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All set for Wide Angle but found an excellent Macro subject
Great images Dave! I love the two portraits of the warbonnet.
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Tips for Palau?
Guys - Thanks a lot for the super helpful advice! Ben - Do you recall the focal length used for your video? You got some great action. John - Nice shots and very helpful ti pre-visualize focal lengths. Youāre almost right, I would be using the 8mm FE and 12mm rectilinear, as both work well in the mini dome and one tiny extra lens is manageable. Tim - Iāll be diving the day before the new moon so maybe thereās a chance to see the bumpheads in action, to contribute to your proposed āfans onlyā mating thread!
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Tips for Palau?
Hola UW comrades - Iām heading to Palau the week after next for work, and because of the flight schedule from my location, Iāll have two days of diving, one each before and after the weekās business, three dives each day. Iāve read everything I can find online about the typical land-based trips and have booked my two days with an operator. Now I need advice to strategize my photo gear. What I donāt have a grasp of is the minimal viable photo setup, which I need to optimize to incorporate into luggage for a work trip. My usual setup isnāt possible as I will start on a small plane with a strict 7 kg limit for my carryon. I am at heart a macro photographer trying to learn wide angle and CWFA. I am leaning toward minimal WA only, with a fisheye and a wide rectilinear that both work in the same dome port. Given the less than ideal season, Iām concerned that any pelagics wonāt be close enough for that setup, but I donāt have a better idea. Iām OK with winging it, but if anyone has advice it will be most welcome! Robert
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Mirrorless camera shipments by manufacturer, 2021-2024
The third link that I posted will show weight and give a clunky size comparison of body+lens combos. The permutations created by adding housings and ports would increase the task by an order of magnitude or more!
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Mirrorless camera shipments by manufacturer, 2021-2024
There are several camera size comparison tools available online: https://pxlmag.com/db/camera-size-comparison https://camerasize.com/compare/ https://cameradecision.com/size-comparison/7zSI-vXzL
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Tonga
Great info, thanks a lot!
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Winner Overall of the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Thatās a fabulous image! The composition is a perspective Iāve not imagined before. Well done. But Iām struggling to imagine the lighting to make it so smooth and even without harsh shadows. Please give some hints!
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Looking for a Fiji Shore Op
Volivoli is a beautiful resort with a very high caliber dive operation and a great camera room, although the groups on the boat can be larger than I like. Itās not cheap, but the best option for diving the Bligh Water without a liveaboard. Over on the Rainbow Reef, Taveuni Dive Resort and Paradise Taveuni both get good reviews. Iāve not been to either. Thereās also the Cousteau Resort for legacy cachet and other resorts around Savusavu but the boat trips are longer from there. There are lots of reviews over on ScubaBoard. On Kadavu, thereās a range of prices, from Oneta and Matava up to Kokomo. The attraction out there is oceanic mantas from about June to October. Thatās going to be my trip next year.
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Tonga
Iād like to offer a quick additional insight. Tonga, like many south Pacific destinations, is a developing country with many local tourism operators still learning the ropes of international marketing. Many will deliver a great experience but have an amateur internet presence, or even none at all. Email and even phone calls may work better than websites. The slick websites are often run by overseas operators, though to be fair, some may be palangis (non-Polynesians) whoāve dedicated their lives and investments to the place. I know itās difficult to judge from afar, and a risk, but sometimes the more local the presence the more authentic the experience. As always, your mileage may.
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Tonga
I have not been to Tonga for the whales yet, so I canāt recommend an operator. Here are some useful links. Iāve been sending inquiries to the the operators directly, rather than packaged tour operators, to ask for rates and availability for next year. The first link lists all of the licensed operators. https://tongapocketguide.com/the-guide-to-whale-swimming-in-tonga/ https://tongapocketguide.com/10-best-whale-swim-tours-in-vavau/ https://tongatourism.travel/swim-with-whales/
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Tonga
Davide, thatās always the big question for any destination, right? Iām planning a week to be safe, but Iāve heard three days is also OK. During the season there are lots of whales, and weather should be mild, but you never know when planning a year in advance. For me the extra few days is not an huge addition compared to the total cost and time of the trip. Regular hotels are around USD 150-200, there are a couple more expensive options, and some cheap homestays. Boat trips are around USD 250 a day. Daily costs on the ground are reasonable. Most operators want to sell a package for multiple days accommodation and swimming which run a bit more expensive but itās possible to put it together yourself. Costs in Tongatapu and Vavaāu are a bit more, in āEua a bit less. As for getting there, depending on your route, it may be necessary to overnight in Tongatapu before a domestic flight to Vavaāu or āEua and those are typically not cheap. Itās better to get a direct flight from Fiji or Auckland.
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Tonga
Iām planning a visit to Tonga for next season so have been researching also. I have the advantage of working with a colleague from there who has a relative in the humpback swimming business, and Iāve been to Tongatapu and Vavaāu before. In addition to the excellent info in the website that Chris posted I can add a couple of things. First, everyone wants to go to Vavaāu. It is certainly the most scenic part of the country with the best tourism infrastructure and most activities when youāre not swimming. It is also the most crowded during whale season. The rules restrict the numbers of boats and swimmers near the whales, and there are complaints about needing to wait your turn. That can happen anywhere of course, but is more likely in the more popular spots. That also means you need to book well in advance. Itās already tight for 2026. Second, itās worth considering āEua as an alternative. Itās less busy, but still good for swimming with whales. But thereās also less to do out of the water. Finally, tourism infrastructure and accommodation is basic compared to Fiji or French Polynesia. Domestic flights are less than reliable so itās good to allow for flexibility in the itinerary. Tonga is an authentic South Pacific experience that operates on island time. Personally I love it there but itās not for 5 star resorts. Adjust expectations accordingly!
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VANUATU LEADING THE CHARGE FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE
The ruling has been issued. I am impressed and a little surprised that the ICJ ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Big congrats to the island countries that did so much to get this result! I really enjoyed the photos and videos of some people Iāve worked with over the years making their statements there. Iām less optimistic that the countries causing the most damage will do much in response, but itās a positive step nonetheless.
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Imperial Residence - Emperor Shrimps on their Nudibranch Home (Okinawa main island, Japan)
Nicely done, Ben! Thanks for sharing
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Cheap Olympus / OM System flash trigger alternatives for FL-LM3 - like a Godox iM-22
It seems that weāve confirmed one thing - the LM3 is not consistent!