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my backpack Isotta R5 2 Retra Flat port with 2 macro lenses R5 with rf 10-20 in the Isotta rf 100 + rf 14-35 "some" battery more than 1 KG 2 gopro and a MS Surface tablet. Handle, arm clamp etc etc in the checked-in luggage. I don't know how to travel with less weight

I wanted to stay within regulation ... but it's not possible. Wrong I need to fly business... but it's realy to expensive for me. The second possibility is to put more in the check-in luggage... but NO - No insurance will cover the lost or the damage of part in this luggage. I asked to buy some more kg as cabin luggage... not possible Would you put 10000 or more €, in addition in the checked-in ? I have allready the regulator, BCD arm, etc . It's more than the insurance will pay back in case of... They are also no possibility to have a better insurance. It's only 500€ or $ I can't remember. I have no trust in what hapend with the check-in luggage.

Back from a small diving trip in Italy/Ustica backpack with 17,5 kg no problem ... but ok it was not a lowcost airline... otherwise .... :( One time on Scoot from Cebu to Singapore at the check in. Can you put your backpack on the band. 16,5 KG ... Direct I said one moment.. look .. I opened the backpack... the man stand up ask the supervisor and came back ok you can close the backpack it is ok. After a lot of mails with Singapore air... the only solution was "You need to fly in business" Since I fly economy and had never problems. Our gears are compact that's mean the backpack does not seems to be over 8, 10 or 12 KG.. I try to have it only on 1 shoulder... (it's light ;) ) and smile.

Hi Alex I'll do that later... at work for the moment.

That is exactly what I have done in the past. I will see the improvment of the number of firing between my old Pro X and the new Pro Max II... hope that in the futur I can diving 3 muck-dive a day without changing battery I will now order 32 new AA Eneloop Pro.. to replace the 32 "lost" last week. 😭

My 2 Retra Pro Max II arrived minutes ago... Happy Will open the package this afternoon after work . Thank's @Oskar - Retra UWT for the conversion of my original order 2xMaxi to 2xMax II. I believe it was the good decision.

find on this page Caution Do not disassemble. Do not dispose of in fire, put in backwards, mix different battery types, use with non-rechargeable batteries, or short circuit. Do not connect the (+) and (-) ends with metal objects. Do not use in water-proof flashlights or in any device with an airtight battery compartment. Doing so may result in explosions or leaks that may cause personal injury. Keep batteries out of reach of children. If swallowed, contact your doctor or local poison control center. ☹️ or 🤣 I don't know

Hi @Oskar - Retra UWT Can you give us your/Retra opinion over Eneloop White or Black ? Many thanks in advance

Good news the Retra Pro Max II are in the shipping phase

Billllllll where are you ?

I made a lot of things with 3D printing... some was floating arms. The main problem are to have part where to water don't come in... it works good with epoxy and carbon fiber to have a long life.. otherwise after some dives the arms a leaking or if you go to deep imploded... Bigger wall --> more weight... lighter --> thinger wall --> leak easyer because of the deformation and some time break A lot of try & error. A solution I used and probably will reuse are to make a 3d part with thing wall. and fill it with epoxy shaum. Dual wall are also an option Epoxy Resin PB 250 + Hardener DM 03 I used this solution to repair somme leaking parts.. really easy to use. The foam is very rigid and waterproof. I used the 250 version but now there is a product that is 170 kg/M3. I allready buy this one nd will made some tests. The target is to build lighter arms, without losing durability --> they will be smaller "Work" for the next winter 🤪

For sure.. The batteries have a hard life... in the strobe they be heated some times in the sun... after go down in "cold" water come up travel in the sun back at the resort etc... Not the best condition

I had the same problem... one battery made problems... than an other... And i'doubt that they was charge near 500... some of not 100 times This point is also a reason for my question about AA

For me the question was not about cheaper but about more quality and/or power I wanted to show if they are some news GOOD AA product on the market.

Why ? It is allready difficult to make (nice ans good) macro with autofocus... manual.... euh... not for me. Can you explain the possible benefit of a focus ring ?

I found this Eneloop PRO: info, tips, tests, pros and cons | Everything you need to know!

Following a mishap I have to buy new AA batteries for my Retra flashes I take this opportunity to take a look at what are the best products for underwater use. I have always used Eneloop pro until now. Like many. But now are there other alternatives? I saw the ELV Powerex-Pile mignon AA NiMH 2700 mAh in a comparaison chart.. they was better as the Eneloop for a use in a (land) strobe. They are probably other brandt what are your opinions over the curent AA products ? Thanks PS I forgot that they are different version of the Eneloop Pro... some are named xx now.. any reliable information ?

Hi @RobinD It's really not a nice construction. I'll never trust such a 3d printed part. Not with one or two expensive lenses. You wrote that you are using this part since 5 years... how many dives in salt water ?

Thanks David for your point of view... I don't agree all what you say but I (trying to) understand it. I'm a hobby photographe and happy with that. I allways avoided to make some photographics workshop.... why... I don't want to heard from the teacher.. You must do that or that. In all cases this workshop will have some influence on me. I've my feeling... my approach of what I want to obtain... I'm not trying to copy what the other made... I want to make photo I like... no photo for the others. If some others like it fine ;) The only "workshop" was a masterclass of Alex last year. I paided to learn some technics It was interesting.. I'm using some technics now...

Good explanation of the situation. It's the same for me.

Very good. ❤️❤️ I'm in the renew of my computers... my new RAID is connected on my PC.. BUT the plan is to build a new "server" under Windows 11 (I know I know... but it's not the subject of this topic... ;) ) I'm not alone at home others are using my "server"... but a very important point is that the Server and the backup (for you the 2 NAS) need to be on 2 separated "location"... in case of flooding, fire or intruders. In the past I made the backups automaticly on HDs connected on my PC... I'll make the same again in the futur ( my PC is in reality a server case with a lot of HDD and SSD ;) ) Before I worked with tape.. but todays it's to slow.. and HDD are so cheap.

In the past I had much more bad shoots... but since I have the R5... the bad shoots decreased a lot.

My old RAID 6 + spare was exactly 16 years old when I shut it down. Yes 16 years. Not a single HD failure, A dedicated RAID controller (Adaptec) All based on a MS 2003 server... The only problem I had was when I shut years ago the server down during holiday ... when I came back the Motherboard was dead... I bought a new one and that's it. RAID <> Backup RAID is only there to reduce the chance to need a restore of the backup HD... ;) And you know Backups... I make 1...2 ... each month after that ... it ends to 1 backup / year 🤣 ( fyi I work in IT) To days you have On-line storage in the cloud for realy sheap..(MS office 365 as example.. ) 1TB / user if you buy the familly you will have a lot of storage and more for lees as 10 € a month

HDD are cheap --> why should I spend a lot of time to delete the bad, sorry not very good photos ? During the diving trip I spent 1, 2 or 3 hours to delete the out of focus etc pictures. maximum 5% I guess. I make every 2 or 3 days backups on 2 external SDD the number of pictures / day are beetween 200 and 400 sometime 500. When I'm back home make a copy of the folder (year/month/day) with the Raw and the LR xmp. A Sync on LR at home and I can work on the new pictures on the big screen. I have since more than 15 year a RAID 6 , with 7 HDD and one spare.. but I ran out of space (not only because the photos) I made every months some backups on separated hdd. Now I use only a RAID 5 with 3 HDD +/- 30 TB and I shut down the old server with the raid contoler and the 8 disks. I have enough old HDD with a lot of backups of my pictures... comming back from 6 diving days in Ustica... 12 dives --> 80 GB and 1900 photo.. 🤣

For sure. I have booth on a flip.... but for me the MFO-1 is realy a good lens. As I allready wrote the focus stay near and don't go on the background. and that make the difference beetween fighting to take photo from a small goby and only take a photo from a small goby.