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I have just started using a Nauticam MFO-3 mounted with a flip adapter with a Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro Lens and found that it worked surprisingly well. The best testament to just how well it performed was during two blackwater dives of West Palm Beach, FL. Blackwater photography, as some of you know can be in creditably challenging. For me, the greatest test came when we found a small paper nautilus on the second night. Although the little sucker never stop moving except to rest on one diver’s fingertip, I came away with more than a five dozen tack sharp images with just a handful of throwaways where the focus didn’t nail. More I shoot with this lens, the more I like.

Which part number are you guys ordering please?

I have used the newest Kraken a few times with a Sony A1 II in Nauticam through the M24 bulkhead and it works well- charges camera and download images without breaking vacuum.

My SO and I both have the Kraken bulkheads, but neither have gotten them wet yet. In my case, I have mine on a NAZ50II housing (which only has one 16mm bulkhead port) through a Nauticam offset vacuum adapter (which is no longer sold and was a struggle to find). For me, the NA USB-C bulkhead was a nonstarter...the cable is permanently attached to the bulkhead, and the right-angle camera end was never going to pass through the offset adapter. The Kraken comes with two cables with different end angles and thicknesses, and those plug into the bulkhead's internal port. So I was able to mount the offset adapter, pass the cable through from the inside, plug it into the bulkhead, and then thread that into the offset. Put the camera in, wangled the flatter cable onto the camera and got it routed out of the way, and closed up the housing and vacuum-tested it. All good. For my SO, to go with the NA, she'd have spent almost twice the dollars to use her 24mm bulkhead port. Neither of us see any downside to the Kraken...more configurable, better PD numbers, and much less expensive.

To Pooley who asked when I'd be getting to Tulamben. I'm here now and staying at Paradise Palm Beach bungalows. Will be here until June 4th. Happy to talk diving and underwater photography. Shoot with a Nikon D850 in a Nauticam housing. And Ikelite DS-161 strobes. Shoot almost everything with TTL flash. Favorite lens is Nikon's 70-180 Micro-nikkor zoom. The other lenses I have with me are Nikon's 8-15mm fisheye zoom, Nikon's 16-35mm zoom, Nikon's 24-85mm zoom and Nikon's 200mm Micro-nikkor.

To revive this thread (and steer it slightly off-topic): is anyone using the Kraken USB-C bulkhead now? The Nauticam NA-A1 housing has an M24 bulkhead (currently occupied by a HDMI adapter, though I don’t have an external monitor yet and probably won’t for a while), so Kraken’s direct M24 compatibility and higher PD charging specs are tempting. As far as I understand, the A7SIII uses USB-C rather than Micro USB for power delivery/data, so no adapter for me. And are there still compelling reasons to stay with the Nauticam solution despite the adapter requirement and lower reported transfer speeds?

Thanks!

The lens is SOLD!

SOLD and ship it to CA, USA

No issues with heat. Only about 1cm of the heat sink is covered. I have had no problems with the HF-1 strobes using the bumpers and reduction rings.

Dave, These look great! Thank you! Any concern about blocking the heatsinks with the bumpers? I can’t see whether they would impede water access to any of the cooling fins. Evan

Thanks Chris Yes, agreed. I also find it quite surprising since - from what I understood in the original product presentation - it was initally designed to allow users of 90mm / 100mm / 105mm fast AF macro lenses to shoot wider subjects while retaining the autofocus advantages these lenses offer. This is especially true for Sony shooters, where there is no 50/60mm macro lens with strong AF capabilities. As for effects on IQ, I haven’t heard of any major drop.

Black water is a special use case I would think, focusing on transparent highly mobile critters is a particular challenge and camera/lens sets that don't AF well may also not do so well with the MFO3. I would want direct experience for the particular camera/lens combo if the MFO3 was being purchased purely for blackwater. I would guess that if the bare lens combo works well for AF, the MFO3 would have a fighting chance?? In theory shifting the lens to focusing at non macro distances when using the MFO3 should help, but if the base lens/camera isn't great it might not work miracles.

Quick question - I plan on using the MF03 with the Sony 100mm F2.8 Macro on the A7SIII. Today I was told by a photographer who shoots mainly blackwater that he had given up on going the MF03 way for now, as according to feedback he had received from someone using it, still photos ended up being quite blurry, to the point that they stopped using it... I do not know what lens or setup the original user was using. I had never heard this before regarding the MF03, so I was a little surprised by this comment. I was wondering if other MF03 users could comment on their experience with image quality and sharpness in different usage scenarios. (I'm particulary interesed in blackwater or mid-range macro work) cheers

Aloha and welcome @SimonK

Brave? I sometimes wonder

Thanks a lot for your help, Dave!

I have both CMC-1 and 2 and use with the 28-60; they work great. Haven't tried the SMC yet as I find the CMCs don't work very well on the 90mm. Hopefully someone has some feedback as I'm in the same boat.

Thanks for asking! I hope these work out for you as well as they have for me! Yes, PETG is the best material for this model. PETG-CF would likely be fine. It's actually not as strong, but it tends to print a bit nicer cosmetically. Use TPU 95 or 90 for the rubber gasket parts.

Hey Simon Great to have you with us. A warm welcome to Waterpixels. Silly depths in UK waters? Brave, mate, brave….. Enjoy the forum!

I have allways thought of myself as a diver who takes photographs rather than an underwater photographer. Most of my diving is on wrecks in UK waters with a rebreather at silly depths so I have a vast collection of muddy brown photos. Did once have a picture used by CNN, not through any artistic merit. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/16/science/hms-hawke-shipwreck-found-wwi-intl-scli Simon

Hi Dave, I was just about to send you a PM about this, but I assume your inbox is full. So here are my questions: Since I don't have a 3D printer myself, I'd like to have a friend print the reduction rings and the base for the HF-1 backscatter that you designed. He's now asking which material to use. You wrote that it should only be printed in PETG. Is that correct? There's also PETG CF, which is supposedly even more temperature-resistant. By the way: I think it's great that you share your designs! They're very practical and money saving. Best regards, Wahrmut

New price - 1800 EUR

Thanks guys.. from your experience and advices I think I'll have to use them until they die..😢😢😢 it’s a pity because as a guy that use them only one time a year during summer holidays i like them a lot… 😭 maybe this is the reason they discontinued the product so early without a real substitute?? Thanks again!

I have a CMC2 that I'm considering upgrading to an SMC (probably an SMC 3 but would consider the 2) to pair with the sony 28-60 lens I currently have. Nauticam port charts don't list the SMC series with the zoom lens, only with the 90/100mm macro lenses. So, I was wondering if it actually works and is worth the upgrade? I am planning to buy a 100mm macro lens for my trip to Anilao in '27, so I'll probably end up buying one eventually - but if it won't really work with the lens I have there's no point in buying now.