News

Divers24.com reports a fire, this time in the Red Sea, on the Sea Legends.   Keep an eye on those lithium batteries, people!

The biggest trade fair for boats, diving (and underwater photography) in Germany traditionally takes place in January every year, BOOT in Düsseldorf. I can report on Nauticam (who shared the stand with PanOcean), Seafrogs, Seacam and GoPro, but of course only individual impressions. There were 3 Nauticam employees on site. One of the three FCPs currently available outside the factory was on display, along with the WACP-1, WACP-C and WWL-1b. I was particularly taken with this comparison.

Adobe have announced v 14.2 for Lightroom Classic.   New features are set out below,    

A further update to Lightroom Classic arrived on my system this morning, v13.3.1. It describes itself simply as "Bug Fixes".   The updated loaded without a hitch......   Details are here: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/whats-new.html  

Another, seemingly small, update to LR Classic - to version 13.5.1   This seems to be minor bug fixes.

A further update to Adobe Lightroom Classic is available: v14.1.1    This follows soon after v 14.1.......    

Adobe have announced upgrades to Lightroom with Classic moving on to v13.3.   Improvements to Lens Blur and an AI-supported "Generative Remove" feature seem to be the main changes. Additionally there is a new Filter by Exported Images option as well as upgrades to Sync Performance and Tethered Shooting with a Sony. Adobe's list of changes is below.   I loaded the update on to my Mac Studio this afternoon and all seems fine......          

Reports have come in of another live aboard fire in Indonesia, this one in Raja Ampat, details are scant, however it was posted that every one got off the boat.  Only seems to have made Indonesian new channels so far, there is a link to a news page in Indonesian.   https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/raja-ampat-boat-fire-dive-boat.643793/   https://papua.jpnn.com/papua-terkini/2670/kapal-pesiar-terbakar-di-perairan-raja-ampat-bagaimana-kondisi-23-wisatawan

The annual German "Boot" show took place on 18-26 January. I visited on 25 January to see what might be new in the dive and underwater photography world and met up with other Waterpixelers.   I was also tasked with tracking down the new unicorn of the underwater photography world, the Inon Z-xxx   Boot is a massive show spread over 13 exhibition halls. It wouldn't be hard to spend a few million euros there - assuming you had them in the first place. Diving was maybe one and a

Like most things, some attention to maintenance is usually a good idea. Underwater camera and cinematography accessories are no different, especially with the use and abuse most of it gets in unforgiving environments. Naturally, the better something is taken care of, the longer it will last, and even though Ultralight Camera Solutions products are virtually indestructible, treating them with respect will keep them in good working order. For the underwater photographer, after every dive, th

With thanks to Conrad Gowell (DriftC) for this article: A legal victory for the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) marks a turning point in the protection of Orcas and Chinook salmon in South-East Alaska https://wildfishconservancy.org/wfc-legal-victory-marks-turning-point-for-southern-resident-orcas-and-wild-chinook/

DEMA (The Diving Equipment & Marketing Association) show begins on Tuesday November 19th in Las Vegas. Marelux will have a booth in the imaging section where participants can see and handle the latest equipment including the excellent Apollo III & Apollo S strobes. I used the Apollo S strobes for 65 dives and now over 12,000 images on a recent trip to Bali. I will be in the booth along with Stanley and Bella, we will be happy to answer your questions and demo any equipment of interest. I

The new edition of the DRT Show will be held in Hong Kong from 15 to 17 December 2023. DRT SHOW (Diving and Resort Travel Expo) stands as the premier diving expo in Asia, hosting events in various cities and regions such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, the Philippines, Okinawa, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. To date, the DRT SHOW has successfully organized 44 exhibitions worldwide, drawing a crowd of 450,000 professionals and enthusiasts from the dive and travel in

The Dutch dive show, Duikvaker, was held in Houten on 1-2 February.   The German boat show which includes diving, Boot, is massive in comparison, but Duikvaker being purely diving is, as a result, very manageable.  Many of the dive companies who exhibited at Boot were at Duikvaker so a large array of equipment was there both from distributors and dealers to poke, prod, try on and lust over. I was very tempted by the heated vests from Venture Heat!    PADI ran its annual Membe

Waterpixels is delighted to report that Emperor Divers have joined our growing lists of industry supporters.   Since 1992 Emperor Divers have shared their experience of scuba diving in the Red Sea, Maldives and Indonesia and have  looked after thousands of happy divers – a great many of whom keeping coming back to us year after year.   Emperor's focus has always been on providing safe and sustainable diving holidays for everyone. Liveaboards, Resort Diving and PADI Courses ar

I've finally recovered from the Go Diving Show which was held at the NAEC Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, Uk last weekend and what an incredible show it was.  From showcasing diving equipment, holiday destinations, marine conservation and of course underwater photography over a 10,000 square metre area, there really was something to inspire everyone.   Underwater Photographer of the Year is celebrating 60 years and had 30 of it's winning images on display from the entrance and throughout th

(image credits: Gopro) GoPro Hero 12 Black announced with external mic and dual-channel audio plus 1/4” tripod mounting GoPro has announced the Hero 12 Black, and this year, the ubiquitous action camera maker has its sights set on sound. The 12 Black’s headline upgrades include external microphone support and dual-channel audio capture, so you can record both camera and external mic tracks and then mix them in an edit. The latest GoPro also sports a handy ¼-inch thread between its flip

The winners of the HIPA Diversity 2023 photography competition have been announced. Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) is an international photography award, founded in 2011 under the patronage of the crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Grand Prize was won by Massimo Giorgetta with an underwater photograph. Congratulation to Massimo! Protected Lives A night dive encounter with a magical 5 cm Jellyfish Tunicate in Lembeh Strait -

INON is pleased to announce that existing INON accessories for HERO12 Black are confirmed compatible with HERO13 Black when housed in its genuine dive housing (Protective Housing). Existing INON lenses including UFL-G140SD, UCL-G165II SD, UCL-G100 SD, UCL-G55 SD are usable for HERO13 Black as well at the same condition for HERO12 Black.     INON Action Camera Wet Lenses Usage Tips   INON " SD Front Mask for HERO9 " or " M67 Filter Adapter for HERO9 " doesn'

At their DEMA booth, Keldan showed their new tiny RC2 wireless remote control. Designed for minimal size and weight. Range up to 2-3m. It is compatible with all KELDAN remote controllable lights.       Keldan have also updated their 4X light. The new version 4XR has impressive 11000lm with a small form factor and can be operated with their wireless remote controllers.      Keldan wants to thank Hergen Spalink for his excellent presentation abo

The TIPA 2024 awards were announced today in the US and among the winners for best camera equipment of the year is Laowa's 10mm F/2.8 rectilinear full frame AF lens. Laowa announced this as an architectural, astro, landscape and portrait lens but it is also a fantastic underwater photography lens with an AOV of 130 degrees.  Attached are just a few photos from last weeks trip to the North Florida Springs. The 10mm is paired with the Sony A7R V in a Marelux housing with the Marelux 230mm dome po

Edition 136 of the excellent UWP Magazine is now available   https://www.uwpmag.com/?download=136

I installed my first Leak Sentinel vacuum valve, a V3, in my Subal ND800 housing in 2014. Over 700 dives, changes of camera housing and upgrades to the Sentinel system, I’ve moved through V4, V5 and now the newly available V6. As the slogan goes, I’d never leave home without it. Why? The Sentinel provides a unique extra level of security and reassurance to an underwater camera and has saved me from my own stupidity a couple of times…… So what is it? The Leak Sentinel is a small valve w

Nikon have announced a firmware upgrade for the Z8 to v 2.0.1   This tackles various bugs including a "green colour cast occurring with some pictures taken". 

When Nikon acquired a controlling stake in RED Digital Cinema in early 2023, the industry took notice. For photographers and filmmakers alike, this wasn't just another corporate merger—it signaled Nikon's serious commitment to professional cinema production and a strategic evolution beyond still photography.   Strategic Integration and Immediate Benefits   The integration has moved quickly. RED has already released cinema cameras featuring Nikon's Z-mount, creating a native p