (dimension), image file size, and compression ratio for your images. These settings af fect the number of images that can be stored in memory , or on an SD memory card. As you get to know the camera, it is recommended that you try each quality and[...]

25 E E RECORD MODE T aking pictures Y our camera is equipped with both an optical viewfinder and a 1.6" LCD monitor to compose images. T aking images using the optical viewfinder will con- serve battery power . If your batteries are low , it is recommended that you only compose images by using the viewfinder . Using the LCD monitor you can com[...]

26 E Using the LCD monitor 1. Open the lens cover . 2. T urn the mode dial to the mode. 3. T urn the camera on by pressing the button. 4. T urn the LCD monitor on and off by pressing the button. 5. Compose the picture. 6. Press the shutter button. ■ The LED indicator blinks green while the camera is pr ocessing a captured image. • The image on [...]

27 E E Using the macro focus setting Use the macro focus setting to shoot a close-up of the subject, such as flowers or insects. The effective range is between 1 to 3ft (25 to 75 cm). 1. Open the lens cover , turn the mode dial to the mode, and power on the camera. 2. Move the focus switch located on the front side of the camera to the position. ?[...]

28 E Using the digital zoom Using digital zoom, images appear closer . Whereas digital zoom is a compelling featur e, the more an image is enlar ged (zoomed), the more pixilated (grainier) the image will appear . The digital zoom function is only available when you set the LCD monitor and the digital zoom to ON. T o enable the digital zoom, r efer [...]

29 E Using the self-timer The self-timer duration is 10 seconds. After the activation of the self-timer by pressing the shutter button, the self-timer lamp starts blinking slowly for 7 sec- onds and then blinking faster for the rest of 3 seconds. This allows you to get into the scene when taking group images. 1. Secure the camera to a tripod or pla[...]

30 E The camera has five flash modes: Automatic Flash (default), Red-Eye Reduction, Fill flash (on), Flash Off and Slow Synchr o. The modes appear , cyclically , when you press the flash button on top of the camera. The table below will help choose the appropriate flash mode: Flash Mode Description [ ] Auto Flash The flash fires automatically accor[...]

31 E T aking pictures manually Y ou can manually adjust conditions such as white balance, EV compensation and sharpness when taking pictures. For white balance, EV compensation and sharpness information, refer to WHITE BALANCE, EV COMPENSA TION or SHARPNESS in Record menu. T o take pictur es manually: 1. T urn the camera on. 2. T urn the mode dial [...]

32 E PLA YBACK MODE (Review images) In the mode, you can view , magnify , delete images, play video clips, or run a slide show . Playback mode also provides a thumbnail image display , allowing you to quickly search for the image you want. Viewing images Y ou may view your images without opening the lens cover since the lens is not used for playbac[...]

33 E Zoom Playback While reviewing your images, you may enlar ge a selected portion of an image. This magnification allows you to view fine details. 1. T urn the mode dial to the mode with the camera power on. 2. Select the image that you want to view by using the / button. 3. Enlar ge the image by pressing the OK button. ■ Pressing the OK button[...]

34 E Displaying thumbnail images This function allows you to view nine thumbnail images on the LCD monitor simultaneously so you may search for a particular image. 1. T urn the mode dial to the mode and power on the camera. 2. Press the button once. ■ The image information appears on the LCD monitor . 3. Press the button again. ■ Nine thumbnail[...]

35 E Deleting images from memory Y ou can delete one image/video clip by pr essing the button. T o delete one image at a time: 1. T urn the mode dial to . 2. Select the image/video clip you want to delete by using the / button. And then press the button. ( button.) 3. Select [YES], and then press the OK button. The next image/video clip appears. ?[...]

36 E MOVIE MODE Recording video clips The movie mode allows you to recor d video clips at the resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. 1. Open the lens cover , tur n the mode dial to the mode, and power on the camera. ■ The recor dable movie time displays on the status LCD and the LCD monitor . 2. Y ou can start recor ding a video clip by pressing the shu[...]

37 E Viewing video clips T o view the r ecorded video clips, follow the steps below . 1. T ur n the mode dial to the mode and power on the camera. 2. Select the video clip that you want to view by using the / button. 3. Press the shutter button to start. ■ T o pause playback at any time, press the shutter button again. ■ T o stop playback, pres[...]

38 E TRANSFERRING RECORDED IMAGES TO YOUR COMPUTER Y ou can shar e recor ded images/video clips with your family or friends via e-mail or post them on the W eb. First, you need to connect the camera to your com- puter by using the USB cable and then transfer the images/video clips. T o transfer images/video clips fr om the camera to your computer ,[...]

39 E Step 1: Installing the USB driver on Windows computers The USB driver on the supplied CD-ROM is exclusively for Windows 98. Installing the USB driver on computers running Windows 2000/ME/XP is not necessary . 1. Insert the CD-ROM packaged with the camera into the CD-ROM drive. The welcome screen appears. 2. Click “Install USB Driver”. Foll[...]

40 E Step 3: Downloading images/video clips When the camera is turned on and connected to your computer , it is considered to be one disk drive. Y ou can download images/video clips by coping them fr om the “removable disk” (“untitled” disk on a Macintosh) to your har d drive or to another kind of disk. For computers running Windows Open th[...]

41 E INST ALLING MGI PHOTOSUITE MGI PhotoSuite is a very user -friendly image-editing program. With PhotoSuite, you can easily retouch, compose and or ganize your images. It contains a variety of templates, such as photo frames, birthday cards, calendars and mor e. Get your images ready and go explor e this amazing program. T o install MGI PhotoSui[...]

42 E INST ALLING MGI PHOTOVIST A MGI PhotoVista is an easy-to-use pr ogram that lets you create spectacular 3600 panoramic images in a snap. When you view these panoramas, you get the experience of being totally immersed in a realistic envir onment. PhotoVista’ s powerful engine quickly and automatically stitches images together , and its intuiti[...]

43 E INST ALLING THE USER’S MANUAL In an effort to conserve ener gy and preserve our world’ s forests and wildlife, this manual is only provided on the CD-Rom in PDF format. W e suggest you read thr ough the instruction manual and print only those pages you need for future refer ence. The only requirement for viewing the User Manual on the CD R[...]

44 E INST ALLING ACROBA T READER For Windows users: 1. Insert the CD-ROM that came with the camera into your CD-ROM drive. The welcome screen appears. 2. Click “Install Acrobat Reader .” Follow the on- screen instructions to complete the installation. For Mac users: 1. Insert the CD-ROM that came with the ca-mera into your CD-ROM drive. 2. Sele[...]

45 E MENU OPTIONS Record menu Y ou can use the r ecord menu to change LCD brightness, white balance EV compensation, Quickview , digital zoom, flash on/off and sharpness settings. T o do this, press the button in the mode. And then scroll thr ough the options by using the / button. LCD BRIGHTNESS This option adjusts the brightness of the LCD monito[...]

46 E WHITE BALANCE Y our camera adjusts the white balance of each scene automatically . However , the images that your camera captures will appear dif ferent under dif ferent light- ing conditions (sun, shade, fluorescent, tungsten lights). Unlike your eyes, which can easily adjust to differ ent lighting conditions (lighting temperatures), a digita[...]

47 E • EV Compensation adjustments can only be made before taking a pictur e, not after . SHARPNESS This option sets the level of image sharpness. Use the / button to select the sharpness mode that you want and then press the OK button. [NORMAL] : leave the image detail as captured [SOFT] : soften the edge of the image detail for special effect [[...]

48 E Playback menu Use the playback menu to create an on-camera slide show , configure DPOF settings, transfer images from internal memory to a memory card, adjust LCD brightness, or “delete all” images. T o access the playback menu, pr ess the button in the mode and navigate through the options by using the / button. LCD BRIGHTNESS Refer to LC[...]

49 E E DPOF DPOF allows you to embed printing information on your memory card. Using DPOF you can select an image to be printed and then specify how many prints to you would like. T ake your memory car d to a DPOF enabled printer that accepts SD memory cards. The DPOF/car d-compatible printer will read the embedded information on the memory card an[...]

50 E Movie menu T o adjust movie menu setting, pr ess the button in the mode and navi- gate to the option you wish to set by using the / button. LCD BRIGHTNESS This option adjusts the brightness of the LCD monitor . Refer to LCD BRIGHTNESS in Record menu for detailed information. EXIT This option exits the movie menu and then returns to the mode. P[...]

51 E Setup menu Select between Land & Sea exposure pr ograms and other general camera pref- erences in the SET -UP mode. Switch the mode dial to the SET -UP mode and navigate to the option you wish to configure by using the / button. LAND & SEA ® EXPOSURE PROGRAM SETTING This unique camera offers the option to set the exposur e program for[...]

52 E LANGUAGE This option allows you to select the language for the menus and the text dis- played on the LCD monitor . Press the OK button to enter the LANGUAGE sub- menu. And then select the preferr ed language using the / button and press the OK button. [ENGLISH], [Français], [Deutsch], [Español], [Italiano], [ ], [ ], [] SOUND The camera prod[...]

53 E E AUTO POWER OFF If there is no camera activity (no buttons ar e pressed) for a defined period of time while the camera is powered on, the camera will switch to an idle mode, and eventually turn itself off to conserve power . Inactivity period Inactivity period Camera status (batteries) (AC power adapter) 90 seconds 90 seconds stay idle 3 minu[...]

54 E CONNECTING THE CAMERA TO OTHER DEVICES[...]

55 E E CAMERA SPECIFICA TIONS Item Description Sensor 2.1megapixels 1/3.2” CCD Color depth 24 bits (8 bits x 3 colors) Resolution 1600x1200 pixels / 800x600 pixels LCD 1.6" color TFT LCD Self-timer 10 seconds delay Shutter speed 1/10 sec.~1/1000 sec. (Will vary depending on Land & Sea exposure pr ogram setting) Zoom 2 x digital zoom Capt[...]

56 E Under water Housing Instr uctions Important: Please carefully r ead and understand these instructions before using camera and housing underwater . SeaLife Reefmaster Dive Easy Housing (SL113) • Depth rated and tested to 200ft. (60M) • Fully rubbered armored for water and shock protection • Includes Sportsfinder . • Soft rubber grips. ?[...]

57 E E MUST DO for under water housing: 1. Read these instructions before using the underwater housing. 2. Do not exceed the depth rating printed on the lens port of the housing. 3. Keep main O-Ring perfectly clean. • Clean main O-ring with cleaning brush provided before every use. Do not remove O-ring. Do not gr ease O-Ring. • Store camera and[...]

58 E Important: Carefully inspect o-ring for salt, sand, hair , cuts, tears or other damage. Clean o-ring before every use. Replace o-ring if damaged. If O-ring needs to be replaced, contact the SeaLife Service Center at (856) 866-9192 Open view of housing The housing uses one O-ring to form a waterproof seal Contact SeaLife Service Center if O-rin[...]

59 E E Main O-ring and keeping a waterproof seal The SeaLife housing uses one O-ring to form a waterproof seal. Every housing is tested for quality and a waterproof seal. It is your r esponsibility to maintain the housing and ensure it r emains waterproof. Our r esearch and testing shows that 99% of leaks are the r esult of not cleaning or caring f[...]

60 E SeaLife ReefMaster Underwater Camera Housing Front V iew[...]

61 E E SeaLife ReefMaster Underwater Camera Housing Rear View[...]

62 E How to set-up the Underwater Housing Set up camera 1. Insert 2 fully charged Ni-MH batteries (size AA, capacity at least 1800 mAh). See page 67 for more battery information. Make sur e you insert the batteries with the correct + and – polarity . 2. Clean camera lens with dry , clean cotton cloth. 3. Make sure camera focus lens is set to norm[...]

63 E E 12. Do not allow any water dr oplets to get inside housing. This will cause the inside of the housing to fog. 13. Close housing lid tightly . Make sure there ar e no obstructions that prevent the housing from closing. Make sur e lid is tightly pressed into housing, ( see picture). 14. Close housing latch. Make sur e the lid is pressed flat a[...]

64 E Using and cleaning the underwater housing and camera Entering the water with housing 1. Do not enter water with camera in your hand. Have someone hand you the camera after you have entered the water . 2. See “Great Pictur es Made Easy” on page 65. After using housing underwater 1. Before entering dive boat, hand housing to someone on the b[...]

65 E E Great Pictur es Made Easy T aking underwater pictur es is much differ ent that taking land pictures. Her e are the most important tips to taking great pictur es underwater: 1. Crystal Clear water . Crystal Clear water is essential for good underwater pictures. Remember the human eye can see more detail than a camera. In other wor ds, your ey[...]

66 E 5. T ake several pictur es of the same subject. Use differ ent distances and angles. (Allow about 10 seconds between shots for the flash to re-char ge). Study and compare the good and bad pictures and you will soon be a master . Never touch any sea creatures. Consult your dive master about approaching dangerous creatures or structures. 6. Use [...]

67 E E 8. The quick review feature allows you to playback pictur es without removing the camera fr om the housing. Press and hold the LCD button for 2 seconds. The last image will appear . Pr ess the LCD button to scroll to the next pictur e. Press and hold the LCD button for 2 seconds to exit. Battery Selection Guide: It is important to use only A[...]

68 E Battery Life W e have tested the following batteries under normal and extreme operating conditions. The following operating times are averages and can vary depend- ing on age of battery , temperature and other factors. Normal conditions (designed to simulate operating conditions when scuba diving): 1. T ur n camera on, take a test picture. Set[...]

69 E E T rouble shooting guide Problem Possible cause Corr ective Action No Power Battery power low . . . . . . . . . . . Replace or recharge batteries. Wr ong type of batteries. . . . . . . Use only AA designed for high drainage electronics. (see battery selection guide) Battery + and - not inserted correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]

70 E Problem Possible cause Corr ective Action Grainy picture Dark light conditions. . . . . . . . . Move closer to subject (2’ to 6’). Use SeaLife External Flash to illuminate subject and improve color and brightness. Overexposed image T o close to reflective object. . . . Move farther away from sub- ject (4’ to 6’). T ur n External Flash [...]

71 E E[...]