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ridgebackpilot's Achievements
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@NealL I'll take it! Please send me a DM with your payment details. Thanks!
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Does anyone have an old, inoperable Ikelite NiMH battery pack for Ikelite substrobes lying around? I'm looking for one to rebuild, so happy to buy for parts only; need not be in working order. Please send me a DM if you have an old Ikelite battery pack available. It would need to fit DS160, DS161, or DS125 substrobes (see photo).
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My Ikelite Strobe Battery Rebuild
ridgebackpilot replied to Deepunderpix's topic in Tutorials, How-Tos, DIY
Thanks, @Deepunderpix for posting these instructions here. A couple of years ago, I followed your advice on Wetpixel and successfully rebuilt my DS160 battery pack. Doing it myself cost about $40 in raw materials (Tenergy NiMH cells from Amazon) and saved me at least $250 per battery pack over buying replacement batteries from Ikelite. And I learned how to spot weld at the same time! -
Kudos to @Abi_Camera for a couple of smooth transactions, involving both buying and selling!
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FS & WTB: Nauticam Gears & Extension Ring
ridgebackpilot replied to ridgebackpilot's topic in Classifieds
Update: The following are SOLD: Nauticam 19138 zoom gear (N1635-Z) for Nikon AF-S 16-35mm wide-angle zoom lens Nauticam 19122 focus gear (N105VR-F) for Nikon AF-S 105mm macro lens This one is still FOR SALE: Nauticam 19154 zoom gear for Nikon Z 24-7-mm f/4 & Z 14-30mm f4 lenses And I'm still LOOKING for this one: Nauticam 19141 zoom gear (N1835-Z) for Nikon AF-S 18-35mm wide-angle zoom lens Please let me know what you have or need! -
ridgebackpilot started following Using Sony Lenses on Nikon Z Cameras , WTB: Nauticam N100 to N120 Port Adapter II , FS & WTB: Nauticam Gears & Extension Ring and 1 other
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I'm putting together a Sony A7RII underwater photography system for a friend of mine, and need the Nauticam N100 to N120 Port Adapter II (37305) so that I can use my existing ports and wet optics, all of which are N120. Please let me know if you have this adapter and would be willing to part with it! Cheers, Mike
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FS & WTB: Nauticam Gears & Extension Ring
ridgebackpilot replied to ridgebackpilot's topic in Classifieds
Found the Nauticam Extension ring 40 but still need the 19141 Zoom gear N1835-Z if anyone has one you're willing to part with! -
Bubble in WWL-C Wet Lens?
ridgebackpilot replied to ridgebackpilot's topic in Photography Gear and Technique
Thanks for your responses! I suspect you're all correct: This phenomenon was more likely due to one of my strobes being positioned too close and too far forward. This only showed up on a couple of shots in the same sequence. A bubble or dirty port would have affected all the shots in the range. -
Anyone know what may have caused the light anomaly on the left side of these photos? These were taken in Raja Ampat last month, on my first day shooting the Nikon Z8, Nikkor Z 24-50mm lens, Nauticam housing, WWL-C wet lens, Retra Pro Max strobes. Would an errant bubble of air between the lens and the port explain this phenomenon? Or perhaps something else like strobe flare?
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I have the following Nauticam zoom and focus gears for sale: Nauticam 19138 zoom gear (N1635-Z) for Nikon AF-S 16-35mm wide-angle zoom lens Nauticam 19154 zoom gear for Nikon Z 24-7-mm f/4 & Z 14-30mm f4 lenses Nauticam 19122 focus gear (N105VR-F) for Nikon AF-S 105mm macro lens I'm looking for the following: Nauticam 19141 zoom gear (N1835-Z) for Nikon AF-S 18-35mm wide-angle zoom lens Nauticam 22140 N120 Extension Ring 40 II Please let me know what you need and what you've got!
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The Nikon Mirrorless Transition
ridgebackpilot replied to ridgebackpilot's topic in Photography Gear and Technique
The main advantage is being able to quickly preview a shot you've just taken, without having to remove your eye from the viewfinder. That allows you to make quick adjustments to ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed as necessary, also without taking your eye away from the viewfinder. -
Some observations and experiences from 10 days in Raja Ampat with my new Nikon Z8 and Nauticam housing setup: As @Alex_Mustard and others have pointed out, mirrorless is the future! I transitioned from the Nikon D800E and discovered the advantages of the EVF. The versatile Nikkor Z 24-50mm lens seemed happiest with the Nauticam WWL-C wet optic. It wasn’t an ideal match for the WACP-1. My WACP-1 worked best with the Sony SEL 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens using a Megadap ETZ21 Pro adapter. That made for a highly versatile setup. While the WACP-1 is heavy above water and a pain to pack, it’s well-balanced and easy to use underwater. By contrast, my Nikkor AF-S 8-15mm Fisheye behind a Nauticam 140mm glass dome port seemed outdated and superseded by the wet optics. Image quality with the WACP-1 and WWL-C was better, especially at the edges and corners. My older Nauticam 45-degree viewfinder worked well with the Z8 and new housing. There’s no real need to upgrade at great expense. The Nikkor Z 105mm macro lens is superior in sharpness to its older counterpart. The Nikkor Z 35mm Prime lens isn’t particularly well suited to underwater photography. Better for shooting in low-light situations above water. The Retra Pro Max strobes are well-engineered with superior battery life compared to their older cousins. I look forward to your comments and thoughts.
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Using Sony Lenses on Nikon Z Cameras
ridgebackpilot replied to ridgebackpilot's topic in Photography Gear and Technique
Thanks, @MarkRD and @Phil Rudin. I have to admit I wondered why the newer Sony 28-60mm lens wasn’t listed on the WACP-1 chart. I leave for Raja Ampat next week and will be taking the following lenses for use with my WWL-C and WACP-1: Nikon Z 24-50mm; Nikon Z 35mm Prime; Nikon Z 105mm Macro; and Sony FE 28-70mm. (Of course only the first lens will work with the WWL-C). I imagine the Nikon Z 24-50mm will get the most use, but we’ll see! -
Using Sony Lenses on Nikon Z Cameras
ridgebackpilot posted a topic in Photography Gear and Technique
Friends: As you know, those of us shooting Nikon Z cameras have an incentive to use certain Sony lenses on our Nikon cameras, especially when paired with Nauticam water contact optics. For example, if you check the Nauticam port charts, it's clear that the Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens works well on Nikon Z cameras with the WACP-1. Many Nikon zoom lenses are not useable through their full zoom range behind the WACP-1, but the Sony lens doesn't have that limitation, hence its popularity. Having updated my Nikon Z8 to firmware version 2.0 last week, I was curious which of the Sony E-to-Nikon Z autofocus adapters on the market would work. Turns out only one of them functioned for me. First, I tried the Techart Pro TZE-02 adapter, which consistently returned error messages. I attempted to upgrade the adapter's firmware, but that didn't help, so I returned the adapter. Next, I tried the Megadap ETZ-21 adapter, which didn't work, either. I couldn't even download the firmware update from the Megadap website for that one, so I returned it, too. Finally, before giving in to despair, I ordered the latest Megadap ETZ-21 Pro adapter, which was reported to work well. When it arrived, I vowed that if it didn't work, I'd simply have to stick to using Nikkor Z or F lenses on my upcoming trip to Raja Ampat. Surprisingly, the Megadap ETZ-21 Pro worked well from the outset! I had expected it to prompt an error message as well, since Nikon firmware 2.0 is so new and none of the adapter manufacturers have had time to update their own firmware to match. So I was pleasantly surprised that the Megadap ETZ-21 Pro worked fine on my camera. I guess I'll be taking that Sony lens to Indonesia after all!