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Hello everyone. Just three months ago, I bought a brand new Nauticam EMWL Unit 3 with the 160° lens. I've used the setup for about twenty dives and I'm starting to have some problems. The 160° lens is becoming increasingly difficult to properly fit into the Focus Unit 3. I can no longer align the centering rings. I should mention that I thoroughly rinse my equipment after each dive, everything is perfectly maintained, and the EMWL shows no signs of salt or anything else. I was wondering if any of you have encountered this problem before? Or will I have to request a warranty claim? Thanks

Absolutly.... but Donate is for me a better way as paying for each photo. The target is clear "I support the site I donate" if I pay for participating to the contest.... hummm, it is to win or to help the site ?

That would eliminate most high spec cameras, where automated subject selection tracking could be classified as AI.

Wow, well done, Michael. Scary moment. I hope the rest of the trip goes well!

Why not include a really tough category: No removal of ANY backscatter? Let's see who can place the strobes just right... This could be fun and perfectly honest. But at some point we have to acknowledge that we're no longer pulling the prints wet out of the developer. So as a general rule, I think it's too extreme.

The contest can (and should, probably) of course be starting next year or even later, no need to rush this. As for the rules - let's make that a community thing as well. "Excessive editing" is a purely subjective conclusion. This needs to be defined much more precisely to be a rule (which I find difficult). And "no AI" would downright exclude a categroy for smartphones / actioncams. Not sure we should go that way - but if that's what the community wants, these steps are easily removed from a standard workflow with a not too recent camera model. To me, this is not about perhaps winning a competitive event (there are enough contests out there for that) but to participate in a kind of fund-raiser within our small community. On this forum, we're discussing at length about equipment that costs thousands - so we should be able to cough up a few bucks from time to time to keep the site alive. "Featuring" someone's image(s) on the banner for money was not my intention, rather the notion that if we want to benefit from the site, we need to contribute as well. Just include an invitation that one should consider chipping in a small donation once in a while when uploading images for display. It seems that we're not paying with our privacy here and that's a fantastic thing!

Suggestion : In the shop all dimension are in inches. It's ok , but having also the cm can be good for the members not familiar with this unit (like me ;) ) If you have a topic for bugs or/and wishes feel free to move this post. ;)

Yeah, I really liked it. It was a pleasure to use and I got some terrific images from it. But..... I did find having to use a large domeport (230mm) for wide-angle images an utter pain for travelling. My partner found it an even bigger pain! I used the D800 for about 4 years but decided the travel issues were getting just too much - and switched to a D500. This got me back to a 100mm dome (just tiny in comparison) and a Toklina 10-17mm lens. This was a brilliant setup and I missed nothing from the D800. As you may have read in other posts I've made, I no longer see the point in having FF unless you have some specific reason for it. Having lost all my D500 gear, I've now gone for M43 in the rebuild.

found it in the shop... why not to put the "Donation" visible from all at a good place. I didn't see it before.

A question in relation of the incoming $... How many user and most important active member we are. Visitors / days.. It's to have an idea form how many $ the site need / active users (visitors and registered member will never pay anything) Where is the Donation point ?

I came across the R50 with an AOI housing for what seems to be a bit of a steal deal as I was looking at some versatile & budget friendly choices for a friend. Backscatter's AOI R50 housing She currently uses a TG6 for snorkeling and diving, but has an older Canon dslr that she definitely does not want to house (she says it can be too slow to focus and doesn't like the video); the only lens she has that would uw suitable is an old canon 100mm macro. What are the downsides of the R50? She loves garden bugs, birds & horses on land but underwater likes a bit of everything, rarely dedicating a dive to something specific unless it's like on holiday with the manta night dive in Hawaii or similar. What are downsides of the AOI housing (other than being poly)? It looks like one can still pop on wet mounts for macro and wider if need be, so it should be a fairly flexible system? As i am still dithering over my own options as I contemplate a move from a Canon 7dmkii/Nauticam with a whole bunch of lenses, ports & bits, I am getting a bit more confused and trying not to project too much on her quest! heck, maybe I should consider this, too 🙃 Originally budget was "what's the best I can get to get started for about 4-5 grand USD" but coming in with the gear at a nice fraction of that would mean a whole 'nuther diving trip. Really appreciate any input.

That's a rather extreme stance. I'm all for excluding generative AI, but masking is not creating or altering any pixels. It's simply automation of something that that is otherwise tedious.

Use of any AI should not be allowed. Including masking.

I was able to fix the problem overnight with WD-40— I was able to get the yellow marked screws out, open the lock mechanism! I had to shake the whole case, and then it finally popped open by rotating at the same time!!! As you can see in the second picture, there’s no other way to access it. I’ll make sure to always have the right Allen key and some oil on hand from now on. The Nauticam set of keys doesn’t quite fit the N100 on the N120. Better to get something that works 100 percent! This issue was really the worst problem with a whole set up which affected everything… Best regards and thanks to everyone for the help :-))

If I'm reading correctly it's N100 extension, adapter, N120 extension, port. Problem is with N100-N120 adapter. So can you remove port from port from 30mm N120 extension? This should be possible. If you can do this remove the port. Then use lens release button to remove lens then remove body, then remove combined N100 extension and N100-N120 adapter. You might be able to move the locking mechanism from inside then.

Thx. But I am at the end of the world and even WD40 is luxury but I will give it a try!

For me, authenticity is important. Excessive editing, including the use of AI, should not be allowed.

I think taking a step back is the move for now. give me time to finish developing the system rather then being rushed to get it done for this coming calendar year. Host a contest in 2027 to trial run it with the suggestions gathered here. Category noted.. thanks. The donation highlight is not a bad idea but then anyone could be featured for a fee.. so maybe not the thing to do. Originally I wanted to make that member choice gallery, so the images that appear are the most rated images by members. So the front page gallery would be community driven. Yeah I put donation on store a while back. thanks Klaus... 🤙

yes we have been working on that behind the scenes. some site adjustments and we will reach out and pursue that more. The initial release of LinkCards will be later today or tomorrow. On the initial release you have the ability to setup a gallery, contact information on multiple custom buttons. WhatsApp link, email, phone etc.. also you can control background, themes, and change colors of text. pretty customizable for a little tool. will post release article soon...

I think that a member contest is a nice idea and paying a little bit per image also limits the work of the judges. I assume they will donate their time for this, so one shouldn't burden them with the entire content of the hard-drive anyways. Suggestion for a category: Freshwater - streams, lakes, quarries - anything close to home for the land-locked waterpixelers. I just discovered the "donation" item in the store. Why don't we say that whenever we upload an image for the member showcase banner (the one running on the main page) it's an honor to donate a little bit to the site for the display?

Wouah... ok I understand for starting ... but a little $ or € or ??? is a minimum for that. Some are using the forum to make easy advertising.. it's not a problem.. but some money in return are fairplay. no?

That's really a good idea.... How big is the maximum size of this page? It's possible to put some pictures? I'm writing review from our trip (ok only one here in English, but several in French on an other french site) It can be good to put here a list of review for the reader It will be also a good reason to translate the old french review in English to publish it on WaterPixel

Thanks for the honest feedback—this is exactly why we asked before building the whole thing, more feedback is welcome. I will leave the poll up until it expires and also welcome more discussion. A few things may not be clear. The companies that have banners on our forum are supporters of WaterPixels and not truly advertisers. We do not receive payment, and we see the banners as a way of helping members reach companies we believe are of value. We are looking into the possibility of charging for these banners in the future. The forum, gallery, and articles will remain free. What we’re exploring are optional extras that provide value to members while helping the community support itself. As you know, forum membership is free. WaterPixels staff cover the operating costs. This is not really sustainable in the long term, and we need to identify a way to raise the necessary revenue. Based on today’s pricing, it costs approximately $720 per year—or $60 per month—to operate WaterPixels. That covers VPS hosting for the forum, gallery, and uploads; the domain name; daily off-site backups; SSL; and the Invision Community self-hosted license. As the photo library grows, storage and backup costs may grow with it. No single source is likely to cover that amount. Merchandise, useful optional features, community events, donations, and appropriate sponsor support can each contribute. Together, they may allow WaterPixels to become self-sustaining. We already sell merchandise, with the profit going to the site account. We’ve made some sales, but they’ve been sporadic and haven’t generated as much support as we had hoped. Members have also made donations, which we genuinely appreciate. The contest was intended to do two things: create a fun community photography event and provide a little support for the platform. The calendar would have been printed on demand, with each winner receiving a copy. Entry fees were intended to cover those copies and contribute something toward the site—not turn WaterPixels into a commercial contest. That said, we’ve heard your concerns about charging $5 per image. The cost can add up quickly for members who want to submit several photos, so we agree that a per-image fee isn’t the right approach. Rather than rushing the event—or the development of the management system needed to run contests properly—we’re pulling back from holding one this year. Instead, we may organize a community photography event in early 2027, potentially with sponsor support. That would give us time to develop the necessary tools, work through the details with members, and create an event that is well planned and worthwhile. After that event, we can revisit the idea of a fundraising calendar as a separate community discussion. Nothing has been decided, and any future calendar proposal would take the feedback we’ve received into account. We’ve also developed Link Cards as a bonus service for members and another small way to help generate revenue for the site. The feature will be available soon. A Link Card gives you a personal page on WaterPixels that works like a home page or Linktree. You can add links to your website, Instagram, Facebook, and other places, share the page from your phone, and display a gallery that feels like your own space. Example: waterpixels.net/u/yourname Link Cards will cost $5 per year and are entirely optional. Use one if it’s useful to you; if it isn’t, that’s completely fine. It’s your choice, and nothing else about your access to WaterPixels will change. Thank you again for speaking honestly. Your feedback helped us recognize that the original contest proposal needed more thought. We’ll take the time to develop the event properly, explore sponsor involvement, and continue the conversation with the community as we move forward.