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I just uploaded a new design for a Optical Sync Cable Port for Nauticam Housings. @Grantmac and others have been asking for these for a while. They feature a cool, print-in-place rotating turret just like the OEM part. https://makerworld.com/en/models/2726041-optical-sync-cable-port-for-nauticam-housings#profileId-3020623

Optical Sync Cable Port for Nauticam HousingsThese plastic caps for the optical ports of your Nauticam Underwater Housing are one of the most lost and misplaced items in all of underwater photography! This design is a perfect replacement or spare part to carry with you on scuba diving expeditions. It fits any standard 7mm connector on underwater sync cables. It features a print in place rotating turret just like the OEM original part. Print these connectors in PETG for best results in underwater and outdoor environments. PLA may work initially but will likely swell, crack, or otherwise fail eventually. Print with PETG enabling supports and specify PLA support interface so the turret part breaks free successfully. After removing the tree supports from the center, use a long thin pick to remove the PLA support interface ring. An outer brim may help to ensure a successful print. https://makerworld.com/en/models/2726041-optical-sync-cable-port-for-nauticam-housings#profileId-3020623 If you want to make your own Sync Cables, see my other model for sync connectors and details to source multi-core fiber. https://makerworld.com/en/models/846729-diy-optical-fiber-sync-cable-connectors#profileId-1454437

The lower price of the Maxi should ease some of the analysis paralysis. It's 8mm wider, not a significant difference at the end of the day. If you add in the 16 or even 32 AA batteries you need to carry for the Max Pro II strobes, you come out way ahead for the Maxis in the packing size and weight comparison. I pack four 21700 cells for a pair of Maxi (or HF-1) strobes, and two more 21700's for my focus light. The focus light is good for two dives, so it gets swapped more often. The strobes will be good for at least two days of diving at 500 shots/day with capacity to spare. A single 4-cell charger will take care of everything.

Well, dang, what to do, what to do----. Looks like either has enough power to boil water or fry fish. Just the case size bugs me for the Maxi but I suppose I am just fixating as I oft do.

It does have a focus light, and the accessory LSD snoot uses it. High and Low settings where high is 400 lumens. It blinks off when firing the strobe. The optional 6000-lumen video light is a separate mode and can't fire the flash in that setting. The power level dial can lower the intensity in 16 levels.

I cannot see that it has a focus light like the ProMax does? Can the video light be set to shut off when the strobe fires?

The Maxi is more powerful than the Pro Max II and has similar coverage. It is a colder light and benefits from a warming filter or diffuser.

The Mission 1 series according to the developer will be so good underwater that the Dive=1 feature from Gopro labs is no longer required.. But the option to lock white balance will be available..

What is the watt/sec for the Maxi? Retra gives that strobe GN and the Pro Max in watt/sec! Do they have similar coverage for WA?

We just got back also. Where did you stay? Hope you had a great trip! Good news your rig worked perfect. I am beginning to wonder if there is an operator issue though I see nothing he was doing that did not seem right. It is as if the electronics sensitivity is too much and a small fluctuation sets the red light to flashing though there is no leak.

I got tired of trying to educate old-school publishers of this years ago. The other stupid thing they asked for was 50 Mbyte files. 50 Mbytes of what? I suspect (and could be wrong) that the stupidity came from film and the default output from drum scanners. So I just gave them files tweaked to match the stupid specifications.

A few thoughts: I think the Retra products are great. The strobes are not the smallest but not overly huge. I don't think the Maxis are larger in diameter than the Pro Max, as I can use the same diffusers and macro rings on both of them. The Maxis are about as large as the Pro Max with boosters on the Pro Max, but the Pro Max are shorter than the Maxis if not using the boosters. I don't like the Maxis much for wide angle unless I use a dome diffuser, mostly because the color temp is not as nice, but the pro max are fine without. With diffusers, the Maxis are fine for wide angle and good for macro without needing diffusers, and a good price. I got those because I want to experiment a bit with some video and did not want to get dedicated video lights. I can't say how many shots I get with the Pro Max, but they easily get me through 2-3 dives and would probably go at least one more. With boosters on, I have gone six dives without a battery change, but I shoot fewer pictures on each dive than a lot of people seem to. Extensive snooting or or full power would probably not allow that many dives. Generally, when I charge the batteries, they seem to only be about 50-60% discharged. I have a trip in the Caribbean in a few weeks and am not going to take the boosters as I will only be doing 2-3 dives a day and don't expect to be running the strobes very hard. Note that ordering from Retra to the USA means using DHL shipping and when I got my Pro Max strobes, DHL hit me with something like $300 in customs duties and related fees, that I believe was a dramatic overcharge, so when I bought my Maxis, I bought them from Reef Photo. The Pro Max II are just too expensive for me to justify. I have lights and strobes using lithium batteries, including the Maxis, and there are benefits to these, but I also see a distinct benefit in using AA batteries. Airlines are beginning to crack down on lithiums, including not allowing them in overhead compartments and limiting the number carried, and these restrictions may increase. Resorts and liveaboards are placing restrictions on charging lithiums other than in locations and at times when they can be monitored. Strobes with AA batteries don't have those issues. Self promotion: I have a pair of very clean and lightly used Prime strobes with boosters I have been thinking I should sell, but have not gotten around to it. Let me know if interested and I can figure out a price.

Video done past weekend using Gopro 13 with features from Gopro Labs, like Wide color Gamut , Dive=1 and 190Mbps bitrate Only 1 x dive light and without AOI wide angle Lens Depth 21 Meters Does debris floating are normal for our Green Atlantic water Color correction was gp-tune & davinci resolve YouTube 4K60

Nice work @Matan

definitely - but those jellyfish during deco are just too amazing to limit myself not to shoot them :) when the summer heat will drive them away I'll revert to 60mm again. Matan.

Welcome to the forum Hotaru! 😀

I just got back from Roatan for my octo housing set's maiden voyage and it worked flawlessly for over 40 dives.

Do you actually need to full frame would be my first question, depending on what lenses you want to use it can be significantly more $ and also heavier and bulkier making travel more difficult. Rectilinear wides, depending on which particular model work best in large 230mm domes, some of the new ones are OK in the 180mm domes. In ikelite you have basically an 8"dome and a 6"dome which works with some systems only and some have caveats in use. If you went m43 your lenses are significantly smaller and cheaper and in general work quite well with smaller domes. For me a big attraction is using the Canon 8-15 adapted to get full fisheye through to a 28mm FF equivalent reach. You can do something similar with an 8-15 on an APS-C sensor , but reach is a little less - very versatile setup for wide angle work.

Seems like if you get the boosters with the strobe there is a deal, $100 more gets you the boosters and two four cell battery chargers. I don't have the Pro max, just the lower power pure model, my current usage is the standard 4 cell configuration for local diving - go out for a single long dive locally and use the boosters when I'm on a trip. Cheaper than buying them later on.

Yes, the Maxi is bigger but not all that much. About 8mm more in diameter and 27mm longer. Honestly, I can imaging you would notice in active use. And there is no booster to bulk up the Maxi, where the Pro Max all be requires the booster for decent battery life. Yes, video light is optional and will save $200usd. It's a nice to have feature and the strobe has power to spare for the 5000 lumen light.

For video work, a 60mm (120mm of FF) is really usable only in tripod.

Dave, isn't the Maxi in a larger case, which is a concern to me because I like to get into tight spaces to shoot morays and critters? Also, isn't it kind of a video combo strobe. Video is something I never do. The Pro Max II is meant for still photogs I thought? Simply zero interest in looking at or shooting videos. But, yes, let me take another look at those, I think they can come without the video light option? Thanks.

Aloha and welcome @Lithium - keep that G7x - at least until there’s finally an upgrade. Those small “bricks" are great!

Consider the Retra Maxi strobe, not the Pro Max. It's brighter, faster, longer battery life, and include excellent video lights. I am not sure who the Pro Max is for, but it is not the best Retra anymore for most people.