There are two types of lithium ion rechargeable batteries that have been supplied with the SeaLife DC1400 camera:

The type 1 battery may be charged inside the camera or the SL70035 charging tray. The type 2 battery may only be charged in the SL70035 charging tray, not inside the camera.

Here is a list of what battery type is included with SeaLife items:
Type 1 Battery: DC1400 Camera (SL720), DC1400 Reef Edition (SL721), Spare Battery (SL7014 Spare Battery)
Type 2 Battery: All DC1400 camera sets and Charging Kit (SL7216) this items. include a charging tray.

When using the SL975 Fisheye Lens accessory, make sure camera is set to Macro or Super Macro focus. Also make sure Quick Shot mode is turned OFF.

IMPORTANT: When switching from picture mode to video mode the auto focus needs to be set to macro. The focus setting for picture and video modes work independently. Once you set the video mode focus to Macro, it will keep that setting when switching between picture and video mode or turning off the camera.

Shutter lag is the time between pushing the camera’s button and image capture. The DC1400’s shutter lag can be as fast as 0.3 seconds when set to infinity focus or Quick Shot mode, or as slow as 2 seconds in Macro or Super Macro focus. The primary reason for this time difference depends on the camera’s auto focus setting.

In order to find the sharpest focus point, the camera evaluates a hundred focus steps and selects the sharpest one. In Macro and Super Macro focus setting the minimum-maximum focus range is wider compared to the normal auto focus setting, so there are more focus steps to evaluate, which takes a little more time.

Here are some tips on selecting the correct focus setting and minimizing the shutter lag time.

• Select the optimal focus mode depending on the shooting distance and camera setup. There are four primary focus settings useful for underwater photography and videos:
  • Auto: Camera will automatically focus from 6in / 15cm to infinity.
    At 5X zoom, the focus range increases to 2ft / 60cm to infinity.
    This focus mode is ideal for most underwater applications.
  • Macro: Camera will automatically focus from 3in / 8cm to infinity.
    At 5X zoom, the focus range increases to 2ft / 60cm to infinity.
    This focus mode is ideal for close-up applications and necessary when shooting with SeaLife SL975 Fisheye lens.
  • Super Macro: Camera will automatically focus from 1in / 2.5cm to infinity and lock the
    zoom at 3X. This focus mode is ideal for close-up pictures of tiny sea critters. It may also be used when shooting with SL975 Fisheye lens.
  • Infinity: icon-Focus_infinity Camera locks focus at infinity, so anything beyond 2ft / 60cm is in
    focus. The shutter response (lag) time is the fastest when set to Infinity focus. Ideal for shooting larger objects that are farther away. For example, sharks, whales, rays, wrecks, other divers, etc.
• The camera will focus on the subject located in the center of the picture frame. Align the focusing square located in the center of the LCD over the subject. Subjects outside this square may not be in focus.
• Before taking a picture or recording video, push and hold the shutter button half way to focus the camera on the subject. The focus frame in the center of the LCD display will disappear for a second and reappear as green or red. A green focus frame means the camera accurately determines the focus. A red focus frame means the camera did not accurately determine the correct focus – make sure focus setting is correct and that there is sufficient lighting.

A green focus frame indicates the auto focus is good. A red frame indicates the camera is not focused on the subject.

• In order for the camera to quickly and accurately focus, there must be sufficient light to illuminate the subject. The camera cannot focus on something it does not “see.” In low light conditions, use the SeaLife Sea Dragon Photo-Video Light accessory to help the camera focus in low light conditions and produce brighter, more colorful results.
• QUICK SHOT MODE: When Quick Shot is set to ON, the camera takes a picture without using the auto focus. This will speed up the camera’s shutter response time (i.e. shutter lag) to about 0.3 seconds. The focus locks to the shooting distance of the LAST picture taken before turning on Quick Shot.

Here’s an example of how to use Quick Shot:

1. With Quick Shot turned OFF, set the camera to normal auto focus and take a picture of something at 3ft/1m shooting distance.
2. Now set the Quick Shot to ON – The camera focus will remain locked a shooting distance of 3ft until Quick Shot is turned off or camera is powered off.
3. Note: When powering off the camera, the Quick Shot focus distance is not saved and will be set to infinity focus. When Quick Shot is ON, the focus frame on the camera’s LCD display will not turn red or green.

Quick Shot mode is useful when taking a series of pictures at the same shooting distance and shutter response time is an important factor. Remember to turn Quick Shot OFF if you want to resume using the camera’s auto focus.

Quick Shot mode is also very useful when shooting with the SeaLife Fisheye wide angle lens accessory (SL975) because the lens has an extremely wide depth of field. Set the camera to macro focus and take a picture of something at 3ft/1m shooting distance, which represent “infinity” focus distance. Now, turn Quick Shot mode ON. The camera’s auto focus is now locked to “Infinity” focus range. All subsequent pictures taken at shooting distance of 18”/45cm to infinity will be in focus. Without the fisheye lens, the focus range would be 2ft to infinity.

Click here for free download and installation instructions. The firmware improves the following:

• Faster shutter response time when camera is set to infinity focus. Pictures will be in focus
  and sharp from 3ft/90cm to infinity. (2ft/60cm underwater).
• Frame-rate (fps) for smoother video when recording in low light conditions.
• Ext Flash Manual mode exposure control.
• Added a visual indicator to identify when the shutter button is pushed ½ way. The white
  focus box disappears for a split second when the shutter button reaches the ½ way point.
  When the camera has focused on the subject, the focus box reappears as green (in focus)
  or red (not in focus). Push the shutter all the way to capture the image. Using this
  technique will help to improve focus accuracy and shortens the shutter lag time.
• Longer battery life in SPY mode.
• Improved the zoom action response time.

Hot spots may occur in extreme lighting conditions where you have small bright, reflective areas among mostly dark areas of the video scene. For example:

If this occurs, set the camera’s white balance to “BluWtr<25ft” (Blue Water less than 25 feet). Using “BluWtr>25ft” (Blue Water great than 25 feet) adds too much color correction under these brighter light conditions.