Email us your underwater equipment maintenance and repair question. If we select and print the answer to your question, you could win merchandise or a discount on your next service.

faq@subaquaticcamera.com

• What is an Annual Service?
  a) See how article
  
  
• How long will it take?
  a) Barring factory failure to deliver parts, no more than two weeks and as fast as four days at no extra charge.
  
  
• How do I pay?
  a) Checks, money orders, credit cards of all types, cash and I have even swapped for dead or working cameras, you name it.
  
  
• I’m saving the world’s oceans with my pictures and I’m the world’s greatest underwater photographer. Can I have a discount?
  a) No.
  
  
• I’m a starving student, can I have a discount?
  a) In the past, we have given discounts to starving students. It would be appropriate to have a Dive Safety Officer from your research facility or your university or training facility write a letter in your behalf.
  
  
• Do you have to change out to new O-Rings? Can’t I, Will I, Will you, Can’t you use the old ones and save me a few bucks?
  a) No, the only way to fix a camera properly is to fully service it, in our opinion, if it hasn’t been serviced within approximately two to three years it needs a full service depending on manufacturer.
  
  
• Do you fix XXXXXX ???
  a) If it goes underwater or houses a land camera to go under water, if it flashes, focuses, motors or macro tubes, whether it’s the very latest or the very oldest of equipments, we’ll give it a try. We specialize in Nikonos from the very first to the very latest, the entire product line of Sea & Sea, and pretty much all housings. We do light meters, as well.
  
  
• Can you build one of these for me, its got arms and sticks and whatchamahooters sticking off of it? Can you bolt it together for me?
  a) Welcome to Sub Aquatic, Devon and Dennis are machinist camera techs that would be happy to give it a try. Hourly shop rates will be estimated for FREE. Please describe, draw pictures or send digital pictures of what you would like to have done and we’ll give you an estimate by email, phone or fax.
  
  
• Should I send the lens with my camera?
  a) Yes, and anything else you got (underwater camera wise) for an inspection and estimate — see clean and check article.
  
  
• What music do you cool cats at Sub Aquatic Camera Repair listen to at work?
  a) KPIG from Freedom California for radio or on web @ www.kpig.com. Hear it live on the net. Dan likes Iris Dement, John Prine, David Wilcox, Cry Cry Cry, ZZ Top, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Buffet. Feel free to send me a copy of your favorite CD with your camera.
  
  
• Will you teach me how to fix cameras?
  a) No, but you can call me and I will let you know if I am hiring.
  
  
• How long have you been fixing cameras?
  a) 11 years for Dan, 8 years for Ryan, 7.5 years for Devon, 2 years for Dennis, 1 year for Annette and Chris.
  
  
• Dan, I really want to talk to you but that mean and nasty Lisa won’t let me through to you.
  a) I will call you back; leave a message with Lisa and a convenient time and number at which to reach you and I’ll do my best to call you back. I also have a full staff of qualified technicians that can probably answer your questions. I can get pretty busy and I’d appreciate it if you would give them a chance too.
  
  
• Who can I talk to? What about me, Dan?
  a) Devon is a housing expert, medium format expert, has working knowledge of all cameras and housings and the Nikonos product line from the oldest to the newest. Dennis is an expert in Nikonos repair; he also fixes all of the Nikonos and Sea & Sea strobes. Chris is a Nikonos V expert. Annette is our Sea & Sea expert. She can help you with your Motor Marine questions. If no one can help you and I am out of the shop, leave a message with Lisa and I’ll take care of you.
  
  
• What's the address?
  a) Sub Aquatic Camera Repair Company
  22740 Portola Drive
  Salinas, CA 93908 USA
  
  
• How much are the FREE estimates?
  a) FREE, we will return refused estimates assembled, disassembled or we will purchase them for parts if you choose not to have the camera repaired.
  
  
• Why are my pictures blurry, black, dark, out of focus, soft, unexposed, overexposed?
  a) Well, if you email a description of the problem and equipment used we may be able to help you. Better, though, to send pictures and gear for inspection, estimate or clean and check.
  
  
• I have my father’s old camera for underwater use, can you fix it?
  a) Yes, we have repaired cameras that are family heirlooms. They were way beyond economical repair, but for folks who wanted to have the original camera working again. Prices may be high, but it certainly can be done. In other words, we can fix pretty much everything, but at a price.
  
  
• I have a box of flooded strobes, cameras, lenses and cords, what’s it worth?
  a) We love you! Send it in for a FREE estimate and offer to purchase, ballpark at least $20 for most cameras, $10 for everything else — that’s the minimum offer. Wide-angle lenses, we may offer quite a bit more, and strobes are around $10-20, sight unseen. Send it in and we’ll let you know if there is room for negotiation or how we’d like to swap it for repairs, etc.
  
  
• I tried those other companies and they are mean and rude, how come you guys are so nice?
  a) We are customer oriented and just plain friendly and we are all underwater photographers.
  
  
• I bought an MX-10 but need something more advanced to become a photographer for National Geographic or Scuba Diving Magazine.
  a) You got it. Decide on what you want to accomplish. Decide on a budget. Email it to us, we will make recommendations and as we do not sell retail, they will be pretty darn fair recommendations.
  
  
• I want to get you guys a gift because you rock, what do you like?
  a) Near Beer for Dan, Beer for Dennis, Root beer for Devon, Cash for Christine, Boogie Woogie music for Berj, butterflies for Annette and red licorice for Lisa.
  
  
• I think there is a problem with a camera you repaired for me, last week, last month, last year . . .
  a) We are so sorry, please return it ASAP with a note on what is wrong, and a way to contact you, we will do so as soon as we evaluate it.
  
  
• I live in Colorado or Tennessee or Hawaii, isn’t it a long way to Salinas?
  a) Yes, but only for the box you are shipping us. We repair cameras from all over the world.
  
  
• How much is shipping?
  a) We will be happy to help if we can. Of course, we can only estimate, we need your address; the weight and value of your package and the speed that you want to ship it. We can give you an estimate on return shipping as well. Please bear in mind, for shipping U.S. Mail and FEDEX we have to drive in to town so an additional fee will be added to these options.
  
  
• I found an old piece of underwater photo equipment and I do not know what it is or how to use it.
  a) Email a picture or description and I will tell you. We have a 300+ collection of instruction manuals from the Calypso to the RS and from the oldest commercial housings to present, as well as the entire Sea & Sea product line and many of the odd pieces. Recommended that you address these questions to Dan or Devon, as we’re the experts on all of the older equipment.
  
  
• I have an assignment to accomplish. I know nothing about underwater cameras or underwater photography, I need some special equipment, strong brave souls to accomplish these pictures etc., etc.
  a) We have two, soon to be three, on staff who would be happy to negotiate a deal to assist on assignment. Please email or call with questions. We also have a professional land photographer, on staff, who would be happy to discuss land photography assignments, as well.
  
  
• I shipped you my camera with film in it, will you develop the film for me?
  a) No, but we will return it.
  
  
• I’ve needed to send my camera for service for over two months, but now I need it in two days. Can you do this?
  a) Yes, a rush service fee may apply and will be quoted with the estimate.
  
  
• I like to service my own cameras. Will you just sell me the parts so I can fix it myself?
  a) No.
  
  
• My camera is serviced regularly, but I am a tech diver and go ‘deep’. Can you do a deeper pressure test for my camera?
  a) Absolutely, we can test to 300’.
  
  
• How can I get a hat?
  
  
• My question wasn’t in your FAQ, what do I do?
  a) Email us with your question and we’ll do our best to answer it and if we like it, we will add it to our FAQs.

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