Sealife DC300/DC310 manual

Instruction Manual DC300/DC310 Digital Underwater Camera Set DIGIT AL[...]

II 1. Read warnings in manual (pages 6-8). 2. If you have any questions after reading 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 not[...]

III 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 Center , 9[...]

IV Only use SeaLife AC power adapter item #SL13132 with 3.3 volt DC out - put . Using any other AC adapter will damage the camera.. The inner camera is not waterproof or water resistant. Use the inner cam- era only inside the SeaLife waterproof housing when in or around water . Follow waterproof housing instructions carefully to prevent water damag[...]

V Do not insert or drop any objects into the SD memory card or batter y slots. 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 inspection, maintenance and repairs should only be carried out [...]

VI WARNING 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.) Ens[...]

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

VIII INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 How It W orks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Package contents . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Common (Optional) Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 GETTING TO KNOW THE CAMERA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Front view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Rear view . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]

IX MENU OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Record menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 IMAGE SIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 QUALITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 EXPOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 WHITE BALANCE . . . . . . . . . . . 46 DIGIT AL ZOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 ISO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]

11 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, Sea Mode for taking underwater pictures and Flash mode for taking underwater pictur es with your SeaLife External flash (optional accessory). This is essential [...]

12 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 prop[...]

13 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 memor[...]

14 GETTING TO KNOW THE CAMERA Front view 1. Shutter button 2. Optical viewfinder 3. Lens cover 4. Focus switch 5. Flash 6. Lens 7. Strap eyelet 8. Jack cover 9. DC IN jack 10. USB connector 11. Self-timer light Focus switch Macro - Land: 2’ - 3’ (55cm to 90cm), underwater: n/a Portrait - Land: 3’ - 6’ (90cm to 1.8m), underwater: n/a Landsca[...]

1. LED indicator 2. Viewfinder 3. LCD monitor 4. Display button - Hold for 3 seconds to access Quick Review function. Also select between MACRO flash and F AR flash when camera is in Flash mode and using External Flash. 5. Menu button 6. Power button 7. Mode dial 8. Battery/SD card cover 9. VIDEO OUT jack 10.T ripod socket 15 Rear view 1. Arrow but[...]

16 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 L[...]

17 LCD monitor information in Record mode These indicators are displayed when r ecording still images: in Land mode* 1. Exposure Pr ogram mode Land mode Sea mode Flash mode 2. Battery level Full battery power Medium battery power Virtually no battery power 3. Slow shutter speed warning 4. Flash mode Auto flash Red-eye reduction Fill flash (on) Flas[...]

18 These indicators are displayed when r ecording video clips: 1. Movie mode 2. Battery level Full battery power Medium battery power Virtually no battery power 3. Recordable movie time 4. Card indicator 5. Time (24-hour -format) 6. Date (year -month-day) These indicators are displayed when playing images back: 1. Battery level Full battery power M[...]

19 GETTING STARTED Y ou can use either 2 AA size batteries (High-Ener gy Alkaline, Ni-MH, Lithium) 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 th[...]

20 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/S[...]

21 Choosing the language 1. Select a language that you prefer by using the / button. 2. Press the OK button to confirm. • The language setting will be retained even if the camera is turned off. • The provided languages ar e [English], [Français], [Deutsch], [Español], [Portugués], [Italiano], [ ], [ ], and [ ] Setting the date and time Follo[...]

Resolution and quality settings determine the pixel size (dimension), image file size, and compression ratio for your image. These settings af fect the number of images that can be stored in internal memory , or on an SD memory card. Higher resolution and higher quality images of fer the best photographic results but take up more memory space. High[...]

23 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 compose[...]

24 Using the LCD monitor and QUICK REVIEW mode 1. Open the lens cover . 2. T urn the mode dial to mode. 3. T urn the camera on by pressing the button. 4. By pressing the button repeatedly in mode when quick view is ON, the LCD status will change cyclically . LCD on and OSD • LCD on • LCD off 5. Press and hold LCD button for 3 seconds to activat[...]

25 Using the macro focus setting Use the macro focus setting to shoot a close-up of the subject on land, such as flowers or insects. The effective range is between 2 to 3ft (60 to 90 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[...]

26 Using the digital zoom By using the digital zoom, images can be enlarged so that the subject appears closer . However , the more the image is enlar ged, the grainier the image will become. The digital zoom function is only available when you set the LCD monitor and the digital zoom to ON. T o captur e a digitally zoomed image, perform the follow[...]

27 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 place[...]

28 The camera has four flash modes: Automatic Flash (default), Red-Eye Reduction, Fill Flash (on), and Flash Off. The modes appear cyclically when you press the button on the r ear side of the camera. The table below will help choose the appropriate flash mode: Flash Mode Description [ ] Auto Flash The flash fires automatically accor ding to the am[...]

29 T aking pictures manually Y ou can manually adjust conditions such as EV compensation, white balance, or ISO speed when taking pictures. For EV compensation, white balance, or ISO speed information, refer to Exposur e, White balance, or ISO in the Record menu. T o take pictur es manually: 1. Open the lens cover , tur n the mode dial to mode, and[...]

PLAYBACK 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 playback. The[...]

31 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 and power on the camera. 2. Select the image that you want to view by using the / button. 3. Enlarge the image by pr essing OK . ■ Pressing OK once magnifies the imag[...]

32 Displaying thumbnail images This function allows you to view nine thumbnail images on the LCD monitor simultaneously so you can quickly scan for a particular image. 1. T urn the mode dial to the mode and power on the camera. 2. Press the button. ■ Nine thumbnail images appear on the LCD monitor (assuming there ar e nine or more images in the m[...]

33 Protecting one image/video clip Y ou can pr otect the image/video clip from being accidentally erased by using the protect function in the Playback menu. Follow the steps below to perform protect function: Protecting one image/video clip 1.T urn the mode dial to mode and power on the camera. ■ The last image/video clip appears on the LCD monit[...]

34 Setting DPOF DPOF allows you to embed printing information on your memory card. By using DPOF , you can select an image to be printed and then specify how many prints 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 c[...]

35 How to use the Instant Delete feature: Y ou can instantly delete a pictur e immediately after taking the picture T o instantly delete a pictur e: 1. After taking a picture, the LCD will display a “DELETE THIS?” message with the last picture taken. 2. If you want to delete the image displayed, press the shutter button while the “DELETE THIS[...]

36 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 shutt[...]

37 Viewing video clips T o view the r ecorded video clips, follow the steps below . 1. T urn the mode dial to mode and power on the camera. 2. Select the video clip that you want to view by using the / button. 3. Press OK to start. ■ T o pause playback at any time, pr ess OK again. ■ T o stop playback, pr ess the / button. Pressing OK or the / [...]

38 TRANSFERRING RECORDED IMAGES TO YOUR COMPUTER Y ou can shar e r ecorded 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 , f[...]

39 Step 1: Installing the USB driver on Windows computers The USB driver on the supplied CD-ROM is only needed 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 .” Follo[...]

40 Step 3: Downloading images/video clips When the camera is turned on and connected to your computer , it is considered to be a disk drive. Y ou can download images/video clips by copying 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 the ?[...]

41 INSTALLING MGI PHOTOSUITE ® MGI PhotoSuite is a very user -friendly image-editing pr ogram. 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 PhotoSu[...]

42 INSTALLING MGI PHOTOVISTA ® MGI PhotoVista ® is an easy-to-use pr ogram that lets you create spectacular 360° 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 intu[...]

43 INSTALLING 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 ROM [...]

44 INSTALLING ACROBAT 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 Acr obat 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. Select [...]

45 MENU OPTIONS Record menu Y ou can use the Recor d menu to select image size, image quality , ISO speed, Quick View or digital zoom. Y ou can also adjust exposure, white balance, or LCD brightness in the Record menu. The Recor d menu even allows you to enable digital zoom or quick view function. T o access the Recor d menu, tur n the mode dial to[...]

46 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 (daylight, cloudy , sunset, tungsten, fluorescent lights). Unlike your eyes, which can easily adjust to differ ent lighting conditions (lighting tem- perat[...]

47 Quick view By enabling quick view , you can temporarily view the image on the LCD moni- tor right after you take a picture. After a temporary pr eview , the camera returns to mode automatically . T o enable quick view , first press the button. Then select [On] by using the / button and press OK. LCD brightness This option adjusts the brightness [...]

48 Playback menu Use the Playback menu to create an on-camera slide show , configure DPOF settings, or transfer images to a memory card. Y ou can also use the Playback menu to protect an image, delete all images at once, or adjust the LCD brightness. T o access the Playback menu, turn the mode dial to mode and then press the button. Scr oll through[...]

49 Setup menu Select between Land & Sea exposure pr ograms and other general camera prefer ences in the SET -UP mode. T urn the mode dial to SET -UP mode and nav- igate to the option you wish to configure by using the / button. LAND & SEA ® EXPOSURE PROGRAM SETTING Switch the mode dial to the SET -UP mode and navigate to the option you wis[...]

50 Format This option formats the internal memory (or memory card ) and erases all stor ed images and data. T o perform the format function, first press the button. Then select [Y es] by using the / button and press OK . A progr ess bar displays, showing the pr ogress of formatting. Beep The camera makes a sound (beep) each time you press the camer[...]

51 Reset to default If you wish to restor e all camera settings to their original status, select this option and then press the button. Select [Y es] by using the / button and then press OK . The table below shows the default setting for each item. Item Description Image size 2048 x 1536 pixels Image quality Super Fine Flash Auto LCD brightness 0 Q[...]

52 Date imprint If you set imprint function, your image will be displayed with date on it. T o enable this function, first press the button. Then select [Y es] by using the / but- ton and press OK . Video out Y ou can view your images on a TV . Remember to select correct video output type according to wher e you locate. Otherwise, there will be whi[...]

53 CONNECTING THE CAMERA TO OTHER DEVICES[...]

54 CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS Item Description Image sensor 3.3-Megapixel CCD Image quality Super -Fine/Large (2048 x 1536 pixels) Fine/Medium (1024 x 768 pixels) Normal/Small (640 x 480 pixels) Recording media 8MB internal memory; SD memory card (optional) (up to 256MB capacity) Lens Fixed focal length: 7.9mm Focusing range: Landscape---1.9m~infinity; [...]

55 Underwater Housing Instructions Important: Please carefully r ead and understand these instructions before using camera and housing underwater . DC300: 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 grip[...]

56 MUST DO for underwater 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 hous[...]

57 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-ring [...]

58 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 for t[...]

59 SeaLife ReefMaster Underwater Camera Housing Front V iew[...]

60 SeaLife ReefMaster Underwater Camera Housing Rear View of DC300 Dive-Easy housing (item #SL113) External Flash Exposure control. When camera is set to External Flash mode, press the LCD button to select between: Macro Flash - for optimal exposure of pictures inside 2’ shooting distance. Far Flash - for optimal exposure beyond 6’ shooting dis[...]

Down Delete 61 SeaLife ReefMaster Underwater Camera Housing Rear View of DC310 Advanced housing (item #SL118) Navigation buttons Mode dial Select between Record, Playback, Movie and Set-Up modes. Left Flash Up thumbnails Right Timer OK/ External Flash Exposure control. When camera is set to External Flash mode, press the LCD button to select betwee[...]

62 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 68 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. Set camera focus lens to Seascape/Landscape [...]

63 7. Do not allow any water droplets to get inside housing. This will cause the inside of the housing to fog. 8. 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). 9. Close housing latch. Make sure the lid is pressed flat and evenly[...]

64 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. For tips on taking pictures, see “Great Pictur es Made Easy” on page 65. After using housing underwater 1. Before entering dive boat, hand [...]

65 Great Pictur es Made Easy T aking underwater pictur es is much different 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 eyes se[...]

66 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 Se[...]

67 Battery Selection Guide: It is important to use only AA batteries designed for high drain electronic devices. Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) W e suggest using SeaLife 1800 mAh Ni-MH rechar geable batteries or higher mAh rated Ni-MH battery . With Ni-MH batteries, you can expect about 2 hours of normal operating usage. Ni-MH batteries can be rechar[...]

68 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 t[...]

69 T rouble shooting guide Problem Possible cause Corrective 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C[...]

70 Problem Possible cause Corrective 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 urn Exter nal Flash awa[...]