ABSTRACT
The topic of camera preparation belongs at the very beginning of the TC system. If the underwater photographer does not establish a routine or habit of preparing the camera, flash, housing, etc., for a photo dive, then sooner or later problems will arise in one form or another. Technical divers have a rule that ‘no one should be distracted by another person whilst they are preparing their equipment’. If we could establish a similar system when preparing cameras for diving, the chances of flooding our equipment would be significantly minimised. In my experience, 95 per cent of floods are caused by human error – and more often than not it is down to rushing to get ready and making simple mistakes. The design of modern camera housings reduces the chance of experiencing a flood. However, mistakes are sometimes made in the preparation stage which result in a flash gun not firing, a lens not focusing and a camera ‘packing up’ in the first few metres.
