bghazzal

Yes, I use the dual flip all the time now, with the AOI +6 and the CMC-1 - had to balance it with a buoyancy block, but it's fine. On the LX10 the main issue is that the port is so short the lens can bump into the housing, and do get in the way of the lights for macro, but it's manageable. It shouldn't be an issue with a longer port. Streamlining and macro don't go together 😁 my "compact" LX10 rig in BW neutral buoyancy configuration - some people have nicknamed it the Nostromo... I'm a little torn on the 90 vs. 100mm - I was planning on getting the 90mm because there are good deals now, but after looking into it it looks like tracking / video AF might be really optimised on the new 100mm, which could be interesting... I feel I might regret getting the 90mm as a first (and final, for a while) purchase... grass is always greener, all that 😅

Thanks Craig - yes, I hope it will be ok. Even if I need to change the circuit, the housing remains a good deal. It's just a bit of a letdown. The A7SIII upgrade is really exciting, but still very much a work in progress. The plan is to set up a macro rig first, using the Sony 90mm with the MFO-3 and SMC-1 / AOI UCL-09 on the dual flip for a bit of flexibility. If the stars really align, it might be the new Sony 100mm instead, with the same configuration. The housing was really the biggest hurdle. Now it's the camera body, and I still need to decide whether to go Japanese-model for a very good deal, or international for English menus. I can deal with Japanese menus, but it'll make googling information more complicated and limit resale options (though this isn't super important as I plan on working with this camera for a while) One thing at a time. For now, I have a shiny new housing, albeit a silent and empty one, to cuddle, so I am pretty stoked 😁

Could Nauticam have introduced AI as an R&D aid? That picture gives me cold sweat....

I'm in Japan but haven't been yet so can't offer practical advice. i do know that strobes are not allowed for the hammerhead dives at Yonaguni, not sure if it's the same at Mikomoto, would need to look into footage. There's no mention of it on their Q&A, so probably ok. Speaking of which, watch Kirin's documercial on Mikomoto-hammers if you haven't already to get a feel for it: https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/1881-documentary-on-mikomoto-hammers-mikomoto-japan/ A week sounds on the longuish side given that it's going on a packed boat in often rough seas to do short dives, might be a little intense. I doubt they organize actual macro diving on the peninsula as they're very much focused on drift dives around the islet, but they might have partner operations. Look into transport though, not really sure how access is. Mikomoto Hammers does mention this on their site: If the sea conditions are poor and we cannot make the dive at Mikomoto Island, is it possible to dive at another site? Yes, it is possible to dive at another site if you make a request to do so. However, where we choose to dive will depend on the sea conditions on that day. So, for example, if the west wind is too strong, we will dive on the east side of the peninsula. cheers

Thanks - here are some pics:

Thanks everyone. I'll look into it, thanks Chris - the circuit looks simple enough but I lack experience. I'm not 100% sure the vaccum circuit works as I thought the lens cap had an o-ring but it doesn't, so I can't test it as I don't have a port yet or easy access to one here unfortunately. It turns on fine and moisture does cause the LED to go from blue to red. Yes, I do have my doubts as I always dive with a hood but would rather have it working if I can. I did hear it in Thailand when I had an issue with the LX10, but didn't connect the dots strait away. Otherwise through testing on my LX10 I just realised the buzzer doesn't actually work when the battery is low - I go through batteries fast (I usually dive early morning, so set up the day before and sometimes open the housing the next day only) so was keeping them a bit after getting the alternating red/blue low battery indicator... Basically I was diving without a buzzer for a while on the LX10... 😅

Thanks! I've worked quite a bit in Khao Lak on day trips and liveaboards to Similan and Surin NP - the shop I was working for was run by a photographer, and he event went diving in Thap Lamu pier (for gobies) - this is where most liveaboards leave from and is also a fishing pier, so it was quite extreme 😄

Nice - where is this in Phang Nga? Khao Lak is also in Phang Nga province but I'm guessing this would be Phang Nga bay / east of Phuket rather than the Andaman sea? Phuket also has nice macro shore dives like Kata beach ❤️

Hello all, Last week I took the first step toward upgrading my current kit after finding a very good deal on a Nauticam A1 / A7S III compatible housing, which will eventually house a Sony A7S III as my primary video camera. The housing is almost new. It has only been in the water three times and was originally purchased for a project that did not go ahead. It was tested, then put into storage for nearly five years. So far, so good. However, when I tested the moisture alarm circuit with a damp Q-tip, the buzzer did not sound. The LED switches from blue to red and requires a reset, but there is no audible alarm at all. I initially suspected a low battery, so I replaced it with a brand new Panasonic cell, but the result was the same, none of that high pitched squeal we're hardwired to fear, a world of silence... I trust the person I bought it from and do not believe the housing has ever been flooded. There are also no visible signs of corrosion anywhere inside. My assumption is that this may be related to the long storage period something having degraded or come loose. I'm wondering whether others here have experienced failed or dead buzzers in Nauticam moisture alarm circuits, and whether there are any meaningful tests or troubleshooting steps I can perform before replacing the circuit entirely. At this stage, I assume the whole circuit will need to be replaced if the buzzer itself cannot be isolated and repaired. Thanks in advance for any insight. Cheers! Ben

Coming back to this, your sled really looks great. To make a slight coming out, I will)be upgrading to a FF Sony A7SIII rig at some point in the not too distant future and I really like your approach. I shoot a lot of macro/super macro video (and the rig will start of as a macro rig before I even consider wide angle), and would need to mount quadripod to the tray, and considering your design for the future rig. Do you think it would be possible to mount 4 legs onto the rails? Maybe with moveable attachment points for increased flexibility? Also how are you finding the length of rails you're using at the moment?

Bienvenue / bem-vindo à toi, Nuno Looking forward to seeing your pictures of Marseilles waters these days 👌

A fascinating project, and the quality of the footage and the way it is used is really something else. Looking forward to seeing the full finished work 🤩

Yes, i would stay away from integrated batteries on budget lights - it's just a big leap of faith to to trust budget Chinese brands on batteries - last year I bought an LED fishing lure light for bonfire dives from one of the biggest manufacturers in the country - they sell 4 different models, all with integrated batteries, but the wattage/lumen/burn time is no where near the specs given. I can't check the battery pack with out breaking the light. This maker's lure lights are rebranded and sold in different countries. Another issue with cheap video lights is the quality of the reflector - a 120° "wide coverage" beam is generally presented as a plus, when it is actually something of a design defect - if possible, you actually want a tighter beam (say 90°, 100° angle...) as this will simply give you more more light for a given lumen output. As often stated on the forum, for the same lumen output a 90° beam angle will give roughly twice as much light falling on the subject than a 120° beam. And in a real-life shooting situation with the typical 2-light setup used in UW videography, two 90° beam lights will actually provide full coverage for lens with less than a 130° field of view (which goes for action cams, rectilinear lenses and WWL/WACP type lenses etc...). The Hydras i use have a 100° beam, and I'm happy with that. Most Keldans have a wider beam, but I'm guessing reflector design makes up for that - in general wider beam reflectors cost less than tighter beam ones.

Nitescuba is operating in the same OEM / ODM space as SUPE/Scubalamp/Fotocore/Divevolk - and it's not really a brand-per se, more a branding of similar products which you can find of Aliexpress or elsewhere in their case. I've had some rather sketchy experiences with these (see here ) so stay away if i can for electronics like lights (but would consider them for a less sensitive products like float arms or a monitor housing - last nightscuba product i bought was a mounting stick for remote lighting but it arrived branded as something else). I really wouldn't trust OEM-ODM maker's lumen, CRI, or burn-time specs... Since you seem to be ok with non-constant output lights (ie ok with buying lights that will constantly dim as they're used rather than provide a set power level), I would look into actual Chinese brands like Big Blue, Orcatorch or Archon, which have been around as such for a few years and tend to have an ok track-record (though the specs are still on the fantasy side). Seafrog/Meikon's new lights are interesting, but rather untested. As a side-note, if CRI / light quality is really important to you, I would definitely focus on the upper Chinese tier brands like Weefine or Kraken (and potentially Kay Burn Lim's new Subnox brand). They are really a knotch ahead in terms of general quality / quality control. Though design on these still suffers from Chinese R&D teams not really understanding how these products are used in real life shooting situations (button ergonomics, or adding questionable whistles and bells that many serious users could do without), at least there seems to be a some sort of feedback chain and some practical improvements on recent models.

I worked on Digurah and yes wouldn't recommend it for snorkeling - main snorkeling event is really snorkeling with the whalesharks, but it's basically trying to keep-up with a swimming whaleshark (and they are fast), and not really suitable for kids. To be honest, it's not something I enjoyed facilitating when i was was there (too much chasing, hectic, too many boats dropping people too close to the sharks), so I'm not the best person to sell this to you. Diving is good with easy access to thilas like Kudara thila, and a manta cleaning station, quite a few grey reefs and sometimes the odd silvertip. Not much of a house reef or land access. La Paz (where I've also worked) would have been a good choice for the California sea lions and also whalesharks later in the year etc, but it's far and you're off-season (Los islotes is closed during mating season in August), and yes, it's far. As suggested, Magdalena bay is really in a category of its own, but check the season. Palau is doable - especially combined with seakayak tours or stand up paddle, but most of Palau's main sites are not the best for snorkeling. Still a good option, but keep in mind that all the action is on the Rock islands, and there's not much in water action around Koror, and no real beach other than PPR's or artificial beaches. I loved the diving when I was working there but have mixed feelings about snorkeling. But yes, you can see mantas snorkeling at German Channel or reef sharks in the Rock islands (there's been some feeding going on around one of the main resting areas on a specific island so lots of blacktips) or snorkel the dropoff or Cemetery / Paradise reef. If you can drop the big-animals requirement (or lower it to reef sharks, turtles and cephalopods), you can find places with excellent snorkeling and diving. Land-based central Raja-Ampat for instance, or Komodo NP in Indonesia. It's probably changed a lot but snorkeling around the Dampier peer house reefs used to be be incredible, as were some islands with resorts just outside the Komodo national park like Kanawa or Sebayur. As others have suggested Bali is still a good option, with mantas on Penida, as is Bunaken if turtles and coral are enough.