scorpio_fish

I am highly ambivalent about Wakatobi.   First, you will love the rooms and food.   It doesn't get much better.

I've always considered it to be 4 star diving.   I would place Komodo and Raja Ampat in the 5 star category.   I don't know Sipadan, but all the other locations would be superior to Wakatobi for macro.   So, yes, it is conducive to good photography, but they have rules (flashing cirtters and god forbid you pull out a tripod).   But I'd rate other places higher. 

Wakatobi has a lot of wall dives, but these would be your wide angle dives, not your macor dives.   The best macro sets at Wakatobi are for the most part not wall dives.   Currents are quite varied.   It is no bigger issue at Wakatobi than other locations and probably less.

The marvelous house reef can be done as wide angle dive a long the wall or a macro dive on top.

I'm not a fan of Lorenz.   All of the staff are gone since our last visit with the departure of Iman Baldwin.   I've heard they have gotten a little strict on their diving.

Only rarely does someone say they had a bad trip to Wakatobi.   They might have had a better one somewhere else, maybe for less money, too.

I still have mine.   It is one of two Nikon lenses I still own, even though I don't own a Nikon camera any more. 

I have used it alone back in the film days, with and without diopers and teleconverters.   The big problem was that with two SS200 strobes pushed forward and a long lens and port extension, it could fatigue your wrists very quickly (no Stix or floaties).   With TC and diopter it was also hard to even find your subject in the old non-magnifying viewfinder.

I did use it with the D100 and it's sensor crop along with lighter strobes, no TC.   Worked very well getting some jittery blennies.   It is wonderful for giving you plenty of working distance and if you can balance your rig, it would indeed be a good tool for jittery critters.  I don't think lighting will be a problem these days.   I have no issue running at ISO320, which over 2 stops better than the days of Velvia 50.

As I said, I still have the lens and the port.   I'm going to hang on to them.  You never know.   The last time I used it on land was shooting butterflies in an inside aviary (aviary isn't the right name, but I don't know the name for a butterfly containment area). 

Oh, in today's world, it would be considered very slow to focus.  But so am I.

It is the least expensive route, but can cost you in the long run if you need it.

If you make a couple of claims on your homeowners policy, they will cancel you.  It's just the way they are.   So, you make a claim for camera gear, a claim for some roof damage and the next thing you know they won't renew you.  Then you go to another company and they jack your rates way up.   Your ability to get homeowners' insurance is tainted for a long time, even if you no longer carry the camera gear on your policy.   Claims are claims.  

Depending on where you live, YMMV. 

I've been on the Galapagos Aggressor II three times.  We didn't have to paddle or do any fishing.  Sounds like a good deal to me, 2 for 1.   That's like, almost around 50% off. 

Those are some really nice shots.

Please emphasize the negatives on the Arenui (like the lack of a camera room).   It's getting way too difficult to book a spot on their boat.