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@Gmsalterego for Mac i have DR21 free version, i dont use GP-TUNE+ Transform... just gt-tune

well we can't put a video in a calendar.. 😂 working on making the site more videographer friendly thou. Possibly later add some sort of contest for video if the user base wants it.

What about video category?

2 or 3 years ago I build an iris 3D printedit works... but the size was to big. After this attempt i change to Aliexpress iris like I put it in my own snoot 3 version at the moment... but I'm not happy The V4 will be better, smaller an lighter

I’ve seen a lot of helpful ideas on travel cases, but nothing on how folks keep photo gear safe, organized, and out of the way (I seem to have photo gear multiplying in every room of the house!). I shoot OM, so everything is a little smaller than FF (except strobes), but it still piles up. What solutions have you found that work?

Oh, I hear ya!!!! Interesting to read of your Subal experience. They serviced a 45-degree viewfinder for me after I scratched the viewing glass a few months ago. That was quite quick. But, yeah, not sure I'd want to invest in a new system. Such a pity. They have been superb housing. Will post for sure on how it goes. As for the Nauticam, 45-degree viewfinder. Mercy, it is LARGE compared to the very neat Subal one. Easy to install/remove though, has a diopter adjustment which is nice.

I appreciate the long reply. Sounds like your considerations are really the same as mine. My left brain is telling me the OM-1 in Nauticam is the way to go. My right brain is lusting after the D500/Subal. FYI: the housing problem that left me shooting my wife's camera was an LCD window that cracked when pressure tested after servicing. That was two weeks before our trip. It's now 7 weeks later and still no replacement window from Subal. I note they still don't have a housing for the OM-1 even though it's on its second generation. I fear you're right about them fading away. Look forward to your thoughts on the camera after you've had it in the water. Especially interested in hearing what you think of the viewfinder for wide angle.

The Oly 8mm FE behind a 160 dome. It also occurs to me that I am so unfamiliar with the camera that my settings might have been suboptimal. In any case, everything I've read about the OM-1 autofocus is that it's among the best, so that's less of a concern.

The Sony 90mm is frustrating on an A7II (or IIR) and I've given up on it. I'm interested to know if the 100mm macro works on these cameras which I still have. I use a 45 degree viewfinder on SLRs but not with the Sonys as the rear screen works well enough in the conditions I dive in (turbid and dark).

Backscatter filters are not the best but worth a try. If you missed it I suggest to read this incredible article on WB and action cameras. Concepts are valid for any camera.

No filter tested, sorry

What lens were you using? I've used the Oly 12-40, Panasonic 8mm and even their 7-14 AN found it snapped to focus quite quickly. I now have an adapted Canon 8-15 - it's not always fast but that's to be expected with an adapted lens but a small shift on focus distance is almost instant most of the time on that - the flexibility is astounding though.

Have you had a chance to test the filters, are they worth the hassle?

Same to me. Use 99% only the two round-snapped slide masks. The slides are very easy/quick to use and very reliable. If you have a bit of experience, you'll quickly know which diameter/mask you need for a given object.

I love the idea and it was something I asked Retra about a few years ago. They thought then that variable apertures tended to jam after a time and the slide masks were simpler and reliable. In practice, like @Dave_Hicks I only use probably 2-3 sizes of openings and have just the two round-shapped Retra slide masks in carabiners in a BCD pouch.

Hi Reuben Have to say I agonised. The decision to move to OM and Nauticam was for multiple small reasons which seemed to make the case. I usually only traveled with the Subal housing plus a Nikkor 60mm macro and Tokina 10-17 plus the relevant ports (100mm for the Tokina), Retra strobes and LSD. Even then I was finding the weight and bulk a bit of a pain. When I lost all my gear I thought it time for a rethink. Was it wise to buy a second hand D500? I had contacted Subal about a housing and got no reply. And much though I loved the housings, I couldn’t help but feel Subal were fading away. Nauticam is everywhere in terms of product support, quality, second hand desirability etc. Then there didn’t seem to be a D500-like Nikon body available. I didn’t want to go FF for the weight issues. Several members on Waterpixels talked about the merits of M43 and the OM-1. Those factors persuaded me to switch. There were probably more thoughts in the back of my mind. Not yet got the new system in the water. Soon! But first topside impressions are good. Lenses for underwater use are mind-boggling small and light compared to Nikkor. The Nauticam housing feels good, fits together nicely and I really like the integrated vacuum system and USB bulkhead charging/downloading capability. Port mounting is a little easier than Subal. Push and lock rather than push hard, twist and maybe lock. The housing feels good to handle, perhaps not quite as refined as the Subal. I really liked the size, feel and placement of Subal’s shutter and aperture control wheels. The Nauticam’s are a little smaller and, at the moment, my Subal muscle memory doesn’t find them so easily. Practice eh? Over 25 years of Subal practice. The OM-1ii is similar in size to the Z6 series. It seems hugely capable. AF seems excellent topside. Massive learning curve from Nikon. But one step at a time. Image quality? Waterpixelers, whose views I trust, tell me I won’t tell the difference. I bought a topside lens with the aim of slowly switching entirely to OM. Again, steep learning curve. I got the 12-100 which is similar to the Nikkor 24-200 which is/was my go to travel lens. It’s very similar in size. But other long tele/zooms in the OM range are significantly smaller and lighter than Nikkor equivalents. Everything other than strobe arms now fits in a 1510 Pelican case. Yeah, it’s still heavy! So no real weight saving but it is compact and my second cabin bag will be much lighter. Sorry, this is rather a long reply now. I can tell you more when back from my trip. But so far looks good and I thought it might be helpful to explain the context for my decisions.

We're considering launching the First Annual WaterPixels Underwater Photography Contest, and before we go too far with planning and development, we'd like to hear from the community. The idea is to create an annual WaterPixels competition judged by a panel of underwater photographers, with categories covering different styles of underwater photography. Winning images would be featured in the official WaterPixels 2027 Calendar, which would be available for purchase through the WaterPixels Shop. Each photographer selected for the calendar would receive a complimentary copy. A dedicated contest page will be added to the site to list winners each year with optional Bio, Contact info listed on the site for some exposure if wanted, or simply just simple photo credit.. its up to the winner what the would like. We're considering an entry fee of $5 per image, with photographers able to enter up to 10 images total, with a maximum of 3 images in any one category. The contest isn't intended to be a major commercial competition. Entry fees and proceeds from calendar sales would go toward supporting the costs of hosting, maintaining, and continuing to develop the WaterPixels community. We're also considering a Members' Choice Award, giving WaterPixels members the opportunity to vote for their favorite images from the finalists. Before we put the work into making this happen, we'd really like to know if this is something our members would actually participate in. Ive started a Contest management system for just this but before I get in to some serious time on it.. just want to see what we are looking at for interest. If low response.. we will just table it until next year and ask again and ill work on other things for the site. Please vote in the poll and leave a comment with your thoughts, suggestions, or concerns. We'd especially like to hear what would make you more—or less—likely to enter.

I prototyped a similar Snoot-Iris about a year ago, but didn't finish it as I just don't find changing aperture of the snoot all that useful. 95% of the time I use the widest openings anyway, and I didn't want issues with binding of the moving parts in an Iris. Then I got the Backscatter OS-3 snoot, which uses a rotating disk/cartridge instead of a card. It's is pretty much the same effect as an Iris but a lot simpler. I did make an adapter so I can use the Backscatter snoot on either the HF-1 or Retra strobes.

I'm still struggling with the decision to upgrade/update my Subal/D7200. Considering the OM-1 vs a used D500 and a new Subal housing, and I'm wondering what persuaded you to go with the OM-1. I had a housing issue shortly before our last dive trip, and my wife graciously allowed me to shoot her EM1 Mk ii on wide angle dives. Once I got the hang of it, I found it takes very good pictures. I didn't love the speed of focus acquisition and I did not love the viewfinder. But I understand the OM-1 has improved on both. I was also a bit ambivalent about the small Nauticam housing. It felt less polished than my Subal and was also a bit awkward in my somewhat large hands--though I imagine I just needed more time to become comfortable. Have you had your OM-1 in the water? How does it compare with your D500?

I realy like videos that give a good impression of your coast, with critters and wideangles. This is a perfect example.

lol, thank you very much! I was able to keep it together and not crap my suit, lol. Thank you!

Yes! Interested in a shareable 3d print file for this iris. I'm sure I'll either miss clipping one of my Retra "hole-cards" to a D-ring, or it will break eventually. Good to have a compact alternative. Love to see some resulting shots too!

Apple iMac @Nando Diver Do you use GP-TUNE+ Transform as first node?

I'm on a 100% DIY snoot... The last version was not the last one... I had some change to do but no time for the moment and the nex trip will be without macro I have a little time to study the change I need to do. Can you give us some return of experience of the use under water ? Thanks