What would you like to see in 2007?

As 2006 comes to a close we saw some new things introduced into the fold that were great tools for UW photographers. Some of the ones that come to my mind are the new Aquatica viewfinder as well as green water and auto Magic Filters.

What would you like to see introduced in 2007 that would benefit your photography?

By this i don't mean a product that is already on the market that you want to buy, but something that has yet to be "invented" or at least manufactured or available to everyone.

Who knows, with a lot of innovative and intelligent people as well as so many industry people here it might even happen....

Me? i would like to see a small fisheye port from Aquatica....

A decent pro-sumer sony HDV / HDcam with excellent lux rating and various lenses..

A decent housing to put it in with various lenses...

A decent monitor with good resolution...

A broadcast company to accept my proposal for my wildlife series...

World peace...

A tasty weight loss curry...

And slim while you drink, Beer..

Everyone to have a safe and prosperous 2007.

Dive safe..Happy Xmas and New year...

DeanB

That's an easy one.

A sub $1000 strobe with built in I-TTL/E-TTL.

A 36mmx36mm sensor, and a 24mmx24mm version too I guess for the AP-size systems.

Greater than 12-bit RAW capture.

A way of putting the magic filter on and off while on underwater.

An in-camera GPS, I know it would only work pre- and post-dive, but hey, that would probaly do. While we're at it, an interface between our cameras and our dive computers to give us depth info in the exif data as well.

ditto the well-priced and reliable iTTL/eTTL stobe with a nice big flash tube and reflector - heck just copy the seaflash 250 and price it right and you'll make a million as they float out the hatch.

Upgrade for my brain - more RAM, faster I/O.

More people to take climate change and its implications seriously.

Australians to revolt over the "nanny state" we find ourselves in.

"Tolerence" to be replaced by acceptence.

I've enjoyed finding wetpixel this year, can't wait for 2007, and all it brings.

best wishes

darren

That's an easy one for me, it's a Blue Hamlet, it;s the only one I have left to get here in Cayman:

Hamlet Project

How does the song go? ... can't think of anything I need...

Guess I'll just have to spend my money on dive trips.

More of the Same!

Happy Christmas (PC version: Winter Holiday) and a Properous New Year (Persian Version: Second Half of the Year) to you all!

(That should cover it.)

A digital version of the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 rectilinear lens with the same angle of view (114 degrees). Like a 9mm f/2.8 or f/4 DX.

They seem to do it with other lenses, the 10.5FE mimicked the 16FE, the 12-24 mimicked the 17-35 (in focal length...) and the 17-55 mimicked the 24-85...etc

Easy,

A flat port compatible with the Ikelite 8" dome port extensions and a compatible port extension that allows MF with the Nikon 105mm VR.

I would also like to see a Nikkor 9mm f/2.8 Dx lens.

BTW the big upgrades for this year IMHO:

Ikelite 8" dome port

ULCS Ball neck clamp (allowed stable focus lights on housings w/o a separate focus light mount)

Nikon 105mm AF-S VR

I'm with Herb-more trips to more new places.

A digital version of the Nikon 14mm f/2.8 rectilinear lens with the same angle of view (114 degrees). Like a 9mm f/2.8 or f/4 DX.

<snip>

Yep, that's probabally tops on my list too.

Also, I just drool at the thought of a return to removable viewfinder prisms!

Oh, yes.....how hard can it be to engineer unbreakable card bay doors?

All the best, James

That's easy!!

Lighter in-water weight for DSLR housings (based on specs for d200 housings)!!! How about at least neutral with camera/battery installed/fixed focal lens & port to start (no handles, arms, strobes, sync cords etc.)

A pound or two of negative underwater weight for the entire system is fine. But when a DSLR system starts out 2-1/4 lbs negative w/camera to start, w/o any handles, strobes/arms, focus light, sync cords, adapters etc. it quickly gets into a range (well over 4+ lbs negative) where injury can result from strain, especially at significant depths. Nitrogen bubbles love strained muscles and joints to gather in. [That's why we as smart divers don't work out right before/after a dive and shouldn't have to "work-out" during a dive at depth just to position a very negative camera setup.]

Specs based on repeated in water weight tests with Rapala scale of Subal ND20, Nikon d200, 16mm lens, glass dome port = 2-1/4lb negative in water weight before even any handles were added, to say nothing of the negative strobes being made today!!!

(But before you shun Subal weigh your own, I hear the Aquatica and Sea and Sea and others are even more negative to start. But of course weight tests must be made with the same (exact as possible), camera/lens/port)

Also how about 'positive in water weight' strobes with batteries installed? This used to be the norm but now sadly is not. Even my new 110s are negative with batteries, but not as negative as other alternatives.

Manufacturers please care about divers who actually use the product a lot! Not just what sells at first glance or looks like it is easy to pack or take on a plane.

Also salespeople please care about the customer, and what is best underwater for him/her, not just profiting from a large $$$ sale. Retailers have the power to make manufacturers change this producing of such negative 'in water weight' housings/strobes. What is sold should be sold with integrity and not just a "hard-sell" approach to make a profit.

Yes that listened to would indeed usher in a merrier 2007 and beyond!

Carol

Three words: More Dynamic Range

Three words: More Dynamic Range

Exactly. And two more very closely related words: Less Noise.

I am more interested in the first (dynamic range). Noise doesn't bother me as I almost never shoot above ISO 400, but higher dynamic range for better sun bursts would be very welcome!

A Nikon 40mm f/2.8 DX Micro lens (equivalent to 60 on 35mm film) for better fish portrait photos

A three-CCD still camera that uses dichroic prisms to split the incoming image into red, green, and blue channels, with each channel being recorded on an individual CCD. That gives

- 3 times more pixels without shrinking the pixel or increasing the format size

--- not shrinking the pixel maintains good per pixel noise & dynamic range

--- maintaining the 35mm format means you can keep using all your existing lenses

- 4-fold (blue & red) and 2-fold (green) greater pixel density and thus higher spatial resolution

--- (in normal cameras each square of 4 pixels has 1 red, 1 blue, and 2 green pixels)

- No need for color filter chemicals on each individual pixel gives higher sensitivity

- ability to set ISO levels (gain) independently for each color

--- specifically boost red for great ambient light shooting

--- better than filters that work by throwing away valuable (blue/green) light

--- can change gain-levels underwater to match the color correction needed at given depth

- a larger and more impressive body (the camera that is) to lug around

Bart

PS this approach is already used in camcorders

Thats easy

no limitations on weight on every airlines !

An adjustment so that LCDs can have a dioptre mimicking adjustment for those of us with aging eyes.

A full frame, digital, Nikonos sized, autofocus, amphibious, 1:1 to 15mm 20MP camera with TTL for my existing strobes that is incapable of flooding and under $500. (one can dream, right?) Oh, and it should have the above LCD adjustment.

Free excess baggage for photographers. In fact free seats for your excess baggage, so you don't have to sweat worrying about its safe arrival.

Cheers,

Marli

<snip> Noise doesn't bother me as I almost never shoot above ISO 400<snip>

Easy for you to say, ya D2x snob, ya.

Chris