Davide DB

thanks @atus project added to our DYIpedia pinned post. If you have other gears don't forget to post them here.

I missed this! project added to our DIYpedia 😉

Guys, reality check: There are videographers aboard with their lights full of huge Li-ion battery packs 😉

Okay, you are already using long arms, so you can try to position them better. I like the idea of the back lighting. I'm a big fan of additional lights carried by the buddy. Of course you have to have a cooperating buddy. If you find yourself with two extra powerful lights, now is the time to try it. The idea is that the camera lights fill the scene as needed, but the main lights are in the hands of the model/buddy. You decide the amount of fill light. You get wonderful effects. Even a “normal” shot gains a three-dimensionality that would otherwise be impossible, and on wrecks it creates a lot of atmosphere. Another advantage is that by having the lights away from the camera, you do not have backscatter! The first to use this technique extensively was Roberto Rinaldi, who made it a distinctive element of his filming. Almost a signature. The effect can be seen in many of his films and in those of Laurent Ballesta. I tried several times. I haven't reef shot with this tecnique online but I could search if interested. here a couple of old video I have online, It was the first time I tried them with the buddy so it could be done better:

Welcome aboard Samir! Ciaoooo

Amazing video as usual Val! It's really a paradise.

Hi Dave, I too have a pair of old Divepro 15k or 18k, I can't remember. I got them as a gift from a friend who no longer dives. The buttons broke and Divepro didn't even respond to emails. Lights were bought directly from them. I find the quality very bad. I was able to fix them here in Italy but now they have a simple ON/OFF button. So for me this brand is to be discarded. The Kraken seem to be of a good standard. The light seems to have a very good CRI. A whole different story compared to the Divepro which had a very bad light compared to my Keldan. If you have a chance to try Kraken out in the store, check the sequence of switching and power adjustment. I find that some brands have very bad ergonomics. I see that your videos are shot in challenging conditions. I'm not sure that increasing the lumens solves your problems. There is a whitish halo due to backscatter at the lights. You might try positioning the arms differently or lengthening them (I write without having seen your setup). Increasing the power in this condition I am afraid you would make the situation worse. P.S. Keldans are great (and very expensive) but I don't think they make a difference in these water condition.

Here in Tuscany they are quite deep (between 65m and 75m) and share soft bottoms with classic sea pens. I've been told that the Marmara sea is the only place where you can find them at 20m. I never use air below 30m and never never air on a rebreather regardless of the depth.

Re-reading @Edward Lai post I understand that the purpose of the lens is to improve the quality of the flat macro port. Early prototypes also had a slight magnification but the range of focus was prioritized. Thus: about the same magnification as the macro lens on which it is mounted greatly improved image quality bonus: extended range of focus Correct me if I am wrong

The Veretillum cynomorium is a colonial octocoral belonging to the class Anthozoa and the order Pennatulacea. This organism is anchored to the sandy or muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, distinguished by its fleshy, elongated appearance and its ability to emit a faint bioluminescence. It is made up of a colony of polyps, each with specific functions, working together to feed and reproduce. Bottom trawling and fishing gear that touches the seafloor can destroy entire colonies, tearing them from the substrate or damaging their habitat. Additionally, climate change, such as rising temperatures and ocean acidification, can impact their delicate ecological balance, even through indirect effects like the decrease in plankton, which they feed on. To preserve this species and its valuable role in benthic ecosystems, it is crucial to protect the seabed with marine protected areas and promote sustainable fishing practices. The Veretillum reminds us of how fragile marine life’s balance is and how important it is to safeguard it. Shot on Lumix GH5MII, Panasonic Leica 45mm; CMC-2; lights: RGBlue + XDive

Prices of a used R5C keep falling and it becomes very appealing. Now there are a lot of "old" camera that are amazing video monsters. Few months and the OG A1 will fall under 4K€. Going back to Canon R5C, with the latest firmware upgrade, can do 8k 60p RAW with no external power and JUST the LP-E6P battery: https://www.canon.co.uk/press-centre/press-releases/2024/11/firmware-updates-add-extensive-new-functionalities-to-canon-professional-video-cameras/

Thanks, I guess it's impossibile to print that thread pitch at home. So I will buy a cheap 67-82mm step-up filter and I will print a ring that will fit inside.

Basically, from the Marumi table the same thread pitch as photography filters. Thanks

I'm asking a question, maybe a dumb one, so don't shoot me 🤡 I remember back in the days of the Nikonos, extension tubes had a stick and frame to have a sure reference as to where the camera would focus and frame size. I don't even know the exact name for it, but it is a vintage item that has no reason to exist today except in very special cases. Inon reworked this concept in part for its macro lenses for GoPro and even patented it. Is there something similar for flat ports for use with add-on lenses? Since I can't find anything on the net I got the doubt that my question is dumb. Yet there are use cases in my shooting where having an immediate visual reference if I have positioned the lens at the right distance from the subject would be very handy. And this fantasy object would be perfect. Here where I usually dive, many of the subjects I try to film in macro are on steep, muddy rock slides. Being able to position the tripod is already a feat, and clouds of mud rise with every adjustment. Sometimes I give up even before I press the REC button. Sometimes corals close polyps if illuminated for too long. Even under ideal conditions, the depth often does not allow me to waste too much time. In short, I see this as a likely DIY project. I imagine a 67mm ring with a mechanism similar to Inon's or simpler or even fixed, but where the stick is interchangeable. The size or references on it would change depending on the focus range of the additional lens used. The stick can also be a straw. For starters, do you have any idea of the standard thread pitch of the 67mm ports and add-ons? I have only found those for photographic filters: https://www.marumi-global.com/blogs/technology/faq-thread-pitch

Yes, then it is assumed that we always want to work at maximum magnification which is not always necessary or desirable. Then here we are talking about video while 90% of the examples are photos. Repetita Iuvant: it is one thing to stand still in the blue (black actually 😉) for 1/250 of a second, another to stand there for 30 seconds at 1:1 magnification.

Have a look here. This XAvdenturer seems a good option, a fair price and Pietro sell them in Italy. @Wags could give you his feedback.

Terrific quality for a such small camera. When you have time. Would you mind shooting something on the reef with fixed WB and Natural light? Thank you in advance

People think that gopros & Co. have special requirements for lights or given that the camera is "cheap" same apply for the lights. It's true the contrary. The tiny sensor requires a lot of light. A FF camera or even a M43 camera can work flawlessly at 1600 ISO and up. While a Gopro @1600 ISO is pure trash. IMO the only requirement is having something small. 6K is the bare minimum). There are the Scubalamp/SUPE very cheap (but iirc they are not constant output). A good option are the latest Kraken lights ( @bghazzal can give you some feedback) or Weefine.

A friend of mine bought it and he use it as plugin into PS He sent me a couple of photos never edited of a dive we made on the wreck of a JU 52 WWII airplane near Capri Island. Photo credits: Marco Bartolomucci

Absolutely not 🍻 In the end it is the market that decides. From the feedback I see around I think it will sell a lot of licenses. In the Blackwater scene they cry tears of joy 😹

Guys, let's try not to be so polarized. We are not on Facebook 😄 Everyone can make his own judgment. Besides, we are not 7 billion Tom Hanks in Cast Away. We are a society. I am a sw engineer. Should I be willing to pay any amount of money for a steak because I don't know how to be a butcher? Come on... Maybe before I stop diving, someone will come out with a similar plugin for video. A dream.

Is that the pancake 16-50mm lens? I thought it was smaller... It would be nice finding a printed gear. I guess the Nauticam gear costs double the lens price 🙂