HydroOptix Mega

http://www.hydrooptix.com/allmega.htm

Have you guys seen this mask at all? I will be evaluating one for the next month or two, and will let you know what I think. Jon Kranhouse (founder and president of HydroOptix) tells me that David Doubilet had a pre-production model for six months and really liked it, even though he didn't have a mask that exactly fit his native vision (he didn't use corrective lenses).

It will be interesting to use corrective lenses to make my eyesight FURTHER nearsighted.

Originally they were going to make an internally corrected mask, too. I think that got cancelled. Imagine how much heavy glass that would have on your face.

If I took my contacts out I'd be perfect with the 3.5 but the surface vision would suck. Maybe I'll get some split diopters for my over/under diving. I think it would be very interesting to try one. Sure looks cool...

Yeah. I guess it's sort of out of the question for drift diving. Gotta be able to find the boat underwater, and then surface.

Here's the fully corrected version: http://www.hydrooptix.com/allmax.htm

OMG!

I listened to a rep from their company at the Long Beach scuba show explain how the lens worked and what it would do. As an Optometrist I can tell you what he said was pure bull s--t. Maybe the mask does work but the guy working at their booth made some physically impossible claims.

Hmm. Well, isn't what the mask does the same thing that a dome port does on our cameras? Seems reasonable to me.

In any case, I'm going to test the thing. Only time in the water will really tell...

Yeah! I hope he sends me one of these just so I can get a picture in it.

I would imagine that the wide field of view will actually make it harder to look through an SLR viewfinder? All that light coming in from the sides?

Good point Alex.

I was having major trouble w/ my Bigeyes because it has clear silicone. I finally knuckled under and got a black mask...

I think this new hydroptix has a lot of potential. As with all kit, it will be good for some things and not for others.

Cheers

James