Marsh

Hi Scott, That is really good news! As I mentioned, it took quite a while (actually didn't time it, just left it overnight) for the battery to shut down with the camera off. So turning the camera on/off may be keeping it active. My testing was on a a6500 so it's possible (as you mention) the cameras power systems are different, since you let it run 12 hours in off position and still had active Attom Tech indicator lights? Moreover, I only tested it once, so maybe it was a fluke that it shut down? I just haven't been able to give it the time for more testing, especially in a real world use like you. Five dives and still a full battery is fantastic! As to the battery(s) discharging even when the camera is off and not being used, I had read on a Sony forum (or the Sony official site tech site) that the camera's WiFi mode searches for a signal even when the camera is off which acts as a battery drain. Unless you're using WiFi you might try turning it off to see if the drain is still there. I've done this on my a6500 but haven't really taken the time to see if it works. Marshall

UPDATE: In doing some electrical testing, the new smaller Attom Tech battery seems to be displaying some of the same characteristics as the original Gen. 1 iThin. It deactivates and shuts down after a while. I haven't done extensive testing, but on the surface it looks like it does this when the camera battery is fully charged and/or after a certain length of time. Not totally certain how this would affect real world use? The Kolumb battery supplies a constant charge when the battery is plugged into the camera and never deactivates until unplugged, same as the Nauticam Gen. 2 iThin. Perhaps some divers who have used the Attom Tech can chime in on real world usage as a viable working replacement. Thanks, Marshall UPDATE: Seeing that Scott didn't experience the battery shutting down, I ran a fully charged camera battery and Attom Tech, both starting at 100% with the camera "on" all the time. This time the battery did not shut down and kept the camera battery at 100% while it discharged itself first. It's starting to look like a camera "on" position will keep the Attom Tech going. However, should one turn the camera off the Attom Tech will deactivate at some point, either when the camera battery is fully charged or at some other timing point, of which I'm not sure of yet, but will inform after fully testing. One good thing to note, is the shut down wasn't immediate after I turned the camera off, so it might not shut down as long as the camera is periodically turned on/off during the dive, which is how I shoot (and likely many others) to conserve battery power. It appears the only way to get the Attom Tech to reactivate is to unplug and replug the camera or push the Attom Tech battery check button, which means opening the housing :-( I'm going to run the same tests on the Kolumb power pack and see what the differences are between the two. My initial test on the Kolumb showed it activated after the camera was attached but stayed active and charging whether the camera was on or off. I'll try to verify all of this when I get some time.

Okay, I used a straight edge razor blade under one corner to get it started and then followed around with a spludger until it completely snaps off. I put a piece of nylon electric tape over the circuit board exposed contacts and wires to finish the job. Looks like one has to get the cable you suggested as my Nauticam kit has the USB A contacts in the reverse side. Hooked it up to my Sony a6500 and everything works fine. Thanks again Scott for sharing. Marshall

Scott, How do you take the cover off? Is it glued on or does it have a snap on design that simply required one to use an X-Acto knife or some other sharp blade to wedge between the case and top cover? Thanks, Marshall

Great work Scott, a battery with a USB A output like the original Nauticam iThin battery! If all one has to do is pop off the lid and the other measurements work, that's an easy alternative. The Attom Tech I experimented with (and previously referred to) was a bit larger and had a built in Micro USB male cable output, so apparently Attom Tech makes two models of Ultra slim batteries. The one you show appears to be their latest model and is actually considerable smaller than both the batteries I found, along with it's length and width shorter than the Nauticam iThin! Plus, it has more power at 3,000 Mah compared to 2,400. Nice that we now have some alternatives to Nauticam's now discontinued iThin battery. I noticed it has both Micro and USB C inputs, so it'll probably be around for a while :-) Cheers for sharing this! Marshall

My Chinese sources got back to me today and said they could find nothing the size of the original Nauticam iThin battery. Too bad, I was hoping for a alternate that wouldn't require any modifications at all.

Making one from scratch might work, but it would be rather difficult to get it down to size. In regards to basic components and such, I still think the Attom Tech model will work filed down if those two rubber bumpers pads were removed from the housing. Or one can just file the Attom Tech down to 58mm and not worry about the casing holding together by shrink wrapping it as you suggested. I still have some manufacturers on Alibaba doing some hunting for me. The size factor of the Kolumb might still be available. It's just that Amazon makes things so convenient for most divers. If a Kolumb model shows up on ebay, grab it. Be nice to know if the Walmart source still has a supply.

I discovered today that they're getting quite difficult to find. The one I got from Amazon this week, that I ran my tests on, was apparently the last one in stock. I just happened to score the only two on eBay tonight for $9 & 17. Like the iThin battery, they're most likely no longer being manufactured. Too bad for us Nauticam users. Walmart still lists them at $28: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ultra-Slim-Ultra-Portable-Ultra-Safe-2500mAh-Wallet-Pocket-Power-Card-Bank-ONE-for-All-External-Mini-Battery-Most-Smart-Phone-Digital-Devices-White-L/217372674 Hope you can find one. Good luck, Marshall

Go to the article below for a solution to battery for the a6500. Note that the Attom Tech battery that I suggested as a replacement for the Kolumb (that is no longer available on Amazon) doesn't work as it's slightly larger than the Kolumb and can't be sufficiently filed down to a narrower width of 58mm. Unfortunately, the Kolumb is getting harder to find. I just scored two on eBay for back-ups. If you can find one, the article below tells you how to modify it and a link to the cable you'll need. There's also a note on two rubber bumbers in the housing that can be removed to allow for a slightly wider battery than 58mm. I haven't checked that out yet since I have three Kolumb backup batteries. Good luck, Marshall https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/a-solution-to-nauticams-discontinued-na-36331-aux-battery-pack.623313/

UPDATE: The Attom Tech case arrived today and was larger and not as thick as the Kolumb case. The electronics appear the same, but if you can get the Kolumb cases they are easier to file down and get you to 58mm. The Attom Tech case is at 61mm and I'm running out of plastic to remove. I may try to remove the two rubber bumpers I mention in the housing to accommodate if necessary, but best to just get the Kolumb Power Pack in the above photo.

Please read the article below and go to the last page for the solution.Happy charging and diving Marshall https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/a-solution-to-nauticams-discontinued-na-36331-aux-battery-pack.623313/ Update: the Attom Tech case arrived today and was larger and not as thick as the Kolumb case. The electronics appear the same, but if you can get the Kolumb cases they are easier to file down and get you to 58mm. The Attom Tech case is at 61mm and I'm running out of plastic to file down. I may try to remove the two rubber bumpers I mention in the housing to accommodate if necessary. The Kolumb case works the best.

Okay, I found a solution to the battery pack for the Sony a6500 and other camera housings that used the now discontinued Nauticam 36331 iThin battery pack. It's a battery pack I found on Amazon listed as a Ultra Slim and distributed by many dealers under different names. The first one I received was marketed by " Kolumb "'. When I went to buy a 2nd, it's no longer available, but another identical unit is under the name " Attom Tech " NOTE: Turns out the Attom case is wider than the Kolumb case by and bit and won't work. Get the Kolumb power pack. It's exactly the same battery under a different name. I tried to find a suitable battery on Alibaba and have a Chinese dealer/manufacturer looking for one that doesn't need modifications and has the same exact measurements and specs as Nauticam's iThin pack. So far he has been unable to find one. He actually proposed the same white plastic one I bought on Amazon. Apparently iThin no longer exist and why Nauticam discontinued the product. The Kolumb Power Pack will work with just some slight physical modifications. It has exactly the same length and thickness as the Nauticam iThin, but it's 3mm wider at 61mm (the iThin was 58mm). This extra 3 mm will keep the rear door from closing correctly on the o-ring. The solution is to take a fine straight file and remove 3mm of plastic casing on it's sides. Most of it will come from the side where the built in USB cable nests itself when not in use, but some has to be taken from the side with the Micro USB power input charging port. You can also remove some from the end, but this is not absolutely necessary, but I did so to make it exactly the same length. When finished the plastic on the sides will be paper thin, but still holds the case together. You can see in the attached photos where the top is starting to want to separate from the thin siding, so I will apply a drop of super glue to reinforce it. One of the options I didn't try was removing two rubber pads that help seat the original battery (see photo). If these were removed from the housing, they would allow for a lot less material being removed from the case, maybe 1-1.5mm. However, I didn't want to remove them from my NA-a6500 housing, so I filed the battery case sides down to 58mm. The battery pack will shut itself down shortly after you finish charging and unplugging it. It will activate as soon as you plug it into the camera's Micro USB charging port and will stay active as long as it plugged in to the camera, even when the camera is turned on/off. In addition, it will charge the camera battery whether the camera is on/off. I tested the charge both ways and even checked to make sure it didn't shut off when the camera battery was fully charged, which was a problem mentioned above on the original Nauticam 1st generation battery. So this battery works exactly like the improved generation 2 Nauticam pack. Besides the slight physical modification, one has to purchase a 25cm Micro USB extension cord. I had a hard time finding one the same length as the Nauticam with the correct angle (90 degrees-R angle (or L ? which was confusing due to bad pictures and descriptions on Amazon). I ended up buying a pair of one left hand and one right hand to make sure I got the correct one. The pair cost me $8 and the battery $12. Heres' a link to the 25cm cables: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SD5Z3MM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details The cable is routed exactly the same as the Nauticam unit. You plug the new battery's built in Micro USB cable into the new extension cord which has a 90 degree angle for plugging into the camera. Took 15 minutes to file down the plastic case and you're ready to go. See the photos below for everything you need to do. Finally more power for our cameras that are designed to work in housings with Nauticam's now discontinued battery pack. Should I get notice of another battery from my Chinese contact that works better, I'll update and let you know. For now, this one and it's cable are inexpensive at $20 and work just fine. Good luck, Marshall

Thanks for all the info. I noticed on other post Nauticam has discontinued this product altogether (which I have from a used rig I purchased and was planning on buying a backup battery) . Then i came across this post looking for a battery. Looks like I'm going to have to test my unit and see if it has the new firmware or not. As to a backup battery, looks like I might have to spring for the $12 Amazon one above. Clownfish, does the Amazon battery work with the stock Nauticam cable or do I have to buy the one you listed? Appreciate all the help. Marshall

Bummer, I just came across this :-( I have one that came with the used a6500 rig I purchased a while ago and was planning on getting a 2nd battery backup. I'll see I can come up with a replacement battery for those of us who have the cable and other components. I'll have to dig mine out and see if there is any nomenclature on the parts and get back to you all if I find any substitutes.

Lots of good info! I did some checking and am drawn to the Turtle device for some of the reasons above. I just wrote Turtle tech asking if their Sony device fits and functions in both the Nauticam NA-a6500 and NA-A7RIV housings and cameras. Both the a6500 and A7RIV use the same Sony multi-interface hot shoe and same flashes, so I think it will work with either camera, but as you mention it's a matter of whether there's sufficient space to fit both housings and be interchangeable? The UW-Technics units are not interchangeable. I own both cameras and use an N85 to N120 adapter with mostly FF lens and all FF ports (Canon 8-15FE, Kenko 1.4 TC and Sony 90 macro w/ a 4.33 FE & M port) for my a6500 system, so I've considered at times to upgrade to FF. However, the smaller size of APS-C rig and use of my S16-70 Zeiss lens (which I use for a single dive WA & SM & Video, using a 67mm swing mount attached to the wings of a 4.33 FE port), keeps me loving my APS-C rig. That along with the use of the Canon 8-15 and Kenko TC keeps me from making the leap. Of course, this setup will work with FF with slightly less lens versatility....seems like everything is a tradeoff :-) Given these TTL triggers are pretty pricy, I wouldn't want to purchase two TTL triggers should I eventually make the move to FF. Hopefully, the Turtle Sony system is interchangeable between the two cameras and housings. I'll let others know when I hear back from them. Thanks for all your help. Marsh

Interesting, I didn't realize I could get another TTL trigger other than my onboard flash. Of course, the a6600 doesn't have a popup flash, so this is what those Sony users must use for TTL. I also own a Sony A7RIV which I've considered getting a housing for, but my a6500 rig is smaller and set-up so nicely. The A7RIV has no built in flash either and must use the technology you're referring to or an electrical connection. Thanks for the info, I'll check it out. M

The a6500 doesn't have the ability to lower the flash power, so each shot takes a full flash recycle, which can drain batteries quite quickly, not to mention the wait for the flash to be ready to fire again. I shoot mostly macro and I take my time looking for "the shot" and not squeezing the shutter constantly like I used to as a novice. LOL So optical is not a problem most of the time. In a fast moving environment, recycle time is crucial. While one loses the camera TTL when using electrical connection, the recycling time is a thing of the past in comparison, at least from what I've read. Plus, the Inon-Z-240's have their own auto mode with their own onboard sensor to give auto exposure at a given f-stop. I'm never used this, but it could come in handy if it worked properly with electrical trigger, especially since my f-stop setting are usually pretty much set most of the time. Having both optical and electrical systems available allows one to "experiment" with what works best for a given shooting situation. If any one has ever used the Inon's in this Auto mode with electrical connection, I'd love to hear your experience. M

Want to buy Nauticam 25056 Bulkhead Electrical Connector and 25019 M16 to M14 Adapter to try electrical connection for my Nauticam a6500 rig.I use optical for TTL, but shoot usually in manual mode, so want to experiment with my Sea and Sea dual electrical cable with my two Z-240's. Thank you,Marshall

I no longer need this extension. Marsh

Thanks, I'm aware of the screw application. I have a custom Sony APS-C set-up using all N120 ports and extensions. Everything is shot through a 4.33 dome that I customized with a 67mm macro swing mount on it's shades. Just purchased a Nauticam Port 60 which is about 10mm short of perfect lens placement. I wanted to get back the 25% magnification I'm losing with the dome when using my Sony 90 macro lens, but after some testing and consideration, the magnification with a 90mm macro on APS-C, along with the use of wet closeup lens is quite sufficient in terms of magnification. No sense in lugging around a second port. I'll be selling the Port 60. Thanks for the info and responding. M

Looking for a Nauticam 10mm N120 Extension. Thanks, Marshall

Price reduced to $90 + Shipping

Tokina 10-17 Fisheye setup (Canon) SOLD!

All Sold!