Floris Bennema

Strange I can see them in Chrome on a Windows laptop and when I inspect or download them they apear to be png images.

Let's agree to disagree :-)

Although not everybody agrees, I prefer the Pana 45mm over the 30mm. The working distance is far much better and I have no AF issues for macro.

Thanks all , especially the backscatter argument resonates for me. The Kraken 1800 WSR looks perfect for me, small and simple. The EU common market helps me out, i'll order one from Spain.

For macro I use a simple Weefine 800 focusing light, but the battery is losing its capacity. Annoyingly its proprietary battery, with both poles on one side, is not for sale anymore. A possible choice (with red light) at my local shop would be the Weefine 2600 which has the same attachment to the camera house. What makes me hesitate is that it needs an extra sync cable to enable 'auto-off' during flash activity. This construction with a cable is said to give a more robust auto-off, but an extra sync cable does not seem attractive. This made me wonder: how important auto-off is in macro photography anyway? (In case of the Weefine 2600: the light is 1500 lumen but that can be reduced).

New hobby on a rainy day 🤓

@Dave_Hicks What an excelent review. You covered more than I could ever think of, evidenced with great pictures. And I learned something new, never thought reduction rings would benefit wide angle photography in particle rich water. Sounsds logical, I often get lightened spots in the corners. It will try that out as soon as I can. Ok, one comment. You noted that thant the Maxis are 5500-6000K and you have 4500K diffusers. On Retras website I only could find a -500K one (Wide Angle Diffuser).

I like your video but have the feeling you could improve in two ways (Yet I am not a video shoter myself). I some shots I would like more rest, moretime to look at details. Just swimming slower. would solve this. And at times I would shoot more up to get a more spacious feeling.

My custom mode setting for Wide Angle is Standard LV and for Macro S-OVF. With OM1 you could add a third mode for CFWA.

Just came back from holyday an saw the WWL-1B blurb issue came up again. Like Dave Hicks I never experienced problems, but in an older track a member posted photos wherein the camera focused on bubbles on the port glass. In my opinion it depends on the configuration you use. My good old Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH can't focus that close, so I don't have that problem. And my WWL-1 is mounted on a bayonet, maybe that helps as well.

Great photo Dave, kind of spooky. I like the fantastic combination of colours.

I am 72 and just realised that my dry suit combi with lead and tank weights 27 kilo. Now I understand why I sound like a steamboat when walking up the dike. What a relief to be in the water. Dry suit diving will fall of first. But as long as the docter does not forbid there is always an option. I once saw old hunched-backed people gliding from the back of a liveboard in the water and diving like the best. Its better to be old in water than on land.

Happy for Peter, so sad for us all. Right person, where are you?

Looks like another unidentified ascidian? from the Red Sea on http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidfaqs.htm

To keep costs low with the Panasonic 12-42 (Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH Mega O.I.S.) in the 35 port you can print its zoomgear: https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/671-proven-3d-printed-parts-for-underwater-imaging/page/3/#findComment-12554

I use an Oly EM 5-III for many years now and are quite happy with it. In the years followed all the OMD updates of the camera but never saw a serious uw-advantage to upgrade to one of them, except perhaps for the built in ND filters. The EM 5-III is technically almost the same as the EM 1 II. I bought mine because it was smaller than the EM II, but the battery capacity is rather limiting. The OMD-5 III uses the same battery, prehapps battery managment is improved. I also would opt for an used EM 1 II , preferably in a Nauticam housing. For wide angle I use a WWL with a 14-42. After bad experiences with a broken pancake 14-42 lens (2x) I changed to a Pan kit lens once tested by M. Francese to work better with the WWL (Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 II ASPH MEGA O.I.S). For Nauticam I had to change from port 29 to 35.. No idea if your buddy can use that option on a Marelux housing. The Oly 60mm is a fantastic macro lens, but I prefer the Pan 45mm for the wider angle and better ability in low viz.

Thank you for your reactions. I use the same 45mm Leica lens Davide uses, and from your reactions I think the CMC-2 will be better to my liking. Probably my CMC-1 will be gathering dust here as well.

Yes, there is an old thread about using a Vacu Vin pump. Put the rubber part that you normally will insert in the bottle over the vacuum valve. I can't find the tread but the where some enthusiastic users.

I llearned from a Nauticam servicer that the most important is to push the buttons while in fresh water after the dive. And leave the housing in the fresh water for a while afterwards. Ass you press you see a bubble comming out from under the button indicating that fresh water flows in. Otherwise salt will accumulate under the button. Also turn the dials. As long as the buttons and dials work smoothly, there is no problem.

I wonder about the DOF of the CMC2 compared to the CMC-1 lens I have a MFT camera (Olympus) in a Nauticam housing. When I dive with macrolens (mostly a 45mm) I add a CMC-1 on a flip adapter. However, I don't like the combination, for me the DOF is to narrow. As I am also not very interested in supermacro, I am thinking about buying a CMC-2. Jet I doubt if I will be disappointed with the DOF of that wetlens as well. Can someone tell more about the DOF improvement after moving to a CMC-2?

I use both the Pana 45 and the Olympus 60mm mm only for photography. I prefer the AF of the 45mm as the 60mm has a stronger tendency to hunt, especialy in water with floating particles.

Considering that so many lenses is rather intimidating for a new MFT user, I'll add my view on macro. The Olympus 60 mm is a fantastic lens, but I almost never use it any more since I bought a Panasonic Leica 45 mm. Such a versatile lens in many occasions and much easier to aim then the 60mm. Easy to combine with a CMC-1 or 2 for more macro. In that case I would go for the CMC-2. I own a CMC-1, but the DOF is soo small.

I just worked witg jpg files. Yet on this page indicates that you can use RAW files

Amazing images again, Dave

I used Helicon Focus in the past an I liked it. If I remember well it was free at that time, now tyou need to get a license for a reasonable price. It has a lot of options but if you use the defaults you will get good results.