CAMERA USE
(Written by Josey Paul, Streamkeeper volunteer, 7/20/2000)
Simplified instructions for the Pentax IQZoom105WR (with date)
Basic features:
The IQZoom105WR is easy and fun to use. This is a Class 5 weather-resistant camera, which
means you can drop it in the surf, wash the dirt and salt off under a faucet and it will be fine. It is
not waterproof. It is not an underwater camera, but you can shoot it all day in the rain. It is fully
automated and has a 38mm to 105 mm zoom lens that goes from a mild wide angle to a 2.8
power telephoto. It prints the date on each photograph. It takes high-quality 35mm photographs.
Your only worry with this camera is the battery, which can handle about a dozen rolls of 36-
exposure film. So carry a spare and watch for the low-battery warning on the LCD screen (see
last page).
The easy way to take pictures:
1. Turn on the camera.
2. Aim.
3. Zoom in or out (with zoom lever on top right side of camera).
4. Push the shutter release (black button on top right side of camera).
The camera does everything else. It advances the film automatically after each shot. It even
rewinds automatically after the last shot.
Loading Film:
1. Turn the camera off.
2. Open the back. (Push down the small lever on the left side of the back of the camera.)
3. Insert the cartridge in the slot on the right.
4. Stretch the film leader to the take up spool on the left. The tip of the film should line up with
the line etched on the upper left side and indicated by a small arrow.
5. Close the back.
The film advances automatically. The computer screen on the top of the camera should show “1,”
to indicate that it is ready to take the first shot. If it shows an “E,” you probably didn’t stretch the
film far enough or you left it with too much slack. Open the camera and try again.
Field Procedures
111h Edition, 2009
CAMERA USE
The Flash Button (lower left button) is the most complicated and the most
useful. In normal setting, the flash and exposure controls are automatic.
Press this button once, and you will see a flash symbol. This means the flash will
pop no matter what the lighting conditions. You might use this when your subject
is shaded and in front of a bright background.
Press the button again, and you will see a moon symbol (for slow shutter speed)
and a no-flash symbol. This means the camera will use a slow shutter speed
(and natural light) rather than the flash. You should use this setting in a shady
stream where the subject is beyond the reach of the flash. (With 800 speed film, the flash will
reach 22 feet at the greatest zoom magnification, and 39 feet at the widest wide-angle setting.)
You should also use this setting if something bright or shiny in the foreground will glare back at
the flash. NOTE: If you use the no-flash setting in low light, you should use the
monopod or some other stationary object to steady the camera.
Press the button again, and you will see the moon (slow shutter speed) and flash
symbols. You might want to use this setting to better expose a shaded subject
in front of a low-light background.
The next two button-presses will show you two “B” symbols. These functions are
beyond ordinary Streamkeepers use.
Press the button again, and you are back to fully automatic.
Battery indicator:
When the battery is getting low, the battery symbol appears on the LCD panel (see picture at
bottom of page). You can still take photos with a low battery. When this symbol begins to blink,
however, the battery is dead and no further operations can be performed.
Replacing the battery:
A replacement 3V lithium battery is in the treasure box in the clean duffel bag. To replace the
battery:
1. Make sure the power switch is in the OFF position.
2. Use the end of the camera’s strap clamp to open the battery chamber cover (Fig. 1 below).
Field Procedures
11th Edition, 2009
CAMERA USE
3. Insert the new battery with the + and – sides matching the indications in the battery
compartment (Fig. 2). Close the battery chamber cover (Fig. 3).
4. If the battery is correctly loaded, the zoom lens will move
slightly and the motor will operate for a few seconds.
5. When you turn the camera back on, the date section of the
LCD display (see diagram at right) will display a series of
dashes: “- - - - - -“. Reinstate the date function to month-
day-year mode by pressing the DATE button 9 times. If
the display does not show month-day-year (as pictured at
right—“M”=month), or the date is incorrect, notify staff
when you return the field kit.
Field Procedures
11th Edition, 2009
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