OneYellowTang

@Jurgen The issue I see is not having a way to calculate adding specific colors back based on depth and wavelength. Strobes don't just brighten a scene, they add back "natural light" wavelengths that are missing at a specific depth, but that needs to be based on the specific subjects being lit, not uniformally across a scene. Light Attenuation (Depth Gradient) Water molecules absorb lower-energy, long-wavelength light first. 0–5 meters (0–16 ft): True vivid reds (vermilion, bright crimson, scarlet) remain intact. 5–10 meters (16–33 ft): Darker or warmer reds shift toward brownish-red or deep maroon as the longest red wavelengths ($650\text{–}700\text{ nm}$) are filtered out. Beyond 10–15 meters (33–50 ft): Ambient red light is almost completely absorbed. Without an artificial light source (strobes or video lights), objects pigmented red appear dark brown, grey, or pitch black. There was an experiment run by some underwater researchers (I believe at MBARI) that used AI to add color back (at depth) based on the subjects. For example, once a specific type of coral or substrate was identified (using AI) color could be applied to show what it might look like under natural light. The key was indentifying the subject first (to get the actual colors). Your approach is reasonable as a "hack" adding light back into an image - this would be a good first approximation for most compact or action cameras with no light sources.

I've shot both a 60mm (with the FTZ) and the 105mm with a MFO-3 on a Z8 on a number of blackwater dives (in Anilao). Both are very good... I prefer the 60 on my D850, and the 105(Z) on my Z8. The haptic feedback shooting the 60mm through the FTZ just isn't the same - you get a better feel with the 105 and the MF0-3, esp. getting geting to focus. Both are more than usable to great images - this likely comes down to choice. As an aside, the 105 + MF03 handles fine for BW dives, you just need to bring your lights forward a bit.

You can certainly travel with a small tube of penetrating oil, and having been in some very remote locations (where fresh water was in short supply) I now will communicate with the dive resort or homestay ahead of the time to ask if they can order (or store) an extra 5 gallon (or 18.9 liter) jug of water just for my use. I always offer to pay for this... In Sulawesi the water will cost about $2 USD, and a new jug (if they charge you for it) will be $6 USD. I have offered resorts or home stays $20 USD to have a jug just for my use (for camera gear) - I haven't had a problem getting this (although sometimes I've had to wait a day or two to get it after arriving). There are several collapsable rinse buckets you can get (that can double as containers for your camera rig in small boats). No issues traveling with one of these.

this is an interesting topic. I (now) always travel with two 8 cell chargers, and a backup 4 cell charger. Most recently in Lembeh, one specific slot on one of the 8 cell chargers "died" (wouldn't charge, regardless of which AA cell I inserted). I tried cleaning the terminals... no go. This charger is now disposed of... my guess it may have been an internal wiring issue. Not worth the hassle, and certainly not worth relying on without a backup when you're on location after significant cost & travel time. As to "boat" comments above - yep, I travel with three 8 cell chargers when I'm doing a liveaboard. Power can be flaky at times.

@atus After diving blackwater in a number of locations there are some best practices that can be borrowed from some of the better operators. 1. Placing a light on top of the ball is okay, but suboptimal, as if it is a light shining up into the night sky it will be visible part of the time but may not be visible from all angles. The best practice is to create a small hole in the bottom of you buoy and place the light inside - you can create a gasket around the light so the entire buoy doesn't fill up with water. The buoy itself will glow with a light inside of it, making it visible for both you and all other boat traffic to see. 2. Others have suggested you study the bottom - if the water is deep and the area has life (it's not a barren part of the sea) then you will find life coming near the surface. You will end up trying a number of different locations before finding a few that are productive. One idea that hasn't been shared here is to talk to people studying marine science at your local university. If they have done research (or trawled) the local area they may be able to tell you what kind of life you can expect.

I was looking at the Maxi's for an upcoming trip to Galapagos, but honestly, the HF-1's are likely going to be my answer. Having shot the HF-1's using my TLC arms and clamps I have not noticed the need to overly tighten them in the water. It might be the o-rings on your ball mounts(?) The TTL thing doesn't bother me at all - I never shoot TTL (although my daughter, shooting a Sony A7RV, used it extensively with a single HF-1 earlier this year with the new trigger - worked flawlessly, easily delivering really good TTL results). The ability to easily control an off camera Mini Flash was a great benefit shooting macro (and snooting).

Flying back to the US from Singapore after spending a week in Lembeh (Lembeh Resort). My son shot with 2 (Backscatter) Atom Flash strobes (I was shooting with my Retra Flash Pro Max strobes) - after a week of changing batteries, etc. I've warmed up to the idea that I might look at the Atom Flash strobes for macro work. Don't get me wrong, the Retras are great strobes, but dealing with two batteries (vs 8) has some significant appeal (even when considering the different chemistry). I've had Retras now going back 3 generations, and I still love their strobes. However, the Atom Flash feels solid, performed really well, and made wirelessly connecting to an (off camera) Mini Flash very easy (and easy to control). The good news is that my son heads back to college in the fall, so I can "borrow" his strobes for any trips later in the year. We'll see what Retra announces next as well. MY daughter shoots (w/a) with HF-1's, my son is now shooting (macro) with the Atom Flash - I feel like there's a message in here somewhere that I'm not picking up ;)

Battery life might be another big win here... My daughter shoots with the A7RV - battery life is "challenging" at times. We're also hoping for a similar increase in AF speed as we saw from the A7RIV ->A7RV. If so, then paired with the (somewhat) new 100mm macro lens we might have a winning combination for blackwater dives. In Lembeh at the moment, and the Nikon D850 with the 60mm lens (the combination my son is shooting with) is still unbeatable for blackwater. There are lots of workable solutions, but this is combination is both fast and error free. First night I shot the Z8 with the older 60mm lens (and the Nikon FTZ). Tomorrow I'm going to shoot the Z105 lens with the MFO-3. Hoping to get a feel for which combination is better specifically for blackwater shooting with the Z8.

@Dave_Hicks It might just be me ;) I religiously change the battery in my Z-8 after each morning of 2 dives. I can stretch i to 3, but at that point I might miss a few shots at the end of a dive. I also always change before going black water diving. With the various updates I have noticed the battery draw getting better, however not to the point I'm trying 4 dives on a single charge. With the ENL-15C battery my older D850 can shoot multiple days without concern (my son is shooting with this camera now).

Two corrections to your above statements; 1. I never need to "burp" my WACP 2. Traveling with a WWL is significantly easier than traveling with a medium or large dome.

I've been using the Marelux 4 wheel roller for the last year. It's depth and height match international dimensions, and it's just a touch wider, which is useful for packing housings with handles. Marelux 20-inch Luggage for Photography Equipment,Travel Gears

@Lasongo There are currently ~240 boats that have licenses to run whale shark tours in Isla Mujeres. Let's assume 1/2 of these don't go out because they aren't operating, etc. on the day I go out, that leaves ~120 boats I'm potentially sharing that small patch of ocean with. Even if we assume only 50% of these boats actually have customers on the day, that's still ~50 boats. As a diver, I'm also not a big fan of forced life jackets (instead of being able to rely on a wetsuit) and not being able to free dive down to take pictures. Sure, I can "linger" - but why even bother? There are better whaleshark experiences to be had much farther afield.

Yes - because sharing whale sharks with 100's of your "best friends" is an experience everyone is looking for ;) The Isla Mujeres whale shark "experience" is somewhat similar to the Oslob whale shark "experience." Neither is ideal for photography, with Isla Mujeres benefitting from more whale sharks most of the time.