Posts posted by atus
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It's been quite a long time since I don't get in the forum. Anyway, I'm currently running a pair of Subtronic 160 pro fusion, my dive buddy is using a pair of plain 160 pro. The only difference between them is that the fusion includes a powerfull led light to make video, but it makes the strobe quite bigger. If i had to buy again I would buy the plain 160 pro. When I do video is with a gopro and it's enough to lit it up with the pair of chinese torches that I use to carry.
I already post a while ago a post about these strobes. They are reliable, powerfull and small enough to travel with them and make wide angle pictures against the sun. The only point that I don't like is the batteries, they are dedicated and quite a bit expensive, I learned to repair it on myself and I even manufacture my ones with 18650 cells which I can charge individually.
If you have to buy the batteries there are two options, or you buy an arm with the battery on the inside, which I don't like, in case of failing you lose for a while the arm and the battery. Or you can buy the normal battery which you connect to the strobe with an S4 connection and fit to the strobe with the neopren cover.
I only can speak right about the service, I have to send mines twice and they repaired it properly. As long as the service is located in Germany the shipping from Europe is cheap and I don't have to wait months for the strobes to be repaired.
So I would buy again. I attached two pictures so you can see the battery in the neopren cover and the battery that i manufactured.
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21 hours ago, Dave_Hicks said:
I've been to Cabo airport (SJD) a number of times since they started this Tax scam. I've not been victimized yet - thankfully. Friends on the same trips have been hit for Hundreds of dollars.
My best tip is to pack your camera gear in a standard suitcase that does not scream "scuba" all over it. Pack your dive gear in bags that DO scream scuba. If you are traveling with someone, give all the non-scuba bags (with the camera gear) to one person. The other takes all the !SCUBA! bags through first. The camera-bearing person follows and tries to not look like they are together.
I've skated though several times successfully using this approach. I put my Dive gear in Pelican bags which really draw attention. My wife with the regular suitcases containing the camera gear slipped past unnoticed.
Thanks for the advice, but I think I'll keep going to Asia. I don't like surprises when it's about money and I don't like to play the mouse and cat game with the customs.
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On 12/11/2024 at 3:21 PM, Davide DB said:
thanks @atus
project added to our DYIpedia pinned post. If you have other gears don't forget to post them here.
Hi Davide, I missed this thread. Very good one !!
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Edited by atus
add a link24 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:Those look great! Definitely get an account on Printables, MakerWorld, or Thingiverse to share. I have a bunch of Zoom & Focus gears shared out as well. I think sharing is one of the coolest parts of the 3d printing DIY philosophy.
I've just shared the file, as soon as it gets verified I'll share the link. I'm also going to share a few more items that I'm totally sure that fit and work flawlesly.
Here you are the link..
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On 12/4/2024 at 12:04 AM, Dave_Hicks said:
I used to use the 3mm plastic core cables, but some strobe models like the older S&S units had inconsistent triggering with that material. They are also more fragile than the 613 multi-core fiber. It's cheaper, but not as good in my experience. With the multi-core available at about $7 USD per meter in the USA, it's really not expensive for what you are getting.
I make my own 3d printed connectors as well, using PETG & TPU. I've shared my most current design for 2mm fiber connectors at the link below. I would love to see your connectors as well if you have made them available to share. I am always looking to learn from other's great ideas!
https://makerworld.com/en/models/846729
Hello, your cables look amazing, I didn't know that fiber so probably I'll buy a few meters to test it. I don't have any account to share my designs in 3D but I'm going to open one. I would like to share my very simple conectors and also my zoom gears for aquatica.
In the picture you can see the connector and the pof fiber, they fit perfectly with retra strobes, subtronic strobes and I would say taht also with Nauticam housings, one of my dive partners use them with Nauticam but I guess he must fit them first in an adapter. Me, with aquatica housing and other partner with Subal housing are using led triggers where the led is fitted directly to the housing by the outside as shown in the picture.
For the connectors to make them fit and don't release I designed two slots in order to put two 0.5mm thick orings. They really work great.
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Not about Belize but yes about Agressor. I have been in a dive trip in the red sea on the Agressor Red Sea II 3 weeks ago, I was told it was a luxyry boat, they charge as a luxury boat. It's not, it's a normal boat with the normal services in the red sea, the staff made the difference. They were fantastic, but the boat on itself, old and normal.
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On 10/19/2024 at 8:42 AM, Nando Diver said:
The 20.000 lumens torch link from aliexpress you posted the dive light doesnt even have a brand name, the same torch design also sell on amazon.es and its 8000 lumens advertized, https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/dp/B07FTHDDXN/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Its 99€, but at least there we can read the reviews, and even with 5 stars reviews they mention its not for video or photography, let alone the 1 and 2 stars that the dive light failed miserable after first dives.
If you buy this torch frequently, get a led lux meter (40€) at least you know what you getting.
Well, it's your opinion. I have 2 of them, and almost 4 of my partners have it also. We all also use it in night dives (medium power, full power is too much for me in a night dive) the ones who run video use it to lit the scene and the ones who takes pictures like me, use it as a focus light. I don't see any reason to buy it from Amazon for double the price. And I don't need to read any opinion in Amazon. I have my own experience over the years with this torch. Trust me, for 40-50 euros you won't find anything better. I have no idea the real power they give, but for sure more than the 800 euros Sola torches. I would probably buy this lux meter just for couriosity, even I don't trust a lot in a 40 euros lux meter 😉
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On 10/16/2024 at 11:19 PM, Nando Diver said:
Lights, Camera, Action...like they say in Hollywood
Angles, CRI/RA, flooding, corrosion, inaccurate lumens output, dubious quality control... and some cheap chinese dive lights will dimm faster over time.
Get one good dive light once, buy a cheap light at least twice.
Well, I usually would agree you, but in this case, at least with the torches that I have linked, not . I have one of that torches for about long 4 years and still working fine. I know it doesn't give 20.000 lumen, the color temperature it's not bad, but everytining always can improve, and the batteries are 4x18650, an standar nowadays.
I had torches that I paid more than 400 euros than lasted just two years. My dive buddy had two Sola, he paid 800 euros each some years ago. Those ones lasted 2 years, after that time they flooded and the factory simply said that were out of warranty.
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Me and my friends are using these torches for years, they definitevely do the job, obviously they don't give the 20.000 lumen announced, but for the price...We mostly use it as a focus torch, for night dives and some of my friends which do video with a gopro use two of them to lit the scene.
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Posted ·
Edited by atus
We recently arrived from the Red Sea. We made the north route, reefs and wrecks. Special thanks to @hedonist222his speed has allowed that the housing for replace my old one arrived on time for the trip. I just wanted to show you some pictures of the beautiful trip we made.
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My spares for a trip...
-O rings
-Fiber Optic cables
-Trigger
-Batteries for the strobes, for the trigger and for the vaccum sensor
-Velcro
-Tie wraps
-tape
-An extra strobe
-Allen keys
And this is not an spare, but is the most important, my Leatherman Charge Tool. In all my trips, for diving and with my other hobby, motorbikes, I always carry the Leatherman, and in every single trip I have used it.
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Thank you so much to @hedonist222 I recently purchase from him a housing. He has been, keen, nice and quick, I absolutely recommend him as a seller.
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On 9/19/2024 at 2:06 AM, bghazzal said:
As a side question, does Matahari organize boat-based black-water over deep water in the strait or shallow, bonfire-type dives?
cheers!Yes, they do, but with a very small boat, so only about 8 people allowed.
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1 hour ago, Davide DB said:
I saw you have a photo of the Antipathella wollastoni. Is it deep? What's the name of that eels into the sand?
I'm a fan of Rafa Herrero's video. Once he was a member of Wetpixel.
I still remember his Bajo de Las Gerardias video.
Yep, it's a bit deep, about 35 meters more or less. The problem is that it's not easy to go. That dive it's located out of the reserve. And because of the winds there are only few times in the year that it's possible to go. i was lucky enough to be there.
The name of that eels is Heteroconger longissimus
there is a huge garden of that eels in a dive site called "el desierto" i've been told that it's more than 1 km long large. They start in around 25 m depth. And it's a challenge to take them a good picture.
I know the Rafa Herrero's work but I have never meet him.
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If you are new to Lightroom, and assuming your Nas is linked with your Nas, get the habit of everything you want to do with the pictures you do it from LR. So select the pictures, go to the file "picture" and the last option must be delet all selected pictures. You will get two opttion, delete only for LR or delete from your harddisk. Choose delete form your hard disk and it's done.
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Sorry, I wanted to link the gallery and I don't know how to undo this mess....
This is the link to the gallery...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/atussub/albums/72157717702398828/
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Edited by atus
21 minutes ago, Davide DB said:Wow!
Is it mostly fish or even coral reef?
Not a single coral reef. El hierro is known by the grouoers, there are lots of them and they are very friendly. And there are lots of them because the people discovered than groupers are more valuable in the sea than in your dish. So they don't fish it, furthermore, right in front of them there is the marine reserve "el mar de las calmas" where only local fishermen are allow to work and there is a real surveillance of the marine reserve with big fines when doing bad.
A part of groupers you can find lots of trunmpet fish, parrot fish "endemic vieja canaria", thousands of fire worms, morey eels...really many fish. Their star dive spot is a vulcano named "el bajón", an spot with strong current but plenty of fish.
Here you can see my El Hierro pictures on flickr from my last trip there in 2021
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I've been at El Hierro 2 times, great place, great food, great diving, but I wouldn't say the best diving in Spain, There's a few spots almost the same good, but El Hierro is very budget friendly, in fact, the last time I've been there, I made 10 days with 800 euros, all the meals and beers at the retaurants and 3 dives per day, two in the morning and a night dive everyday. There are up to 12 dive center in La Restinga.
Cabo de Palos in Mediterranean Mainland of Spain is another must to go, but althought meals and hotels are budget friendly, diving is definitively not budget friendly. And for photography is complicated, currents, bad visibility, depth...
Illes Medes in the mediterranean north of Spain could fit you, but i don't really know how many dive centers are open in wintertime.
And, my home, Balearic islands. I live in Ibiza, only a single dive center remains open in winter, but if you like to dive from the shore there is a filling air station. If you love Posidonia, and all its critters, easy to find if you know how and you have the patience, that could be your place. But again, it isn't budget friendly, in fact it's the most expensive.
In Mallorca, the same than Ibiza, but could be a bit cheaper, the El Toro marine reserve is spectacular. But mediterranean is a very weather changing place, nobody could warranty that you come and can dive.
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I would like to add in Tulamben, Bali. Matahari resort, good accomodation, the dive center is 10 meters away from the restaurant and swimming pool. Amazing dive spot just infront of the resort, black water, the best creature spotter guide I have ever seen... Fantastic place for macro shooting. I have been twice and I will probably return.
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I know this can be a long shot but, who knows...I'm not in a hurry but I need a change. I am right now shooting with an Aquatica 5D housing adapted to a 5D MkII, updated with vacuum valve and optical trigger but this housing is very old and I am having issues with the painting and the inox buttons so I need another one. I am planning to buy a whole new underwater rig in about 3 years. In resume, I need a housing but I don't want to spend a fortune. I need a housing for a 5D mk II or MKIII, it doesn't matter the brand if I can switch easily wit a ring from all my Aquatica stuff to that brand, assuming that ring doesn't cost a fortune, or in other words, I am looking for an Aquatica housing for a 5D mk II or mk III but I am open to other brands...Subal, Nauticam, Sea&Sea...I am only considering alluminum housings. If you have something like that for a fair price pleasse make me an offer.
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"unexpensive" dome ports
in General Chat
Posted
As long as I consider that the prices for the dome ports are out of control and I have a lot of ideas I have been doing my own dome ports. So I have developed a system in which I can manufacture 4" dome ports for almost all brands of housings with (and this is very important for me) with interchangable by the user plastic fronts in seconds. So with only one body you can put different domes (sometimes you need the dome to be more or less curve, or yo can convert it into a flat port for macro). The plastic is not specially treated for photography but I can't see any difference on the results with a Canon 5D mKII and a Canon 8-15 lens.
I've been diving with it for a couple of years, in deep dives, trips to the red sea, Indonesia, Canarian Islands. The system works, its easy to use and and easy to produce. My question is, do you think it would be a good business ? would you buy it ?