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Hey everyone I'll be visiting China in May for work, and I'll have 2 free days in Beijing and 3 free days in Shenzhen. Does anyone have recommendations for dive centers in those areas?

Those settings make sense to me! I don't think I've ever seen that message come up, the pins can be tricky in the Sony hotshoe but it sounds like you've already cleaned them up etc. If you reach out to UWTechnics I'm sure he'll help you troubleshoot and confirm any issue if it might be the trigger board. I've asked him a couple of questions before and he's always been helpful and quick to reply 🙂 If it's the Pro but not the Pro Max, maybe the TTL is different - Pavel will know! But I don't think that error message should be popping up either way.

Welcome from another old, but less accomplished diver, also interested in learning underwater photography/videography.

The whole Persian gulf is very shallow. Max depth near Musandam is somewhere 200 meters and the average in the gulf a mere 50-60 meters. So that has a big impact.

Welcome to the group. Dave

Hello Yorkie ! Indeed, I forgot to mentioned it in the gear configuration. Everything is set according to UWTechnics manual : Position 7 on the board for the Retra, WL is off in the camera, only mechanical shutter, power save to 10sec, etc. The following image is taken from the manual and you can see that all the flash modes are usable. In my case, the first one is grey and when try to select it, it gives me the error message. I'm starting to think it is a defective unit as the error message seems not to be encoutered by others ?

is there any reason why when downloading the stl file from maker world it downloads it onto my computer as a step file

Hi Everyone! Anyone have their travel plans impacted due to air space closures? Anyone still planning a spring/early summer (or winter depending on your location) dive trip?. The Designed for Scuba community is headed to beautiful Palau in May! A favorite dive location for many, along with the world's first shark sanctuary since 2009 (banning all commercial shark fishing and protecting 135 species of sharks & rays). So it's a super sharky 🦈🦈 dive location! We're also going during the prime time for the parrotfish spawning event that happens once a month. There are limited discounted spots available (spots for two people sharing a main deck room with a king bed). We'll be onboard the stunning Solitude Gaia liveaboard (along with the diving there are paddle boards, kayaks and everyone's favorite, the slide)! Such a beautiful part of the world and the Solitude Gaia is a beautiful boat with a great crew! Dates: May 6-16, 2026 Location: Arrival into ROR airport (Koror, Palau) Cost: Last minute cancellations, mean discounted pricing (main deck, king bedroom only, 2 guests sharing a bed. Perfect for a couple or two friends traveling together (see pic below- bed is HUGE). Contact me if interested for pricing. Link to Trip Details: Designed for Scuba - Palau May 2026 I can help navigate the "getting there" as well with suggested flights. Flights going west have not been impacted by closures. Let me know if you're interested in joining the fun and I can share additional details. 🤿 Feel free to reach out or email me [email protected] to join the fun! Kim :)

Excellent condition, serviced by Gates in 2024. Includes flat port, port body cap, trim weights, Saga flip-adapter for diopter, 2x Fantasea video lights, batteries, chargers, Locline arms and mounts for lights. Price includes shipping within US. Payment by Paypal. Does not include camera or Gates WA port...I have both of those, and can add them to package for negotiated added cost.

$500 USD Nauticam SMC-2 lens builds on the success of the SMC-1 with almost double its magnification. In spite of all this, it maintains exceptionally high image quality, following the examples set by the SMC-1. The SMC-2 has a small scratch on the edge shown in the picture. It does not affect images. I have reflected it in the price at $500 USD ($650 CAD) this is 60% off retail. Payments. Buyers Pays Shipping Payments: -In Canada Interac -International preference is Wise -If paying using PayPal + 3.7% to cover fees

REDUCED: I am selling my complete Ikelite 6801.72 FL underwater set for $3000 USD (obo) plus freight (I am willing to negotiate and will consider splitting up or serious offers). Would like to see this rig get used instead of sitting around.

Seems like you're happy :) I'll likely get it, and see how different it makes me think compared to the Tokina 10-17mm. Your images look pretty sharp in the middle, and good overall. The one with the fish cloud is stunning! Must be cool to dive in those places. Thanks!

With my Nauticam housing for my R7, I leave my handles on, packed in my carryon. Once a year I remove the handles and put Tef-Gel, an anti seize lubricant, on the screws.

Welcome is there decent diving in coastal Georgia? - or would you go down to Florida to dive?

I have the Nitecore NL2153HP with 5300 mAh for my HF1's. After a full day of diving and making photos (I seldom use the videolight), I have still 60% -75% of charge available. No need for more capacity...

Welcome to the forums 🙂 Have you set the dial on the UWT trigger to the relevant setting for your strobe? And I think for TTL you'd need to make sure "WL" is off in the camera settings too. I think option 7 is for retra pro max, I'm assuming it will be the same for the pro but not certain!

Some review (always with an Ikelite housing. Nauticam is MIA)

Hi ! This not the topic that I wanted to post for my fist post but I'm looking a specific feedback regarding the use of UWTechnics TTL converter 11075 for Sony and an A7RV. I've just recieved my new gear and I'm getting the following error message on the A7RV when connecting the hotshoe off the converter : Can someone confirm me if when the TTL converter is connected to the camera, the same error message appears ? Or is this only with mine ? I did futher testing with the following gear for the tests : Sony A7RV with 4.00 firmware Sony 100mm GM 2.8 / Sony 28-60 TTL converter 11075 (new batteries in) Retra Pro Strobes (firmware up to date) When taking a picture, the converter does trigger the flashs (Retra PRO) but there is no TTL. With the same fixed parameters (ISO, SS), the images goes to underexposed to overexposed when changing aperture (I've been trying from f2.8 to f22 ). I even cleaned the hotshoe contacts on both camera and converter but same result ... Does anybody have been struggling with the same configuration ? I had a D850 with Pavel TTL converter for years and never had encoutered this behavior. Many thanks, Clément

Thanks Tim ! Not many time at the moment to go diving an to post images but it will come !

Thanks, very helpful! I think I'll go with the XTARs, since they're definitely recommended by Backscatter and are significantly cheaper than the NiteCores. And whether the NL2160HP actually has 6000 mAh and thus a significant advantage over the XTAR, I can't even verify.

I remember correpondence with Backscatter where they wrote me that the flash will shut off, when used with batteries that do not allow to draw a minimum of current, like e.g. 20A... Who knows what the outcome could be when inserting different kind of batteries, some with, some without built in protection circuits (maybe of different kind)? A shut off of the flash might be the least problem... => I fear that beeing too stingy can cost a lot more money in the end (At least the price of purchasing multiple different batteries before buying the right ones; not to speak about broken equipment). At the best one could save a couple of Euros, by taking the risk. This is opposed by total costs of many thousands of Euros for the entire rig... Wolfgang

From what I understood the Xtar 21700 5000mAh 10A (which are the ones that came with my Backscatter MW4300) are build around a Samsung INR21700-50E cell which has the following characteristics: https://www.18650batterystore.com/products/samsung-50e The issue is that the original raw Samsung cell doesn't have a protection circuit or button top, which is what Xtar offers. It can also be tricky to source an original cell as an individual consumer. I need to buy new ones for the MW4300 (one cell died on me) and will probably go for the newer Xtar 21700 5000mAh 25A, though the higher amperage isn't that important for a video light.

I just want to share some info that’s out there if you dig deep enough, but honestly, it’s a pain to track down. Here’s the deal: brands like Nitecore and Xtar don't actually make batteries. They just buy cells from the real manufacturers, slap on a protection board (either their own or from someone else), and wrap it in their own label. If you check the specs from the world’s actual battery giants—Samsung, LG, Sanyo, or China’s EVE—you’ll notice something fishy: none of them make a 21700 cell with a crazy 6000mAh capacity. So, whenever I see those "super capacity" claims from these third-party brands, I’m highly skeptical. When you’re picking a battery, ignore the marketing fluff and look at Capacity, Max Discharge Current, and Cycle Life. Capacity is obviously how much juice it holds. Max Discharge is the big one—it’s what allows your video lights or flashes to run at high power without quitting on you. Cycle Life is basically how many times you can recharge it before it’s trash. In my experience, most flashes and video lights need about 20–25A of max discharge to handle 90% of what you’ll throw at them. This means your video lights stay bright and stable, and your flash recycles way faster. Protection boards (PCBs) are there for safety—to keep things from blowing up if there's a short circuit. But here’s the catch: they often throttle the battery's performance. For instance, I’ve used high-power cells with added PCBs on Marelux flashes, and even though the cell itself was strong enough, the PCB blocked the power flow and the flash wouldn't even turn on. Plus, adding a PCB makes the battery physically longer, so it might not even fit in your gear. If you’re still with me after all that technical talk, here’s how I spend my money: The "In-Box" Battery: If a light comes with a branded battery, I’ll use it. At least you know the manufacturer (hopefully) tested it with that specific device. Buying "Raw" Cells: For extras, I buy directly from the cell manufacturers (like Lishen, EVE, etc.). Why? Because I can see the real spec sheets and know exactly what I’m getting. Plus, it’s way cheaper. Check this price gap: Lishen (The Manufacturer) 5000mAh: Usually around $5–$8. https://liionwholesale.com/collections/batteries/products/lishen-21700-lr2170sd-9-6a-flat-top-5000mah-battery-genuine Nitecore (The Label) 5000mAh: Usually $20–$30+. https://nitecorestore.com/products/nitecore-nl2150-21700-5000mah-rechargeable-li-ion-battery?currency=USD I’m not trying to judge Nitecore or any other brands. I just don't think the "extra value" they provide is worth the massive markup. Personally, I’d rather go straight to the source. It gets the job done just as well, and I’m not paying 3x the price just for a fancy sticker.

I have the adapter Chris mentions. There are several versions. I have used three versions thus far. One of the first two might work for you. It is a bit of a Rube Goldberg with both fiber optics and a cable, one on each side of the adapter that dangles in the middle. I found this to be not rugged enough for my use in Alaska. The third version screws into a Retra starting with the gen 3 models so does away with having to use fiber optics. This is what I am using now. One thing you should know is these adapters are for manual use, no TTL. I suggest that you use a strobe that takes N5 cables. This is the only way you are likely to get TTL flash which was more useful with film than with digital as there is no chimping with film. There are loads on the used market for not very much. The last new model was the Nikon SB105 that was introduced to replace the recalled SB103 so are likely to be not too used. Make sure to have back up synch cords on hand as they do eventually fail.

Aloha and welcome @VTDiver