Nemrod

With Nauticam now offering both a Nikon and a Canon mirrorless in fixed port housings with the bayonet also fixed they really do need to add a few things to their catalog. A minimal 1.2X or 2X converter and a bayonet flip holder. And not specific to the fixed port housings, a quality air dome corrective lens to restore FOV to the lens and improve corners of the naked flat port. The concept of a teleconverter UW for this purpose is flawed, placing more water and particles and whatever else between you and the subject. I think you will just need to get closer or failing that to zoom in processing by cropping. What you are describing is a minimal crop so you will not loose much IQ and in some ways may improve it by cropping out the corners of the flat port images. As much as I have come to dislike DH regulators of recent, I do notice that I can get closer to some critters using them than with a SH. This due to the exhaust bubbles being less noisy and more hidden from the sensitive critters view. YRMV.

The Sigma 19 does not require me to zoom out the vignetting present on the kit lens at 16mm-19mm range. The Sony does not keep the zoom sticky so when the camera goes to sleep each time it awakens I have to reset the zoom to or beyond 19mm. The Sigma lens is also sharper and better IQ being a fixed focal length. It focus quickly and just works very well with the WWL-1. As well, the kit lens really needs to be at 20mm to clear the corners and the Sigma has clear corners at 19mm so the FOV is very slightly wider and seems a little cleaner perhaps in the corners. Is the Sigma 19mm worth getting, I cannot answer that for you. I enjoy using it but just as often grab the kit lens, deal with the annoying non sticky zoom for the ability to zoom and frame on the fly. With the Sigma, well, I zoom with my fins.

I have the older Kraken 1500 and I like it still. I like that it has a mode that momentarily shuts off the focus light when the strobes fire. But, it from time to time requires me to beat on it for it to work. I found that the little battery spring was flat. I fixed that. Then, oddly, after many dives and despite a good rinse down, I found severe corrosion, as in pieces missing, under the saddle clamp where it abuts the forward light section, happened in one day of diving. I used emory paper and black paint to repair and so far, so good. But it is evident that I will need a new one sooner than latter. L&M may have thrown in the towel too soon :(.

Mine will flash red blue at start up sometimes and then sometimes not, on the same battery or even a new battery. When I sent my housing in for service after five years (more or less) I mentioned this phenomena, and they could not replicate and all checked out normal. So, I go on a dive trip, and guess what ------. I just ignore it now and change my batteries on a regular basis. Thus avoiding the scary steady red!

I remove my main housing O-ring with each opening and lube it and clean the sealing surfaces. Early on with my then new Nauticam housing I had the steady red light and got confused thinking it meant water inside. I quickly dumped vacuum and opened the housing. Of course, some drops of water went inside just as you describe. I was near Reef Photo so took it there straight away and they cleaned and checked everything over for free. Then I refreshed my read of the OM ;). I sometimes get the alternating lights when I turn the system on. Usually after a number of dives in a very humid place. Beats me but once pumped the green light stays steady. I flooded my FIX/S90 and found a tiny piece of black hair wrapped on the case O-ring. Since my wife has short brown hair and mine is some sort of not black hair it was not mine or hers. Where it came from who knows, perhaps the room service ladies. My fault for changing batteries in a hurry and in a dimly lit area. DAN sponsored insurance covered.

I got to use David's NA-R50 camera rigged with my old single D2000 and my Nauticam WWL-1 (not B). Any question that the WWL-1 with the foam collar will not fit, it does perfectly. I am mightily impressed with this little rig. For a nearly compact camera size outfit using water contact optics, it is very capable and svelte in the water and should be travel friendly. Sorry for not being more photogenic myself but the NA-R50 is quite cumly. (photo by DHaas)

I keep a couple of microfiber cloths in a baggie or dry pocket in the bag. I will pat the water compact optic down after a dunk in the rinse tank. I try to keep my camera in a Sam's Club bag between dives. I usually bring a bag of microfiber cloths with me on each trip and use them up over the duration. I have not really had any problems with permeant water spots but what peeves me is a Nauticam housing getting all of the white spots. I try to pat it dry after rinsing. But I am there to dive, not maintain photo equipment so to some extent my water contact optics, ports and cameras must be capable of living in the real world of hard knocks. But still, I like my stuff to look new. The above pertains to between dives when transported by boat, Jeep, camel or Isuzu or flip flops. Rinse tanks for between dive dunks are not even available at some or many locations. Once back to base, I soak the camera and run water over all of the controls exercising them and the optics. Then wipe it down with micro cloths and gently blow dry with an electric rechargeable blow gun.

Sorry, I should have included the board is set to 0 position.

I am sorry I have caused an argument. The sTTL mode when selected overrides the "bastard" switch /ACC cancel switch. The switch does nothing in sTTL (ACC) mode. When the strobe mode is selected to Manual mode the now active ACC switch must be properly selected for pre-flash or no pre-flash expected. The ACC switch does not select between two types of sTTL, one ACC and one not, but both utilizing the pre-flash for exposure control when the strobe is in sTTL mode.

Thank you for that explanation. I never could see that with several compacts I have tried with my Inon strobes. I had a film SLR that had off the film real time flash exposure, or at least I was thinking it did. But digital as you say, I cannot think of any. All digital use a pre-flash approach to TTL strobe exposure. I think, as you suggest, that the two positions on the mode dial are possibly then ACC-sTTL/sTTL and thus no longer a need for the switch and again explains why there are a correspondingly two Manual modes?

I agree, I do not think I said any different. I was discussing the sTTL mode of the strobe. Of course, yes, if the strobe is selected to Manual mode then the pre-flash/no pre-flash switch becomes effectively active.

An Inon strobe defaults to pre-flash regardless of the magnet or the switch. That switch does nothing as long as sTTL is selected on the mode dial. I suppose there are cameras that have real time TTL strobe exposure with no pre-flash. That is interesting that there are two TTL and two M modes?

True. The Retra are bigger, heavier and likely more $$. I am not sure how useful HSS is but I would like that option if only to play with but perhaps not a requirement. And I am an APS-C, M4:3, 1 inch type picture taker. No way I will ever go FF. Not UW or surface shooting. And I have 20 plus years old Inon strobes that still work. I was looking at the Weefine but reports are that some are flooding on first use. I figure Inon is good to go for reliability, the Retra, well, I have no idea but it seems they are a responsive company and would be able to support the strobes with service if and when needed. Which is a problem with Inon, service if needed in North America. Regarding the pre-flash button/knob, I would prefer that to a confusing learning mode that needs to be learned again every time the strobe is powered up or switching modes.

There is hope then. It looks good with some useful improvements. I do not see HSS so I guess that was too much to wish for. I am probably in for a set since I am a long time Inon user and speak Inon. However, I may just have to go take out a loan or a second mortgage or something and get some Retras though they are way overkill for my skill level. I like the extended knobs, the multiple selections for the modeling light and it appears the case has been extended to the rear in that tapered area. I wonder if there will also be a new full size D model, perhaps a D240? Maybe not looking in the right place but I do not see an e-sync available, optical only?

One thing I learned and it may not apply to other Alpha cameras with the UWT board (maybe only to mine?) is how to trick the camera to give me a little faster shutter sync. What I do, when I know I am setting up for a sun ball photo is to turn WL to Off and then set shutter speed to maximum 1/160. Then turn WL to On and the shutter speed will default to 1/200. It is not sticky so as soon as the camera is turned off if WL is On when the camera comes back on the shutter speed will drop to 1/125. With WL to On I cannot choose 1/160, to shoot at 1/160 I must turn WL to Off. And again, once set to 1/160 if I turn WL to On, the shutter will go from 1/160 to 1/200. With WL on the available shutter speeds are 1/125-1/200-1/250 and so on. If I select 1/250 the strobe no longer fires and if I go back down I must go all the way down to 1/125 to get strobe again with 1/125 being maximum sync speed available until I again select WL to Off. Did I mention that as much as I like my camera rig, I also hate it.