Glossary
- Camera housing: A term for an underwater camera case, which includes the shell of the housing and the front port. See also Water housing and or Housing.
- Connecting cord: The electronic cord that connects the pistol grip to the camera. Nikon cameras use the Nikon 10-pin connecting cord and Canon cameras use the Canon 3-pin connector. Essex uses OEM connecting cords obtained directly from Canon or Nikon.
- Control Gland: A fitting that holds an o-ring and through which a control shaft can pass. A control gland allows for a physical penetration of the housing by a control shaft.
- Control shaft: A stainless steel shaft, either 1/8” or ¼” in diameter that is used in conjunction with a control gland. A control shaft can have a gear attached to it or it can be designed to a specific shape to interface with a camera control.
- Direct drive Control shaft: This is an Essex exclusive design feature. The control shaft is bent at a90-degree angle to form the lever for the drive gear. This precludes having a lever attached to the shaft by a setscrew, which may eventually slip on the control shaft.
- Dome port: A front port that has a dome instead of a flat lens piece for the lens to look through. Typically used with extreme wide-angle lenses.
- Drive gear: A gear that is installed on a front port and which “drives” a lens gear.
- Flange: The perimeter of the shell of the housing. The flange is perfectly flat and holds the main o-ring seal and the studs.
- Focus lever: The lever that is used to turn the drive gear to facilitate focusing of the lens. Part of the “Direct Drive control shaft” system. See also Zoom lever.
- Front port: The front half of the housing. Usually made out of Plexiglas and built to accommodate a particular lens. Some front ports can hold a range of lenses.
- Housing: A term for an underwater camera case, which includes the shell of the housing and the front port. See also Camera housing and or Water housing.
- Lens gear: A gear that is attached to a lens. Used for either manual focusing or zooming of the lens.
- Lens piece: The piece of Plexiglas that the lens actually looks through.
- Main O-ring: 1/8” diameter O-ring that comprises the main seal for the housing. Installed in a groove on the flange. See also “O-ring”
- O-ring: A donut shaped ring made out of Buna-N neoprene. Used in control glands and on the main seal for the housing. See also “Main O-ring”
- Pistol Grip: A grip that is situated on the bottom of a housing and is shaped like a pistol grip, or actually uses a pistol grip.
- Set screw: A small stainless-steel screw that secures either a gear or a lever to a control shaft. Quality set screws will be made of stainless steel and will have a brass tip that compresses and molds itself to the control shaft when tightened. This helps to prevent any slippage of the gear or lever on the control shaft.
- Shell of housing: Themain body of an underwater camera case. The shell holds the camera body and has a main o-ring and studs installed on it along with other controls.
- Shims: Shims are found on the inside of the front port and they are made of Plexiglas padded with a closed cell foam. Attached to the bottom of a front port, they are used to keep the camera from moving and shifting while in the housing.
- Studs: Stainless-steel pan-head bolts that are installed on the flange of the housing and which accept the front port.
- Water housing: A term for an underwater camera case, which includes the shell of the housing and the front port. See also Camera housing and or Housing.
- Zoom lever: The lever that is used to turn the drive gear to facilitate zooming of the lens. Part of the “Direct Drive control shaft” system. See also Focus lever
- Zoom range: The range of lens rack for a zoom lens, from one. See also Focus range:
