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https://xray-mag.com/magazines/126     https://xray-mag.com/magazines/126

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......          

U38 · May/Jun 2024 https://www.uwpmag.com     Editorial   Lens nirvana, Hybrid history, Concentration & Blackwater business News, Travel & Events   Baja Mexico Sardine Run & Diving Cabo Pulmo Bali Workshop With Alex Tattersall Bikini Atoll – Pacific Master  Underwater Portrait Photography Workshop Raja Ampat Underwater Photography Workshop  with Tim Laman and Zafer Kizilkaya

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". 

Product Features Fast-aperture ultra wide-angle zoom lens Compact and light weight Outstanding optical performance MOD of 0.15m (5.9”) and maximum magnification ratio of 1:4 High performance autofocus RXD stepping motor for both still and video use [1] Di III-A: For APS-C format mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras [2] The full-frame equivalent of 17.6-32mm.   Tamron Co., Ltd. announces the development of TAMRON’s first CANON RF mount lens, 11-20mm F/2.8 Di II

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

https://xray-mag.com/magazines/125

Panasonic Announces Firmware Update to Improve the Shooting Experience and Sharing Functionality of LUMIX S5II and S5IIX.   S5II Firmware Version 3.0 / S5IIX Firmware Version 2.0   Enhancement of Production Workflows New Native Camera to Cloud Integration with Adobe’s Frame.io  Compatibility with Frame.io Camera to Cloud is now supported, enabling images and videos to be automatically uploaded, backed up, shared, and worked on jointly via the cloud. Recorded cont

Sony have announced major firmware upgrades for the a1, a9III, a7SIII and a7IV   According to the Sony press release, firmware v2.00 for the Sony a1 is perhaps the most extensive.    The Sony a7SIII and a7IV are upgraded to v3.00.   The Sony a9III will be upgraded to v2.00 which is expected to be available from 9 April. However if you live in the USA, availability is from April 9.

Nikon have announced firmware updates to their Z6ii and Z7ii cameras   According to the Nikon update page:   Changes from “C” Firmware Version 1.61 to 1.62   Changed the default values for the following settings displayed when connecting wirelessly: - Encryption keys - The password displayed after the camera's default settings are restored • Fixed the following issues: - In some cases, tapping the monitor woul

Nikon have just announced another firmware update for their flagship Z9 camera.   Although on the face of it, not especially helpful for u/w photographers, for sports and studio people, lots of interesting additions.   A full list is here: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/fw/516.html   Nikon's press release explains:   (Full details here: https://www.nikon.com/company/news/2024/0313_firmware_01.html)   TOKYO - Nikon Corpora

Nikon is aiming to broaden its presence in the cinematography industry. The company has disclosed its agreement to acquire Red, a cinematography camera manufacturer, which will operate as a fully-owned subsidiary of Nikon. Details regarding the terms and value of the acquisition were not revealed.   In its announcement, Nikon expressed its intention to utilize this acquisition to expand its footprint in the rapidly growing professional digital cinema camera market. By leveraging t

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

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

Edge sharpness with wide-angle lenses underwater  can be an issue especially for users of full-frame sensor camera bodies.   One solution to increasing edge sharpness, which has worked for some photographers, has been the Sea&Sea correction lens which came in 77mm and 82mm diameter options. But this lens disappeared from sale a little while ago.   Waterpixels member @Ido has been in contact with Sea&Sea and has been told that the company plan to make the lens availabl

The March/April edition of the excellent Underwater Photography magazine is now available    http://www.uwpmag.com/

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.

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

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/

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

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

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 -

(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

(image credits: Sony) Sony has unveiled the Sony A9 III, a full-frame mirrorless camera boasting a 24.6MP resolution and a global shutter. The global shutter functionality ensures simultaneous readout of information from each pixel on the sensor, eliminating distortion in both still images and videos of moving subjects. Employing a stacked design, the 24.6MP CMOS sensor, in conjunction with the latest Bionz XR processor, guarantees swift operational performance. The Sony A9 III, also r