Landvogt1893

Hello and welcome :)

The lens needs to be corrected; otherwise, there is noticeable vignetting at 24 mm. That’s why I was surprised by your statement that you find it ironic, especially regarding corner sharpness. Overall, this lens in this combination is a good compromise, but it’s not for pixel peepers. Booth are taken with 24mm. Send me a PN and i will give you the link to my onedrive with the raw´s 1/200 F10 ISO 320 1/200 F9 ISO400

If you mean me – where did I say that the corners are super sharp?

No worries — take your time and try to dig out some images 🙂 I’m curious to see them.

Is there a decision by now? I’ve also been searching for the right ultra-wide-angle solution for a long time. At the moment I’m using a Canon R5 with the 15–35mm f/2.8 and an 8.5" acrylic dome. With the 70 mm extension, the acrylic dome always tends to float upwards, which really annoys me. I’ve also tried the EF 8–15mm, both with and without the 1.4× Kenko teleconverter. However, I don’t always find the fisheye look to be the right fit. I also tested the RF 24–50mm with the WWL-C. I actually found the image quality to be very good, and a friend of mine uses the same combination as well — mainly because of the lower weight and the versatility.

Do you have any sample images taken with the MFO-3? I’m using the same combination and would be very interested to see some example shots. You mentioned using a 3× flip — which manufacturer is that from?

Yes, I'm a bit stigmatized in that regard. Egyptian customs once confiscated all my Eneloops – they probably just needed rechargeable batteries at home. I just find it sad that they're currently selling the "old" flashes in promotional campaigns, but can't offer a discount to a customer who isn't really happy with the product to restore their satisfaction. I probably should have just waited for the Maxi 🙂 But as the saying goes, other parents also have beautiful daughters.

Because I simply don't feel like traveling around the world with 16 or 32 (required and backup) AA batteries

With the booster or without?

After a long period of testing and some exchanges with Retra directly, I wanted to leave my feedback here. One thing I have to say: you really get a quick response from support, and they are very dedicated. With the firmware update, you can actually override the error and continue flashing in a kind of emergency mode. My biggest issue turned out to be a battery that was no longer in top condition. Honestly, the fact that I apparently need almost factory-new Eneloops to use the flashes as I want still annoys me. But at least I can flash. Unfortunately, Retra does not offer the possibility to test the Booster Pack, nor is there a discount on the purchase that might convince me or make me happy. I never actually wanted to buy it because having 8 batteries in the flash is simply too much for me. Even though I now know that I need new Eneloops, there is still a bitter aftertaste, and I’m not really happy with this solution yet.

Just a quick update: I’m already in email contact with Retra. It seems there is an issue with the current firmware, which is supposed to be fixed in the next update. I’m curious to see how it turns out. I need the strobes as reliable workhorses – they simply have to work when I need them. I’m also not willing to buy a new set of batteries for every use or for longer trips where reliability is crucial. My Sea&Sea strobes, for example, sat in the cupboard for weeks – I put in the batteries (no matter which ones), and off they went.

Which one? How do you come to that assumption? In every other device, including flashes for above-water functions, the batteries work perfectly. Thank you, Oskar, for your detailed message. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really help me at the moment. I was looking for general user experiences, not a check on whether my strobes have the latest firmware. This kind of experience, especially from a relatively manufacturer-neutral perspective, is something I can only get in a forum. When I imagine that before every dive I either need new Eneloops or have to check each one to make sure they work, I start feeling unwell 🙂

Hi, Today, after a long time, I finally had the chance to test my new Retra Pro Max strobes underwater. Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. Underwater, one of the two strobes only turned on briefly before shutting down with the message: "Please charge the battery." It turned off immediately after that. I had charged the batteries (relatively new Eneloop Pros) the day before and only took them out of the charger this morning. When I inserted them and did a quick test, everything seemed fine. Frustrated, I had to end my dive early. When I placed the batteries back into the charger, it displayed the following values: 1.36V – 066mR 1.35V – 120mR 1.35V – 120mR 1.34V – 015mR After charging for 30 minutes, the values were: 1.48V – 066mR 1.47V – 120mR 1.48V – 120mR 1.48V – 015mR The charger added 141mAh – 184mAh, meaning the batteries were far from empty. Honestly, I’m very disappointed. Even the second Retra Pro Max started showing signs of power loss after just 60 shots. Is there a solution for this? The Eneloops shouldn’t be defective, right? My Sea&Sea D2 strobes worked perfectly with any battery and never had issues. I definitely won’t buy the Booster Pack—I'd rather sell the strobes before doing that. Ah, in case it’s important to mention—the water temperature was only 6°C.

I understand how a diopter works, but there are some diopters that make it easier and allow more light onto the lens and others that don't, hence this thread. I need something strong like the SMC 2 🙂

I am looking for a significant increase compared to the SMC1 – already on par with the SMC2 but easier to handle. With the AOI diopters, I often read that their design allows more light to reach the lens, making them easier to work with. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any information about the working distance yet.