Dave_Hicks

Proprietary batteries are the worst! I dumped by Kraken spotting light for that reason.

You can't buy a smaller flash than the Backscatter Miniflash. Single 18650 or 21700 lithium ion battery.

I'm not sure what the lesson is for buying extra batteries. It's not hard to carry extras, which I usually do on a trip. I can't imagine how you could forget the orings. They really should never be off the caps except for once in a very long while if you need to clean the cap. I probably took off my Inon orings like 2 or 3 times in over 500 dives with them. As for flooding and cleaning the battery compartment, sealed battery chambers is standard on most strobes. This is not unique to Inon. Always carry an extra strobe cable in spares. I often have a spare trigger and soldering iron on long trips too. I've fixed several solder joints on other divers triggers and hotshoes in the last few years!

Personally, I am very sure about this. I predict that within a year or two there will be few to zero UW strobes powered by AA cells still being manufactured.

Inon still has not shown more than a mock up of this strobe and zero specifications. It is highly likely that it still uses 4 AA batteries, which imposses a ton of limits that will yield a non-competitive product in today's market. I loved my 330s and keep them for backup, but they are not a good choice today.

I just recently published it on MakerWorld: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2877582-float-for-backscatter-hf-1-strobe-220g-buoyancy

Blue or even Red! The HF-1 w/float is a bit bigger than the Retra, but not by a lot. Max diameter is about 15mm more, height and weight are nearly the same as the Retra's are heavier to start with. When I first put the Retra Maxi's on my Rig, replacing the HF-1s, it was annoyingly buoyant and unbalanced. I had to remove 2 Stix Jumbo blocks (180grams each) to get it back in some sort of decent trim. The HF-1 floats are a bit more buoyant the Stix Jumbo at 220 grams each. Using the HF-1 floats now is actually a big convenience because I don't need to Add/Remove Stix blocks on my arms when I switch between Retra and HF-1 strobes.

I think you are correct, in general. However, the Retra Maxi strobe is actually bulkier than their past strobes and than similar HF-1. That size and displacement leaves it just a few grams negative in the water. It seems to me they optimized for a buoyancy target more than minimum size of the package.

Float for Backscatter Atom Strobe Add 140 grams buoyancy! The Backscatter Atom strobe is great strobes for underwater photography. Small, light, and versatile. Its biggest drawback is how much it weighs in water. The Atom is 150 grams (5.3 oz) negative in water with batteries. This 3D printed float will add 140 grams of buoyancy leaving it just 10 grams negative. (0.35 oz) You don't want to have the strobe be positively buoyant. Slightly negative is easier to handle and balance the overall system. Balancing your rig is important. If you need to add additional buoyancy to your camera rig, I suggest using float arms or Stix jumbo floats on the arm segment closest to your housing. Leave the second arm connected to the Atom strobe without additional buoyancy. Attach Float to the Atom: The float has anchor points that will allow you to thread 1/8 inch (3 mm) bungee cord. Many divers keep 1/8 bungee on hand as it is so useful. It can be bought in bulk online or at any dive shop. Tie a simple overhand knot at each end of the bungee to keep it from slipping thru the anchor. It should be just slightly taught with plenty of elasticity to pull over the strobe and keep it snug. Note before printing: This is a technical and exacting print. It requires very specific and exact filament and printing parameters. If you ignore or change the defined print profile and settings it is very likely that your float will not work. [And YES - You can make watertight and pressure resistant 3D printed objects with no added sealants or post processing!]

Float for Backscatter HF-1 Strobe Add 220 grams buoyancy! https://makerworld.com/en/models/2877582-float-for-backscatter-hf-1-strobe-220g-buoyancy The Backscatter HF-1 is one of the best strobes for underwater photography, but its biggest drawback is how much it weighs in water. The HF-1 is 250 grams (8.8 oz) negative in water with batteries. This 3D printed float will add 220 grams of buoyancy leaving it just 30 grams negative. (1 oz) You don't want to have the strobe be positively buoyant. Slightly negative is easier to handle and balance the overall system. Balancing your rig is important. If you need to add additional buoyancy to your camera rig, I suggest using float arms or Stix jumbo floats on the arm segment closest to your housing. Leave the second arm connected to the HF-1 without additional buoyancy. Attach Float to the HF-1: The float has anchor points that will allow you to thread 1/8 inch (3 mm) bungee cord. Many divers keep 1/8 bungee on hand as it is so useful. It can be bought in bulk online or at any dive shop. Tie a simple overhand knot at each end of the bungee to keep it from slipping thru the anchor. It should be just slightly taught with plenty of elasticity to pull over the strobe and keep it snug. I have tested to depths of 130ft/40m, but it may survive greater depths. As these floats are completely external to the strobe and housing, there is no risk to your equipment should they fail. Note before printing: This is a technical and exacting print. It requires very specific and exact filament and printing parameters. If you ignore or change the defined print profile and settings it is very likely that your float will not work. [And YES - You can make watertight and pressure resistant 3D printed objects with no added sealants or post processing!]

I tested the "final" versions of the HF-1 and Atom strobe floats. They worked great and were easy to use without getting in the way. I have a couple of dive-tested pre-final HF-1 floats if anyone want them. Message me if you want them for the cost of shipping.

This assumption what 3d printed objects can't be watertight is disproven by the fact that I and others have made very successful watertight and pressure resistant objects. It is completely possible. No sealants or post processing is needed if you design and print the objects with the right recipe of material and parameters. Some of my macro port floats have been used for two years and over a hundred dives without failing. Often to depths beyond 30 meters. More recently I am also diving with 3D printed port extension rings on my Nauticam housing. An integral component of housing's pressure vessel. They are completely waterproof and incredibly strong. ABS, ASA, or PETG filament right off the printer with no additional sealants. Actually, sealants are a false solution as they DO fail, fade, and flake off. I experimented with epoxy resin before I learned how to print properly, and I did have leaks when the sealants cracked and failed.

Someone forgot to clear the lint trap filter? This is a very common cause of fires!

Why not look at a Nikon Z5-II system? If you don't want FF drop it into DX mode. You can use your Nikon lenses and leave open FF for when it might have value https://www.bluewaterphotostore.com/all-articles/nikon-z5-ii-underwater-review/.

The Backscatter HF-1 Float is done. I've done several test dives on a pair of floats and they worked well. I am making another pair now that drops about 20 more grams of buoyancy. This morning I designed the Atom float and sized them to provide 140 grams of buoyancy against the 160 grams weight of the Atom's in water. Leaving it 20 grams negative. The draft print came out great. I trimmed it bit more after the draft to fine tune the target buoyancy. Atom Float +140 grams: