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May I ask how strong the lock is? The Saga adapter also has a lock, but it's too weak to hold, for example, the SMC1/SMC2 in a vertical position underwater.

There is a single screw through the middle of the ball mount that goes into a sturdy thread in the strobe case. There is a plastic gasket to isolate (for corrosion) and an anti-rotation pin. Very solid mounting.

When I went there was +40m vis and still only saw two hammers distant, talking with experienced divers it's very dependent on the tides. I previously dove with action cam, was planning full rig this time.

If you mean the ball mount on the Maxi, it's a 5mm hex nut through the ball. I hadn't really looked at it previously. It comes attached as far as I know.

How are the ball mounts held on?

Great, glad you liked the review! You've already bought some Maxi's, so hopefully some other readers will use this to help with their buying decisions. Your next step might be to buy some 12 and 16 inch arm segments. These can really help you get more value and flexibility from your strobes. Counter intuitively, one benefit of long arms that I take advantage frequently is effective inward lighting. For CFWA situations this is my go to move. You can get the strobes far enough away to avoid flare and glow, but you are able to get dramatic lighting without backscatter even in really poor clarity water conditions. (ask me how I know!) Long arms also enable better coverage for really large reef scenes, particularly when shooting vertical.

A lot of experts on how to empty wallets and credit cards 😁

So LG-1 is for video, FD-1 for photo? Can these two be swapped underwater? (I am cautious with AI, as it confidently tells stuff that sometime ends up in disaster.)

Thank you, excellent review. I too had the problem on my second dive that one of my strobes would not turn off, the focus light was on but the strobe would not flash. I thought it had leaked and I rushed back to the boat, pulled the batteries. No leak! Reinstalled batteries and the strobe functioned normally. Upon getting back to the resort I emailed Retra and within an hour they answered assuring me there was no problem and to reload my software to 1.0. My eyes rolled back because I am NOT and computer person and I figured this would be an ordeal! Nope! Connected to the Retra App, downloaded the software, easy! Problem solved. There is a learning curve with the Maxi due to their power and ultra wide beam especially with the diffuser. I have to put the strobes further out, turn them outward more and sweep them further back (behind the dome) to keep them and reflections out of my dome or even the more narrow FOV of the WWL. Also, unlike with previous strobes I have owned, borrowed, whatever, this is the first time I kept turning them down, down. The Maxi strobes just do not feel large in the water, I got used to them quickly and was able to remove an outer float arm and replace that float arm with a plain arm. The XStar 5000 batteries I am using just go and go and go! Pool day prep for the NA-R50 for upcoming Maldives trip.

I got frustrated with the turtle led stickers and ended up printing a box that contain them and the strobe unit. This way I mount the whole thing as one unit that aligns with the strobe ports. Not perfect, but better than fiddling with the LEDs and the filmsy connector every time

Thanks again for all the advice. While we are on the subject, since I will be on a friend's sail boat and have also time in the water beyond the whale tours, do you have recommendations for reef-snorkling and/or diving in Tonga? Thanks! Nir

Hello to all! I am thinking about upgrading my kit from a GoPro to something more professional, I am diving 99% of the time in the Mediterranean Sea from 0 to 60 meters. I found some interesting deals on the GH5 mk2 and the GH6, and both fits on the Easydive Leo3 I am planning on buy with two 15’000 lumens lights. Do you have any suggestions on which one to choose, some drawbacks to be aware of, or recommended lens? Many thanks to all!

Hi Alessio! A warm welcome to Waterpixels. Great to have you with us. I hope you get the info you need. Lots of experts here who I’m sure will be helpful. Best wishes Tim

Hello and greetings from Italy! I joined this forum to ask for some advice on which camera to buy as my first one. I’ve found some interesting deals on the GH5 mk2 and the GH6, and I’ve seen some incredible footage shot with the GH5 series. I enjoy shooting mainly videos and am thinking of buying an Easydive housing and some 15,000-lumen Easydive lights. Thanks to all!

Writing a small follow up on my Mikomoto trip. Initially planned for early autumn, but it changed into early August. I had booked Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat diving last week, and about 2 weeks before the diving the typhoon Dolphin hit Okinawa (hope you are ok @bghazzal ) started to form on the weather models. In the end diving was cancelled Monday-Thursday in Mikomoto. Friday came and diving resumed with 4 meter swell and about the same in visibility. 0 hammerheads to be seen. It can only get better i thought. In a way it did, visibility was 5m instead of 4 Saturday, and saw one hammerhead for about 7 seconds pretty far away. So in the end, i had picked the worst days of high season to go to Mikomoto as Sunday and today Instagram has been full of videos of huge schools and sharks at hands length. Diving and boat logistics are not big camera friendly. Entry and exit is really fast paced and boat is very cramped. You have to jump with camera. I guess thats why 38 out of 40 had a action cam and me and my friend had big rigs (and Saturday also met @jjmochi with a big camera, hopefully you got some good shots). I will probably try my luck again next year. So if you need to know when a typhoon is hitting Japan, just ask when im going.

thanks I think I may have over darkened it in lightroom

Yes, it has a "locked" position, like this: All the other positions are not locked in place, but this is a sort of retaining position, and is quite sturdy.

This is what ChatGPT says: they are quite different accessories for the TG-series cameras such as the TG-7. FD-1 Flash Diffuser LG-1 LED Light Guide Light source Built-in flash Built-in LED Light Short, powerful flash Continuous light Macro stills Better Good, but less powerful Video Not useful as continuous light Excellent Underwater Yes Not useful underwater Working distance About 2–30 cm About 1–10 cm Light control Two flash levels No separate control Best for Underwater/macro photography Macro/video and very close subjects OM System specifically describes the FD-1 as a flash diffuser that gives softer, more even illumination and lists it as compatible with the TG-7, TG-6, TG-5 and TG-4. For your underwater photography I’d choose the FD-1 without hesitation. The important advantage is that it uses the TG’s flash, rather than the relatively weak LED. That gives you enough light for faster shutter speeds and lower ISO, which is particularly useful for underwater macro where you want to freeze subject movement. OM System also specifically confirms that the FD-1 can be used underwater. The LG-1 is really more of a macro/video light guide. It takes the camera’s LED and distributes it around the lens. It’s particularly useful when you need to see the lighting continuously while composing video. So, if you’re using a TG-7 for underwater stills, get the FD-1.

What are the differences between these two? Which one is for underwater macro photography? LG-1 LED Light Guide Model: V335480BW000UPC: 050332193864 OM SYSTEMBuy LG-1 LED Light Guide From OM SYSTEMBuy OM SYSTEM | Olympus LG-1 LED Light Guide online now. Find our range of quality Tough Accessories online now. Easy returns. Free shipping on orders +$100." essential tool for improving lighting in macro photography" FD-1 Flash Diffuser Model: V335470BW000UPC: 050332193857 https://explore.omsystem.com/us/en/fd-1-flash-diffuser " designed to soften the lighting in close-up photography"

Assuming you have a removable shade, the first thing to check might be dome rotation. Set the camera/ lens up so you can see the edge then loosen the screws and try rotating the dome a little so that the edge doesn't appear. Next check the other corners to see if the dome appears in a different corner. Just to be clear the edge appears as you are zooming out towards a circular fisheye image? You mention extenders - the dome should not appear at all with the 2x and appear around 10mm zoom with the 1.4x, is that what you are seeing?