Nederlands
We are so excited to introduce one of the most time-saving and efficient products for underwater photographers: the new Ikelite USB Charging & Data Transfer Bulkhead for Underwater Housings. Imagine this: You're heading out on a dive trip, you put your camera into its housing at the start and you don’t need to remove it again until you're packing up to head home. To make this possible, though, you need a way to download your photos and charge your camera without taking it out of the housing. That’s where this new bulkhead comes in.
This bulkhead is designed specifically for the 200DL and 50DL housings for full-frame mirrorless cameras, but it’s also compatible with other housings that have enough space for the USB connection. What makes this product so great is its simplicity. You install the bulkhead into an M16 threaded port, then connect our Hyper-Flex USB Type C to Type C cable inside the housing, between the bulkhead and your camera. This creates a USB-C port on the outside of the housing, allowing you to charge your camera and transfer data quickly. All you need to do is remove the cap from the bulkhead, plug it into your laptop to transfer photos and charge, then replace the cap when you're ready to dive again. It’s that easy and it saves a ton of time each evening, especially when you're managing a lot of dives. Plus, it takes away the anxiety of having to handle an expensive camera in an underwater housing. No need to worry about leaks or malfunctions you just keep shooting and diving.
How to install
Installing the bulkhead is simple too. First, remove the plug from the M16 port using a large flat screwdriver. Make sure to keep the plug and o-ring in a safe place. Check the o-ring on the USB bulkhead, apply a small amount of lubricant to the visible surface, and put any remaining lubricant on your finger along the clean sealing surface of the housing. Then, thread the USB bulkhead into the port and tighten it with an 11/16” wrench. Inside the housing, connect one end of the Hyper-Flex USB cable, and when you install your camera, connect the other end. That’s all there is to it.
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When you’re ready to transfer data or charge, simply remove the waterproof cap and plug in your USB cable. Make sure to use a high-quality USB Type C cable (version 3.0 or above) for data transfer. Some cables you might use for charging phones or tablets may not work properly for this purpose. Not all cables support both charging and data transfer. If you're having trouble with charging or data transfer, try rotating the cable 180 degrees and reinserting it. You won’t need to change anything inside the housing.
When you plug in your camera, Nikon, Olympus, and Panasonic models will be automatically recognized as a hard drive by your computer. Sony cameras will ask you to select the USB connection mode, just choose "Image Transfer (MSC)" (you can set this as the default). Canon cameras will require the use of Canon EOS Utility software, which is available for both Mac and PC.
One important reminder: always make sure to put the waterproof cap back on before going into the water. The insert of the port is bright red to give you a visual reminder that something’s wrong if you're about to dive without the cap in place.
Check out this video: Never take your camera out of the housing!
For those who want to use this bulkhead with other housings, let’s go over the spatial requirements. The Hyper-Flex cable is 5.5 inches long and needs at least ¾ inch of free space inside the housing on the side of the camera where the USB connector plugs in. Additionally, the inside bottom of the port must have a clear pathway with no more than 4 inches between the inside of the port and the camera's USB port. Because of these requirements, the bulkhead is not compatible with Ikelite housings for DSLR cameras or the Ikelite 200DLM housings. We have a list of compatible housings, so be sure to check that out before purchasing.
