JustinO

Yes, I really rate the compressed air solution - it's something I welcome at resorts and boats- a great way to blow most of the rinse water off your ports and housings before it dries and risks leaving water marks on ports/wet lenses. The device that Ben suggests will blow air at low pressure, but be aware that some other devices on the market don't link to the LP hose and operate at a much higher pressures. If in the future you have access to one, I'd suggest getting into habit of blowing air from about 12 inches away, and resisting the temptation to go closer to force air into all the nooks and crannies and get those little drops that just seem to move around the housing... I have heard stories of people forcing water into the housing this way from HP systems, likely down the button shafts, then slipping past an o ring. Not seen or experienced it though. Best tip is to never be in a hurry to open your housing... rinse it, wipe it, dry the port glass thoroughly, then put in in the a/c camera room or your cabin if available, then go grab a coffee/a meal/ harangue your buddy over their underwater modelling skills.... you get the point!

As Lewis says, very. I test my battery and the circuit integrity a month before each trip using a damp cotton bud - works very well... loud enough to spook the cat (well, that's one way to minimise the risk of a stray hair I suppose)! Glad all seems to be well, and enjoy the trip!

Is there a chance that your rig got nudged in the tank? That's one of the classic areas where damage can occur. Personally I never take my eyes off it when I'm rinsing it - a 30 second dunk followed by a working of all the buttons under the water, then I take it out. As others suggest, next step is to dry it off completely (including the port glass to avoid unsightly marks) before opening it, or releasing the vacuum. Whereabouts was the water? near the vacuum release might suggest that as a cause, but that will look like a fine spray. Worth checking all the vulnerable areas (basically all o-rings) including where an eyepiece docks in, the port, etc. It might not be from the main o ring, just perhaps gathered there as a result of the position the camera was in in the tank. If you have a wet macro lens / magnifying glass to hand, might also be worth looking through that to see if any tiny hairs/ grit are in either side of the o ring seats. And as all say, definitely do a dry run without a camera.

Hi Grant, Have you spoken to Kevin at Aquaphot? He's more than likely seen a few through his workshop at some point and either a) may have some ideas on how to fix or some spares knocking about....notwithstanding that it's old stock. Kevin has helped me with a few issues, either fixing S&S stuff or getting answers on my behalf. Try and contact him through https://aquaphot.com/ Other than that, am out of ideas.

Echo that! I for one am fed up with my partner being bombarded by adverts from Zuckerberg's outfit for car batteries, brewing supplies, and even worse, camera gear... how on earth am I expected to indulge my GAS when she knows all about it before I've bought it?! Rant over. and back to topic...another RED FLAG for me would under the following scenario: - The "seller" is actively involved in a conversation with you (so you know they're not doing something else). - The "seller" is unable to respond to a question about the gear/shooting underwater that only a real photographer would know... if they have to break off to check Dr Google that tells you all you need to know....

This is definitely a Mac bug... just took delivery of my first one, and i get exactly the same issue as you @Architeuthis. And that's the first thing I did on authorising the new Mac. On Windows, on the same file no issue... Hope they fix it soon, as it's a pig!

Just a note to be aware of on the 14-42 -do some research on models, and maybe test a second hand. I am now on my second of the Oly "Pancake" lenses. I had a problem where the electrical connector that operates the aperture gave out - I could pick shutter speed, but aperture read -/- . No amount of fiddling would fix it, as the copper track that operates it had broken. Google showed me it's a bit of a known issue, as it folds in and out with the zoom function.... metal fatigue seems to win out.

I'm not seeing this on my Windows system Wolfgang. All the pixels change as I move the eyedropper. Might be just a Mac issue? Will be able to check this week as I'm about to pull the trigger on a Macbook Pro.

Hi Vkalia I am a user of all three set ups too, and a frequent Egypt visitor. If it were me and I was thinking about upgrading, then I'd save the cash for that. The 30mm is a cheap lens for a reason - on its own (in my opinion) it doesn't have the IQ of some of Olympus others and suffers from chromatic aberration much more, so I suspect if you already have the 8mm, you're not going to get as good IQ, even if you do get a bit of extra versatility. You might be better off planning what you want to shoot (drawing on guide's knowledge of what's there) and stick with the gear you have. But it does depend what you are shooting... I suspect in August you might be looking for sharks, in which case the 8mm isn't the best option to fill the frame. A cheaper alternative could be to try and pick up a second hand 14-42mm pancake lens plus port and WWL 1? That set up works well- but is heavy! Anyone on the trip got anything you can borrow?

We were in Bonaire in August 2023, and I was disappointed with the reef health and fish life. The dominant colour was reddy brown, and there was a lot of stony coral tissue loss disease developing, even despite the traffic light system (move from a green site, to amber, then red, and disinfect daily). Some sites were pretty sparse for fish, particularly those around the Hilma Hooker. The best life we found was a couple of days after the full moon, when the reef at Buddy's was just nuts - fish everywhere. Ostracods were around, we found some down south near the kite surfing beach. DIdn't do too many of the northern sites, and some of the most northern sites were closed to protect against SCLTD. Turtles not in abundance. but lots of arrow crabs, a few seahorses, and some lettuce slugs up north. Lots of flamingo tongues. My favourite site for vistas was Weber's Joy - gorgeous, and no-one there. Certainly less red than the south.

And if that doesn't work, put some bicarbonate of soda in with a stronger vinegar solution then drop the computer in. The fizzing is pretty good at clearing off organic debris, and might help loosen any stubborn crystals.

And if you have, assuming you are using a Nauticam port, did you get the focus ring? And can you use that with the clutch set in manual (where the full range from 2x to infinity seems to be available with 1/2 turn of the focus ring, saving a lot of time and energy twiddling forever. Not intending to hijack the thread...

Nice pics, Chris! But the other unanswered question is whether you've yet taken the 90mm underwater? Or does that need a conversation with your bank manager? Asking for a friend... 😆

I'd not class those as "consumables" so they may be hard to get hold of.... if you're worried about failure, why not replace them before you go for peace of mind? Personally, I test everything a month before I go so plenty of lead time. I always take a box of spare o- rings, silicone grease, and spare batteries for everything (trigger, camera, strobes, computer) and that's about it... beyond the tools to make a few field repairs.

I have shot both the Oly 8mm with a Nauti 140mm glass dome, and the 14-42mm EZ with the WWL-1 on an Em1 Mk2 I prefer the former set up: it's lighter, and and the IQ is better, IMO, as is the FOV. Plus, I had a 14-42mm EZ fail on me (cheap lens, and the zoom connector eventually breaks). Note the 140mm is still quite a beast of a dome, certainly when compared to the 4.33" acrylic one that the Oly and Pana FEs can use. That might restrict where you can use it. FWIW, I opted for the glass one as I thought it would be less likely to risk a scratch, and I don't fancy hours trying to polish up an acrylic dome. I have a friend who uses the acrylic, and her pictures have good IQ. I don't shoot an awful lot of extreme close up.

So sad to hear about Andrea's recent stroke. Her research and dedication has made such a difference to our collective understanding and appreciation for mantas. Thoughts with her and her family, and hoping she makes a full recovery. You can read more here: Andrea Marshall in intensive care after stroke - DIVE Magazine

I would add: RED SEA: Red Sea Diving Safari. Their "open deck" policy helps you go in whenever you feel, and stay around what interests you. Plus they often host workshops. If you can't find the tiny slugs, then ask to dive with either Sarah, Ellie, or Flavia, and they will find you things you won't believe!

Shocking. Be interested to see your trip report, as well as any of Robert's updated findings - he infers he's doing a repeat trip this year.

Cheers Tim, that's the main reason I've never gone with a tripod... that and the fact some need another kg of lead to keep them still... I might just invest in another 30mm ball arm for the same outlay.

Thanks Giancarlo, really helpful - be interested to hear how you get on, and whether you decide to stick just with it on the stick all the time, rather than trying to remount to housing... have a good trip!

Many thanks Phil, that's really helpful - the substrate depth is a really important point - and limitation.

Has anybody got any experience with this? Backscatter Remote Lighting Muck Stick - Mike's Dive Cameras (mikesdivecameras.com) Am thinking about getting myself a birthday present prior to a trip to Puerto Galera - I feel my better half has more than done her faire share of bottom time trying to interpret my rather bad handwaving on where to hold a snooted strobe... Similar stories of woe in that department welcomed too!

To add to this, yes, I own a pair, and I like them. Fast recycle time, and they are positively buoyant with the batteries in (in salt water) which might slightly affect how much extra buoyancy is needed to keep your rig neutrally buoyant (which is arguably more important when snorkelling than diving). The output colour temp is different, too, which is worth knowing about in advance. They are powerful, but still suffer from the distance limitations. On reliability, I had one misbehave, which Sea & Sea replaced for free, even though it was out of warranty. But there are others who have had much more unfortunate experiences, which a quick trawl of another forum will reveal. I treat mine carefully, but then that is my approach to all my gear - it's just too expensive a hobby to be frivolous with.

I think we all hear you right there! Lots of other discussions steer towards getting the best you can afford, and growing your rig with your strobes (as you can future proof your strobes better). If you're new to it all underwater, I'd suggest get to grips with ambient first (especially if snorkelling) and see if you can borrow from a friend to test. That way you will get to see the challenges first hand (positioning to avoid backscatter, increased drag, etc) before you shell out your hard-earned greenbacks...

I agree. Also bear in mind that any strobe is not going to light any subject more than 6ft away - the light has to travel there and back (12ft) and so much of the output will get absorbed/scattered. in cases where tuna are 20ft away, the shots will lack contrast and colour, and there's nothing you can do about that.... hence the old saying "Get close. Then get closer." Try without first, then invest if you decide you really need it.