Architeuthis

I have the Nitecore NL2153HP with 5300 mAh for my HF1's. After a full day of diving and making photos (I seldom use the videolight), I have still 60% -75% of charge available. No need for more capacity...

I remember correpondence with Backscatter where they wrote me that the flash will shut off, when used with batteries that do not allow to draw a minimum of current, like e.g. 20A... Who knows what the outcome could be when inserting different kind of batteries, some with, some without built in protection circuits (maybe of different kind)? A shut off of the flash might be the least problem... => I fear that beeing too stingy can cost a lot more money in the end (At least the price of purchasing multiple different batteries before buying the right ones; not to speak about broken equipment). At the best one could save a couple of Euros, by taking the risk. This is opposed by total costs of many thousands of Euros for the entire rig... Wolfgang

price reduction: 280 Euro

price reduction: Sony 90mm macro lens (new: 799 Euro): asking 450 Euro Focus gear (new: 220 Euro): asking 150 Euro Macroport 105 (new: 440 Euro): asking 290 Euro selling together as set for 850 Euro (preferred).

Hi Rich, Since you mention Tokina 10-17mm: It will be optimal for R7, but not for R6, since this as an APS-C type lens. I remember reports from people using the Tokina with FF cameras (it seems this lens has an extraordinary large image circle), but this is probably not the IQ you are expecting for spending $$$$s dollars for the entire rig... For FF you may want the Canon EF 8-15mm fisheye (or the new RF version) but these lenses are nor as flexible as the Tokina on APS-C (or on MFT (with 0.71x speedbooster)), they offer just switching from circular fisheye to 180° diagonal fisheye and back... Wolfgang

I do not recommend to buy a new housing for an old camera model. In the end you will want to upgrade soon and the used housing will not be worth much on the second hand market, since nobody wants the housing. Maybe you can get a second hand housing for R6 at a reasonable price. If not, it is more economical to buy both new housing and camera model (but camera model with latest technology). You will use the combination longer and also get a better price for the used housing, when you once upgrade...

I cannot help here, but I am wondering for what purpose this upgrade serves? Compatibility with type II extensions?? P.S.: Here I found the reasoning for this upgrade: https://www.seatech.co.nz/blogs/product-information-new-releases/nauticam-n120-port-adaptors-lock-mechanism-upgrade?srsltid=AfmBOooyQBblQAv47WZo8VCaB5ediSh_z5-Od3lE8k-gK-E7EASGpSjz

I got the Backscatter Sony flashtrigger that is able to trigger the HF-1 in HSS mode and tested out by myself (with Sony A7R5): When the "drive mode" is set to "slow" (3 fps), only every 4th image is lit by the strobe and the other three are black... => This means that drive mode is not working with HSS. The flash fires after every (approx.) 1.3s ... For fast sequences one has to remain in the regular "manual mode", within the limits of the flash sync. speed.

My personal experience with strobe service is extremely bad with Sea&Sea (Europe; located in Netherlands), time span was approx. 2-4 years ago: I had four total losses (YS-D2) and it was not possible to contact them or get any response from them, nether by telephone nor by EMail. The service is(was?) practically non existing... Completely different situation with Backscatter (just now): Two HF-1 had their electrodes corroded. Very fast response, quick and kind handling (although at present there are problems in sending items between US and Europe and the repaired flashes are, at present, delayed in the customs; this is, however, not Backscatters fault)... Wolfgang

I did not test for FF, but made comparisons between Nauticam 140mm and Zen DP100 for MFT (the tread is in the old forum). If existing, the differences were minor. Maybe for FF there is some improvement with 140mm domeport. More important for sharpness in the corners is probably the correct extension and stopping down,.. A clear advantage of the 140mm dome is, that one can put the lens together with the hood into the domport, while with DP100 one has to remove the hood. I believe this can improve IQ substantially, as this minimizes the stray light from the flashes falling into the optics (together with the hood on the domeport)... Wolfgang

Eizo coloredge is probably the best, but also the most expensive... I cannot compare to other high quality monitors for photographers since this is my first monitor of this kind, but my BenQ SW270c does what is expected from a monitor in this class. Approx. 1 year ago the monitor failed and I had to send it in for repair. It turned out repair is too elaborated (more or less a total loss), but they send me a refurbished replacement monitor (same model) for free on goodwill basis, although the warranty was already over since > 3 years. I can recommend this brand... Wolfgang

With the 2x TC the 8-15mm fisheye will become a 16-30mm fisheye (not 50mm)... According to calculations for equisolid fisheye, 16-30mm will be 170° - 85° diagonal angle of view (AOV). According to Nauticam's portcharts, the FCP-1 with Sony 28-60mm will give 170° - 74°, i.e. pretty similar AOVs... => I would say that the Canon 8-15mm & 2x Sony TC is some kind of "poor mans FCP" (it does not seem from the reviews, however, that FCP provides better IQ) Wolfgang

Interesting that both are nominally 4500K. In your side by side photo the Retra looks clearly cooler (but maybe the Kelvin designation refers to the output at the end and the spectrum of the Retra strobe is different to the HF-1)...

The flat diffuser from Backscatter that is on the Retra strobe seems to be the 4500K one. What color temperature does the Retra dome diffuser, mounted to the HF-1, have?

Can you please give a link to the second review/comparison of the retra Maxi strobe (I cannot find it via google)? Thanks, Wolfgang

Did someone test out the maximum possible, blackout free, fps rate when the HF-1 is in HSS mode? Thanks, Wolfgang

I have a naive question on HSS generally: When camera and flash are operating in HSS mode, but one selects a shutter speed slower than the fastest flash sync. speed possible, is the maximal flash output still reduced, compared to manual mode?

Hi Michi, I normally use the Nauticam 35.5mm N100/N120 adapter plus the 25mm&35mm N120 extensions (totally 60mm) for the Nauticam 140mm domeport. When 8-15mm fisheye alone, I take just the 30mm N120 extension... User Dreifish made careful testing for ideal positioning with regard to entrance pupil and recommends 5mm more. I tested this also, but did not find a noticeable difference in IQ and often the raw files showed vignetting, probably due to sensor IS and unstable holding of the setup...

Hi Michael, I used Sony 1.4x, 2x, Kenko 1.4x HD Pro and Kenko 2x TCs with the Canon 8-15mm. One can use them all... It is difficult to predict how a WA fisheye lens will perform with a TC, as all TC were not designed for this use... I got best results, regarding IQ, with Sony 2x and Kenko 1.4x HD Pro, the other two TCs performed less good. Surprisingly, Sony 1.4x performed not better (maybe even a bit worse) compared to Sony 2x... With Kenko 1.4x HD Pro the extension is the same as with Sony 2x, so you can use the same zoomgear (at least one can use the same 3D printed extension ring for the "regular" Nauticam zoom gear, that I am using)... Wolfgang P.S.: I have both WACP-C/28-60mm and Canon 8-15mm with and w/o Sony 2xTC. On my last two trips WACP-C was left at home (Subjectively, I find IQ pretty comparable and prefer the 180° diagonal over the 130° of WACP-C (the Canon 8-15mm w/o TC can also be used on some dives and clearly performs optically better than both WACP-C or 8-15mm&2xTC variants (but is, of course, less flexible)))

A sachet of baking soda is easy to include in an emergency kit...

Thank you all again for this great advice...👍 I will take the fiberglass stick plus isopropylalcohol as first treatment and, if this is not enough, antioxidant cleaner and even coca cola... (I should add that Backscatter definitely does not recommend to use contacts cleaner and/ore coke, but what can we do when the milder treatments fail (Sevag from BS service department writes: "...I would strongly advise against using Coca Cola or anything other than either pure fresh water or isopropyl alcohol on any strobe equipment...")?)... The DeOxid Gold, recommended by Dave, is very expensive here in Europe (about 50 Euros), I found a cheaper product (produced in EU), I hope that it will work equally well: https://www.amazon.de/Kontakt-Chemie-KONTAKT-70004-AA-Kontaktreiniger/dp/B004SGL2T0/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis

It seems to be a great lens, but it will remain a "nice" product, useful only for Canon mirrorless users... It is really a pity that it comes in the mirrorless RF mount. The old Canon EF mount was, besides beeing the mount for Canon, some kind of "universal" mount, easily adaptaple to RF, Sony FE, MFT and even to Nikon Z. One could see a lot of EF lenses on camera bodies other than Canon... (beeing a user of Canon 8-15mm f/4 EF on Sony, I have no urge to switch, at present, to another lens with similar properties, even if it would be compatible (RF is certainly not))...

Hi Warmuth, Is this observed decrease in IQ, when you compare the lens behind flatport to the lens in air? Or does IQ decrease when using domeport and compare to IQ with planport? Or is it MFO-1 & planport vs. plain planport? Thanks, Wolfgang

As far as I understand, the MFO-1 lens corrects for the optical aberrations introduced by using macrolenses behind planports and should have similar IQ to a macrolens behind domeport (?). For longer focal length (e.g. 90mm on FF), however, these aberrations are pretty small and neglectible. For shorter focal length (e.g. 50mm or smaller for FF), a domeport may increase IQ noticeably... Anyone can confirm this from real life experience? P.S.: I am using Sony 20-70mm (FF) and was using Zuiko 12-40m (MFT) behind Zen DP170 domeport (not for real macro, but for fishportrait). At the short end IQ is very good and certainly better compared to planport, but I am not shure whether the domeport brings improvement at the long end...

So far I never did experience problems with corrosion of electrodes, but on my recent trip to Mafia Island/Tansania in November, two HF-1 strobes almost simultaneaously let me down for most of the time of the stay (it turned out later the reason was corrosion of the electrodes)... I was using them for approx. 2 years, never flooded them and cannot remember that I ever dropped a single drop of (salt)water into the battery compartment. I fear that this problem will come again and plan to put together some kind of "emergency kit" that I can use when I am abroad. The strobes had the electrodes replaced at Backscatter (kind, quick and labour as a goodwill case), are now on their way back and I asked Sevag (the Service Manager), what components he would suggest for such a kit. I think his suggestion may be of interest also for others here: "...The best tools to have with you are some alcohol wipes, liquid isopropyl alcohol if possible (90-99% is best), a brush to help reach the contacts at the base of the strobe, and a fiberglass cleaning tool like one of these: https://www.backscatter.com/Hama-Contact-Cleaner-CAUTION-Fiberglass ..." What is the opinion of UW- photographers, who have had problems in the past with strobe electrodes, about such a "kit"? How did you deal with corroded electrodes? Any additional suggestions? Thanks for the input, Wolfgang