On a live event, OM Digital announced three new products and a new lens road map. The most notable is the new OM-1 Mark II camera.

The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a Micro Four Thirds camera with a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor, designed for high-speed performance. It serves as an updated version of the flagship OM-1, featuring various hardware and firmware enhancements.

Set to launch on February 26th, the OM-1 Mark II will be priced at $2399, marking a $200 increase from the original model released in February 2022. The OM-1 Mark II debuts two years after the release of the original model, bringing about a range of improvements rather than a radical shift in specifications compared to its predecessor.

Rebranded as OM SYSTEMS (note that the OM-1 still carries the Olympus name), this camera boasts several noteworthy enhancements, including a doubled internal buffer memory, an impressive 8.5 stops In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), 14-bit raw support for High-Resolution Mode, advanced human AI recognition, the addition of computational ND filters, a superior focusing system, and improved ergonomics.

Here an initial review:

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/om-system-om-1-mark-ii-initial-review

Marelux has announced the new Soft Lite today. This is a redesign using plastic which drops the weight by 190g over the past Soft Pro line which is now discontinued. I have attached the specs and photos.

Smart Optical Flash Tube Lite (SOFT Lite) Patented Product

Product Features

• Enables to narrow down beam coverage simply by attaching in front of strobe.
• The aiming light of SOFT-LITE can be changed between red and white.
• The aiming light of SOFT-LITE XW/XR is only available in one color(white or red),but the brightness of the aiming light is brighter.
• Adjustable brightness
• Aiming light delay off time adjustable
• · Use one 21700 Lithium battery which can support 10 hours of continuous use（SOFT-LITE XW/XR can be used for 4 hours）

(You can use 18650 battery by using a battery adapter) 

Product Specs

• Material：Plastic
• Length : 155mm
• Weight : 600g (on land) Neutral buoyancy underwater
• Waterproof depth : -100m
• Focal length (in water) : 130mm
• Light spot adjustable range : 3~50mm

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In these last months of 2023, underwater photography and video enthusiasts have witnessed a phase of particular excitement in the action cam market with the release of new models of video cameras, cases and other accessories.

If in the camera sector GoPro has suffered an attack from the competition with the presentation of models suitable for 360° shooting or equipped with a larger and more high-performance sensor (the very recent INSTA ACE PRO with its 1" sensor), as regards accessories, GoPro, thanks to its market share, remains the brand most paid attention to by producers.

Particular attention was attracted by the releases of an aluminum case and two additional lenses produced by the Taiwanese AOI.

In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to talk about one of the lenses dedicated to GoPro, namely the wide-angle AOI UWL-03 which follows its "twin" INON UFL-G 140 SD, highlighting its qualities and price.

In this article I would like to make some brief considerations on the case of the same brand for the GoPro 9,10,11,12 and the AOI UH GPX.

Made of aluminum, it is guaranteed for a maximum depth of 60 m (196 ft). It features a housing for the video camera and a battery that is used to power the cam and the 5" rear monitor. It is also equipped with a vacuum system.

In the front part, in front of the lens, the bayonet coupling system is mounted to allow the additional lenses to be applied and removed while underwater. The bayonet connection also allows you to insert colored filters (red, magenta etc...).

The price in Italy will be approximately €1,800.00.

On the body of the case there are some buttons that should allow you to make choices of the various parameters to change the shooting settings during the dive.

Some have expressed doubts about the maximum depth of use of 60 m which, for an aluminum case, seems too limited. I believe that this parameter is indicated according to the use of additional lenses which have their operational limit of 60 m.

I believe that, ultimately, the only real advantage of this case consists in the rear screen which expands the limited view allowed by that of the GoPro.

In my opinion, however, an adjustable screen would have really made a difference as it would have allowed better management of the panning of the camera system.

Of course, should I have the chance to test this product, I will be happy to share my impressions in the field.

Puccio Distefano