It's been a long wait, but Light & Motion's Bluefin HD for FX1/Z1 is
out. See some pictures of it here:
http://photodan.smugmug.com/gallery/1062024 Just got it this
morning, and my planned afternoon dive was called due to weather.
Took it out to the pool for some evaluation, and two things I can
say is "Wow", and "Yes it was worth the wait". It's too early to
give an accurate review on it, but in brief:
Note - tested with standard flat port (UWA not available yet)
Housing also has four internal adjustable (also removeable) balance
weights. Battery pods mounted without batteries.
Weight in water (freshwater) - very slight negative, in saltwater it
should be near perfectly neutral. Very good and adjustable.
Balance - Perfect! You can effortlessly tilt and aim it anywhere you
want without any struggle. Also adjustable.
Controls - Too much to go into now, but everything it has works
excellent. No delay with manual white balance. Full and easy access
to all menu, p-menu and picture profile functions. Note: left hand
grip controls a little different than posted on web site, not a
problem. Excellent electronic controls, and full manual controls.
Internal Flip Macro Lens - Sweet. It is fantastic, and is usable in
the full zoom range. Very good image quality.
Monitors- I did not get an external monitor. Between the magnified
viewfinder, and the port on top for viewing the camera's LCD, this
may be all I need. Got to dive it to find out.
Overall Satisfaction - Yes. Very high quality build, and excellent
engineering. Need to dive it, but overall, I'm very impressed. This
blows away my Bluefin Pro V-900, my Aqua Video FX1, and in my
opinion, other companies current offerings for the FX1/Z1.
I received the Pro Travel Package. The custom Pelican case fits
everything well, has wheels and a slide out handle, which is very
nice, as it weighs about 60lbs complete. This is not a carry-on
housing, but it has many advantages over ones that are.
