DEMA 09 - UW Photo Gear

I thought it would be fun to start a thread for predictions, gossip, speculations, wishes (and, indeed, if you are a manufacturer) hard facts about new UW photo products we might see appearing in the traditional autumn season at events such as DEMA and the Antibes Festival.

To kick things off I am curious to see if any of the strobe manufacturer's have looked at a combined strobe and video light for the latest DSLRs with video capability.

Any others?

Alex

If I may politely correct Dr. Mustard, the "Antibes" festival ( I'll always call it like that too), is now held in Marseille and is called "World Festival of Underwater Pictures".

My guess:

- Smaller form factor housings from some manufacturers (always a wish in this post 9/11 era)

- Maybe a new mid-power strobe entry from Sea & Sea

- The strobe and video light idea is very interesting and although I don' think it will materialize this fall, there might be hope for 2010

- A fourth port-size diameter from Nexus who seems to have lost its bearings in terms of standardization :-)

- Prototype of a Canonos I amphibious pro-level camera equiped with water-corrected optics; to be marketed around 2015... (we can always dream)

Now where did I put this beer....?

Michel

I thought it would be fun to start a thread for predictions, gossip, speculations, wishes (and, indeed, if you are a manufacturer) hard facts about new UW photo products we might see appearing in the traditional autumn season at events such as DEMA and the Antibes Festival.

 

To kick things off I am curious to see if any of the strobe manufacturer's have looked at a combined strobe and video light for the latest DSLRs with video capability.

 

Any others?

 

Alex

How about something that was shown at last years show that is just now being released, http://inon.co.jp/cgis/news/wforum_news.cg...ge=0&news=1

Phil Rudin

How about a housing for Hasselblad's 50 megapixel H3D II model medium format digital camera. I know that's going to be there.

Well I did wonder about a housing for the new Leica S2.......

I thought it would be fun to start a thread for predictions, gossip, speculations, wishes (and, indeed, if you are a manufacturer) hard facts about new UW photo products we might see appearing in the traditional autumn season at events such as DEMA and the Antibes Festival.

 

To kick things off I am curious to see if any of the strobe manufacturer's have looked at a combined strobe and video light for the latest DSLRs with video capability.

 

Any others?

 

Alex

I'm attending to get the scoop on the latest's Dr.Who programs,welcome you guys back to the colonys and see what color the new snorkels are going to be.

Bernie

I just hope that a few people will turn up or it will be really lonely!

An easy one will be lots of housings for the new Nikon 300S, Canon 500, Canon G11.

Jack

Would like to see a Digital Nikonos, preferably of the RS type, but would grab a digital Nikonos V or maybe a new digital Nikonos “VI” in a heartbeat if there were such a thing.

I hope to see a new Sea & Sea housing of the new Canon 7D. Or at least an announcement by Sea & Sea about this housing!

but would grab a digital Nikonos V or maybe a new digital Nikonos “VI” in a heartbeat if there were such a thing.

I think we all keep waiting for that

While we are dreaming.

I would like to see a digital revision of the SUBEYE reflex camera.

It would be fantastic to have use for the boxfull of mint RS lenses that are in my cupboard.

Full Frame

39-50MP

Dual CF slots or optional 240Gig S/S drive

I think we might see a housing for one of the new micro 4/3rds pseudo-rangefinder size camera. But only "might", per tropical1's observations neither (Oly or Panasonic variants) is perfectly suited for underwater use right now.

If I remember right Ikelite has also posted to the effect (in response to feedback threads here over the year) that they are working on mods to their standard DSLR housing, to add a top ball mount for focus lights or center strobes, and/or new clip arrangements for large domes. Perhaps one or both will be in evidence as prototypes at least this year.

If all goes well I hope to be there, helping out Eric and team with their booth! At least, got flights arranged and received my registration notification, so just counting on not having a work or life emergency of some kind preventing travel at this point.

but would grab a digital Nikonos V or maybe a new digital Nikonos “VI” in a heartbeat if there were such a thing.

I think we all keep waiting for that

You won't have to wait TOO much longer. I expect to receive the first prototypes of a Nikonos-compatible digital camera housing by October 28th, assuming my suppliers all deliver on time. Here are some links to more info, and to a discussion on the DPG website:

http://www.piratepro.com/faq.htm

http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/dig...esign_challenge

I was going to wait until I had prototypes to show off before posting about it here, but those posts wishing for a digital Nikonos were just too much to ignore.

David Lewinnek

david@piratepro.com

www.piratepro.com

I think we might see a housing for one of the new micro 4/3rds pseudo-rangefinder size camera. But only "might", per tropical1's observations neither (Oly or Panasonic variants) is perfectly suited for underwater use right now.

Aside from no u/w housing, what about the Panasonic GF1 is unsuitable for underwater use?

Bob

I was going to wait until I had prototypes to show off before posting about it here, but those posts wishing for a digital Nikonos were just too much to ignore.

 

David Lewinnek

david@piratepro.com

www.piratepro.com

David, I am very excited about this. Now I'm questioning my decision to sell my 15mm lens on eBay.

This wasn't on the FAQ: When mounted on a 4/3 body, does the 15mm function as if it were a 30mm lens? Follow up question would be about using a Sea & Sea 12mm lens for the original Nikonos.

If you need a tester, I live in the Boston area and I drive through Somerville every day

David, I am very excited about this. Now I'm questioning my decision to sell my 15mm lens on eBay.

 

This wasn't on the FAQ: When mounted on a 4/3 body, does the 15mm function as if it were a 30mm lens? Follow up question would be about using a Sea & Sea 12mm lens for the original Nikonos.

 

If you need a tester, I live in the Boston area and I drive through Somerville every day

DesertEagle, It isn't on the FAQ yet because I don't have a really clear way of describing what we're doing to a layperson. Basically, with a standard adapter, you're absolutely correct that the 15mm Nikonos lens will have a 72 degree field of view, equivalent to a 30mm lens on a full frame camera. However, we are prototyping two other adapters in addition to the standard adapters, and that’s where it gets a little more complicated.

The standard adapter maintains the flange focal distances of the Nikonos system, so the optics should work normally, only with the 2X crop factor of the smaller sensor.

Then there's an extension tube, which adds 24.5mm to the distance between the focal plane and the rear nodal point of the lens. I picked the distance 24.5mm because I like the optics of the Nikonos 28mm lens and I like the field of view of the Nikon 105mm Micro, and a 24.5mm extension tube will make the 28mm Nikonos lens into a 52.5mm macro lens, which will have the same field of view as the 105mm lens on a full frame camera.

Finally, there’s something I call a “reduction tube” (I’m not sure the proper name for it optically, so I made up a name). It’s the opposite of an extension tube, in that it moves the rear nodal point of the lens 4mm CLOSER to the focal plane. So that means that a 15mm lens would actually be an 11mm lens, and when you include the crop factor it would have the field of view of a 22mm lens on a full-frame camera (which is around 89 degrees). The Sea & Sea 12mm fisheye lens would have the field of view of a 16mm lens on a full-frame camera using this reduction tube. You will lose some ability to focus on very close subjects with the reduction tube, but I’m not sure how severe that will be.

We can talk about being a beta tester when I get the prototypes in. I'm always interested in getting more opinions on the products I design.

David Lewinnek

david@piratepro.com

www.piratepro.com

Aside from no u/w housing, what about the Panasonic GF1 is unsuitable for underwater use?

Bob

Whoops...maybe nothing else. At first I thought it didn't have a built-in flash, which would turn off anyone wanting to use fiberoptic flash slaving vs. a synch cord to the hotshoe. That, plus relatively slow focusing performance were the primary complaints against the Oly EP-1 for U/W use. (Well, DSLR purists will still say they "need" a true viewfinder as well vs. using the screen, but I ignore that as an E330 live-view shooter who only uses my viewfinder topside ).

But after seeing your post I re-checked and it looks like it does indeed have an onboard flash....and if one assumes the focus performance is on par with the GH-1, then I guess my statement was rather ignorant! Lens mix and availability is a little thin on the ground but certainly coming quite soon. Mmmm....I may have to rethink my 'fantasy' E-620 upgrade and start dreaming along other lines, although adding a 4:3 to m4:3 lens adaptor (and losing some focus speed performance) might kind of argue against the rationality of switching streams that far.

...We now return to your regularly scheduled program I hope at DEMA to see integration of those Dr. Scholls gel-cels into the backs of wetsuit necks where I always end up with either neoprene or BCD fabric sawing at my neckline after several days of diving. Owweee! (Yes, I know about Apollo Bio-shields, just haven't gotten one yet...in between trips I always forget the special quality pain of cordura rubbing on sunburn.

im thinkin a new athena ringflash... gotta love

not sure if it will be at eh dema show but is suposed to come out in december

How about a housing for Hasselblad's 50 megapixel H3D II model medium format digital camera. I know that's going to be there.

Already done!

A B Sea Photo has a housing for the Hasselblad H3D II.