Information

Commonly asked questions.
How do I clean my seals?
How should I clean my equipment?
How do I stop my unit from leaking?
What do I do if I do get a leak?
What do I check if my equipment just stops working?
Why are synch leads so temperamental?
How should I store my equipment when travelling or when not in use?
How often should I get my equipment serviced?
What 'O'-ring grease should I use?
How do I know if a second hand unit is good?
How should I get my equipment to you?

How do I know if a second hand unit is good?
So many people are buying second hand equipment from the internet and contacting us for quotes over the phone. First please ask if it has been serviced recently (see above), if not cost this in to your purchase price.
Can you see a picture? if so look at the metal areas, are they clean or corroded? Is the casing dull and lacklustre, has it had a hard life or is it bright and looked after?
Other than basic visual checks you can only take the sellers word that all is good. It would not be unreasonable to ask for a money back or exchange period. So you can check out the functions on land. Most sellers are obviously reluctant to accept equipment back after a test dive.
Checking equipment is usually simple for housings and accessories. But flashguns are not as straightforward, triggering the flash with a built in test switch is fine but if no such switch is present then you have to resort to the connector pins. Unless you know which pins to short out flashguns need to be tested with a camera, do not fire while looking directly into flashguns!. Most flashguns will indicate via an LED when they are fully charged. Auto flash will normally indicate sufficient flash when fired at a close subject and flash power variation on TTL setting is usually sufficient to indicate a working unit. Point the flashgun at a light wall and see a small flash, direct it at a dark carpet or cover the camera lens with you hand and you should see a brighter flash.
Cameras need a little more testing, install a dummy film and run through to check transport in both directions, meter lights should show clearly and alter according to the ambient conditions, use light and dark areas to check this. Most cameras will operate with the back open so check the shutter opens and closes smartly, often slower shutter speeds can be judged and flash sync speed is best checked by aiming the flashgun into the camera to fire out of the lens onto a wall, do not look directly into flashguns.
Digital cameras can be tested thoroughly without any guesswork. But all equipment should be checked with fresh batteries and left overnight to check for excessive battery usage. A simple battery tester or multimeter will indicate the battery state before and after testing.
The more technical side of cameras need more sophisticated test equipment and most repair companies will test equipment at a small charge, but often a test film shot on land will suffice.

If what you seek is not here or not clear - contact us directly and we shall endeavour to solve your problem