My New Camera

My wonderful wife bought me a new camera, housing, and associated accessories as part of her wedding gift to me.  So, I recently acquired a Nikon D7100, Nauticam NA-D7100 housing, Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, and Reefnet Subsee wet diopters.

I’ve had a chance to take the new system out on a couple of short trips to Tioman Island now, and I can say unequivocally that this is a huge upgrade from my previous system.  There are lots of improvements but the ones that I’ve found that made a real difference to my underwater photography are the improved autofocus system, internal motor for non-AF-S lenses, 1.3x crop mode, and U1 and U2 recall modes.

With this system, I now have several options for supermacro photography: 1.3x crop mode, teleconverters, and wet diopters (or some combination of this).  The best thing about it is that I can choose at any point in the dive whether to use 1.3x crop mode and/or the wet diopters.

The YS-D1 strobes are great.  They are tiny, powerful, and user friendly.

I am reserving my judgment on the Nauticam housing until I’ve spent more time with it.  In general, I love the ergonomics and smart design, but I’ve been having a few issues with the housing.  Nothing huge, but annoying enough to make a difference. 

Tioman Island 

I spent 2 weekends in Tioman using the new camera system.  Having not been there for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant marine life.  I saw lots of clownfish and anemonefish, a few interesting nudibranches, lots of gobies and blennies, and millions of marble shrimp (which are very rare except in Tioman, apparently!).  Definitely enough to keep a macro photographer busy.  Conditions were generally benign except for some surge, which made supermacro photography challenging at times.

I tried the 60 mm & 1.4x teleconverter combination for the first time and it was great.  I didn’t really notice any deterioration in autofocus capabilities, which is really a testament to the camera’s good autofocus.

The things I don’t like about Tioman are the accommodations and the journey.  The accommodations are very basic and I didn’t have any hot water on both trips.  The journey involves a long van ride, going through Singapore and Malaysian immigration, and a long ferry ride.  The part I like the least is the long waiting time in between stops and the unpredictability of the ferry.

Salang panorama.  iPhone 5

 

Pink anemonefish.  105 mm, 1/320s, f/10, ISO 200

Striped triplefin.  105mm, 1/320s, f/7.1, ISO 200

Triplespot blenny.  105mm, 1/320s, f/14, ISO 200

 

Tiny Flabellina Rubrolineata, about 1cm long!  105mm & Subsee +5 diopter, 1/320s, f/29, ISO 200

 

Yawning tomato anemonefish.  60mm & 1.4x teleconverter, 1/320s, f/18, ISO 200

 

Chromodoris Reticulata.  60mm & 1.4x teleconverter in 1.3x crop mode, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 200

 

False clown anemonefish in balled up anemone.  60mm & 1.4x teleconverter, 1/320s, f/16, ISO 400

 

Pink anemonefish.  60mm & 1.4x teleconverter, 1/320s, f/14, ISO 400

Dyron Double Macro M77 Lens

My recent Cabilao trip was the first time I tried supermacro photography with my new Dyron Double Macro M77 Lens. It is a wet diopter that gives 1.3x magnification with a 60mm lens and 1.7x magnification with a 105mm lens. It lives in my thigh pocket and I screw it on the front of my flat port when necessary. In line with what others have reported, it is very difficult to use, especially with a 105mm lens, due to the close working distance and very small field of view. I had a lot of fun with it, though, and was happy to come home with several usable shots. After quite some time of macro shooting, I really appreciated the ability to get greater than 1:1 shots. I think it will be very interesting to stack it with a teleconverter – it will give me a lot of flexibility with various supermacro combinations.

By the way, Underwater Photography Guide's review of the lens is here.

Sola 600 Aiming Light

I used my new Sola 600 aiming light for the first time on my recent Cabilao trip. People have been raving about it for ages and I am glad that I finally got one for myself. It was a pleasure to use, with a wide and strong beam that had enough coverage for my needs. The best thing about the light, though, is the red mode. I found that the critters were significantly less bothered by the red light, which enabled me to get a lot closer than I have gotten in the past – a real boon for supermacro photography. My only gripe with it is the short battery life. It lasted about 60 minutes on full power, which is only one dive.

Ocean Sky Diving, You Suck

I have been very keen to play with the Nauticam D7000 housing as I have been seriously considering upgrading to the D7000. Nauticam's local dealer is Ocean Sky Diving. I called them a couple of weeks ago and they told me that the housing would be available today. I called them again today and the lady who answered the phone said that they had them in stock. When I walked in, the lady took me to the camera area and promptly directed me to a D700 housing. D700, not D7000. No shit you have the D700 housing in stock, it was released more than a year ago. And of course, they did not have a D7000 housing in stock. All she could do was shrug her shoulders sheepishly in admission that she got the model numbers mixed up. She didn't even say sorry!

Note to Ocean Sky Diving: if u can't count your zeros and can't tell one camera model from another, maybe you should be in a different business. Is it so much to expect the authorized dealer for Nauticam housings to be familiar with the FREAKING MODEL NUMBER of the housings? Thanks for wasting an hour of my time and I am glad that the walk in the rain was worth it. Customers have options and I sure as hell am not going back to Ocean Sky Diving.

Custom Wetsuits Revisited

Two thumbs up for Acronman. I wanted to post a quick note to mention how much I like the 5mm custom wetsuit I had made by Acronman. I used it on 27 dives in Bali. While the fit was slightly tight in places, the quality and warmth are indisputable. The workmanship is great and the suit is very comfortable. I sent it back for slight alterations today. I liked the suit so much that I placed an order for a custom 3mm suit as well. I expect these suits to far outlast off the rack commercial suits.

Custom Wetsuits

Today, I went to see Acronman to get measured for a custom wetsuit. I have been looking for a 5 mm wetsuit for some time but none of the stock sizes fit me. After freezing my nuts off in Puerto Galera and Anilao in April, I decided that it is time that I get a custom wetsuit. They measured me in about 10 minutes and although the typical turnaround time is 1-2 weeks, they agreed to do a rush job (at no extra cost) in time for my Bali trip next week. It cost me S$360 for a 5 mm suit with fleece lining and ankle zippers. I will pick up my suit on Friday. Fingers crossed that it fits.

Ikelite housing port upgrades

Ikelite recently announced 2 upgrades to their housings - the addition of 2 port locks (for a total of 4) and a threaded mounting point for a focus light. The 2 new port locks are a welcome addition as it has long been noted that the old port locking mechanism is flimsy and does not inspire confidence. The threaded mounting point is also nice as it simplifies mounting a focus light (previously had to be mounted on a strobe arm). I sent my housing back to Ikelite last week for upgrading. After transit time and 3 week turnaround time, I'll probably get my housing back in March.

Read more about it here.

Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens

My wonderful friends bought me a Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 macro lens for my birthday. This lens is highly specialized and will be awesome for shooting nudibranchs, slugs, and intricate details on other marine life. I'm not sure when I will get to use it yet as I have not yet planned my next diving trip, but I am really looking forward to it.

I will need to buy the Ikelite flat port to go along with the lens.

No self control = more toys on the way

I have jumped on the crazy underwater photography train and left the station. I just placed an order from the helpful folks at Reef Photo in Florida for two full sets of 5"x8" Ultralight arms and a BigBlue 5W LED aiming light. My stuff should arrive in a couple of weeks' time, giving me plenty of time before my Nov 26 trip to the Similans.

More toys

After a lot of deliberation, I finally committed to getting a macro lens. Today, I ordered a Nikon 60mm f/2.8 micro lens. I also ordered the Ikelite flat port to go along with it. They should be in my hands within the next few days. My next opportunity to use the lens will be the 1st weekend of October aboard the MV Quest in Pulau Aur.

My Love Affair With My Drysuit Continues

Oh, one more thing about my drysuit - zipseals rock! I got zipseals on the wrists as I've seen torn seals ruin a dive and it's a pain to change permanent seals. It took me a few minutes to set up the zipseals for the first time but they were a breeze to use and at no point did I get concerned about their integrity. I intend to keep a spare set of zipseals handy in case of any issues.

Local Dives at Pulau Aur

I spent Easter weekend in Pulau Aur doing some leisurely recreational dives. I took advantage of the benign conditions to test out my new 30/30 drysuit and 12-24 mm wide angle lens. The drysuit was a pleasure to use even in the sunny and humid conditions. The suit really does breathe! And it fits perfectly and is a joy to dive. Gone are my fears of overheating while diving dry in the tropics. There is something to be said for the freedom and ease of diving wet but I think I am slowly being converted.

As a trial run for my wide angle lens, we did a short dive at Diver's Lodge House Reef where Leon, Antia, Dagomir, and Alvin posed for photographs. It was a blast shooting them but surprisingly tiring, as I found that it was easier for the models to stay put and for me to move around them. I was breathless by the end of the dive. Here are some of the highlights (Photoshopped courtesy of Dagomir):

For Sale

I have the following items for sale. All prices in US$. Other currencies accepted. All prices negotiable. I will mail them anywhere in the world at buyer's expense.

DUI Thermalmax 300G jumpsuit undergarment. DUI stopped making these a little while ago. It is essentially made of the same material as DUI Actionwear (i.e. fleece, not type-B thinsulate) but in the shape of a 400G thinsulate. The outer shell is spray resistant. It has been on about 5 dives and is in like new condition. It is a very warm undergarment. Size S. $125

Ikelite 6" dome port for lenses less than 4.0", item number 5503.50. It has been lightly used on maybe 20 dives. It is in excellent shape with no scratches on the lens. The picture below is a stock picture and not a picture of the actual lens. $125

My Beautiful Drysuit

After much drama, my drysuit finally arrived. Gideon measured me during the October GUE Dive Extravaganza and placed the order shortly after that. The idea was to get it in time for my mid-December Manado trip and definitely in time for my New Year's trip to Perth. DUI got my suit made and delivered to HK in time for Manado... then we discovered that they had made me a TLS350 and not the 30/30 that I had ordered. We tried to get them to rush me a new suit in time for Perth, but alas, it was not to be. I borrowed Leon's suit for Perth.

So, my suit finally arrived 3 months after placing the order.

After trimming the seals and trying on the suit today, I must say that DUI and Gideon did an outstanding job. I used to own a TLS350 so I am familiar with these things and know how they are supposed to fit. It fits PERFECTLY. I was afraid the turbosoles might be too small, but they fit PERFECTLY with Xerotherm socks and DUI 400G booties.

And the most amazing thing about it? I put on my Xerotherm undergarment and the suit, and I didn't overheat walking around my apartment. Seems like it really does breathe.

The suit is made to Explorer spec, including the following:
Old style zipper
Swivel inlet valve
Apeks high profile dump valve
Tough duck overlay
Cloverleaf crotch pad
Halcyon balanced p-valve
2 Halcyon explorer pockets
Zipseals on the wrists only
Turbosoles

I can't wait to get it wet. The price and the wait was worth it.

My New Toys

After having so much fun with photography in Manado, I placed a big order of camera gear from B&H Photo. My new toys should be arriving shortly:

First up is an Ikelite DS-160 strobe with TTL cable. It's the new and improved version of the DS-125. It has more power and a 5W LED tracking light.

Next is a Nikon 12-24 mm wide angle lens. This is good for wrecks, seascapes and land use.

This Ikelite 8" dome port will allow me to use the wide angle lens underwater without vignetting or distortion.

!@#$*%^ DUI

I was quite excited to hear that my drysuit had arrived in Hong Kong a few days ago. Then yesterday, as the HK distributor prepared to ship my suit to me, he discovered that DUI had made me a TLS350, instead of the 30/30 that I ordered. Bummer.

I won't have the suit in time for Manado, which is OK. But I really need the suit in time for Perth on 29 December. DUI is doing a rushjob to get me my suit in time. Fingers crossed. And I hope it fits too.

Xerotherm

In anticipation of my new DUI 30/30 Explorer suit arriving, I ordered a Xerotherm undergarment from Fourth Element. I got the whole set, which is made up of a top, bottom, vest, and socks. The cost was £115 plus £5 shipping, which I thought was quite reasonable. It arrived about 5 days after I placed the order, which was outstanding. The construction is high quality and it fits great, in part due to its stretchiness. Best of all, it is washable without any degradation of its insulating properties.

I will test it out in Manado in December. Granted, Manado in not really cold. In January I will be diving the Xerotherm and a DUI 200G undergarment in 22 degree water in Perth. I know this isn't really cold either, but my days of diving real cold water are over. Until I find a very compelling reason to do so, I will be diving relatively warm water only.

Stage Leash

I get lots of questions on what a stage leash should look like. The picture above shows one of mine. The clear hose is just garden hose. Low pressure hose works as well and has a smaller inner diameter. The rope is nylon rope. It should be tied such that there is not much free play on the rope, so that it does not spin around.

The stage leash should be tied such that the bottle sits on the edge of your butt, but not hanging into your butt crack (if you know what I mean). If it hangs into your butt crack, it will get in the way of a proper frog kick. If you have a big butt, you may need a longer leash, but there shouldn't be much variation from leash to leash.

X-Scooter Rocks!

So I finally took my X-scooter out for its maiden trip this past weekend. We went to Pulau Aur for the weekend. I did 3 dives with it on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. Much of the time was spent adjusting the tow cord and getting the weighting/balancing right. The weighting/balancing is about 98% there, with my scooter still having a slight tendency to float nose up.

Using the scooter was a real blast. I was surprised at how much more maneuverable it is compared to a Gavin. Leon and I were doing loops and corkscrews all over the place. I wouldn't even dream of doing that on a Gavin. The downside is of course that it is a little squirrelly and is fatiguing to use over long distances.

On one dive, we scootered from Crocodile Rock back to the pontoon (about 8 minutes or 300-400m). On another dive, we scootered around until we found the old, sunken pontoon in about 30m of water.

Here are a couple of pics of me taken by Leon:

DSS Thumb Loop Part Deux

After I bitched and moaned publicly that the DSS thumb loop didn't fit the old Halcyon warmwater Goodman handle, Tobin from DSS was so kind to send me a smaller offset plate to rectify the problem. I fitted the new piece to my Halcyon enclosed 10W lighthead. It looks like this:

Fitting it was a breeze and it looks great.