Canon R10 Underwater Housing with Kit Lens // Setting It Up [VIDEO]

By John Brigham

One of the best things about the Canon R10 is its price-to-performance ratio. We think it's such a great deal that we had to make a kit out of it. Available now at less than $2500USD. The 200DLM Underwater Housing and Canon EOS R10 Camera Complete Kit includes:

Canon EOS R10 camera body
Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens
200DLM/C Underwater Housing # 69742
Dome Port # 5516.15
Zoom Gear # 5515.14
Canon battery with charger
Camera strap
USB interface cable

In addition to its accessible price point and exceptional technical specs, the housing for this compact mirrorless camera is low profile, ergonomic, and will save you weight and room when packing your gear for travel.

Get your Canon EOS R10 Camera + Housing Kit out of the box and underwater right away with this simple assembly guide.

Want more content like this? Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Dome Port and Zoom Gear assembly

canon r10 ikelite housing assembly dome port oring

One of the benefits of this camera and lens combination is that you can slide it in from the back without having to take the port off and the lens out. Because of that, we'll turn our attention to the front of the housing: Take a little bit of the included Ikelite Lubricant on you finger and thumb and apply it to the outside of the o-ring and visually inspect to make sure that you don't have any hair, debris or anything that's going to compromise the seal.

The key is not to go overboard with the lube, because that's not what creates the seal. The lubricant just overcomes the friction as you glide the zoom dome port on.

Next, you'll take the dedicated 14-85mm lens gear sleeve and drop it into the inside opening of the port. On your Dome Port, you'll notice that it has three thumbscrews: make sure that the thumbscrews are backed out and clear of the sealing surface and check that the sealing surface itself is clean of debris or hair.

canon r10 ikelite housing assembly zoom gear

We recommend attaching the Dome Port with the drive gear on the left hand side so that you can zoom while pulling the trigger with your right hand. As you drop the Dome Port into place it's going to create the seal. You'll notice that the drive gear will engage with that sleeve and, as it turns, it's going to let you zoom. Once you have it in place, tighten down each one of the three thumbscrews finger-tight. Now, we've got a sealed port.

Attaching the camera mount

canon r10 ikelite housing assembly mount

Once you've assembled the Dome Port and Zoom Gear, turn the housing face down so you can access the back of the housing and unhook the two lid snap hooks. From this point, we'll take the camera mount out, flip the camera body over and attach the camera mount to the camera itself.

Using a flathead screwdriver, tighten the mount to the camera body, ensuring that it is snug. At this point, you can leave the mount on for the duration of your trip. With the mount on you'll still have access to the battery compartment and, with its 1/4-20 thread hole, you're also able to attach it to a tripod.

Installing the camera

Turning your attention to the inside of the housing, make sure that the On/Off lever is out of the way. Attach the hot shoe, sliding it all the way forward to make sure there's good contact. Install the camera by sliding the camera with attached mount into the base that's in the housing. You'll notice that as you get to the point that the lens meets that gear sleeve, there's a bit of pressure. Now you can flip the On/Off lever back down.

Sealing your housing

canon r10 ikelite housing assembly

Make sure the back seal of the housing is clean of hair or debris then check that the rear housing o-ring and corresponding sealing surface on the clear housing back is clean as well. Generally, running your finger over the surface is all you need, you can feel a lot more than you can see. The rear o-ring does not require any lubricant. Ensuring the viewfinder is appropriately lined up, attach the back to the housing. Engage the lid snap hooks simultaneously and check that they're both locked. Now you can look through the clear back and ensure you have a seal all the way around the perimeter and check to make sure that you can zoom the lens. At this point, you have a fully waterproof system.

You'll notice you have a 1/2-20 plug on the side of your housing, this allows you to add a vacuum valve and check your sealing surfaces to make sure that you didn't miss a step. Additionally, you'll see there's an electrical bulkhead where you can attach your strobes. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for our upcoming video on assembling strobes for the Canon R10 system.

Got a few more questions?

We're all ears (and eyes) - just email us today at ikelite@ikelite.com and our team can help walk you through everything from equipment set up to the best lens for every scenario.

John Brigham is the Vice President & head of product development at Ikelite. He was born with a flair for design and an entrepreneurial spirit as son of Ikelite founder Ike Brigham. He worked his way up in the business and is a natural fit in the R&D side of things. John dives the equipment as much as possible to test product and put himself in the "fins" of the user. You may also find him on the other end of an email or phone call when you reach out for product advice and support. When he's not underwater he's flying drones, setting off rockets, training his German Shepherd "T2", and spending time with his family.