ChipBPhoto

3 hours ago, CaolIla said:

I read that the "theoritical" working distance and d.o.f. is "better" but how is it in the real life?

I personally owned the SMC-1 for years and now own the SMC-3. Honestly, they are very similar in 'real life' usage. To me, the biggest improvement is the SMC-3 is smaller and lighter.

As far as image quality, they are both exceptional, once you get the hang of the very short working distance. Yes, the SMC-3 has a slightly larger working distance, but nothing that is worthy of selling an existing SMC-1 and purchasing the SMC-3. It just makes it a little more usable in the everyday usage.

The SMC-1 is discontinued and removed from the Nauticam charts because they are basically the same thing designed for the same task with similar specs. Think of the SMC-3 as a 'v2' of the original SMC-1.

Hope this helps,

chip

15 hours ago, RomiK said:

1.1 crop A1 vs 1.5 crop A7R5 in 4k120?

For some, the 4K120 video crop could be a consideration; thanks for sharing.

It is not a big consideration for me, but could be for those who are more video-focused.

2 hours ago, jmorphy said:

Thanks Chip, the A7rV was also a little in the back of my mind and on sale here for a pretty good discount right now. It is a really tough decision.

For uw usage, I don’t really see a downside to the a7rV or any huge upside to the a1 over it.

I do use the a1 for high speed action above the waves such as air shows, etc. It really shines there, although the new ai focus on the a7rV is also pretty amazing. Both are exceptional; no wrong choices here.

Hi @homodelphinius ,

Yes, I have extensive personal usage with both the 8-15/140 dome and the WWL.

In short, it's a trade off.

- 8-15/140: smaller package, but limited zoom capabilities. Focus is ultra-wide with 180 degree FoV. Solid for CFWA reefscapes and wrecks. The 8-15 is a sharp lens, fast focus, and very forgiving as to the exact focus point due to the nature of such a wide lens.

- The WWL is a much more versatile option that covers wide (not super-wide) to medium zoom range. At the wide end it is 130 degree FoV. There are a few times I miss having a wider option for expansive scenes, but those are very rare compared to the benefit of having a true working zoom option. The WWL is a water correcting lens which allows focusing to basically have the subject touching the glass dome. I have successfully photoed near macro level images of flamingo tongues with ease. Adding the CMC provides a super macro option, but with an extremely short usable focus range. Basically you would be able to photo fairly wide reefscapes, CFWA scenes, near macro, and then with the CMC super macro all in one dive.

- Both the WWL and the CMC attach to the port via an adapter. You can purchase a similar adapter designed as a holder mounted to your housing or on a float arm to hold the lens you are not using at that time. Realistically, most everyone uses the WWL with a rare swap out to the CMC when an appropriate subject is found. It is a bit of pain to swap frequently which means it needs to be something really worth the effort to make the underwater swap, but it is there should you need it. A true macro lens with the CMC added would be best for a macro oriented dive.

While I dive 95% of the time with my WWL, I do occasionally still use the 8-15 if I am diving specially for ultra-wide scenes. The rest of my dives are with a dedicated macro setup.

There will be plenty that prefer a more traditional dome port and standard wide lens solution. There are benefits to each. It is important to focus on what your specific needs and desires are for your photography. Me personally, I like the zoom ability in a more compact design afforded with the WWL, especially considering the image sharpness delivered.

Hope this help!

chip

Hi @jmorphy ,

I too use the a1 and am super happy with it. From everything I have seen and heard, there is no real upside to the a1 vII over the a1 for underwater usage.

To be honest, it was a really tough decision between it and the a7rV. The main reasons I chose the a1 was 1) electronic shutter with flash possibility and 2) the 1/400 sync speed.

After seeing many of the a7rV in the wild and talking their owners, I would look seriously that direction to potentially save a few dollars with no reduction in quality. 1/250 sync speed it great for most scenes, and now HSS is a solid option for even faster shutter speeds. The electronic shutter option has not been a big plus in real life. The newer AI focus does have a bit of an upgrade with fish faces.

Best of luck in your decision!

Chip

Hi, all,

Has anyone made or found a good hard cover for a Zen 230 dome?

Thanks!

chip

8 hours ago, ACHiPo said:

Thanks all. I already pulled the trigger on the 14” M4 Pro with 48 GB and 500 GB SSD. Also two SamsungT7 4TB SSDs. It should do the job. I actually got a few hundred off by going through Apple directly as part of the M5 launch.

Now to figure out my back up strategy…

Congrats! Best of luck with your new machine.

Many in my circles use and swear by Back Blaze for backup. I typically buy 2x of my external drives (I.e. 2x a 4TB SSD) and manually copy them. It’s a manual process, but it gives me complete portability and independence as needed.

First, if you can hold out until Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving), there will be reduced prices on Macs and very attractive interest-free finance deals. I bought my 16" M4 Pro 48GMB/1TB last year for $300 off and an $800 trade credit for my old Mac w/ 24 month interest-free. (Best Buy) $1100 off a new Mac with 0% financing is a pretty rare deal!

Yes, I overbought for today, but I'm not buying just for "today", I am buying for several years of use in the future. My i9 Mac lasted quite a number of years which made it a good investment. I expect my new machine will be the same.

M4 v M4 Pro is not much of a gain for normal processing. This may save you a few dollars. M5 vs M4, again, does not seem to be a huge difference. See what the similar price difference is as it could also be a way to save a bit.

Since we cannot upgrade the RAM, 32GB is a smart move. 48GB is even better. As said above, reducing the swap files by having adequate RAM helps the entire workflow speed.

Yes, you can get by with 512GB storage, but 1TB is a common, safe way to go. Buy it now so you don't regret it later. LR, PS, etc. is not going to get any less resource intensive in the future.

And yes, high-quality 2TB or 4TB external SSDs are relatively affordable.

Again, you're not just for today, but most likely for years of use to come.

Hope this helps!

chip

UPDATE - Still looking for NA-502 or NA-502B monitor housing.

Monitor purchased

Thanks @Davide DB . My only hesitation with 502 is the fact it is several generations old and no longer upgradable. The Kraken 5.5” v2 is the next best option I’m considering. The fact it uses a pair of 21700 batteries makes it interesting as it would be easy to change them in the boat if needed. Their internal cable design seems to be the greatest weakness.

Per Kraken, there is no 5.5” beyond the current v2. They are certainly bright at an amazing 3000 nit! It seems the SmallHD has a more user friendly interface, but like anything it would something I would get used to using.

Please share any other thoughts or suggestions you may have. I truly appreciate the feedback!

Hi, all, (originally posted in Photography Gear, but I should have posted it here)

I am considering moving from Nauticam viewfinders (180 and 45) to an external monitor. Size is a major consideration so I’m focused on a 5”. Cost is also a consideration. Ideally I am looking in the $2Kish range. $5K is out of the budget.

I’ve looked at the Kraken 5” v2 due to both cost and compact size. Cable failures seem to be an expectation of any monitor, although I am told the new v2 is noticeably better than the original Kraken cable design. I am, however, hearing issues of button failures, which is concerning. This may be from users not cleaning their gear as well as I do, but it is concerning.

One proposed solution is picking up a pre-owned SmallHD 502 Bright monitor (1000 nit) and Nauticam NA-502B housing. Both seem quite solid with pre-owned prices to be around $2500 total. The cables are stronger and the Nauticam buttons are solid. The Nauticam housing has its own vacuum as well. The package size is about that of the Kraken 5”. Battery life with 2 Canon batteries is about 3 hrs. The downside is it is no longer being supported by firmware updates, but probably not an issue as it works well as-is.

The SmallHD 503 Bright is still supported with firmware upgrades, but is substantially thicker and heavier than I prefer. The newer SmallHD monitors/housings are out of the budget for now.

For those with solid monitor experience, what say you???

Thoughts, comments, recommendations?

I am using with a Nauticam Sony a1 rig. I’d appreciate whatever you can share.

Thanks!

Chip

As an FYI, Saga quoted me €372 for an N100 20mm Nauticam-to-Nauticam extension. (About $434 USD plus shipping)

Hi @DPT Scuba

As a reference, I tried installing a7rV in my a1 housing. (Basically same as your sIII housing) It is not a good fit and most of the control buttons do not line up. It’s not a practical option for normal usage.

Picking up a pre-owned a1 (v1) and the appropriate new camera mount plate would be the least expensive option as compared to buying a completely separate housing.

I also owned an a7rIV. The a1 or a7rV are substantial improvements in just about all areas over the a7rIV.

Good luck!

Chip

Hi, all,

I am considering moving from Nauticam viewfinders (180 and 45) to an external monitor. Size is a major consideration so I’m focused on a 5”. Cost is also a consideration. Ideally I am looking in the $2Kish range. $5K is out of the budget.

I’ve looked at the Kraken 5” v2 due to both cost and compact size. Cable failures seem to be an expectation of any monitor, although I am told the new v2 is noticeably better than the original Kraken cable design. I am, however, hearing issues of button failures, which is concerning. This may be from users not cleaning their gear as well as I do, but it is concerning.

One proposed solution is picking up a pre-owned SmallHD 502 Bright monitor (1000 nit) and Nauticam NA-502B housing. Both seem quite solid with pre-owned prices to be around $2500 total. The cables are stronger and the Nauticam buttons are solid. The package size is about that of the Kraken 5”. Battery life with 2 Canon batteries is about 3 hrs. The downside is it is no longer being supported by firmware updates, but probably not an issue as it works well as-is.

The SmallHD 503 Bright is still supported with firmware upgrades, but is substantially thicker and heavier than I prefer.

For those with solid monitor experience, what say you???

Thoughts, comments, recommendations?

I am using with a Nauticam Sony a1 rig. I’d appreciate whatever you can share.

Thanks!

Chip

Hi all,

I am looking for a Nauticam NA-502B housing for the SmallHD 502 Bright monitor.

Must be clean and fully functioning.

Prefer US based seller.

Also:

WTB SmallHD 502 Bright Monitor in similar condition.

Thank you for looking!

Chip

1 hour ago, DPT Scuba said:

Does anyone have any first hand experience with putting an A7RIV or A7RV into the A7SIII housing? Dimensions and layout all look very very close, but obvioulsy these things are a game of mm's.

Asking because like everyone, I would prefer to keep my housing and A7SIII for video and then just chuck in the A7RIV or V for stills.

Cheers,

Dave

Hi, Dave,

It appears the Sony a1 (v1) would be a better still camera for the NA-a7sIII housing.

There is a camera plate for the NA-a1 housing that allows the a7sIII to be used inside. Perhaps there is a similar option that allows the a1 to be used inside the NA-a7sIII housing. Worth checking.

Cheers,

Chip

51 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Too bad. Meanwhile...

FYI - I am adapting this for Retra so there is an alternative to paying them $150 per strobe for a few grams of plastic.

Once again Dave Hicks for the 3D win!

Nice results

5 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Totally Agree.

I remember shooting ISO 400 on my D70 or D300 years ago, and there was noticeable noise in those shots. Even then the basic noise reduction in LR cleared it up nicely. On any FF camera from the last 10 years (D800+) this is just not an issue. An ISO 1000 shot on my Z8 looks better than ISO 400 did on my D300. And the neural-net based NR features in almost any post processing software is amazingly effective at cleaning up artifacts that you only see in a 200% crop.

I took some ISO 800 shots a few weeks ago in dark, murky, particulate filled waters with 5–10-foot visibility while looking for Sixgill Sharks in Seattle. The Z8 handled them great!

There were all taking with a Z8, 60mm w/KRL-09 wet-wide lens, ISO800, f8. No AI image processing was applied to these pictures. Shot at point-blank range.

Nicely done! I always appreciate the quality of your images.

My Canon 5Dii struggled above 800.

My first uw DSLR was the Canon T2i. Anything above 400 was virtually a crapshoot if it would be usable or not.

FYI - Retra just confirmed in a email exchange that they will not make an LSD adapter for the HF-1. They also understand Backscatter has shelved the idea of a snoot for it as well. The reason given was it “is not suitable for shooting.” Too bad, both the LSD and HF-1 are quality pieces.

15 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Did you find that your Image Quality was ruined by using ISO 320?

Great question - I personally do not.

I appreciate everyone’s standards are different, but even at 100% on a high res screen they look solid to me. I find any minor noise reduction or sharpening, which is all normal, is easily handled in LR or similar.

1 hour ago, Dave_Hicks said:

What ISO did you typically use on you images?

In reviewing back, I commonly use ISO 160-320 with my a1.

MF-2 power is normally on 5-6.

Aiming light varies based on ambient conditions.

I use the Nitecore NL2160HP/6000mAh batteries in it.

This was approved via an email with Backscatter.

*These same batteries work well in the HF-1, but NOT the 4300 video light.

1 hour ago, Dave_Hicks said:

I think my diffusers must still be in the box. Does the snoot even fit over the strobe with the diffuser installed? The OS-1 snoot has an internal diffuser and a focal lens inside it. An additional drain on power or the need to remove the add-on diffuser to install the strobe just seem like problems to me.

It’s either snoot or diffuser, not both at the same time.

Both are easily removable / changeable during the dive.

I have a clip on my snoot so I can clip it off on my rig when I’m not using it. The diffuser is on a string which allows it to also be connected to my rig when I mount the snoot.

Hi, all,

I use the MF-2 exclusively for my macro dives with a high-res FF rig. In fact, I normally dive with only one MF-2 with wonderful results. I typically add the OS-1 snoot for 60%+ of my macro images. I find the built in aiming light to be essential! I use the diffuser when not snooting. Bear in mind this is highly dependent on the water clarity and overall brightness of the scene.

Like others have said throughout the following is required:

• Verify the strobe is aimed correctly: The significantly smaller physical size of the strobe lens requires much more accuracy in aiming than a substantially larger sized light.

• Bring the strobe closer to the subject: The goal of macro is to light small subjects within a small area. This often requires the light source to be closer to the subject to ensure it is properly lit to highlight it from the surrounding scene.

• Don't be afraid of higher ISOs: While we have been trained to use the lowest possible ISO, modern digital systems play nicely in higher settings. ISO 200-400, or even higher, is an extremely comfortable range for current systems.

And of course everything I shared above is meant to be changed or 'broken' to fit the particular scene and end artistic goal.

I find the MF-2 to be an exceptionally well made piece of gear and a key tool in my macro kit.

Enjoy!

chip

Admittedly, I don’t use HSS very often due my camera’s 1/400 ability. But the times I’ve used it, no I have not noticed it.

Hey @Nemrod

Regarding the UWT and HF-1s, yes they are HSS compatible…kind of. (I use this setup)

Yes, HF-1s do HSS, but there is no real on-strobe power control to dial them up or down while doing HSS. They will sync with high shutter speeds, but the overall amount of light in the scene must be controlled via camera settings. (ISO, shutter, aperture) Adjusting the power knob in HSS has no impact on the light power.

So far, only the Backscatter trigger will allow power control on the HF-1s in HSS. It’s a little quirk with an otherwise solid package.

Retras appear to consistently have the best experience with UWT triggers, but there is the price delta.

Hope this helps,

Chip

Hi @aquabluedreams - congrats on your upcoming new laptop! The new ones are very impressive.

I totally get being in a budget. With that said, sadly we cannot upgrade the drive space later. I always carry additional external SSD drives, but it is convenient to have some drive space even if you don’t have your extra drive with you.

For that reason, invest in the 512GB drive. It may hurt a bit initially, but you’ll be happy over the long run. After all, this is not a frequent purchase. Your last laptop lasted you 11 years. The larger drive now will help you maximize the longevity of your new machine as well.

Enjoy!

Chip