Ikelite P-6000 User Manual

Ikelite Digital Housing

Front View

Shutter
Release

Lid
Snap

Lens
Port

Back View

Command Dial

Mode Dial

[E] Menu
[F] Monitor
[G] Flash Mode
[H] Self-timer

[I] Apply
[J] Exposure Compensation
[K] Macro/MF (Focus Mode)
[L] Delete

[A] Fn (FUNC)
[B] My Menu
[C] Manual Focus
[D] Playback

B
C

D
E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

H

A

TTL Connector

Zoom

Power Switch

Flash

CAMERA / MOUNT

Lid
Hook

O' Ring

Mounting Bolt

Mounting
Tray

Nikon

Lift

Push For ward

Lid Snap Lock

i n s t r u c t i o n m a n u a l

#6182.60 for Nikon Coolpix P6000

Congratulations on your purchase of an Ikelite Digital Camera
Housing. Ikelite has over 45 years of experience in the underwater
photographic and lighting market. Our products are designed and
built in the USA by Ikelite for both the professional and amateur
photographer.
The clear housing permits instant visual inspection of the camera
and all sealing surfaces as well as complete monitoring of controls
and camera LCD screens.
Ikelite Digital Housings are slightly negative in salt water for
stability. This housing has been water pressure tested at the
factory to 200’ (60m).

PPlleeaassee RReeaad

d

We suggest that you read this instruction booklet thoroughly
before use. If you are new to underwater photography, be sure
to read the General and Photo Tips sections.
We also suggest that you read the camera manual thoroughly
to have a full understanding of where each camera control is
located and what function each control provides.

PPlleeaassee RReeaadd IIff UUssiinngg aann EEVV--CCoonnttrroolllleerr

The EV-Controller used with Ikelite DS Substrobes has two user
settings. One setting is for strobe selection, the other is for
pre-flash or non pre-flash.

TThhiiss ccaammeerraa uusseess pprree--ffllaasshh

, thus the

EV-Controller should be set to the pre-flash position when used

ith this camera as a slave. If hard-wired to the housing, set the

w
EV-Controller to Non pre-flash. TTL flash control is not
available when using an EV-Controller, and therefore is not
recommended with this housing.

IInniittiiaall CCaammeerraa SSeettuupp

1. Set ISO to 64 or 100.

2. Set camera to “A” Aperture priority or “M” Manual mode.

3. Set Flash to forced “On” (lightning bolt in LCD).

4. When using external strobes, set built-in flash to “Off”.

5. For Macro photography, set aperture to f7.6 or 8.0.

6. Set White Balance to “Auto”.

7. Set Image Quality to “Fine” and Image Size to “3:2”.

8. Set Metering to “Center-Weighted”.

NNOOTTEE::

When using
in the camera menu. Also make sure that the hotshoe wire
allows the “pop-up” flash to open completely, otherwise the
flash may not fire. Slide the hotshoe back on the camera mount
until the “pop-up” flash fully extends.

iinntteerrnnaall ffllaasshh oonnllyy

2

, set flash control to “Auto”

3

OOppeenniinngg tthhee HHoouussiinngg

1. Lid Snaps have a
To open, push Lid Snap
Lock forward and lift
as shown. Keep
pressure on the Lid
Snap so it does not fly
open quickly.

Some lid snaps have a lot of spring tension once they go over
center, so keep a firm grip on the lid snap. Lid Snaps may be
opened one at a time.

LLoocckk

.

IInnssttaalllliinngg tthhee CCaammeerraa

1. Pull out on each
housing control until it
stops. This will get the
controls out of the way
for installing the
camera.

2. Remove the back from
the housing. The
mounting tray for the
camera is secured to
the housing back.
Position the camera on
the tray, and using a
coin or screwdriver (preferred), secure it with the mounting
bolt which threads into the camera’s tripod socket.

CCAAUUTTIIOONN::

Some camera tripod socket threads are plastic. The mounting
tray bolt is metal. Do not cross thread or over tighten as you
may damage the camera tripod socket threads.

4

FFllaasshh CCoonnnneeccttiioonn ffoorr EExxtteerrnnaall SSttrroobbees

External Strobe Connector
Waterproof Cap

(Do not remove underwater)

O

-ring

Housing Back

Hot Shoe Connector

+

-

-

+

s

When using an external strobe(s), connect the housing Hotshoe
Connector. Slide the connector into the camera mount from the
back of the camera as shown. Slide the connector forward until it
stops. This can be done after the camera is secured with the
mounting bolt.

NNOOTTEE:

:

When using

iinntteerrnnaall ffllaasshh oonnlly

y

, set flash control to “Auto”
in the camera menu. Also make sure that the hotshoe wire
allows the “pop-up” flash to open completely, otherwise the
flash may not fire. Slide the hotshoe back on the camera mount
until the “pop-up” flash fully extends.

CCaauuttiioonn:

:

Do not remove the External Strobe Connector’s waterproof cap
unless an external sync cord is going to be plugged in. Do not
remove the waterproof cap or sync cord underwater.

CClloossiinngg tthhee HHoouussiinng

1. Place housing face down in your

g

housing back

lap or on flat surface.

2. Check to see that there is an
o-ring on the housing back and
that it is clean and in its proper
location.

3. Guide the back into the housing
front. The o-ring should touch the

ousing all the way around. There

h
should be an even gap all the way
around between the housing and
the housing back.

. Lift the lid snaps so they are

4

extended and place each lid

housing back

snap into the corresponding hook
on the housing back.

. To close the housing, push

5

down on the lid snaps until

even gap
all 4 sides

they snap into place . Lid
snaps on opposite sides of the
housing should be closed at the
same time. Be sure they are down
far enough to engage the lock.

DDoouubbllee cchheecckk

- Once the housing is closed, check the o-ring seal.
Check the gap between the housing back and the housing. It
should be even all the way around the housing.
Look through the clear plastic back at the o-ring. You should see
a darkened area where the o-ring is compressed against the
housing back. If you do not see an even black compression seal
all the way around the back, open the lid snaps, reseat the
housing back and close the lid snaps. Visually check the seal again.

o-ring

o-ring

5

CChheecckkiinngg CCoonnttrroollss

Once the housing has been closed, make sure the housing
controls line up with the corresponding camera controls. If the
housing controls are misaligned slightly, make sure the camera
hold down bolt has been tightened down firmly so the camera
is flat against the tray.

TTuurrnn CCaammeerraa OOnn

Turn the camera on and operate each of the housing controls to
get a feel for using the camera in the housing. Take a few pictures
above water with the camera in the housing.

ZZoooomm CCoonnttrrooll

(NOTE:) After you have used the
housing's zoom control, it must be
returned to the center position to
disengage. If the housing zoom
control is pushing the zoom lever
in either direction, you may not
be able to take a picture or access
any other function because the
camera is receiving a signal from
the engaged zoom control.

Engaged Center Position

Disengaged

UUssiinngg FFllaasshh

UUssiinngg tthhee CCaammeerraa’’ss BBuuiilltt--iinn FFllaasshh..

If you do not have an external flash, the camera’s built-in flash
can be used. See Diffuser instructions

((PPaaggee ##88 && ##99))

NOTE: The camera’s built-in flash cannot be used with optional

Wide-Angle lenses.

7

.

6

DDiiffffuusseerr aanndd DDeefflleeccttoorr IInnssttaallllaattiioonn

Deflector

Housing shown with Deflector installed.

A diffuser and deflector are included
with the housing. The diffuser is
white transparent plastic. The
deflector is also white, but is not
transparent.

To install the diffuser or deflector,
spread the port clamp at the spring
end and slide over the lens port. The
white plastic should be placed in
front of the camera flash. The port
clamp should be pushed back against the front of the housing.

8

Diffuser/Deflector material

Port Clamp

Spring

Spread to Install

T

es

t

O

f

f

O

n

O

n

w

/

L

i

t

e

TT

L

F

u

l

l

F

u

el

G

u

a

g

e

R

ea

d

y

L

i

g

h

t

3

2

1

-

2

-

3

-

4

-

1

D

S

DS

SUBSTROBE

160

i

k

e

l

i

t

e

S

U

B

S

T

R

O

B

E

D

S

51

ikelite

ikelite

DDiiffffuusseer

ikelite

SubstrobeSubstrobe

MOD-NC

ikelite

SubstrobeSubstrobe

MOD-NC

r

The diffuser should be installed when using the camera’s built
in flash. When shooting with the camera’s built-in flash at
approximately 2 feet (0.6 m) or less, the lens port on the
housing may block a portion of the light from the camera’s
built-in flash, creating a shadow in the lower area of the photo.
If this occurs, zoom the lens slightly to eliminate the shadow.

(You can test this above water)

DDeefflleeccttoorr

The deflector should be installed when using an external strobe
such as the DS51 or DS160 Substrobe with an EV Controller. The
deflector will redirect the camera’s flash to the EV Controller

hich controls the external strobes output.

w
The deflector is not needed when connecting DS-digital strobes
directly to the housing, since the internal camera flash will not
be used.

LLeennss PPoorrtt aanndd AAcccceessssoorryy LLeennsseess

Treat the glass in the lens port as a camera lens. After use, rinse
and gently dry the lens port to avoid water spotting. To clean,
use a mild soap solution or lens cleaner.

Do not use alcohol or window cleaner on the Lens Port.

The Housing Lens Port is threaded so that 67mm accessory
lenses can be screwed into the end of the port. The port threads
are very fine, so be carefully not to cross thread accessory
lenses. These lenses can be screwed onto the lens port above or
below water. These lenses are designed to have water between
the front of the port and the accessory lens. Make sure no air
bubbles are trapped between the port and the accessory lens.
There may be slight vignetting when wide angle lenses are
installed.

9

AAcccceessssoorryy LLeennssees

s

(cont.)
Any vignetting that occurs can be eliminated by cropping the
image in post-processing (preferred), or by zooming the camera
lens slightly. Zooming the lens with a Wide Angle Adaptor
attached can cause the image edges to soften.

Ikelite W-20 Lens

The camera's built-in flash cannot be used with
wide angle accessory lenses. The front of the
lenses are so large they block the camera's flash.
To properly light subjects when using a wide
angle lens, an external strobe should be used.
Due to the wide-angle coverage of these lenses,
the DS160 Substrobe or two DS51 Substrobes are
recommended. Ikelite offers

##66442200 WW--220

0

Wide-

Angle accessory lens for use with this housing.

Bayonet mount adaptor lenses and internal accessory lenses
which mount directly to the camera lens cannot be used with
this housing.

UUssiinngg EExxtteerrnnaall SSttrroobbeess

This housing has Conversion Circuitry built into the housing
back, which provides real Nikon iTTL flash when used with an
Ikelite DS Digital substrobe(s), and the #4103.51 single or
#4103.52 dual sync cord.

See page 11 for DS Substrobe compatibility with the Conversion
Circuitry.

UUssiinngg NNoonn--IIkkeelliittee oorr IIkkeelliittee NNoonn--DDSS SSuubbssttrroobbeess
((SSuubbssttrroobbee 5500,, 110000AA,, 220000,, 440000)) wwiitthh tthhiiss HHoouussiinngg..

The Conversion Circuitry is automatically disabled when used
with a Non-Ikelite or Non-DS Substrobe. These Substrobes can be
used in their manual mode utilizing any power settings provided
on the Substrobe.

10

NNOOTTEE:: DDSS SSuubbssttrroobbee UUppddaattee iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn

DDSS5500 SSuubbssttrroobbeess

• DS50 SubStrobes with a Serial Number below 63,850 can not be
updated to operate with the Conversion Circuitry.

• DS50 SubStrobes with a Serial Number between 63,850 and
69,999 operate with the Conversion Circuitry, but require an
update to provide optimum performance.

• DS50 Substrobes with a Serial Number of 70,000 or higher, or
with one of the two following
labels in the battery
compartment provide
optimum performance with
the Conversion Circuitry and
do not need an update.

DDSS112255 SSuubbssttrroobbeess

• DS125 Substrobes with a Serial Number below 2,500 must be
updated to operate correctly with the Conversion Circuitry.

• DS125 Substrobes with a Serial Number between 2,501 and
4,900 will operate with the Conversion Circuitry, but require an
update to provide optimum performance.

• DS125 Substrobes with a Serial Number of 5,000 or higher, or
with one of the two
following labels in the
battery compartment,
provide optimum
performance with the
Conversion Circuitry and do
not need an update.

TToo UUppddaattee YYoouurr SSuubbssttrroobbee::
Send to the Ikelite address on the back page of this manual or
contact Ikelite for more information.

serial number

serial number

11

OOppttiioonnaall AAcccceessssoorriieess

Substrobe
DS51

SSuubbssttrroobbee DDSS116600

The Substrobe DS160 cov­ers the equivalent of an
18mm lens or 100 degrees
w/diffuser installed. It is the
ideal choice when using
accessory wide angle lenses
greater than 28mm. It also
features a 1.5 second recy­cle time and 225 flashes per

Substrobe
DS160

full charge.

SSAA--110000 BBaallll//SSoocckkeett AArrmm

The SA-100 system #4086.61 with
its 1" diameter ball is ideal underwa­ter. The #9571.3 extended stem
mount allows attaching a Manual
Controller or flashlight mount and
drops right into the release handle.
Aim does not change when chang­ing the aim of the strobe.

12

SSuubbssttrroobbee DDSS5511

The Substrobe DS51 cov­ers the equivalent of a
28mm lens. It is the ideal
choice when using only
the camera lens with no
accessory wide angle
lenses attached.

SA-100
Ball/Socket
Arm

#9571.3 Extended
Stem Mount (included
with SA-100
Ball/Socket arm)

OOppttiioonnaall AAcccceessssoorriiees

BBaacckk oo--rriinngg

O-rings last for several years if properly maintained. (See
maintenance section). Always carry a spare o-ring in case the
original becomes damaged or lost.

##00111100

UURR//PPrroo FFiilltteerr ((BBlluuee WWaatteerr))

The UR/Pro underwater color correcting filter is designed to

estore some of the warm colors filtered out by the water. For

r
available light use only and not recommended for use with
flash.

GGrreeeenn WWaatteerr FFiilltteerr

Enhances contrast and alters the color of green water to give
our subject a rich, natural tone. For available light only and not
recommended for use with flash.

TTrraayy wwiitthh DDuuaall RReelleeaassee HHaannddlleess

Dual Tray and Release Handles are required to mount two
external Substrobes.

CCoommpplleettee iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn rreeggaarrddiinngg ooppttiioonnaall aacccceessssoorriieess aavvaaiillaabbllee aatt

wwwwww..iikkeelliittee..ccoom

m

s

##66444411..4411

##66444411..8811

##99552233..3322

13

MMaaiinntteennaanncce

The Ikelite Digital Housing should be given the same care and
attention as your other photographic equipment. In addition to

ormal maintenance, we recommend that the housing be returned

n
to Ikelite periodically to be checked and pressure tested.

DDoo NNoot

1.
prolonged periods. Heat may damage the camera.
DDoo NNoott

2.

3. Before using the housing, always check the tightness of the
ssccrreeww
Check each
they are tight. There is a slight chance that either could vibrate

oose during travel.

l

4. Keep the back o-ring clean and lightly lubricated. To lubricate,
remove the o-ring from the back. Put a small amount of lkelite
lubricant on your fingers. Pull the o-ring through your fingers
to apply a light coating of lubricant. Only apply enough
lubricant to make the o-ring feel slick.
oo--rriinngg
o-ring from drying out and will help to show a dark sealing
line when the housing back is properly sealed.

5. Keep the area where the o-ring fits and the sealing surface of
the housing clean.

6. Rinse the housing exterior thoroughly in fresh water after each
salt water use. Dry with a soft cloth. Dry lens port to eliminate
water spotting.
After several uses in salt water, soak the housing exterior in a
mild soap solution, rinse and dry, before storing. When storing
the housing, remove the back o-ring, lightly lubricate, and place
in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag with o-ring inside the
housing for safe keeping.

7. If removing a housing push button,
Contact Ikelite for replacement E-clips (part #0319.12).

e

t

leave the camera and housing in direct sunlight for

ship the camera in the housing.

in each control knob.

ccoonnttrrooll ggllaanndd

. This light coating of lubricant will help to keep the

penetrating the housing to make sure

DDoo NNoott ssttrreettcchh tthhee

DDoo NNoott

14

re-use the E-clip.

sseett

LLuubbrriiccaannttss

1. Ikelite provides silicone lubricant with the housing. We recommend
you use only Ikelite lubricant on Ikelite products as some other
brands may cause the o-ring to swell and not seal properly.

2. Use only enough lubricant to lightly cover control shafts and
o-rings. Wipe off any excess lubricant with a clean cloth.
Lubricant is not a sealant, it is used to reduce friction. Excessive
lubricant can collect sand and dirt which may interfere with
proper sealing.

CCAAUUTTIIOONN

NNeevveerr uussee sspprraayy lluubbrriiccaannttss aass tthhee pprrooppeellllaanntt iinnggrreeddiieenntt ccaan
ccaauussee tthhee ppllaassttiicc hhoouussiinngg ttoo ccrraacckk.

.

n

CCoonnttrrooll MMaaiinntteennaannccee

Ikelite controls are designed to provide years of reliable service
with minimal maintenance.

1. Push button controls require no maintenance other than rinsing
in fresh water after saltwater use. If a push button control
becomes difficult to push or if it sticks when depressed, soak the
housing in luke warm fresh water. After a few minutes, operate
the push button. If this does not correct the problem, return the
housing to Ikelite for maintenance.

2. Some of the controls have long shafts. These controls can be
pulled out, exposing the shaft (see diagrams A and B on pages
#16 & #17).
To lubricate the control, gently pull on the knob until the
stainless steel shaft is exposed. Lightly lubricate the shaft, then
move the shaft in and out several times. This will lubricate the
x-ring in the Ikelite control gland. This should be done before
using the housing after a prolonged storage period, or once a
week when the housing is in constant use.

15

CCoonnttrrooll MMaaiinntteennaannccee CCoonntt..

3. Some of the controls have a short shaft and cannot be pulled
out exposing the shaft for lubrication. In the unlikely event
one of these controls sticks or becomes difficult to operate
you can remove the control from the housing and lubricate it,
or return the housing to Ikelite for maintenance. To remove
the control (Diagram A), loosen the set screw in the knob
(allen wrench required); remove the knob. If there is salt or
dirt build-up on the exposed control shaft, clean the shaft.
Open the housing and gently slide the control shaft out of the
control gland. Clean and lightly lubricate the shaft, including
the end of the shaft. Slide the shaft back into the control
gland and gently slide it back and forth a few times without
fully removing the shaft from the gland. Replace the knob
noting the flat area on the shaft. The set screw in the knob
should tighten down against the flat area on the control, so
the knob does not turn on the shaft.

control

Tighten set screw down

against this flat area

when replacing the knob.

housing

Lubricate end of shaft
before reinserting into

Diagram A

gland

Loosen set screw

16

lubricate shaft

housing

pull out to
expose shaft

Diagram B

GGeenneerraall TTiippss

1. Due to the power required to operate the camera, flash, and
LCD screen, it is a good idea to start each dive with a fresh set
of batteries.

2. Some cameras reset their flash to AUTO when the camera is
turned on. If you prefer another setting be sure to select it.

3. As soon as you enter the water, take a moment and check the
housing to see that it is properly sealed.

4. Next, check to see if there are any bubbles on the face of the
lens port. If there are, take your finger and remove them. If
there are bubbles on the lens port they can produce soft focus
spots in your photographs.

5. If you are shooting with the camera’s built-in flash and the
camera lens is set to the widest angle, you may need to zoom
the lens slightly or a shadow may appear in the lower left
corner of close-up photographs. The lens port may block some
of the light. Installing the flash diffuser will help to eliminate
the shadow.

NNOOTTEE::

To shoot photographs closer than 2 feet (0.6m), you should
use an external strobe such as the DS51 or DS160. With an
external strobe, you can position it so nothing blocks the light
path between the strobe and the subject.

(You can test this above water)

PPhhoottoo TTiipps

1. The number one rule in underwater photography is eliminate
as much water between camera and subject as possible. Get
as close as you can to the subject, then use the zoom. If you
are using flash, subjects beyond 6 feet (1.8m)will not have
much color.

2. The camera’s built-in flash is very close to the camera lens. The
flash can light up any suspended particles in the water and they
can be recorded in your picture. This effect is called backscatter.
T
Photograph in clear water; do not stir up the sand or silty
bottom. If backscatter becomes a problem in the environment
you are photographing, an external flash will help eliminate
m

3. Many digital cameras have a slight lag time between when you
press the shutter release button and the camera actually takes
the picture. Hold the camera steady a second or two after
p

4. Do not shoot down on subjects as they will quite often blend
into the background and be difficult to see in the photograph.
Shoot subjects straight on or shoot up at a slight angle using
the blue water as a contrasting background.

5. Underwater flash is used to restore the warmer colors filtered
out by the water as well as to illuminate the subject. When
photographing underwater, set the camera to use flash on
every shot. If the camera’s flash is set to AUTO and the sun is
behind your subject, the camera may see enough light and not
fire the flash. With the sun behind the subject, the subject is
shaded (dark) and needs flash for a good exposure.

s

o eliminate as much backscatter as possible, photograph close.

uch of the backscatter.

ressing the shutter release button.

17

PPhhoottoo TTiippss CCoonntt..

6. When using daylight or flash, if your camera consistently over
or underexposes the image, you may want to adjust your
camera’s exposure compensation settings. Many cameras allow
you to adjust both available light and flash exposure with an
EV control in the camera’s menu.

7. Many photographers transfer their images to the computer
where they can fine tune the appearance of the image. Many
of the image manipulation programs make you think you can
magically correct any image taken and make a good picture.
One thing to remember when using an image manipulation
program, is that if the image is overexposed, much of the color
is missing. If the color is missing you cannot adjust it. If images
are slightly underexposed, the color is there, but it is just dark
and you can adjust it to some degree. So if you error in
exposure, it is better to have the image slightly underexposed
rather than over exposed.

18

IIkkeelliittee LLiimmiitteedd WWaarrrraannttyy

All Ikelite products are warranted against any manufacturing
defects for a period of one year from the date of purchase.
Defective products should be returned prepaid to Ikelite. Ikelite
will, at its discretion, repair or replace such products, and will
return to customer prepaid. All other claims, of any nature,
including but not limited to bulb failure are not covered. Except
as mentioned above, no other warranty expressed or implied
applies to this Ikelite product.

RReettuurrnniinngg PPrroodduuccttss ffoorr SSeerrvviiccee

Ikelite is most interested in performing any service to assure that
all products perform as intended. For repair or service, return the
product to the address below with your name, address, phone
number, and a brief description of the problem. Evidence of
purchase date must be provided to obtain warranty service.
Normal service turnaround time is approximately 2-3 weeks.

IIkkeelliittee UUnnddeerrwwaatteerr SSyysstteemmss

5500 WW 3333rrdd SSttrreeeett

IInnddiiaannaappoolliiss,, IINN 4466220088 UUSSAA

19

WWhheenn rreettuurrnniinngg pprroodduuccttss sseenndd ““aattttnn.. RReeppaaiirr DDeepptt..””

331177--992233--44552233

““ggeenneerraall qquueessttiioonnss”” ee--mmaaiill:: iikkeelliittee@@iikkeelliittee..ccoomm

wwwwww..iikkeelliittee..ccoomm

DDiiggiittaall 66118822..6600--0011--11110088