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TimG

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Posts posted by TimG

    A quick translation:

    Hello, it would be interesting to return to this topic, unfortunately we can no longer access wetpixel to read those articles, my experience with the 160 pro (opto kit) at the moment is not being good, the person in charge of Subtronic is friendly and correct, shipments to Germany are expensive and repairs take a long time, it is a shame because the quality of construction is exceptional, small companies in the EU tend to disappear, the Chinese market absorbs everything, if you have any problem they send you directly a new flash, without protesting, while it is under warranty, then if it breaks you can throw it away directly since here in Spain it is almost impossible to find a General technician who repairs underwater flashes... very unfortunate but that's how the market is today.. the more electronics and components the more probability of failures,, I started with nikonos, that if they were good flashes that did not give problems,, the 105 was the star, and then the ys250 pro and the ys 300 of sea sea were wonderful,, tempus fujit as the king of the Bible said... this will never be the same anymore.....use and throw away, there is the business....

    I'm sorry to be so fatalistic but it's been more than 40 years in the fotosub world and I've been through almost everything... greetings.

    5 hours ago, tailwind_marseille said:

    Thanks for the info. Indeed, we can only find them in the used market. I got lucky and seemed to have found one in great condition. Looking forward to try it underwater !

    Excellent. I hope you have fun with it.

    One small note of caution: the lens zoom ring on them has a tendency to detach! The ring seems to be held in place by sticky tape. So I’d suggest care is needed when fitting the port/housing zoom ring - and once in place, leave it on.

    If the lens zoom ring does detach, don’t panic! (Yes, easier said than done!). It’s not hard to reattach. I’ve had two copies of the lens and both have had the same issue. But with a little care, they were/are perfectly useable.

    • Like 1

    On the issue of sensor size, my strong advice would be to be careful before you go down the FF route. It’s a very expensive, big and bulky route and wide-angle is still not straightforward.

    For most users, M43 or APS-C are much more flexible and less expensive formats and, as Bill points out, produce great results. I ?downgraded from FF to APS-C and have never regretted it.

    • Like 2

    This is a subject that crops up regularly and is a pain to resolve. As Chris explains, prevention is the best way!

    Once the problem is there though I remember a range of solutions have been suggested; dilute citric acid or white vinegar; Coca Cola, Mothers glass cleaner, Brasso. I’m not sure anyone has nailed a clear winner. At the end of the day, re-glassing is only the 100% solution I’ve heard of.

    Can totally understand Nemrod’s view. Loads of pics are spoilt be inelegant diver poses. Images with divers need care and direction . But that’s where the beauty of the partners relationship kicks in. You work with your partner creating an image which he/she loves, which was created together and can get you some cracking images. “You spend quality time together on the dive”….. you still get it in the neck after, but that’s love, right?

    • Like 3
    • Haha 2

    My partner became part of my dive images and is now terrific at positioning herself really well to enhance wide-angle shots. When its macro time, thankfully she has a fair amount of patience, will help find things and generally keep an eye on the general direction of the dive. I usually get an earful at the surface for a variety of offences but, hey, life rolls on, eh?

    A personal dive guide when feasible is a great option.

    • Like 3
    • Haha 2

    Hi turriffk (love the user name!)

    Ive organised trips a few times to Egypt. I'd advise strongly looking at the southern Red Sea. That's a bit less crowded than the northern area which has tons of day boats in addition to liveaboards.

    I always use Emperor Divers liveaboard fleet who I have found to be very good. Take a look at their trips out of Marsa Alam heading south: St Johns and the Furys is very good and not crazy busy - well for the most part any way. Last trip we had Oceanic Whites and loads of dolphins.

    The itineraries that have The Brothers and Elphinstone Reef tend to be busier but the diving is pretty good.

    The Red Sea gets pretty cold in the winter, say November to April with temperatures in the celsius teens. In the summer it gets into the very high celsius 20s or even low 30s.

    As for travel, Marsa Alarm is fairly easy to get to via Europe especially via the UK or Amsterdam. Cairo is easy of course and there are 2-3 flights a day from Cairo to Marsa Alam. We've found those reliable and inexpensive. A couple of days sight-seeing in Cairo is a bonus and well worthwhile. I can recommend a company who can arrange a car, driver and guide for you. Similarly, if you use a Marsa-based boat, a 2-3 night side trip to Luxor is very worthwhile. You can then fly from Luxor to Cairo.

    I really like diving in the Red Sea (and Egypt more generally), although, have to say, I did notice a drop off in reef quality from 2023 to 2024. I don't know if that was seasonal or more long-term. The colour vibrancy was just not as good.

    Any follow-up questions, just let me know.

    • Like 2

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