Troporobo

Another OM-1 / Nauticam user here. I can’t compare to other housing brands but I do really like mine (and the one I had before for an OM-5). As for lenses I have also settled on the Olympus 60 sometimes with a SubSee +5 diopter for macro and the Panasonic 8 fisheye behind the 4.33” minidome for wide angle. Both deliver great image quality. My previous experience is with the 12-50 zoom plus macro (OK at everything, better at macro, excellent at none), Panasonic 7-14 rectilinear with a 6” dome (I really want a zoom of this range but this combo was not very good at anything) and the Olympus 14-42 behind the flat port of an Olympus housing (the less said the better!). Happy diving!

I’ve heard 60 is the new 40 😎

Hello neighbor! I am also in WA, up north in the islands (when I am home, currently based overseas)

Dave, thanks for the tips on USB powered chargers, I like that approach and will follow it Tom, I believe the same issues are happening to mine, thanks for the data point. I think that I may have isolated one issue. I found two cells that were completely dead and couldn’t be revived. Although the charger is supposed to take any number of cells at any state of charge, and bring them all to 100% independently, maybe it’s not so smart and maybe one bad one in the mix stumped it. I’ve now got enough good cells to proceed thankfully. My next trip to the land of Amazon will give me a chance to update it all.

Thanks for the ideas. I have checked all of those things and yes I’ve been using this charger here for a year without issue. Since my first post, I’ve now had two batches of cells complete the full charging cycle and one batch not complete. I checked voltages to confirm. It’s clear that the charger is working only intermittently. I did manage to find a cheap 4-cell charger that is very slow. (And just by the way, the only replacement rechargeable Energizer AAs here are USD 8 per cell!). I will just have to limp along and hope for the best on this trip.

Good advice in general, for sure. But not the cause of my current (!) problem.

I have a large inventory of AA Eneloops of varying age and the Powerex 8 cell “smart” charger. In preparation for a liveaboard trip this weekend I set out to charge them since I’ve not been in the water for a month. Something has gone wrong as the batteries never complete the charge cycle, whether a normal fast charge, a soft charge, or a reconditioning cycle. I’m guessing it’s the charger, since this is happening regardless of the age of the batteries. Does anyone know how to test the charger, or if this is a known issue with (hopefully!) a known remedy? I am in Fiji and can only find super cheap 2-cell chargers which would not be ideal, I’m out of time to order a replacement, and I would hate to have to buy and pack 96 alkaline batteries at $4 a pop!

I’m sure you’ve seen the many “how to” threads, but just in case, these two are good: Advice on a Carry-on What do you carry . . . In that second thread I posted a photo of my Lowepro Pro Trekker backpack/roller, which I find to be almost perfect for my m4/3 system. However it’s about 14 kg fully loaded, and even worn on my back It looks heavy and gets weighed. I currently start most trips on an ATR-42 with a strict 7 kg limit, so use an inconspicuous commuter style backpack with a camera insert that doesn’t attract attention, and put the more durable stuff in my checked bag.

Not the first time on that reef either. I was on board the Eco Explorer out there in 2006 and had a fabulous week. It went aground the following week. I believe it never returned to service after the accident.

Dang, that’s quite a portfolio of greatest hits! I love flamboyant cuttlefish, but the larval octopus are spectacular and get a huge thumbs up from me. I’m guessing those were done on black water dives, eh? Very well done.

This is a fantastic resource. Kudos to Eric Cheng for building it! I’ve just started exploring. One thing I don’t yet understand is how to find the articles that are referenced. The links jump to the footnote, then the footnote jumps back to the link not the article. Any tips appreciated.

Great images! That miamira alleni with an emperor shrimp and eggs is excellent. Man do I miss Anilao diving and 1:1 guides . . . 

I use 8 Stix jumbo floats, 2 on each arm segment, for both setups. The Nauticam 4.33” FE port is not very buoyant so that setup is almost perfectly neutral, while the macro setup is slightly negative.

You’ve described my system (well, the camera body is a generation older). I’ve been very happy with it. The 60mm macro lens is fantastic and produces top quality images, add a +5 diopter and you’d want for nothing. I use a Nauticam port with the 8mm fisheye and find nothing to complain about there either. A 12mm rectilinear will also work behind that port for a bit more reach. I’d guess that compared to a Subal the Nauticam housing won’t feel nearly as refined, but it’s plenty ergonomic for me. Good luck shopping!

There’s a bright spot then. Im sure that this group will be delighted to help with your GAS and spend your money!