ChipBPhoto

Good example….

My guess would be possibly the left strobe being too close to the WWL. I use them myself, but they are susceptible to flare from strong light at certain angles. The issue is not identical on both frames. The first where pointed more towards a brighter scene is slightly less heavy. The second in a darker scene appears to show a more solid issue. If not burped after entry, could be a bubble, but looks to me to be more caused by light.

In the US many people use the Zen 100 dome made for the Tokina 10-17. (DP-100-N120T) It is glass for durability and made specifically for the Tokina. You will need the N85-N120 adapter. I used it for years and found it to be a great solution for APS-C systems. As with all such purchases, always verify with your authorized dealer. Enjoy!

If it’s a Nauticam gear, it is a 2 piece design. One side of the bottom piece has a lip. Make sure you are pushing on the outer gear so it moves away from the lip. Sounds obvious, but I’ve been guilty of making the mistake. From there I place the lens on a hard, flat surface and apply equal downward pressure to both sides of the gear, or very slightly rock the gear from side to side until it releases. I agree that it sounds like there may be too many of the rubber shims holding it too tightly. On my lenses, I’ve seen 1 or 2 shims is all it takes. Good luck!

While we are sorry you will miss the trip, congratulations on your new addition! Hopefully she will be a future diver.

While I have a very nice Benq monitor, I do almost all my LR editing on an iPad. As long as I keep the screen brightness at an appropriate level and watch the histogram, I find it to be an extremely portable and powerful solution. I mostly return to my full system only when I need to use a plugin such as Topaz. It’s nice to also have access to my images and editing on my phone as well. With Adobe holding up their end of the deal through regular, meaningful updates it makes it a good software solution. Congrats and enjoy!

Here is a link to the Sony page with the download. Let me know if you have any issues. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/e-mount-body-ilce-1-series/ilce-1/software/00268925

Congrats! It’s truly a pretty amazing camera. Definitely learn the new menu system and set up custom buttons. It’s basically a computer that takes great images which is why this is the key to using it, especially in quickly changing uw conditions. Here is a video Alex did on setting up the a1. (There is a part 2 as well). The a7rV has the same menu and options. I found it to be a good starting point. Customize to personal taste from there. FYI - if you want a single walk around lens for some topside images on a dive trip, I have been very happy with the Tamron 28-200. It is very affordable, relatively small, sharp, and resolves well with the high megapixel bodies. It is my go-to for festivals, landscape, etc. when I don’t want to carry multiple lenses. Enjoy!

Nice finds and frames!

I have import presets that include basic settings, lens profiles, and include my standard naming format. I will also include a minimal amount of keywords as needed. This sets up a good starting point to quickly review. I am very similar. In the past, I used to be “married” to all my images, thinking one day I could make more out of them than I really could. Now I look for reasons to reject them which results in me keeping only a small percentage. Example, I recently did a hammerhead trip to Bimini. Out of 874 total, I kept about 25 that really told the story in a quality manner. I find the ability to quickly cull the images is the most important step in my editing process. Once the culling is done, I normally spend 2-4 mins per image. (Note - basic corrections were done as part of importing) Of those I keep, most of the time is spent correcting color, controlling backscatter, adding contrast, and dodging/burning with masks to highlight the key part of the frame. Clarity and Dehaze are powerful ingredients when used in moderation. I will often return the following day to make additional tiny tweaks with fresh eyes. 95% of my work is in LR, mostly using my iPad. The current mobile version is surprisingly powerful and does not bog down when removing spots. For this, it is important that the screen brightness is set to a proper level, and I utilize the histogram for correct overall image shadow/highlight levels. If I need to employ plugins such as Topaz products, I will return to my Mac and further adjust the edited and synced version as needed. Those final versions are then included to the synced LR folder so they are also accessible on my mobile devices.

Nicely done @Floris Bennema ! You found some wonderful colors for sure.

Sounds like a call or message to Backscatter would be the best. It’s a head scratcher.

@Robin.snapshots This is my question as well. I use this wet lens with my GoPro in a GoPro housing with the Wide lens setting. I do not have the vignette.

@ChrisH Terrific frames! Great detail and fun with movement.

@fruehaufsteher2 Terrific frames! I have a buddy that just came back. Also missed multiple days of diving due to weather, but had a great time. It’s on my list!

I agreee with everything Wolfgang said! Ironically, I was just typing the same answers, but he beat me to it. 😂 To add a bit more, yes, the EF-S 60 does work with the Metabones on the FF. There is, however, vignetting. This is not an issue for blackwater, but will show in daylight scenes. Unless you need a wider macro, I have found the Sony 90 to be the best choice. I too had the EF 100 and found the 90 to be a much better solution with the newer bodies. Continuing with macro, adding an SMC-1, as example, to the Sony 90 will most likely be a more versatile and better overall solution than using a 150 or longer macro. Again, the more water between the lens and the subjects means lower overall image quality. The exception here would be if you are working with a tiny and super shy subject that requires greater distance to simply make the image. (Very rare)

Thanks Davide - great info!

Hey all, In case you have not already heard, Sony has put a hold on the a1 firmware 2.0 update. No new date is posted as of yet. From Sony Page When Download Attempted: “It was confirmed that some products updated to Ver.2.00 may not be able to connect to the network. Due to this issue, we have suspended the update. (March 29, 2024)”

This video may be interesting if you go for the Sony….

Yes, any FF will be substantially larger than an m4/3. And you are right, there is no way to gauge the real size without you experiencing it first hand. It’s great that you had that opportunity. It also weeded out one you now know you do not want. I had the original Oly E-M1 m4/3 and loved the size, especially regarding the lenses. They were tiny and much cheaper by comparison. The entire system is also substantially smaller when you add the housing and port, as you already know. For me, I found I wanted a larger sensor and a greater ease in creating shallow DoF. As a result I bit the size bullet for a FF and have been happy with the results. I also have been very happy with the WWL/WACP with the 28-60. This allows CFWA through midrange fish portraits. The ultra close focus ability of it also allows almost a pseudo macro ability in a pinch. The 90 is super sharp for macro. I’ve also found the focus to be very accurate. That’s just me and my personal priorities. I can attest that the a7rV is a beast of a system with a long lifespan ahead of it, but again that’s just my feeling. Bottom line, there will be a ton of considerations, calculations, and opinions others will share. It honestly comes down to what fits your personal needs the best and what feels best in your hands. Either of the options you are considering will produce excellent results. I have no doubt you will be able to gauge the distances you referenced with either system once you’ve become accustomed to it. With these two choices, sensor size, overall size of the rig, and perhaps cost will often be the factors that will help you ultimately decide.

Congrats - nice deal! Curious to know your thoughts after you’ve used it a few times.

Congratulations on the new rig! Terrific images; nicely done!

Just to tack on to John’s comment about sharpness, if you do move to the a7rV, be aware you may be disappointed initially at the details or focus in your images. This is not because they are lacking, but rather the correct focus point becomes much more critical due to the ultra high resolution. I know I had a bit of learning curve when I switched from a lower res format to the 61MP. When you nail the focus, the detail is truly amazing! You are correct, the 28-60 is nothing special on its own. It’s the WWL that really makes it super versatile. You’ll love it once it arrives!

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It’s actually a very good question. I have had great success putting all the relevant clean o-rings in a ziplock baggie and putting that in the travel case with my housing. This includes o-rings for the housing, extensions, and strobes. (Extra o-rings are also included) If I do not fly with my body mounted in the housing, I put the baggie inside the housing. I carry the appropriate grease in a separate baggie, also packed with the housing. This eliminates any vacuum potential and keeps all needed parts together. Greasing and installing the o-rings takes just 1-2 minutes once at my destination.