RomiK

43 minutes ago, Chris Ross said:

The issue with the 180mm dome is it is not a fisheye dome and it only covers the field of a 16mm lens with the entrance pupil at the dome centre of curvature.  This means you have to place this lens well forward in the dome to avoid vignetting and it will not be as sharp as it would be if properly placed and the filed of view will change somewhat. 

 

Fisheyes are more tolerant of incorrect placement compared to rectilinear lenses,  there will be some image degradation but without actually testing it hard to predict how much and if it's acceptable.  You see vendors like Ikelite offering shallower 8"domes than the 180mm for use with the 8-15 for CFWA work and it still works and produce fairly decent images.  I would expect the 180mm dome to be close to this in performance.  THis link has some test shots which will give you some idea:  https://www.ikelite.com/blogs/buying-guides/when-to-use-a-compact-8-dome-port-underwater?srsltid=AfmBOoq7cYAIaQzEIVTEl0zBJ5dC71nshLjTj2nHBSLCxy_wFBWMEuqy

Thanks Chris ... and do you remember anything re: manual focusing with 1.4x coming across your eyes in the past?

I am happy to report that Tokina TA-019 adapter provides flawless AF in both photo and video with canon 8-15 F4 fisheye zoom lens and Sony A1. Not at the same time as there is Photo and Video mode switch on the adapter but in respective modes AF works fine. Even subject recognition Animal Bird and Human work fine in Photo mode.

So my question is, if I was to use this setup with Kenko 1.4x teleconverter, is there an option for manual focusing 8-15? Nauticam's chart does not offer focus ring for 1.4x combo, only a zoom ring. Is there perhaps 3D printed solution or could be regular focus ring adapted?

One workaround would be to shoot video in M mode and always focus before starting recording video but I would prefer having control of focus during recording too. (Imagine whale shark flyby 🤣). When Tokina adapter is in Photo mode the focus does not work at all both during video recording in any mode and when camera is in video mode.

If I was to shoot video only on a dive I could switch the Tokina adapter to Video mode before the dive and then AF works flawlessly for video. But I can't take pictures as the AF will not work for taking pictures. Obviously there are better lenses for UW video so preferred modus operandi would be a photo mode with occasional video if desired. So that's that...

Second Question I would ask is whether picture quality would be satisfactory with 180mm glass as I would be using the lens effectively in 12-21mm focal lengths...

22 hours ago, Cutbacks_Ericeira said:

Hi RomiK,

For me, the EMWL, do it better work, because you can do it Macro and Wide anlge without change port/lens! To use this setup you need just Sony FE 90 mm F2.8 Macro G OSS what make Macro or with accessories Super macro. With EMWL you can choose 60º, 100º, 130º, and 160º. 
At this time to me it's almost impossible to buy this setup, yet I hope one day...

I do have EMWL and it's not as you think. EMWL have quite a color alteration effect for one and second it has a quality alteration. It's a tool that works brilliantly within intended scope of use but that's all. I wish you a chance to try it some day.

22 hours ago, Cutbacks_Ericeira said:

When you use it a Picture Profile, you need to apply a Lut or color correction in post production, if your target it's not color correting you can use a Color profile instead PP

 

 

 

No worries, normally I shoot in Slog3 which has greater gamut than HLG. But this time I tried HLG and was pleasantly surprised. Btw you really are not supposed to color correct HLG and definitely not with some LUT or so but I am sure you already know that. Cheers and I wish you good luck with trying out EMWL. It's terrific tool.

15 hours ago, humu9679 said:

 Hi Roman,

 

That looks pretty good! Did you take off the WWL-1 at 0:38 the tighter shot of the hawkfish?

 

Best,

Craig

Thanks Craig! Yes for hawkfish, in fact I think WWL was off since 0:22 (see the surface not being sharp) through 0:44 and then again 0:55 to 1:00. This changing of perspectives especially for video I consider the main benefit of using WWL1, not so much clearing the bubbles after a drop.

Hello, I am posting this to showcase benefits of using - and detaching - WWL1-B in order to achieve different types of shots on a single dive. I was using AWBUW on Sony A1 and I was using lights at some shots. All shot in HLG PP with no further color grading. 

Just a food for thought... since we already spend big $$$ for liveaboards and related travel and these come and go. While investment into a good equipment is there to stay... Imagine diving this destination, all the effort and $$$ which lead to it, you get some great shots of sharks at 35mm and then , perhaps at the end of the dive, there is this fish bowl which screams 'take the picture!'... 180mm glass is like $1400 but that money is going to get used for other space limited travels down the road... and there really isn't substitution for an F4 ultra wide and 180mm combo and selected travel parameters ... just a thought...

This bowl is with WWL1 at the widest but 14-16mm would get you quite there. Taken at the end of the dive at Wolf with 35bars ... not much time to play with 🙈🙂

Yep, real life sharks don't get that close... not like the tiger beach zoo types :-)... I wasn't to Malapasqua, I only saw vids that could get pretty dark... I was to Cocos, Socorro and Galapagos and at times it was dark there too so perhaps I could relate... I use Sony 16-35 F4 with 180mm glass dome on Nauticam and A1 and that offers quite good picture quality, certainly for video and shark photo wide open. APSC mode gets me to 55mm in video.  Or I would go WWL-1B route. But 180mm glass would be preferred because you don't have to clean bubbles after drop... I missed quite a few shots on Galapagos with WWL and next time I would take 180mm dome for sure.  

I took a lot of photos at 35mm end in Cocos and Socorro, they just don't come that close over there. Here is an original frame from the best picture I got on Cocos' Alcyon in 2023 (we got lucky and got clear water that day). The detail is 300% loupe...

Whaaat?!!! Mexicans really don't like divers to visit! First they scam them at the airport and now this? So 5 days safari instead of $450 is now $900 extra? WOW!

49 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

I'll stick with Most. It just requires a little practice using the tools.

 

Here is my edit of your picture doing pretty much what I described above, except I removed the unsightly branch. The invert was not helpful in this case, so I omitted it.  I only addressed the background, not the subject.

 

I think your picture is great, and it just needed a little cleanup.

 

 

 

 

null

it's a great effort 👏 but you can't be quite serious about the results being comparable... just download both pictures - Xeliminator and yours so the base is same and try to look in details... instagram maybe even though the scatter you left by the iguana head in the dark is horrible and in the blue is bad too... Xeliminator cleaned it up all and it's good for print even 1x1m after enlargement...  Listen I don't mean to argue what simple things you can do with Lightroom but where credit is due credit should be given (xeliminator)...

1 hour ago, Dave_Hicks said:

You can remove most background backscatter in bulk right in Lightroom with built-in functionality.

 

Linear gradient mask over background water containing BS

Subtract subject

Intersect color range on black

Invert mask 

Drop clarity and texture toward zero

Lower black level

 

This takes about 10 seconds and does the job in many cases with black water.

 

Similar variations work with blue or green water as well. Reducing clarity and texture of background water containing backscatter does 90% of the job.

 

Tools like BSX are lot more effective in complex scenes with foreground backscatter intermingled with the subject.

I wouldn't say 'most' ... I would say 'some' scenarios... I would say most of the times we needed to remove backscatter from absolute shit conditions taken pictures like this Isla Fernandina on Galapagos... yes it is easy to remove backscatter from black backgrounds but we already knew that and did that. The 'other' pictures were major PITA...

On 9/11/2024 at 8:09 PM, Ar Splujer said:

Hi Davide,
Thank you for your reply.
You are right, the lens is not listed anymore.

But I've got the 60 ring extension with the 8,5'' dome. That was the best before.
 

The problem is when I close at F11, I have to put to many ISO that the picture is not really good. The water isn't really clear everytime so I would like to find an other solution.

The glass dome will really help a lot in better sharpness ?

I have had similar "effect" when experimenting with Sony 14-1.8 on 180mm glass dome.  I removed 20mm extension pushing the lens further into the dome. And it looked similar to what you had.

 I think you need longer extension. Perhaps another 10,20 or 30mm depending on vignetting check. Although Nauticam states to use N120 Canon EF chart it depends on sensor position inside the housing. For canon EF-S 10-22 which has length of 90mm and minimum focus 24cm they recommend 60mm for acrylic dome. But I can imagine it's for Canon 7 housing while you have BMPC housing and your Tokina has 94mm length and 28cm minimum focus distance.

Basically sink the lens as far back as you can so it doesn't vignette and you should be fine.

13 hours ago, Davide DB said:

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

I too believe this tool will breath second life into many previously "not worth the effort" or "impossible to clean" images... as well as PS AI powered denoise and other tools do

Ha ha so funny!🤣 I asked for it on this forum and PM to retra - neutrally buoyant can with videolight good enough for macro and glove friendly controls - and three weeks later Retra delivers! 🤣 👏 Not that I would think they built it on my order but still 🤣

Well done @Oskar - Retra UWT ! 👏  I am from the camp really appreciating characteristics of undiffused light produced by circular tubes so it was a bit sad to see departure from those but one can always dream that the next MaxPro is going to have that. Once again well done! 👏👏

A note to all naysayers from a former owner of a software company (sold it and well) - things cost money. These money can be recovered only through sales. You thinking UW photography market is big? Look at subscriptions of UW market on YT for example. How many channels dedicated to UW photography ratings are there? How many Nauticam housings you think are being sold every year? I am grateful that someone got the balls and spent hundreds of some man-hours to tweak what caters probably many multiples sized market (astrophotography) for our needs... just think about it.

WOW! I can finally process so many images otherwise left for 'some day' 😍null

54 minutes ago, fruehaufsteher2 said:

https://www.digitalkamera.de/Zubehör-Test/Sony_FE_28-70_mm_F2_GM_im_Test/14484.aspx

 

Sony announced the new 28-70/2 GM II, first reviews are promising.

Front element moves only 1,5 cm over the zoom range, but critical could be that objects need to be 17cm from front element to focus…

otherwise it could deliver very high quality let‘s say with WACP-1 

 

Together with the A1 II…?

https://www.digitalkamera.de/Testbericht/Sony_Alpha_1_II_im_Test/14473.aspx

 

 

 

28-60 max length 75.3 (at wide) min focus distance 300mm => focus from front element 225mm

28-70F2 max length 155mmm (140+15?) min focus 380mm => focus from front element 225mm

so it might do? Perhaps with WACP-C even more travel friendly for just a slight loss in perceived quality?

Update - and not a good one. Most of the Sea of Cortez group had to pay.
 

Meanwhile another friend of mine from Chile living in Mexico arrived (from our recent Galapagos trip) through Cancun and wrote me: 

Before going through the x ray machine, I went to the bathroom and took the camera outside the housing and split it between my 3 bags. I didn't have any issues

So it seems it’s safe to say one must consider the possibility to pay ransom when traveling to Mexico with underwater imaging equipment. 

Sadly I must confirm this problem is ongoing and systematic. A friend of mine currently in Magdalena Bay in Sea of Cortez had to pay $400 on his A7S3 in Nauticam housing... ☹️

I have had WED7 2 years ago and used it on 40 dives. It was probably early unit and it was piece of junk. Yes once the HDMI cable was replaced with newer version I could finally see the image. But then the unit started to act erratically, the buttons were responding like on random basis. There was no way to update the firmware so I returned the unit. The screen wasn't really usable in shallower depths. Also buoyancy is less then optimal - it is a brick and need a lot to compensate.

@DiversLens since you mentioned FX3 I am guessing you are serious about video work and will want to shoot Slog3 and perhaps deliver in HDR. I am shooting A1 - different sensor, perhaps similar philosophy but IDK. With A1 I am shooting based on waveform on my Shinobi monitor interpreting clean HDMI log signal into HDR HLG. This gives me maximum brightness keeping the waveform just at the top. At bright scenes my A1 monitor is unreadable while Shinobi shows beautiful scene. 

So to sum this up if your intentions are similar to mine then you have currently only two options for UW monitors - Shinobi/Ninja and SmallHD Ultra5. These Weefines and Supes won't work as they do not have HDR Log interpreting - but I would be happy if owners of recent versions would prove me wrong.

Either way good luck, I am in awe what A1 sensor can produce.

P.S. since I am also shooting stills I am contemplating to sell my Shinobi setup and splash for SmallHD - just because their PageOS and Nauticam interface might allow me access settings underwater or even create dedicated presets for stills and video. I can't see Shinobi on Nauticam website anymore. only Ninja. So my Shinobi setup might be for sale. But need to put my hands on SmallHD first.

On 11/6/2024 at 5:50 AM, Oskar - Retra UWT said:

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your experiences. I want to personally address the recent decision regarding the Power Vault and clarify the steps we took and the factors that led us here.

 

We were genuinely excited about the Power Vault project and believed it could provide real value to our community. Unfortunately, with demand falling below our expectations, it became unfeasible to produce the Power Vault in a way that aligned with our goals for safety, quality and performance.

 

This decision was difficult, and I understand the frustration of those who pre-ordered and were eagerly awaiting the product. We’re prioritizing prompt refunds and hope to continue supporting your future needs with Retra.

 

As always, your feedback matters greatly to us and guides our decisions. We’re continuously working on ways to improve, and your trust in Retra means everything to our team. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns—I’m here to listen.

@Oskar - Retra UWT - the idea was a bold move anyway given the size of the market and these retrofits rarely work for all to be a must have. If I could suggest I'd like the next gen retra to be in a form of neutrally buoyant can with glove friendly controls and battery pack supporting 3-4 amps fast charge over usb-C. With the life expectancy of strobes I am sure by the time you go to market there will be enough demand for upgrade and new acquisitions. Cheers.

15 hours ago, CaolIla said:

Hummm not 100% the same opinion I need to change the 16 batterie all 3 dives (one day) some times I change after 2 dives... to be sure have enough power for the next dive... 
It's ok but it take a lot of time

I travel with 26 batteries (2 spares) and 2x 4bay USB-C chargers and have 8 batteries charging at any given time. If one of the strobes drops below 50% I quickly change the 8 pack or I do it every 2nd dive no matter what. no issue on a 4 dives per day chasing the big guys on full power like last week in Galapagos. 50-80 full strobe power shots per dive. P.S. I am using 2450mA IKEA NiMH (made in Japan variety)

1 hour ago, Brandon Cole said:

Yes, that would help lower the water's freezing temp a few degrees. But I never risked this again on this trip during the cold snap. Went back to shooting a dedicated dome attached directly to housing.

I wouldn't have it on these (semi)snorkel trips any other way. One thing are optical parameters and what not and another handling the dry weight and underwater mass... I think the old say 'it's not the camera it's the shot stupid' applies triple on these encounters.

On 11/2/2024 at 1:00 AM, ChipBPhoto said:

Here are some leaked images of the new toys….

 

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/first-leaked-images-of-the-new-sony-a1ii-and-28-70mm-f-2-0-lens/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGSSn1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRFF6VYmpNXtawrj65MJmVrux4tVKJVzTJLokN20tG7tNYczz7zYDO5AWQ_aem_zpuwWaN-iDD-l-tlhON84Q

 

urrgghh ... I don't like the movie/photo switch and don't like this part from Nauticam A9III manual :

* lift up the Still/Movie/S&Q lever as
well as the Focus lever and make
sure both lever control on housing are
aligned with camera controls before
installing the camera into housing

slide the camera tray back into the
housing along the tray rail

with focus switch you at least see visually where the control bracket drop but the movie switch is on the other side and so it's not visible... 

1 hour ago, Floris Bennema said:

RoniK, I don't understand that you ascribe dark spots in the previous post to bubbles and the light spots in this one. Note that in this photo there's also a dark one. Anyhow, so few, easy to remove in Lightroom.

This example shows scenario where camera focuses on the bubbles hence they are sharp and also exposure reflects that. In the other examples camera was focusing on subjects in the water hence the bubbles were unfocused if this explanation makes sense 

9 hours ago, ChipBPhoto said:

Hi @Floris Bennema,  

 

Really good question.  Great news that you haven’t had an issue.  The WWL is a terrific design.  And yes, it is mounted with the bayonet mount.  The only thing to watch is because there is a thin layer of water between the flat port and WWL, it is possible to either get tiny air bubbles or even a pice of sand when entering.  The camera’s autofocus can lock on to it, rather than the subject.  In my experience it is rare, but it has happened.  That’s why it’s strongly recommended to burp the lens once you’re stable in the water.  
 

This is normally not at all an issue.  The only snag is if that rare occurrence happens when you most need it *not* to happen.  That’s why some prefer a dry port to eliminate the possibility.

 

With that said, the WWL is a terrific option and one I enjoy using, especially for lightweight travel. 

 

@Floris Bennema - and here is a good example of what @ChipBPhoto mentioned. This happens in my experience with WWL1 rarely so far but it could and does happen.