Nemrod

I think you underestimate the S220. Before I bought the S220s as a filler set until something comes along that is better and that I can afford, I had borrowed a set of Z240 strobes. This is because one of my ancient D2000 strobes had a malfunction (after being dropped one time too many) so a friend who was going home earlier than me lent me his Z240s. I am shooting nearly the same settings overall with the S220 strobes that I was with the borrowed Z2409 set and both are considerably stronger than my old D2000 set. The Weefine does look like a nice strobe, not saying it does not. I do not shoot video at all but still, I suppose the video light is a good addition as a back up light during night dives. Circular or not, that is a big jump from 17 to 22 regardless of the flash tube and it is not as if the S220 has a narrow beam exactly itself and the S220 really does not need a diffuser due to the dome lens. Maybe Weefine will offer a new strobe model with a little more power without becoming huge in both size and $ range. It is kinda expensive already without being proven reliability in the market.

The Weefine is an interesting strobe but it is GN 17 vs my current S220s at GN22 (for whatever those numbers are useful or not) and it is kind of expensive for an unproven brand. I guess I can give Inon a little more time and if nothing comes out from them or elsewhere I guess it will be some DS3 Duo strobes. Neutral in the water, GN33 and relatively compact. And somewhat affordable.

The problem with most of the strobes you mention @Architeuthis is that they are much different in buoyancy and size in the water and more $$$$$ with the exception of the YSD3 which like you I am dubious of them due to the poor reliability of the previous generation. The HF1 is just huge, heavy and negative in the water. For those of us shooting mid size rigs they seem awfully large in comparison to the camera/housing. I have an older D2000 (of a set of two purchased new around 2005?), which has the On/Off switch problem after being dropped. It has been at a well known repair place for nearly a year. I give up on it and got some S220 strobes to fill the gap until Inon releases the new ZXXX or I decide upon something else.

Is there any hope for this strobe in my remaining lifetime? I sure hope Inon is not going out of business? It has always been difficult getting repairs for Inon gear but the upside was that it never broke, thus never needed repairs, mostly.

Thanks, I had forgotten that. My WWL-1 has a Nauticam bayonet mount. I think it was added on, do not remember. It should zip right on the Z50 I would think.

David, cannot wait to see your new outfit at SD. JFYI and please anyone correct me if wrong. The only difference between the Nauticam WWL-1 and the Nauticam WWL-1B is the removable foam float collar on the WWL-1 and the integral aluminum float collar on the WWL-1B. Optically and in all dimensions not affected by the float collar, they are the same lens. The WWL-C is a different lens, more compact and is not the same optically. The WWL-1 lens assumes a 28mm and the WWL-C assumes a 24mm lens and both have zoom through capability. The WWL-C may not be as wide with some camera/lens combos?

I sort of like this concept for the new Canon R50 and the new little Nikon. Fixed port with water contact optics. But I do wish it had BBF and an additional auxiliary bulkhead port so it might be possible to have both a vacuum system and onboard charging. What is the flash sync speed for this R50? Looks like a nice outfit, hope it does good for you.

I use a Pelican Air for on the airline or in transit. But once at the dive site I use a Sam's Club bag, about $9. I have one that I have used for several years, even got rescued by a Bedouin gentleman in Egypt, I gave him more tip for finding my bag than it could be worth but he was so proud to have helped me!

Thanks for the brain drain. It hurts my head thinking about it sometimes. Thing is, I have two A6400 cameras widely separated in serial number. And UWT sent me a replacement with newer software way back, I mean, it is a now nearly a 5 yo camera and the same with the UWT trigger. None of them worked, not a different camera nor trigger. Beats me :(. I know one thing, this has put me off on (future) cameras that require an external $$$ trigger. At least with the A6400 I can sync off the built in flash which works perfectly, every time, all the time, just not super fast. And it eats my battery if I did not have a booster or onboard charging capability.

Thanks, it is none of those things, I wish it were that simple. The random loss of sync is unpredictable, random. It works perfect for a few shots, maybe twenty shots and then one or two do not sync, in the water or on my kitchen table. This in any camera mode, strobe mode, trigger mode with various strobes (S&S, D2000, S2000, S220, YS) and all sorts of cables (Inon, Divervision, Nauticam), with the trigger set to sTTL or M or anything in between. It syncs fine and then it does not. I thought at first when the camera wakes up after going to sleep but even with my booster battery and the camera never goes to sleep, same thing. Tried a different camera and three different UWT triggers. When it works it is great, but it is not reliable. I still like my camera and enjoy using it but next time it will not be a Sony though the above problem is not due to Sony (I think). Here are the irritating things about the Alpha cameras: 1. No native fisheye lens, zoom or prime. 2. No pre-flash cancel. 3. The 1/160 maximum sync.

I find the 16-50 kit lens works good enough for who and what it is for and especially when coupled with the WWL-1. However, if you can find a Sigma 19mm prime it is excellent with the WWL-1. As to triggers, perhaps there is some difference with the 6700 vs the 6400 but I have not been able to get the UWT trigger to sync reliably, mostly it does, sometimes it does not, random.

I will look at photos for minutes, even hours. As soon as a video pops on I am gone.

It is working for me also. With the battery pack removed the adapter can tuck in there. The problem I have is that the battery pack is the better solution for most uses as long as they are working and they work very well.

I got one of these and stupidly I did not realize that it was a USB-C and my A6400 is a mini-USB. The NA6400 can use a booster battery pack underneath the camera and I can stuff the wiring and adapter below the camera in place of the booster pack. The booster pack keeps my camera running for often a full four long dives. This is with the LCD screen running full time and using the onboard flash for sync. I do have a UWT board trigger but it just never really worked reliably, actually not very well at all, thus I use the camera flash for syncing my strobes. Which of course eats battery thus my desire to have an alternative means of charging my camera battery without opening the housing. I have two booster packs and they are going strong still so I guess I am okay for the time being.

I would rather an integrated product that consisted of an exoskeleton that interfaced mechanically and electronically with the internal photo module. Which could be replaced and upgraded with both firmware and software and with a one inch sensor or M4:3 sensor to keep it compact and travel friendly. A fixed 24-75/90M zoom integrated into a fixed port with macro and designed to use water contact optics for wide angle and fisheye perspective.

I have two Peregrine computers. I wear one on my left forearm and the other straps to the left inner Nauticam float arm. Why two, because two is one and one is none and I have had computers quit at critical times though never a Shearwater product.

Nauticam clamps can be had with shackles. Shackles can be found lot's of places and in different sizes including on Amazon. ULCS makes these adapters to go on existing clamps: https://ulcs.com/product/ac-lhc2-camera-lanyard-holder/

I put the handle lanyard atop the first set of arms. There are also two bolt snaps there which I clip together. The purpose of the bolt snaps is that they hold the arms tight together and I can clip them to the shoulder D rings to secure the camera for shore diving or climbing ladders. The coil lanyard goes to my crotch strap scooter ring and is always attached. The short tether lanyard is for clipping to the scooter ring on my BP/wing for three point security to prevent the rig from swinging if I were to trip shore diving or banging into ladders. The two bungee loops on the outer clamps are pulled over and around the clamps at the grip handles to furhter secure the strobes and outer arms from flopping and flailing about if I have to jump in with camera rig.

That is a good idea. I think I may try that, thanks. Not for my WWL but for my 4.33 dome that often goes naked and I go paranoid. I could do as you suggest, cut a section from an old wet suit leg that is of the correct diameter and make it the right length. Then cut a circular piece and use AquaSeal to glue it into the leg piece. Making a cap that will slip over. Then sew in a bungee loop to help hold it in place and add a bolt snap. Good idea. I would still clip it to my scooter or butt rings to get it out of the way. I often dive in just a rash guard and swimsuit so no pockets or zippers to stuff things into.

I have tried to use neoprene covers in the water for domes and found them to be difficult. As well salt crystals can form and even sand can accumulate on them which is not good for your lens dome. I understand the OP and many divers here use a conventional BC, I am diving a backplate (Oxy textile Ultralite usually) and VDH or Oxy wing. These are fitted with a one inch crotch strap that has both a front scooter ring and a rear "butt" ring. Clipping the cap off with a bolt snap to the scooter ring, again, I never notice the cap. The cap does not hang down because it is buoyant. I think it floats up between my legs, really do not know as I never feel it or see it. Occasionally I will clip it to my butt ring, especially if there is not a sausage clipped there. If you look closely at the attached selfie might can see the WWL-1 lens cap between my legs. I am pretty clean in the water. In hundreds of dives I still have my cap and unscratched lens. Yes, those RIBs are hell on unprotected domes. So are rinse tubs. I ask the crew not to put my camera in the rinse bucket but sometimes, before they learn to accommodate me, they do. Another issue I have with the neoprene covers is I have not been able to tether them and they invariably go away and hide, usually forever. Anyways, everyone has their way of doing things, this is mine ands it works for me but it is certainly not the only way.

I always go in and come out with the cap installed on the WWL-1. During the dive I clip it off to my scooter ring on my crotch strap. I never notice it and it causes no problems or drag. My WWL-1 is also secured to the housing with a lanyard. I do these two things because there is not always a bottom that can be reached and I have seen too many scratched domes which usually happens during handoffs to get on and off the boat or during shore entries. The cap is slightly buoyant. Again, I never notice the cap clipped off during the dive. The security lanyard to the lens itself does not interfere with my removing the lens to burp it but certainly provide piece of mind. Not my WWL-1 and NA6400, but some years back during a poor handoff to me in rough water, the crew dropped my camera (FIXS90) on the deck and knocked the wide angle water contact lens (an Inon with dome) off the port which rapidly disappeared into the depths. It was a drift off Jupiter, it was gone and we were gone. However, the boat went back later and found my lens and got it back to me so all ended well. I drilled two small holes on the periphery of the WWL-1 cap. I pulled a piece of cave line through and then attached a bolt snap which in use clips to the lens lanyard which clips to my Nauticam handles. When I remove the cap upon entry, I clip it to my crotch strap scooter ring. My camera housing coil tether also clips off to the scooter ring. This method is not new to me, I began doing this after the lost lens incident. I have my old Canon FIXS90 rigged nearly identical to my Nauticam NA6400. There are no scratches on my 15 years old Inon lens and not a single scratch to my now 5 years old Nauticam WWL-1.

The Inon lenses typically are Type 1 or Type 2. It is possible to get the rings through DiverVision (?) to convert them. This conversion moves the rear element fore and aft in relation to the port:

David my belief system is that the UWL-H100 will work but that the UWL-100 will not :(. Here is my NA6400 fitted with the UWL-100, Port 35 and 35mm lens. The lens front element is very close to the port glass. Unfortunately for me since I all ready own it, the old UWL-100 just did not work (yet, not entirely given up). As large as the Nauticam WWL-1 is, underwater it handles well and I have no difficulty poking it into tight spots. The reason I was fooling with the UWL-100 was I had thought as has been suggested to remove the dome for a more compact semi-wide angle range lens.

Thanks. I have the old Inon UWL100 from previous cameras but it will not work with the APS-C size sensor. At least I have not gotten it to. However, I am aware the UWLH100 does work but Inon has I think discontinued this lens for some reason. I imagine I could find a used one. I like the Nauticam lens because it was inexpensive (well, not really). With dome the H100 is not much smaller than the WWL-1 but without the dome that is a good bit smaller and lighter. Inon lenses come in Type 1 and Type 2, I forget which is which but generally they can be converted from one to the other. The difference is how much the rear element protrudes. Here I am in the Bahamans with my old Ikelite and Oly 5050 and the Inon UWL with dome. I wish it would work with my Sony but it vignettes and the corners and periphery are horrid. I have tried with a 35 port and Rokinon 35mm prime, still no go.

This is an elementary question that I should really know the answer to but I do not completely. I have the Nauticam 4.33 dome which is used with the Sony S6XXX series (and others) with the Sony 16mm pancake and with both the wide angle and the fisheye snap on converters. But I also have a Rokinon 10mm fisheye lens. It produces cleaner images for surface photography but it is manual focus and manual focus aperture. I would preset probably f11. But I would either need to have a gear printed for focus or preset focus. Domes produce a virtual image, can I preset focus to that virtual image and then not really need to worry about focus? If distant or near dome objects are not clearly focused it really does not matter perhaps for CFWA and fisheye shots? I once had an Ikelite bubble housing with a Nikon FM camera. I recall presetting focus and aperture but for the life of me I have no idea where the slides are from some of those shots nor do I recall if it was okay or not. I do not remeber.