Tino Dietsche

I've had my two AOI UIS-P1 strobes since the end of August and have used them on 23 dives. 12 of those were in the red sea, the rest in freshwater. So far, I have absolutely nothing negative to report about the flashes and would buy them again.

Hello everyone, I’m bringing up this older post again — hope you don’t mind. In the meantime, I’ve changed the mount for my dive computer and now have it positioned directly above my underwater monitor — right where my gaze naturally falls during a dive, especially when I’m taking photos. I’m curious to see if any new and interesting ideas on this topic have come up since then, even though not everyone understands why one wouldn’t wear their dive computer in the traditional way on the arm. Personally, my latest setup has proven to work perfectly for me. The necessary parts are available on Makerworld for the EON Core. Tino

I'd already had the idea of using the Divevolk housing. However, according to my research, the membrane used for the display isn't entirely problem-free. Because of the membrane, a vacuum valve isn't possible either. Concerns about the housing still being watertight are certainly justified; Divevolk housings aren't built to a high standard in certain respects, and an M16 hole is quite a nuisance. If you could get a used Divevolk housing for very little money, you could certainly give it a try. The USB-C cable connection can be easily implemented using empty Weefine connectors. Using a smartphone in a case without any control doesn't make sense in my opinion. As you mentioned, you'd have to turn it on before diving, and if the app crashes, you can't do anything. Battery consumption is also an issue, of course, as the automatic shutdown function would have to be disabled. A 4-way controller for controlling the smartphone in a case would be the simplest solution, but I haven't found a suitable, compact solution yet. I have a solution with a mouse controller, but I'll have to design and print a test case to see if it's still compact enough.

A solution with such a case and a smartphone or a simple display is certainly worth considering. However, most monitors available on the market won't work with such a case because they're too thick and have a battery on the back, which takes up space. A smartphone seems simple at first glance, but at closer glance, problems like the operation become apparent. You should be able to open an app, etc. I've tried a few things. I've now come up with a solution through dry testing, consisting of an older iPhone and a mouse controller that can be used to control the iPhone. The cable connection is via USB-C from the camera and via an adapter to Lightning. As soon as I have some more time, I'll pursue the project further and create a test case with the 3D printer. If that works the way I envision it, there might be a version for real-world use.

Thanks for your feedback. In my case, the milling of the case was also done by a specialist. I might have a case from the series for sale soon. I can inquire and clarify the prices if necessary. When it came to the battery, it was clear from the start that I could do at least two or three dives with one battery. For this reason, we decided on a maximum size of NP-F750. This allows me to do three or even four dives. The Monitor is an FeelWorld Master MA5 ____________________________________ In the meantime, I'm considering whether I should create another series or another prototype of a case. Preferably even more compact. On paper, there are various approaches, including solutions using a smartphone instead of a regular monitor, connected to the camera via USB-C, and apps like Monitor+. On the other hand, various products are now available. I just took a look at the new WeeFine WED-5 Pro a few days ago. It's a cool piece of equipment, also quite compact, and at around €1,200, the price is still reasonable. My monitor case cost just over €1,000, including all the necessary sockets and cables, although the parts themselves were very expensive.

I've had the idea for a simple and lightweight monitor housing for a while now. About five years ago, I was able to turn it into reality together with the German underwater housing manufacturer UK-Germany. At that time, underwater monitor housings already existed, but they were either extremely expensive, large, and heavy, or mostly based on recorder monitors. But I only wanted a simple monitor, a sort of viewfinder replacement. For the monitor, I chose a simple product from Feelworld, as I absolutely had to have normal buttons on the device. We initially wanted to create our own cable solution for connecting the underwater housing to the monitor housing, but that was too complicated, so we opted for HDMI connectors and cables from Nauticam. The monitor housing is made of POM plastic and was milled from a single block. The front is made of Plexiglas.

Nice work! I've now positioned my monitor directly behind the case itself; it's the most ideal position for me. The HDMI cables for the case always seem to be a problem. For my monitor case (homemade), I use Nauticam cables. I find your "GRETA" interesting. Does it come out of the 3D printer normally? Is it completely sealed?

Hello everyone, I've now completed 20 dives with my two new AOI UIS-P1 Ultra and i am absolutely satisfied with my purchase decision. I've used the flashes both in the lake and now in the Red Sea, and I can only say positive things about them. They're fast, easy to use, and they have a lot of power! Even with dry gloves, the flashes are easy to operate. The displays on the back of the flash provide information about the status, battery life, etc. When the flash is firing at full power in TTL, an audible signal is given. Along with the new flashes, I also replaced my flash trigger and treated myself to a Backscatter Smart Control TTL trigger. This is also excellent, and I shot most of my images using TTL, and it works fantastically. For me, the big advantage of the backscatter trigger in the Nauticam housing is that there are no cables going up to the LEDs, which makes the whole process of installing and removing the camera from the housing much easier. Tino

So, I'm back from the Red Sea and have used my snoot adapter a few times. (I was mostly in the water with a wide-angle lens.) The conditions for using the snoot weren't ideal, with the swell. The adapter works as it should. I still need to make a couple of minor adjustments, but after that, I'll be able to provide the CAD file. Tino

One more test-dive with my adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter to use with the AOI UIS-P1. Next test will be in the red sea next week! 🤗

Hello everyone, My adapter for the backscatter snoot works as shown above. However, I also wanted to create a simpler version of a snoot for the AIO UIS-P1. I've made two different length versions as prototypes so far, and unfortunately, it doesn't really work. Since the focus light on the AOI UIS-P1 is in the center of the flash, it works perfectly, but the ring flash bulb on the outside ensures that the light isn't properly distributed through the "tunnel" when flashing, creating a darker area in the center. A flash with a flash tube in the center would probably work better. Despite these setbacks, the project is fun, and we'll see how it develops. Without some lenses, however, it probably won't work with the ring bulb. And because pictures are more interesting than text, here are a couple of impressions of the two simple prototypes. Tino longer version shorter version

Hello everyone, My snoot adapter has passed its first real-world test. Now I just need to adjust a few small details, and then the part should fit. I'll be sure to put it online when it's finished. Tino

Thanks for the input, the adapter doesn't seal tightly and fills with water, but I'll probably create an additional opening.

First test in the pool with my adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter to use with the AOI UIS-P1

Hello everyone, I recently replaced my flashes with two new AOI UIS-P1s and am considering creating a simple snoot for them. I've already finished a prototype of an adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter. Do you have any experience with a very simple version, and what diameters would be appropriate for the end opening? Positioning the focus light isn't a problem with the UIS-P1s, as it's in the center. I'm looking forward to your feedback. Greetings from Switzerland, Tino