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Unfortunately, it appears that my new Panasonic GH7 has a fatal flaw that I never even considered. I am Cozumel now, setting my gear up, and discovered that the GH7 doesn't do HDMI out while recording. In fact, I can't seem to get it to give an HDMI feed to my SmallHD-502 monitor at all. Perhaps there is a setting that I have missed, but all I can get is a "No HDMI Signal" error message on the monitor. If I can't use an external monitor with this camera, it will really cripple my macro shooting (not that I expect to get much macro shooting done here, with the current). Has anyone else run into this, and possibly have a solution that I am missing? Thanks

Hi! I pop up here every 6-12 months or so. This time I'm thinking about the Nauticam WWL-C. Currently I dive with a Nikon Z7 in a Sea&Sea housing. I also own (among other things) the 24-50/4-6.3 and a Z8. I understand that the 24-50 and a WWL-C may take care of very much of one's non-fisheye wideangle photography, and in a convenient package. Question 1: Can you use the lens more or less wide open with good image quality? One thing I like with my 14-30 + Sea&Sea correction lens behind a large dome is that I can get decent corner results even at fairly large apertures. Would like to do that with a potential 24-50 + WWL-C setup also. Question 2: Is there a good way to use the 24-50 with a Sea&Sea housing? It's not in their port chart. And, provided you can, is it possible to use it with the WWL-C and get good results? The brute force solution is to switch to Nauticam equipment for my Z8 but that's quite the budget undertaking.

Matthew and I have both been shooting the Retra Maxis here in Grand Cayman. We will talk about them on our show after the trip. Here are a few photos taken with them that I have processed out (for other reasons) so I can share easily. h

100% agree Jens. Used a few UW strobes (Inon D180, D2000, Z-240 Type2-4, Nikon Sb-800 with Sealux housing, Nikonos SB-105, Seacam 150D, Retra Pro Max, and Subtronic Pro270 + 160) Subtronic had a very good light quality when there were only few providers in earlier times and they still offer good performance today. While I used the Subtronics, service was outstanding compared to other manufacturers . Quick & cheap, always communicative. They even modified the strobes to my liking for little money. From my point of view a 100% + is that they still offer reliable repair service. Anyone still interested in sustainability these days? Hmmmh☹️

Hi everyone, I see there's been quite a bit of activity while I was away being horrified by the news... @Dave_Hicks Thank you for the Retra knob issue, I often am annoyed by the knob designs, especially when power level and mode knobs are not enormously different. I too, shoot with strobes way out as a backlight and often find myself flipping the wrong knob. I guess we share the same dyslexia that way. If you have any desire to do the same more controlled testing with the Backscatter strobes, happy to share the Photoshop scripts! @Architeuthis I did indeed include the Retra Pro Max II, their latest high-end pro strobe. For some reason I wrote Pro Max 2 throughout but my brain can't keep track of how manufacturers write their numbers. mk2, mkII, v2, 2, TWO, II... @Adventurer The Apollo III 2.0 strobes are what I tested. They are the glass-domed ones, that came to me in early November 2025. I presume they are the very latest, although I did receive two slightly different versions, with minor different knob designs and other differences in packaging. Both designs however seemed to be the same as far as performance. They are quite pretty too. I had to buy all the strobes I tested, so alas, no way to test the Backscatter unless someone wants to give me some. Seems like a pretty reasonable trade. I would be happy to test the Retra Maxi and Apollo at higher frame rates, but the testing took A LOT of time, 2 full workdays with writing the scripts and all of that. I might find the time to do more testing but my personal curiosity is satisfied -for now- and I learned a lot. @Chris Ross Thx mate.

After an initial problem with a leaky cable, I have now been photographing with two Subtronic pro 160 units for more than 13 years without ever having any problems again. The Subtronic replaced the Inon 240 I had been using previously. In terms of flash power and illumination angle, the Inon is a poor toy compared to the Subtronic. The pro 160 is at least twice as powerful as the Iron. Subtronic support has always been reliable, fast, and friendly. When it comes to quality, many manufacturers could learn a thing or two from Subtronic.

Retra LSD Snoot (Light Shaping Device) with Creative Mask Set, Included is Inon 240 attachment, of course can be changed to fit any strobe in which Retra makes fitted attachment. Over $458 New, asking $200. Buyer pays shipping. Thank you.

The NA-R50 uses a (rubber) sleeve that is integral to the fixed port to grip the lens as the camera slides into the housing and port.

Does the R50 housing have an arrangement like other Nauticam housings where you can pull the gear control out and twist and lock it in a retracted position?

Yes the diving really was really wonderful. For the most part the water visibility was pretty clear except for the last dive at Richelieu Rock when the water turned green and visibility dropped. It's funny the first three dives had great visibility and the fourth and last dive of the day it turned green. Since it is an open water spot it must have been the currents. Regarding the lights I did not use any filters. Perhaps I should have on a couple of the clips. Appreciate your comments. Peter

Thank you for the comment. Now that you mention it, the white balance is a bit off on some of the clips and totally agree on the Emperor fish, I could have slowed down the clip a bit. But thank you again for the constructive comments it pushes me to do better next time.

I fully share this view, and unfortunately it reflects a broader structural shift in underwater photography equipment and not just one brand or one product. And I understand this feeling very well. I started underwater photography when nothing was automated : Nikonos III, then V, manual exposure, manual focus, manual strobe power, no histogram, no second chance. Every frame had a cost, and every mistake taught you something. That constraint was not a limitation; it was a school. Back then, technology did not rescue you. It forced you to see: to anticipate light, to understand distance, to read water, to frame before lifting the camera. You learned patience. You learned discipline. And above all, you learned intention. Today I shoot with a Sony A1 in Nauticam. I use TTL, HSS, fiber optics, focus tracking, etc.... Of course I do. I enjoy the precision and the efficiency. I am not nostalgic for missed shots or unreliable film. But I am very aware that modern equipment has shifted the center of gravity: from photographer skill toward system intelligence. The irony is that while today’s strobes are technically extraordinary, they are often philosophically fragile. More electronics, more features, more integration, and therefore more points of failure, less repairability, and shorter lifespans. We traded mechanical robustness for digital sophistication. It was probably inevitable, but it was not free. What worries me is not that equipment breaks. Everything does. What worries me is that repair has quietly disappeared from the equation. I still have (and use) my so old SEACAM Housing for my analog Minolta Dynax 700si. Mosrtly for B&W photos.... When replacement becomes easier than understanding, fixing, or maintaining, something fundamental changes, not just economically, but culturally. Tools become consumables. Mastery becomes optional. Brands like Subtronic belonged to a different logic. Not perfect, not fast, not cheap, yes, damn so expensive, but built to be used, repaired, and kept. Today, even premium gear often follows a “sealed box” philosophy: incredible performance, zero forgiveness. When it fails, you don’t troubleshoot. You discard. And yet, despite all this, I still believe the essence of underwater photography hasn’t changed. Technology can assist, but it cannot replace vision. The best images today are still made by people who learned to see when nothing helped them. The danger is not modern gear, it is forgetting that skill came first. So yes, the market has changed. Small European manufacturers struggle. Asian brands dominate with efficiency and scale. Use-and-replace has won. That is reality. But creativity, discipline, and respect for light are not obsolete. They just require conscious effort now, instead of being imposed by limitations. We gained comfort. We lost friction. And friction, sometimes, is what makes you grow. That’s not fatalism. That’s experience speaking.

We use a standard Macbeth chart in a housing designed for an iPad.

I'm excited to write about an R50 option that I've discovered. Back in March 2025 I wrote about the only real limitation I've found with the Nauticam R50 housing. In Nauticam's design the port is integral to the housing. The design intends 18-45 Canon lens to be the only option for optics. This is not a big limitation because the WWL-1 and CMC can be added and together they give you an almost perfect range of options. But I wanted a bit more. I like to shoot jawfish, and a 90mm equivalent lens seems to work well. The Canon 18-45, however, only creates a 72mm perspective. As designed other lenses will not fit in housing ... but now I've found one. The lens I've found is the Sigma 56mm / f1.4. There is one compromise; you must remove the lens gear that is built into the housing. Once this is done the Sigma lens fits perfectly into the housing. Yes, you'll loose the zoom, but you will have the kind of arrangement most of us have shot for years: the 18-45 set for wide angle, and the 56 when you want telephoto, or perhaps macro (haven't tried this yet). If you make this change you will be temporarily removing the two guides that hold the gear in place. Be sure to put them back once the gear is out because the upper guide is needed for the pop up flash to work properly. It does not block the lens placement. If someone has a 3D printer and some time I think a redesign of the gear or guides might result in an arrangement that accommodates the 18-45 zoom feature, and the 56 lens, without compromise. Gary

@PeterN That's great stuff! I was there a couple years ago. Wonderful diving. Did you encounter a lot of green water? Also, did you filter your lights at all?

Thanks. I believe I have sourced one from another member here.

excellent, 2 or 3 clips are a little too much warm, you could have slow down the video one the Smalltooth Emperor fish clip...but in General TOP Video, i would never guess that the video was made with Gopro 11

A quick translation: Hello, it would be interesting to return to this topic, unfortunately we can no longer access wetpixel to read those articles, my experience with the 160 pro (opto kit) at the moment is not being good, the person in charge of Subtronic is friendly and correct, shipments to Germany are expensive and repairs take a long time, it is a shame because the quality of construction is exceptional, small companies in the EU tend to disappear, the Chinese market absorbs everything, if you have any problem they send you directly a new flash, without protesting, while it is under warranty, then if it breaks you can throw it away directly since here in Spain it is almost impossible to find a General technician who repairs underwater flashes... very unfortunate but that's how the market is today.. the more electronics and components the more probability of failures,, I started with nikonos, that if they were good flashes that did not give problems,, the 105 was the star, and then the ys250 pro and the ys 300 of sea sea were wonderful,, tempus fujit as the king of the Bible said... this will never be the same anymore.....use and throw away, there is the business.... I'm sorry to be so fatalistic but it's been more than 40 years in the fotosub world and I've been through almost everything... greetings.

Hola,sería interesante retomar este tema,lamentablemente ya no podemos acceder a wetpixel para leer esos artículos,mi experiencia con los 160 pro (opto kit) de momento no esta siendo buena,el encargado de Subtronic es amable y correcto , los envíos a Alemania son caros y las reparaciones demoran bastante,es una lástima porque la calidad de construcción es excepcional , las pequeñas empresas en Eu tienden a desaparecer,el mercado chino lo absorbe todo,,si tienes algún problema te envían directamente un flash nuevo,sin protestar,mientras este en garantía,luego si se rompe lo puedes tirar directamente ya que aqui en España es casi imposible encontar un técnico general que repare flashes subacuáticos...muy lamentable pero así es hoy el mercado..a más electronica y componentes más probabilidad de fallos,,yo empecé con nikonos,eso si eran buenos flashes que no daban problemas,,el 105 fue la estrella ,y luego los ys250 pro y el ys 300 de sea sea eran maravillosos,,tempus fujit como dijo el rey de la Biblia...esto ya nunca será lo mísmo.....usar y tirar,ahí está el negocio.... siento ser tan fatalista pero son ya mas de 40 años en el mundo fotosub y he pasado casi por todo...un saludo.

Retra Maxi Custom Knobs The responsiveness and precision of the Retra controls are superb. While the Retra control precision is excellent, I don't like that the Mode Switch and Power Level knobs look identical to each other. The power level is longer, but I found it hard to discern which was which, especially when wearing gloves. This is exacerbated when the strobes are in different orientations, resulting in mirrored positions. Both control knobs feel the same resulting in mistakes that screw up settings. I love to customize the gear I use, so I addressed this with custom made Retra Maxi mode switch and power level knobs. The Mode switch is rounded with a “fin” to aid in alignment. I choose red and white colors to better distinguish the two controls. I find these changes to the Mode switch work a lot better for my style of shooting. It also fixes another issue with the Retra Knobs - salt deposits. The Retra knobs are completely flush to the back of the strobe, and they have internal voids that retain water. Even after a long soak and air blow dry, you will find salt encrusting the base of the knobs a day or two later. My replacements are solid with smaller voids and leave a 1mm gap from the base. This allows any trapped salt water to be flushed out. The included Power Level knob is nearly identical to the original design but adds the small gap for drainage. Installation:Use a 2mm allen key to remove loosen and remove the inset hex screw from the original knobs. Use the same screw in the replacement knobs. Thread it a few turns into the custom knob. Align the new knob on the appropriate post. Note the hole that will receive the screw. Gently turn the screw with the allen key until it is flush with the knob. If installed correctly the knob will be solidly attached with no wiggle room. Original: Custom: Download from: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2290342-retra-maxi-pro-max-replacement-knobs

To be fair, if you read the post Kiliii notes that he didn't have the strobes you mention available to test. Sure it would be nice to include them if available, but Kiliii is doing the testing and using his time to provide you with test data free of charge. You can only make judgements on the equipment you actually test so of course the comments apply to the strobes as tested. So you are saying there are two versions of the Apollo III 2.0? Or is the strobe tested the Apollo III and the new version Apollo III 2.0? It's not immediately obvious if not familiar with the product line.

Here is and interesting YouTube video which overlays a 3d scan of both the Mkii and Mkiii so that you can visualize the size changes. Also, this short shows how the viewfinder top is larger and my interfer with other housings. Ben

Thailand Northern Andaman Sea diving Richelieu Rock and the Similan Islands. Richelieu was really amazing I've been diving a long time and this site is definitely in my top five spots ever. I Used a GoPro 11 and two Backscatter video lights. Comments and constructive criticism always welcome I'm here to learn.

Many thanks @DreiFish. Beat me to it :) Still no one in my community has bought one yet and I might be the first one to purchase it as well. What I suppose is that if you order only the tray from Nauticam there will not even be a dremel work which is really interesting as they completely designed a new housing for the R6 III. I also saw that the joystick is a bit more sticking out. How was the joystick usage? Was there any movement not being registered by the camera or was it firmer? As this also occasionally happens underwater, maybe, it being firmer, will be an accidental benefit.

Yeah, really good. Such a clear explanation. At the end of the day, it's about compromises......