Our community has just turned one year old, and in a few days we will be in 2025. I imagine many of us are already thinking about what to do next year. New year and new Gear Acquisition Syndrome 😉
What are your New Year's resolutions?
New camera? Does your faithful DSRL look sad at you because it senses a mirroless behind the door?
A new housing or a nice pair of strobes , given the many new features in recent months?
Or no gear but will you stress your credit card with trips to remote places, maybe a photography workshop or pursue something new?

 

In short, whatever your resolutions I wish you a new year full of excitement!

 

All of the above, Davide. Stressus Maximus: new gear, more travel, more diving. Then I woke up and saw my partner. 
 

Merry Christmas!

For me 

No new gear I'm happy with my R5, I spent enough money in 2024 to need to spent again a lot in 2025 😄

New Strobe no no... already ordered 2 new retra to add to the 2 "old" retra pro max (hummm, 4 retra for wide angle shoot will be easy to have no dark zone 😉)

Trip in 2025? already organized Raja Ampat was a dream will be reality in a short time and on the way back a week in Lembeh 🙂  

 

New wet lens? no no already ordered (yesterday) the new Nauticam MFO-1 😉

 

2025 will be light the only one thing, missing for the moment is a trip for end of 2025, Ambon ? or ??? I really don't know where (good idea are welcome )


but for me 2025 will be the year of my 1000th dive  in less as 11 years... 1000 dives.... 


 

Edited December 24, 2024Dec 24 by CaolIla

I choked on my Campari 🤣

I am good on gear for a while longer. I'm fully booked for 2025, but looking for a couple more trips in 2026.

With the new Retra strobe already in the pipeline I have a number of new things to try out with its particular capabilities: short flash duration (under 1 millisecond) as well as the possibility of "motor drive mode" shots. Should keep me off the streets for much of the upcoming year, ROTFL!

Originally I planned to add a monitor to my housing (cheap version of housed smartphone via wired wifi connections) but I realized during my recent Bali trip that an upgrade of my housing would make more sense to have a better ergonomics and avoid many small annoyances with my current seafrogs case.

I really hope to get to the Northern Kuril Islands and dive with fur seals.
Also plan to finally get to the giant Doflein octopuses...  
and if I'm very lucky I'll still be able to dive in warm water))

45 minutes ago, Andrey Narchuk said:

I really hope to get to the Northern Kuril Islands and dive with fur seals.
Also plan to finally get to the giant Doflein octopuses...  
and if I'm very lucky I'll still be able to dive in warm water))

 

Cold resolutions 🥶

4 hours ago, Davide DB said:

 

Cold resolutions 🥶

I can't get to warm water for 5 years)  I really miss the Philippines...

I will live vicariously through all of you! I'll pick up odds and ends next year. Of course if I win the lottery, it will be new gear for everyone!

Thanks @Davide DB. My new year resolution(s):

(a) Take some time to really learn how to take better photos, instead of returning from each dive with 18 copies of essentially the same poor composition &/or exposure of each subject.

... failing that

(b) Take 36 photos of each subject, hope for the miracle..

... failing that

(c) Buy more gear.

 

😑

Ajay

I am just about at option "c) buy more gear" - but can't seem to pull the trigger yet for some reason.

30 minutes ago, SwiftFF5 said:

I am just about at option "c) buy more gear" - but can't seem to pull the trigger yet for some reason.

 

Fear? Partner watching your every move? Trying to figure out how much you can claim it cost?

#1 get back in the water!!!!  Life and Covid kept us out of the water for almost 8yrs.  We did our first trip back in October, Cozumel, and loved it.  We have booked Philippines Anilo and Raja Forgotten Islands trips.  Can't Wait!

 

We did order new Kraken 6k video lights for the Better Half's video rig.  But have come to terms that are gear, 4k video, Sony RX100IV for stills, are plenty good for our needs.

 

Be more WAY MORE creative with images.  Abstract underwater nature photography? Fewer fish ID pics.  Just months from retiring so going through the process of updating our website, www.aquabluedreams.com.  Getting old, memory fading so one way to document the journeys, lol.  Our new motto is Real Images from the Real World.

Edited December 30, 2024Dec 30 by aquabluedreams

On 12/29/2024 at 11:48 AM, TimG said:

 

Fear? Partner watching your every move? Trying to figure out how much you can claim it cost?

 

Mostly because I tend to get sidetracked by other options - paralysis by analysis.  As I mentioned in another thread, I think that I want to move from my GH-5 to the new GH-7.  That will require a new housing, but I can keep my current ports and lenses.  This makes the most sense, but I start looking at all the other options, and the cost and then get stuck.

 

I am lucky in that my partner actually doesn't mind what I spend on underwater video equipment, it is still cheaper than what I spend on sports cars and motorcycles...

Move to a warm part of the world and dive every other day while I enjoy getting back into photography.

My G.A.S. whispers to me to sell the WWL-1B and buy an 8-18mm with 180mm crystal dome but I know well that as my signature reads: your new gear will not make you produce any better art than you already do

 

Actually the only thing I am asking for in 2025 is time, time to do all the things I want to do. Free time is the most precious thing.

 

Happy New Year to you all!

Happy New Year folks !!

 

Wishes for MORE TIME to use our existing equipment and less time to web-search for better equipment !!

My partner and dive buddy just underwent her 2nd tympanoplasty in early December after the 1st one failed in August after just 2 dives... So hopefully more time in the water this year once she has healed up!