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No worries, glad it helps. And yes, it slipped my mind, but Smiling Seahorse is definitely photo-centric! They're also spearheading blackwater diving in the area and do trips up to Myanmar. The Deep Andaman Queen is also a great operator. Steve has been doing this for a long time in the area and is really good (and they also go all the way to Myanmar on some longer trips) These are both great recommendations. I'm not familiar with Vela, however.

@bghazzal thank you! This is very helpful! A couple live-aboards that look appealing to me are the Andaman Queen and Vela, both look pretty posh, but no idea how photo-centric they are. Someone recommended Smiling Seahorse as a good photo-centric boat—definitely seems more basic accommodation but it could be ok if there are good photo guides and I can get a single room without paying for two people.

As an update, the Anker power bank solution has an Achilles' heel: auto power-off. When a device is off or drawing very little current, the power bank turns off and needs to be restarted by pressing a button. Other than turning it on before diving (= opening the housing) or leaving the camera on all the time, even when transiting to the dive site (= defeating the purpose of extending battery life), I don't see a practical solution.

I've worked on the Andaman Sea (liveaboard and day trips) for a few seasons until 2020, and crowds will indeed be difficult to avoid. The area is popular, and the number of local (Thai) divers increased after the pandemic travel bans. You should base yourself in Khao Lak, where 4/5-day liveaboards depart from nearby Thap Lamu Pier, and there are also day trips, hop-on hop-off platforms, etc., reaching both the Similan and Surin national parks. Richelieu Rock (in the Surins Islands NP) is great, but yes, it will be one of the most crowded sites. I've had up to 14 liveaboards on site. Liveaboard four-dives-a-day schedules mean that it's difficult to space out dives by more than 20 minutes, so it gets crowded. I also worked on a speedboat that went to Richelieu from Khao Lak (or more precisely Ban Nam Khem, further north) four times a week. At the time, the two operators offering this were Big Blue and Wetzone. We did managed to dive the site during liveaboard lunch breaks and sometimes had the site to ourselves, but reaching it can be tricky in December with the wind. Big Blue is run, on the Japanese side, by a photographer, Takeshi Omura, but the operation is split between a Japanese side and a rest-of-the-world side, and the photo action is concentrated on the Japanese-speaking section. The other two highlights in the area are Koh Tachai (Pinnacle) and Koh Bon, in the Similans Islands NP. Similans island sites themselves can be nice (sites like 3 Trees and Elephant Head Rock for the topography for instance), but it's more hit or miss, with the three clear highlights being Bon, Tachai, and Richelieu. The area doesn't have amazing biodiversity (compared to places like Indonesia, for instance), but fish density is amazing, and that's one of the highlights, along with the occasional whale shark and giant oceanic manta ray etc. I can't really give recommendations now as my info is outdated, but look into operators like the Phinisi/Junk, Big Blue (which has a new liveaboard, the Blue Dolphin, and has resumed day trips if I'm not mistaken), Wetzone, Seabees, etc. I will say that there were, in my times, operators to avoid, so choose wisely. I'm sure others will have more recent recommendations.

Hi, everyone. Yes, please submit feedback if you see issues! It's definitely not 100% accurate. In a later phase if/when the current Wetpixel server goes down, I may decide to host and serve the actual articles and link them from the wiki. That way there would be a true archive online with the wiki sitting on top of it. Thanks for taking on the community here at Waterpixels!

I'll be sailing with friends from Phuket to Langkawi late February-early March, 2027. We'll largely be sailing on the east side of Phuket, so while the diving may be ok, we won't be hitting Richelieu Rock, etc. on the west side. I'd like to come in a week or so early (pretty flexible) to dive and photograph the Andaman Sea. I've read several reports about the diving being good to great, but the crowds and divers make it a not-so-pleasant experience. I'll likely be a single traveler. I'm not crazy about the idea of a liveaboard, but would be willing to go that route if the boat, crew, guides, and diving are great (and avoid crowds). Also looking for photo guides, either private or small group. What reputable companies or resorts should I reach out to? Thanks in advance, Evan

Tom is an expert when it comes to remote triggering. Just for fun you both may want to checkout the Marelux remote trigger module which is triggered from up to 10 meters using a blue light. The Marelux.co web site includes a video of the product being used. It can be found under products in the innovative products section. it is designed for newer Marelux housings that are equipped with a small port to detect the blue light. It mounts under the camera tray. 42510 Remote Shutter Module Patent of invention Material: POM Dimensions: 72mm(W) 30mm(H) 30mm(D) Weight in Air: 37.5g Effective receiving distance : 10 meters Optical signal receiving angle : 140 degrees Equipped with a built-in battery that supports charging via the USB-C interface Compatible housing models: MX-R5II, MX-R6III, MX-A7V, MX-A1II, MX-A6700, MX-Z6III, MX-GH6/7, MX-S1RII

Cozumel. Fly by shooting, lol. Between dives now, heading back out shortly and may even leave the camera in the room since I already have it set up for tomorrow. What fun is that!

Marelux new Aquista 135D water contact wide angle lens is ready for shipping. This is the third lens in the Aquista line and the first dry mount lens not requiring a flat port. Depending on the camera lens being used the Aquista lens mounts direct to the extension ring required for that lens. With commonly used lenses like the Sony FE 28-60 & 28-70mm the Aquista 135D AOV is 130 degrees. With lenses like a 24-70mmm as you zoom in the lens will work out to 135 degrees (diagonally) at around 26/27MM. This new lens retails in the US For $2599.00. Go to the Optics section on the Marelux.co web site to download the lens compatibility charts. Technical Specifications - Dimensions:180mm Outer Diameter x 143mm - Body Construction:Hard Anodized Aluminum Alloy - Lens Construction:6 elements in 5 groups - Lens Coating:Anti-corrosion Coating on the outside of the dome. Anti-reflection Coating on other surfaces - Field of View (diagonal):135° - Weight (Air): 2210g / 4.87lb. - Weight (Underwater) :Neutral Buoyancy - Port Mount:Series 5 - Depth Rating:100m

Thanks, somehow I missed them in my first look at that page.

Thank you Jim, glad you found it useful. To your question: About a decade ago a visiting Swiss photographer used a wireless remote control by placing the device in a floating small sized Pelican case that was wired to his housing using a cable similar to what I use. You might be able to build something like this yourself. Another solution, which I have used, is to trigger an underwater camera using a built-intervalometer. None of my Canon 1D type cameras had this so it was not an option for many of my shots (I have used four different 1Ds). First use was with a Nikon D3X. Its limitation was a maximum of 999 intervals which is not many shots when it comes to salmon. I selected 3 shots per interval but this was more of a band-aid solution. More recently I have used the intervalometer in my Nikon D4S which allows 9999 intervals so is far more useful. As well the intervalometer works well in conjunction with a remote cable, for example, I used the intervalometer to take a shot every 15 seconds as a back-up in case I was away from the release stick or the release stick ceased to work (this has happened). Most shots were done with a cable. I remember this shoot because I drained the battery in the D4S with the very last shot (of over 10K) showing actual spawning. Needless to say a lot of files had to be culled. Intervalometer shooting is also useful for angles where one cannot be close enough to observe such as on the far side of a stream relative to a primary housing. Also one has available the full use of two hands to move a polecam rig while the camera keeps on shooting. This was how I managed to get multiple perspectives when shooting the underwater shots for this gallery: https://www.salmonography.com/Salmonid-Topic/Family-ties You can see in the topside shot included in the galley that I was on the ground right next to the stream and the camera pole was aimed towards my left side (can only see one of red sneakers I was wearing over my waders in the pic). As well, this particular housing has just two bulkhead holes, one for the flash synch and the outer for a “remora” (a common name for remoras is shark sucker but mine is a housing sucker!), so I was compelled to use the intervalometer.

You can browse my designs here: Makerworld Collections: UW Photography: https://makerworld.com/collections/16165730 Scuba: https://makerworld.com/collections/16165676

@Dave_Hicks do you happen to have your improved knobs available for download somewhere?

Last photo cropped lower left to show the Lens Profile banding on the border introduced by Lightroom.

Same settings, but at 50mm. Color corrected a bit.

I was able to try this lens out yesterday underwater in a 140mm dome. 1/160 sec at f/8.0, ISO 100 @ 20mm. I bumped up the exposure +.55 in Lightroom, but otherwise no other changes. One negative, is the Lightroom Profile Correction for the new lens leaves a thin border banding. I assume future versions will fix this.

Awesome! Where are you diving at present?

I have been using Tribolube for almost 20 years on my Oxygen (and non-O2) regulators, Cameras, Strobes and Lights. It's identical to what Nauticam provides as best I can tell. Looks, feels, spreads exactly the same. One 2oz/57g tube should last you the better part of a decade. You can also choose to get it in a syringe, which makes it easy to refill the little portable Nauticam tubes. https://www.divegearexpress.com/tribolube-71-o2-compatible-lubricant

Just an update. Have the incredible Retra Maxis strobes in the water now for two weeks and several more dives yet. There is a learning curve with them. But the reason for the post, the sleeves I made from an old wetsuit arm and especially the @Dave_Hicks bumpers are performing fantastic to protect my beautiful, shiny silver Retras from all that nasty marine stuff! Thanks.

Impossible to know. I have everything Nauticam and I use their lubricant. I only noticed that Nauticam one looks exactly the same i use on my O2 cleaned regs and rebreather.

Lube list? Which ones are the ”same”? I have Inon, Nauticam, Sea & Sea and Hugyfot atm. Not sure which ones are interchangeable.

I do think CFWA is a good option in poor viz. The setup is based on getting very close to a subject but setting it against a wide background. The poor viz alternative is macro. It could be of course that in poor viz the background isn’t great or at least far from ideal. But that doesn’t necessarily matter. I’m not sure about using video lights. But maybe others can comment on using them for WA with a TG. I wouldn’t do it with larger sensor cameras for still images.

I’m the same, got pots and tubes of the stuff all over the place. In 25 years I think I’ve used 3 of those small rounds 1” tubs that are fitted with a key chain.

In 15 years, I have never had to buy any grease for O-rings. Every housing and every Nauticam port comes with a tube inside, and you need so little of it that they are practically infinite. IIRC, in the past, at some trade show, I even scrounged a couple of tubes from the Nauticam importer by threatening him 😁 Having done technical diving for over 20 years, I can confirm that it must be a lube with a percentage of PTFE. Nauticam lube is practically identical to oxygen-compatible lube . Christolube is terrible because it leaves dry residue, unlike other apparently unbranded types that I use.

Hi all, I have in my possession a TG-7, PT-059 housing, seafrogs tray/handles and some cheap-ish arms/clamps. On the firm advice of members of my local dive club I have two video lights on their way from China (LetonPower L15) and this will at least get me started. Most of the divers in my club who shoot lean towards what I’d call generic point and shoot, or macro whereas my natural interest leans more towards wide-angle stuff but I don’t know how realistic a goal it is to be aspiring to capture close focus wide angle shots in UK waters and typically those in the North England & Scotland. The reading I’ve done so far (I think) seems to suggest that cfwa is appropriate in poor vis so should be something I can work on but I’d like to check I’m on the right track. I guess my questions are: 1) Am I going to be able to scratch my wide angle itch in my local diving environment (weather permitting) 2) is my setup going to work, at least for now? Long term I’d look at getting either a 120 degree wa lens or the weefine fisheye (I love fisheye) 3) can I get away without strobes for now? again long term I’ll get some, probably backscatter atoms Thanks, Jon