Fabian

Thank you all for your input! I still have not finally decided, but I did order some testprints at Whitewall (they offer cheap proofs with watermarks), if I like that, I'll go with FineArt in some nice frames (magnetic frames with museumsglas). If I don't, I'm going to test acrylic against metal (i.e. ordering two small ones for comparison) and pick one of those. I do like the frames-option actually, that would make changing images significantly cheaper in the future (and if I buy 30ish frames at once, maybe they offer a discount, soothing the pain my bank account already got accustomed to from my photography).

Hello everyone, I've been offered to exhibit my pictures in a doctor's office around the corner. I need about 30 pictures for this, and I'm thinking about how I should print them. So far, I've got two options: acrylic (expensive, but I like it best) or FineArt on Hahnemühle (needs framing, so a one time invest which will make changes cheaper, matte instead of glossy). What would you go for? Or would you print on a different medium? Thanks!

I use a Sony A7IV in a Nauticam housing. Wide angle setup: Canon 8-15mm with Sony 2x TC and a Metabones V adapter, 140mm domeport. Plenty sharp imho, differences need pixel peeping and do not matter in real life, but what does matter is light, and I need to bump up ISO. If your diving deep in dark waters, e.g. photographing wreck Jura at 40m in Lake Constance, and you want available light in your image, that gets more tricky, so I take out the TC. For everything else? Stays on it. Macro setup: Sony 90mm macro and potentially a diopter. If money would not be an issue, I might switch to an FCP, but honestly I'd buy an EMWL before that.

Been there there in summer 2025, spend a few days in Pico and Faial, had overall 4 dives on Condor Bank, between 2 and 8 sharks in parallel. For the diving itself, @Nando Diver has given a great overview 👌 The only thing I'd add is: ask the dive centers about their rules & processes before diving. Some give you the briefing short but before every shark dive, some give you an extensive briefing before your first shark dive of the entire stay. Some allow strobes & video lights, some don't. I can definitely recommend CWAzores in Pico, very professional, fairly priced, nice staff, really knowledgeable. I cannot recommend the dive center I've been to in Faial (Seariders).

Thank you @Davide DB , it was on multiple gorgonias, so I'd suspect the gamete release to be more likely.

Hi all, I took a picture of a seafan in the Philippines, Bohol to be precise. It does look like it would be covered in tiny bubbles: Does anyone know, what these tiny bubbles (skeleton shrimps for reference) are? Thanks!

I'm not to familar with the Weefine housing, but as far as I know, then I'd need to start the monitor app before inserting the phone, correct? So one would need to insert the phone just before entering the water to avoid risking an empty phone battery?

I thought about similar issues to add my phone as an external monitor, no controls needed. My current idea is to get a Divevolk housing, which allows to operate the phone (benefit to set some stuff even in weird angles). Approach would be to drill a hole in the housing, cut an M16 thread, add an M16 cable gland, route a USB cable through it, done for the phone housing, camera side just needs a cable gland for the USB C cable. Sounds too easy in theory, my biggest concern is on checking if the case then still is waterproof, as there is no vaccum check available for the Divevolk housing (at least not that I'd be aware of). I'm to happy with my current setup to invest in a Divevolk housing just to drill a hole in there and risk flooding my phone. Maybe someone has an old Divevolk housing to spare? Tools I have, also the needed 15bar tested cable gland (already built a DIY USB C bulkhead for polecam photography, works quite nice). Total cost should be around 300-350€ without phone (housing, cable, cable gland, o-rings/resin to waterproof everything).

Hi all, has anyone built a DIY fluorescence filter? I've almost no experience with (underwater) fluorescence photography, what I've tried is blue filter gel taped over the strobes - did work, but not great. With 3D printing, it should be easy to build a mount for the strobes, but what I'm missing is the right blue filter. I've found blue acrylic sheets (3mm thick), but those aren't really optimized for fluorescence. Any idea where to source the right material with a diameter of ~95mm? Thanks!

Dear @Architeuthis , thank you so much for your extensive answer, this is waaaay more than what I was hoping for 🙏🙏🙏 I'll check out the resorts together with the family! Actually, Mangrove Bay has been my first diving vacation, and been there three times (before I decided to ruin my finances with underwater photography). Did love the diving very much and agree, not the greatest for non-divers / -snorklers. I'll try to squeeze in a vacation there on my own so I can more or less live in the house reef directly 😁

It was a pleasure @CaolIla , thank you for how smooth everything went!

Please - not more tipps! I already have too many ideas! An EMWL, a FCP, a scooter, a backup scooter, a bailout rebreather... what I really need is a place where I can exchange some of my organs for all this stuff. Oh and a bigger van! From the boat dropping on a line sounds reasonable, but as I'm mostly shore and cave diving, I'd be bumping it into the rocks a lot when throwing it out on a fishing rod... Unfortunately, Aliexpress isn't quick enough - I have a 90m dive scheduled for Sunday, but by then I won't have the case here if I order now 😐

Thanks guys, appreciate all input! I've decided for the AcePro2 during summer sales. I'll use it in the original dive case for now and see if I want to add the wide lens after a couple of dives (...I have kind of a feeling how this will go). For the deep diving, I found a 80m aluminum housing, maybe I'll spend the ~30€ and take it for a few deep dives without camera inside, to check if it can also cope with 100m. Or does anyone have plans for a DIY pressure chamber? 😅

Hi all, I'm looking for a hotel/resort recommendation in Egypt for vacation with the family (wife and a ~1 year old). We've been to the Azores which we did like very much, but commuting to the dive center and then going out with the RIB has been very time consuming. Hence, I'm looking for something with a nice house reef where I can dive solo after the check dive (solo certified) for photography and according to our family schedule. For the solo diving: sometimes a bit a difficult topic, some resorts accept it but don't want to have it public. If that would be the case, happy to receive a PM and keep it confidential, would then reach out to the resort/dive center beforehand. Not looking for any specific scenes or animals, just want to get 10-14 days around new years with some sun, clear water and something to photograph. For the resort, doesn't need to be fancy but should be clean, and if there is some kind of playground for the toddler, that'd be perfect. The smaller the better. Appreciate any hints and suggestions! Best, Fabian

Hi both, thank you for your feedback, I appreciate it! So in conclusion, AcePro2 with the Isotta housing, the I could use the AOI lens in the shallows (found an adapter for that one) below 60m, for the deep stuff it would be just the camera. Technically clearly preferred. Unfortunately, that brings the cost up quite a bit, as the Isotta housing is about triple the price of the Seafrogs. Or, I skip the technical diving part and stick to a cheaper housing for the AcePro2 🤔