Fred Courchamp

Interesting. By chance have you tested 28-60+MFO-1, mostly to see if the wet lens improves auto-focus ?

Hi, Can the 6000 lm light (or that light at lower power) be used while the strobe is in normal flash mode (TTL or manual), essentially as a powerful focus light? More specifically, does the continuous light stay on between shots and then switch off automatically during the flash exposure before turning back on again? I know the Maxi has a separate 400 lm pilot light, but I am specifically wondering whether the video light can be used this way. For comparison, the Backscatter HF-1 allows its continuous light to be used together with the flash, which is very useful for tracking and focusing on moving fish. Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your generous responses. Thanks to your feedback, I am heading towards a setup based either on the A7CR or the A7R VI: I will try to get my hands on both housings before buying to see if the A7R VI is an acceptable size for me, otherwise I will go with the CR. As for the lenses, I will go with: the sony 100mm macro with a 125 port + Marelux MV-60 on a flip adapter. A 28-60mm with a 45 flat port + CMC-2 (which I already own). The 28-60mm + 45 port combo is a modest investment relative to the total cost of the setup, and will be useful when diving in turbid waters and for dives dedicated to habitat photography. I am trying my best to avoid a dome port, for the reason mentioned by @ColdDarkDiver (very high risk of scratches given my use case + I take a lot of photos of sand gobies, right at substrate level). Three questions remain open: Is an MFO-1 wet lens useful (either with the 100mm or the 28-60mm)? The answer will also determine whether I buy a single or double flip holder. @Architeuthis, note that here I am only interested in the MFO-1 for its (potential) ability to improve autofocus acquisition speed and reduce hunting on moving fish. What about a 45° viewfinder? (Probably an INON, given the price of the Nauticam...). I am used to using the rear LCD screen on my G5X II, and I find it convenient to be able to shoot with arms extended in tight squeezes. But I know some people swear by viewfinders. I have no experience to draw on here. Nauticam, Marelux, or even Isotta (for smaller size) housing ? I guess here the answer is too subjective to be discussed... PS: I am also going to upgrade my strobe, probably a Retra Maxi. PPS: @Klaus, I am already very well equipped for photo post-processing—but I didn't know about the ON1 software, I will look into it, thanks! PPPS: @Paul Kay, I am extremely jealous of your Jeffrey's Goby sighting :-). And the photo is incredibly beautiful!

Thanks a lot Phil for your very insightful comment. Have you tried using the Sony FE 20–70 mm f/4 behind a flat port (as for the FE 28 – 60 mm F4-5.6), which would allow adding a CMC-2 (or possibly, a MFO-1 if useful) for very small fish? Nauticam port chart recommends a dome for the 20–70 mm f/4, but I'm wondering whether a flat-port setup could still work (considering I would certainly rarely shoot at 20 mm).

Thanks @Davide DB and @Architeuthis . Yes I have seen the D850 set up (with nauticam) : it is too big for me, mostly because of the housing. I have also seen the A7CII + 28-60 set up (with nauticam) : it is perfect. I think I could even tolerate a slightly bigger housing. I have never seen the housing of A7R5/6, it seems to be in between that of D850 and A7CII. On the paper, the A7CR seems the ideal camera for me, especially if the 1/160 sync is not an issue (I had read that some poeple complained about this but I do not remember if this was based on real experience or not). My only remaining concern is that it has been released in 2023. Psychologically, it is difficult for me to put such an amount of money for something that might soon be replaced. But I have a grant to buy this equipment, I cannot wait to spend it. And if this is currently the best option...

Hi, thanks to all for all the answers. @dentrock is true that I should have given some contextual information. The only purpose of the dives is to photograph fish, and to capture them. Usually I take a picture, and then I try to catch the photographed fish (with chemicals and handnets - then my camera, attached to me, floats above my shoulder - it needs positive buoyancy). I am diving in NE Atlantic and Medit. Viz can be good, or much lower than 2m... "I don't find the quoted Sony 1/160 synch speed limiting" -> this is very informative as it makes A7CR a good option, thanks. @Chris Ross @ Architeuthis I had not considered Olympus/OM so far. Spontaneously, 20Mpixels seemed to few to me: this is what has my CanonG5xii, and I am currently frustated by the lost of details when I crop (compared to a colleague who has a D850, for exemple). So the benefit would be mainly to have a better autofocus, no ? Yet evidence are there, and Olympus/OM seems definitely a route to investigate. Thanks For the housing, I like Nauticam. @Klaus For the strobe : my INON D200 (I also have 2 S2000) have a descent recycling time (1,5 sec). 20 GN is not a lot but it is usually enough for me. I read that popular strobes like Retra Pro Max II does not recycle faster. But I should investigate other brands. It is true that recycling time is limiting for me. This is why I have considered buying a powerful video light (like weefine solar pro) and test using burst mode photography, but fish seem to be very sensitive to such lights, so no sure this is a good option. Prehaps investigating a Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1 ? Is there alternative to Sony macro 50mm (=other brand) that could fit the Sony A7RVI, and that would be compact (like the Zuiko 60mm) ? Even if not, one option could also be to use the A7R VI + 28–60mm until a good 50/60mm macro is out (it would not be very expensive to secondarily by a lens + port if I already have a good camera body + housing).

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum. I'm an ichthyologist looking to upgrade my UW fish photography gear. I currently use a Canon G5 XII with a CMC-2 and an Inon D-200 strobe, which gives me a very versatile magnification range, but I'd like to switch to a mirrorless system with better autofocus, a larger sensor, and higher resolution. My goal is to be able to photograph, during a single dive, a ~1 cm goby sitting on the sand, a moving damselfish swimming past at 0.5–1 m, and larger fish up to 0.8m in size. I don't do true wide-angle or aesthetic photography: I "just" want sharp photos where I can count the scales and fin rays. I would also like to keep the setup fairly compact for snorkeling, rough water entries, or when squeezing between rocks. I have a generous budget, up to $15k. After quite a bit of research, I'm considering several Sony options (I am open to other brands but they do not seem to offer what I am looking for), but none completely satisfies me: A6700: compact but APS-C, relatively small sensor, getting pretty old now (it pains me to put a lot of money into a model that will be replaced in 1 or 2 years), flash sync limited to 1/160s. A7C II: compact as well, but also getting a bit old, sync limited to 1/160s. A7CR : more pixels but sync limited to 1/160s, and also getting a bit old. A7R VI + 100mm macro + MFO-3 (+ possibly MFO-1 on double flip): lots of resolution for cropping, excellent AF, the MFO-3 would allow a wider field of view for larger/closer fish. But the whole setup seems bulky. A7R VI + 28–60mm + CMC-2 on a flip adapter (+ MFO-1 if useful?): this option would better replicate the philosophy of my G5 X II: versatile, more compact and lighter than 100mm+MFO-3, but I'm afraid of losing a lot of working distance, magnification, and perhaps ease of focusing on very small fish. My ideal lens would probably be a small macro zoom, for instance something like a 40–100mm capable of going from infinity to 1:1, but that doesn't seem to exist. Failing that, a compact 50–60mm macro with extremely fast autofocus might be the best compromise, but the Sony one gets bad reviews. I would appreaciate any advice. My best Fred.

Hi, I am a ne member from France, and somtimes Belgium. I am doing underwater fish photography, exclusivelly. Currently with Canon G5xii+CMC-1 in Nauticam housing + INON D200 ans INON S2000 strobes. But I consider upgrading. I am amazed by the quality of the discussion on this forum.