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The XA35 Setup 

Page 13 

 

 

 

Carefully inspect the parting line 

between front and rear housing.  If this line is 

not even all the way around, remove the back and determine the reason.  (O-ring 
out of place, hand strap interference, etc.)  Failure To Do This May Result In A Wet 
Camera!

 

 

Push in the Power Control.   

 

Power up the camera.  

Check all controls for the proper operation before entering 

water. (See section 4)

 

 

Install a port.  

Visually align the bayonet mount on the port with the housing. Mate 

the port to the housing, and press.  It should seat fully with no gaps around the 
base.   

Rotate the port 

90° either direction to fully engage the port.  For specific 

details, see the section Changing Ports on page 27.

 

Inspect the parting line for poor 
mating, gaps or unevenness.           

Push in the Power Control.        

Summary of Contents for XA35

Page 1: ...p XA35 Underwater Housing Setup Use and Care Guide ...

Page 2: ... revision November 2013 This manual and current revision is available in 8 5 x 11 size and full color at http www gateshousings com documentation html Gates Underwater Products Inc 13685 Stowe Drive Poway California 92064 USA Phone 1 858 391 0052 Fax 1 858 391 0053 Web GatesHousings com ...

Page 3: ...ation 14 Water Alarm Optional 15 Seal Check Optional 16 HD SDI Surface Feed Video Optional 16 Carry Handle Optional 17 Light Mounts Optional 17 Tripod Tripod Adapter 18 Final Checks 19 4 XA35 Operation 20 Right Side Controls 21 Front Controls 21 Left Side Rear Controls 22 Remote Control 23 White Balance 24 Exposure 25 Changing Filters 26 Changing Ports 27 Cleaning Ports and Filters 28 Diopters 29 ...

Page 4: ...e mechanical controls Precision optics The XA35 allows the use of a variety of ports including Wide and Macro Professional Imaging The XA35 system includes many features for broadcast TV and other professional uses Warranty Disclaimer The XA35 is a tool that like any tool requires knowledge and understanding to be effective Your responsibility is to learn the proper setup use and care of the XA35 ...

Page 5: ...e XA35 comes with the following standard items The XA35 Housing Various assembly tools and spare parts for the XA35 including hex tools mounting screws o rings and lubricant Port s of choice Dome Flat Wide Angle etc Removable Handles which may already be affixed to the housing Remote Button Arm including mount and set screws Optional Parts Your housing may also come with optional items Water Alarm...

Page 6: ...esult USER RESPONSIBILITY This Setup Use and Care guide contains important detailed procedures for setup and use of the XA35 It is the user s responsibility to read understand and employ these procedures Failure to do so can result in poor or non operation of the XA35 and may void your warranty Contact Gates if you have questions about this manual or using the XA35 ...

Page 7: ...ocket cap screws Tighten with the supplied 5 32 hex tool Secure the grips to the handle arms using the 1 4 20 x 1 L socket cap screws Tighten firmly with the supplied 3 16 hex tool NOTE the handle grips are adjustable They can be closer or further away from the housing as shown in the image below Remove the 1 4 20 x 1 L socket cap screw and reposition as desired The grips can be adjusted to your p...

Page 8: ...tive locking feature so to open them you must first depress the center bar release while lifting the rear lever Separate the rear half of housing from the front Retract and Rotate controls Pull out the Focus Assignable Custom Button Dial Zoom and Power control about one inch or until they stop Release the latches and separate the housing shells ...

Page 9: ...re required to utilize the highest recording data rate available on the Canon cameras Tighten the hand strap to its shortest position and tuck the tail back into the hand strap CAUTION Failure to perform this step may result in the hand strap becoming caught in the housing seal and accidental flooding Remove any lens caps or filters Tighten the handstrap to its shortest position Fold the rubber ey...

Page 10: ...D fully as shown in the image on the next page If necessary gently press it into the receiver on the left side of the housing Press in the Manual Custom and Assign Controls Insert the Canon IR Remote into the housing as on the next page Check controls At this point it s a good idea to check all controls on the front shell for proper operation See section 4 for controls mentioned here Align the cam...

Page 11: ...The XA35 Setup Page 11 Insert the Canon IR Remote into the housing here Open the LCD and seat into the receiver 2 1 Push in the Manual Custom and Assign Controls ...

Page 12: ...he same time CAUTION The safety latches must be closed and locked prior to use to avoid opening underwater It is your responsibility to make sure the latches are secure locked and in good condition DO NOT enter the water with a faulty latch Gates will replace a damaged or faulty latch free of charge Inspect the o ring on the rear shell and the sealing surface on the front shell They should be clea...

Page 13: ...r Control Power up the camera Check all controls for the proper operation before entering water See section 4 Install a port Visually align the bayonet mount on the port with the housing Mate the port to the housing and press It should seat fully with no gaps around the base Rotate the port 90 either direction to fully engage the port For specific details see the section Changing Ports on page 27 ...

Page 14: ... with your housing but not installed Locate Button Arm onto the top left handle with bend facing up and toward the remote buttons Position the arm in the position you desire then tighten the mount screw with the 5 32 hex tool Secure the arm in position by tightening the set screws with the 3 32 hex tool Tighten only enough to secure the arm but do not overtighten Mount screw Use 5 32 Allen tool Se...

Page 15: ...tion The alarm can tested anytime by shorting the detection contacts that lead to the water alarm transducer The water detection condition will activate for 6 seconds If the battery is drained the low battery condition will sound The water alarm requires a single 6V battery like Radio Shack model 23 469 or A544 Your battery should be removed when stored e g between dive trips Check the battery pri...

Page 16: ...eful to avoid excessive vacuum greater than 8 in Hg HD SDI Surface Feed Video Optional Camera connection If you have the video out installed plug the video connector into the camera after inserting the camera into the housing Seal Check Fitting on XA25 Housing HD SDI Surface Feed bulkhead connector The surface feed cable will plug in here Just prior to inserting the camera into the housing connect...

Page 17: ...onal The top of each handle grip has a 1 4 20 threaded insert for mounting lights or other accessories The Ultralight Control Systems ULCS AD 1420 ball mount threads directly into this location 1 2 ULCS AD 1420 for mounting lights 1 4 20 threaded insert on the top of each handle grip Slide the Carry Handle onto the dovetails and secure with the thumbscrew ...

Page 18: ... Two types of Gates Tripods exist a symmetric version and a newer asymmetric version specifically designed for XA35 style housings Either can be used with the XA35 Mounting diagrams follow The symmetric version of the Gates Tripod Use 1 4 20 x 75 L flat head screws to mount the adapter and 1 4 20 x 5 L flat head screws to mount the tripod plate NOTE only the Gates Tripod plate is shown The extensi...

Page 19: ... Verify operation As a final check power on the camera and verify all controls are functioning normally The asymmetric version of the Gates Tripod Use 1 4 20 x 75 L flat head screws to mount the adapter and 1 4 20 x 5 L flat head screws to mount the tripod plate NOTE only the Gates Tripod plate is shown The extensible legs and clamps are omitted for clarity ...

Page 20: ...amiliar and easy to use To help familiarize you with the housing controls Gates recommends reviewing each control individually how it actuates the corresponding camera control and operating it to get a feel for the control You can view all front housing controls with the housing open After reviewing all controls perform a simulated dive by operating the controls as you would in the water One final...

Page 21: ...TIP The Zoom control operates free and smooth when well lubricated This should be done after storage and often during heavy use as much as every 2 or 3 dives To lubricate pull out the control to expose a portion of the control shaft and lightly apply silicone Push the control back in and rotate both directions until it operates freely Front Controls Flip Filter The Flip Filter moves the color corr...

Page 22: ...for more information Focus Ring This control rotates the focus ring on the camera White Balance Refer to the next section about setting up your camera and using the White Balance Control Custom Dial This control rotates the custom dial on the camera Power Control allows switching from OFF to ON or to MEDIA Power Control Assignable Buttons 3 4 Custom Dial Focus Ring White Balance Assign Buttons 1 2...

Page 23: ...XA35 Operation Page 23 Remote Control The remote is used to give full menu access to change settings deeper in the menu structure of the camera ...

Page 24: ...ep The LCD screen will jump directly to the white balance screen showing several white balance options Set WB with the White Balance Control on the LCD screen to touch WB2 then SET WB Refer to the image below for those locations Trigger record to exit the white balance screen Auto White Balance can also be invoked from the same white balance screen by touching AWB Auto White Balance with the WB Co...

Page 25: ...it Set Manual Exposure The steps to set manual exposure are as follows Press Assign Button 1 2 3 or 4 from the previous step The LCD screen will jump directly to the manual exposure screen Set Manual Exposure with the White Balance Control on the LCD screen to touch the large M button on the left side of the touch screen Refer to the previous image for this location identified as EXP Trigger recor...

Page 26: ...r filter is held in place by a tension screw in the filter holder Loosen this screw with a 7 64 Allen tool Installation Rest the filter in the holder and tighten with a 7 64 Allen tool Tighten just enough to secure the filter Do not over tighten Cleaning You will likely have fingerprints on the filter after installing so clean the filter according to the directions in the Cleaning Ports and Filter...

Page 27: ... port perform an inspection and lubrication of the sealing o ring See O ring Care and Maintenance in this Use and Care Guide for specific details Installation Mounting a different port is directly the opposite Insert the port into the front bulkhead of the housing with the alignment dot on the port facing left or right or turn away from the dot on the top of the housing You may need to gently push...

Page 28: ...ngle port in water when separated from the housing This port is not sealed from the backside and damage will result if submerged Only if necessary clean the port using a mild cleaning solution and a non abrasive lint free cloth Use light circular strokes when wiping away cleaning solution and any foreign material Excessive pressure used when cleaning dirty lenses e g rubbing sand into the lens sur...

Page 29: ...es diopters in a 58mm holder NOTE the Filter cannot be used with diopters When installing the camera with diopters ensure the filter is positioned as far as possible away from the port opening Buoyancy and Trim Your XA35 housing is designed to be slightly negative and balanced when using the GP32A Wide Angle port which is the most common combination of housing port When using the SP32B or FP32B po...

Page 30: ...amera from hunting or seeking to find focus A common technique is allowing the camera to auto focus on your subject or on something about the same distance from you as your subject then switch to manual focus This freezes the focus at that distance no hunting or seeking The GP32 wide angle port further provides a large depth of field DOF so most everything in front of your camera will be in focus ...

Page 31: ...e and Maintenance Your Gates housing has 2 serviceable o rings One is located between the mating halves of the housing the large orange one and one is located on the Port Servicing the o rings is easy and covered in the Housing Care and Maintenance document in this package It can also be found on the Gates website at www gateshousings com CAUTION Do not lubricate the large orange o ring It is a sp...

Page 32: ...2 5 Customer Support Should you have any questions about the XA35 and its operation please contact Gates at the numbers below Email Customer srvc GatesHousings com Web www GatesHousings com Phone 858 391 0052 Fax 858 391 0053 ...

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