Architeuthis

Manual focus at distances < 1.5m means that AF stops where UW photography (almost) starts and not even close to macro ... (maybe with diopters and/or extensions the AF could be brought to a useful range, but very questionable whether such a setup will have AF at satisfaction?) I really hope this rumor turns out to be wrong, otherwise this lens will not be very useful for UW...☹️

Seems I overread the statements about Retra and Backscatter (anyhow I send them a message, interesting to see whether the answers are still the same)... I did regular lighting with two MF-2s with and w/o diffusers on few dives (only six), but it was sobering for me. It works, but at maximum power one has to carefully collect every single photon and there is no room to play around with e.g. strobe positioning (that would require more strobe power in order to still give enough light). I believe, that a macro strobe should provide plenty of power for different techniques (e.g. diffusers, snoot, different strobe positions), not just closest position to get enough light and one should not have to help out by increasing ISO or open up aperture to values one would regard suboptimal for a specific setting. Strobe power should not be the limiting element in the setup. Too much compromise for my taste (I am now thinking whether to keep one plus snoot and put one to classified or whether I should sell everything)... It is a pity, since the MF-2 with snoot appears to be a very handsome and smart solution to macro photography in case it had more power...

To my personal and subjective experience (no tests with test charts), Canon 8-15mm with Sony 2x TC is a bit soft, but WACP-C/28-60mm is not better... I cannot tell about the Sony 16-35mm GM II, but I have Tamron 17-28mm and use it behind Zen DP-170. Compared to WACP-C/28-60mm (and also Canon 8-15mm/Sony 2x TC)) this combination is clearly the sharpest (in the center). The Sony lens is certainly optically better than the Tamron per se, but UW it depends how good it works together with a domeport and which size is required.. Wolfgang P.S.: See also the shark photo of Fabian from August 10th (who was the first to use Canon 8-15mm with Sony 2x TC here) as an example for Canon 8-15mm&2x TC: https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/2735-bluesharks-manual-or-s-priority/#comment-18172

You are right, ISO 200 on FF is not an issue. Maximum light intensity of MF-2 is, however, really small (I could change from f/11 to F/16, but still I would have to place the flashes very close to the object, still no room for variation in positioning (reminds me at the reports from people using these "LED strobes")). For me this looks too much of a compromise... I would be happy with a good optical good snoot for HF-1 (either original from Backscatter or via adapter from others, e.g. Retra)... On the HF-1 system chart (https://www.backscatter.com/images/article/content/Hybrid-Flash/Backscatter-Hybrid-Flash-System-Chart.pdf), there is an optical snoot shown. Furthermore, Retra writes that they can make custom adapters to any strobe for their LSD snoot. I will inquire at Backscatter what has happened to this snoot and also to Retra and report here then... (Not everybody is so crazy to use these big strobes for macro, but maybe someone else is also interested here 😄)

I thank you all (so far?) for your very interesting contributions...👍 It confirms me that the MF-2s are not really suitable for the way I personally make macro photos: (i) Making the maximum out of the strobe power by placing the strobes to the object as close as possible (and no headroom for other positions), (ii) increasing ISO (means to me I am wasting the IQ of my FF system, just because the strobe is too weak) and (iii) omitting diffusers (and snoot) because they eat up too much light. I find this pretty suboptimal and will continue to use the (not really handsome) HF-1s for macro... There was once a snoot announced for HF-1 from Backscatter. Did a high quality snoot appear so far? Is there a high quality optical soot existing (e.g. Retra) that can be mounted easily to HF-1? Wolfgang

I am sure that the 230mm hermispherical domeport will work pretty well with both lenses... Sigma fisheye will very likely work very well with 140mm hemispherical domeport for FF (Canon 8-15mm does so in my hands )... I have Tamron 17-28mm and it works very well behind Zen 170mm domeport for FF (but this is not a hemispherical domeport; Canon 8-15mm fisheye works perfect behind this domeport, but I cannot tell for FF from own experience)... either appropriate Isotta domeports (I do not know how they translate to the Nauticams, but should not be a big deal to find out) or Nauticam with adapters... Wolfgang

I am proud owner of two MF-2 plus one snoot and have used them recently on few dives in Croatia with A7R5 and Sony 90mm macro lens - I must say that I was pretty disappointed... ☹️ My experience was that, when I use the MF-2s with the diffusers that produce nice soft light, I can use the camera at base ISO (100) only up to aperture f/11. Without the diffusers I can go up to f/16, but in any case I had to place the flashes as close to the end of the port as possible (no reserves for creative lighting, e.g, placing the strobes aside to create texture). I did not even dare to dry the snoot, because the flashes were so weak... Did others experience similar problems with FF macro? I am just curious how other are satisfied with MF-2 for FF macro. I know I could increase ISO, but I think this is far from ideal for macro photos, flashpower should not be the rate limiting factor. I have two HF-1s and like them a lot (previously I had Z330). Last two years I used the HF-1s also for macro and, of course, they produce plenty of light for any kind of macro, but HF-1 is big and heavy and the alternative with two MF-2s plus snoot looked very attractive... Wolfgang

I think you may mean this here: https://travel.padi.com/dive-resort/egypt/wadi-lahami-village-red-sea-diving-safari-wadi-lahami-village/ This Resort is also well known for housereef diving and is located in a wadi. In autumn 2023 there was heavy rainfall and the wadi flooded the reef that is widely destroyed now... There is no wadi in Mangrove Bay, but the bleaching affected the corals to some extend (I just heared it, I did not dive there after the bleaching)...

When I am with Lisi at Mangrove Bay, we spend up to >6h/day net UW...😊 Since January 1st 2025 is a new diving center in Mangrove Bay: https://infinitydivingsafari.com/en/mb-e/ The former owners (Duck Divers (Essam, Marianne and Karim)) have moved to the Rohanou Resort at exactly the same date. Better to ask the new owners about the solo diving in advance...

When I see it right there are two customization buttons less in A7Rc (2) compared to A7R5 (4) and the joystick is missing. In addition there is the semi-mechanical shutter in A7Rc, that makes bad bokeh with fast lenses when combined with very high shutter speed and brings 1/160s flash sync. (vs. 1/250s in A7R5). EVF in A7Rc is not as good as A7R5 (with my eyesight, I would not see much difference, whatsoever).. This is some difference for UW photography, but it seems small to me... Compactness and weight of the pure camera is better with the compact versions, but I guess the difference of comparable complete setups (A7Rc vs. A7R5 and A7cII vs. A7R4) is small in real life (just pure camera plus pure housing is different, the rest remains the same)?

Thanks, I did not know that the A7Rc has four separate customization buttons (C1 - C4). Thought they were abandoned to make the camera smaller...

Here are the extensions that I use with the Nauticam N120/100 35.5mm adapter and the 140mm domeport (ignore the Canon 100mm macro, this is just a part of a bigger table comprising multiple ports and domeports). Usually I add up smaller extensions to give the full length (e.g. 25mm plus 35mm for the Sony 2x TC): P.S.: I am using the Metabones V adapter...

I can add that I have both Sony 1.4x and 2x TCs and used them on Sony A7R5. I did few dives with the 1.4x TC (a lot now with the 2x), but stopped using the 1.4x, since I did not see an improvement of IQ compared to the 2x TC... (IQ with both 1.4x and 2x is a softer compared to the plain 8-15mm, but not worse compared to WACP-C/28-60mm) Wolfgang

I can recommend Mangrove Bay Resort and Rohanou Resort. I have been there multiple times. I find the housereefs perfect for UW photographers (in Mangrove Bay I repeatedly have met renowned UW-photographers). These resorts are, however, pretty simple, but everything I and Lisi need is there. I believe that non-divers/snorkelers will be bored to death. I would not go with family there... Bigger and with (little) more possibilities for non-divers is Utopia Beach Resort, that also has a nice housereef (I still would not go there with family)... If I would go with family (children and grandchildren), I would go to Akassia Swiss Resort. This is a huge resort, quite luxurious (still little money for us) and plenty of possibilities for non-divers. The speciality is that the housereef is a real drop-off. It is the only occasions in Egypt I know, where divers can make night-dives at a real drop-off and Spanish dancers are almost guaranteed (I have been once there for that reason). The drop-off means, however, that the housereef is often closed, when the weather is not optimal, but they have a protected alternative diving site for such conditions and divers are brought there by jeep... One must say that the bleaching events in 2023 and more in 2024 did a lot of harm to the corals at the housereefs (also number of fishes and biodiversity declined with the corals; only positive side is that nudies went up (I have been to Rohanou and Utopia in March 2025 and was close to weeping (really - no bad joke!))), but the outside diving spots reached by Zodiak or dayboat are in better condition)... Wolfgang P.S.: In the 80ies and 90ies I have been quite often at the Sinai, near Sharm el Sheik. Already at the end of the 90ies it was not worth any more. In 2022 we have been to Dahab and we will never come back. I had zero urge to visit the blue hole: it was visible from our hotel and one could see the masses of people diving and swimming there with plastic animals, playing waterball etc..., like a public bath in summer. I fear diving on Sinai today only lifes from the times gone long ago. Only exception are photograper Safaries to Ras Muhammed, Strait of Tiran and the wrecks in gulf of Suez, when the operator carefully selects the route and the times to avoid meeting other Safari boats (there are quite many). I remember e.g. a workshop with Alex Mustard few years ago where we had the Thistlegorm for two days just for our boat alone. But this is something you do not want to do with family..

How is your experience, when you compare to the full size models (A74/A7R5) that are not so big when one regards the entire setup. Do'nt you miss anything , e.g. the customization buttons? Wolfgang