Underwater Photography and Videography, News, Forums, Trips, Photo Contests :: Wetpixel.com

Those of you who are interested in educational activities associated with the underwater world and who are between 21 and 24 years of age (inclusive) should check out the Rolex Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society (OW-USS). The Rolex Scholarship offers a North American Rolex Scholarship ($20,000), a European Rolex Scholarship 15,000 Pound Sterling), and support for multiple internships during the 2004 calendar year.

Although the deadline o­n the promotional material says November 30, 2003, representatives at the Antibes Festival told us that the deadline has been extended. Get in touch with them soon!

Qualifications and more information can be found at: http://owuscholarship.org/

Wetpixel.com has won one of the most prestigious awards in the underwater photograpy and videography community: the underwater web site of the year award at the Antibes Juan-Les-Pins 30th Festival Mondial de L’Image Sous-Marine (30th World Festival of Underwater Images).  The awards ceremony last night here in the South of France was not unlike a small version of the Academy Awards, and the two-hour ceremony honored winners for underwater web sites, books, images, and films.

On behalf of Wetpixel.com, I’d like to share the Antibes 2003 award with all of you who make our site successful.  This includes the small volunteer staff force who administer and moderate the site, the array of individual content contributors, the 1300+ active participants in the forum, and those of you who are just here to browse anonymously.  Thank you!

- Eric Cheng, Editor and Administrator

Congratulations to Wetpixel member Jim Chambers, who recently won a photography prize from Popular Photography for his photo of a Nassau grouper eating a blue tang! There is an active thread in the forums about his photo.

David Haas reviews the HydroOptix mask, a panoramic mask for underwater use.

Eric Cheng attends the Festival Mondial de L'Image Sous-Marine 2003, a festival in Antibes Juan- Les-Pins, France.

We've just put up a short report about Eric's time at Visions in the Sea 2003, a London-based conference about underwater photography. Speakers this year included Amos Nachoun, Espen Rekdal, Pete Atkinson, Tony White, David Doubilet, Leigh Bishop, Alex Mustard, and many more! [read the report] [visions website]

Eric Cheng attends Visions in the Sea 2003, a festival in London put on by Ocean Optics.

David Haas takes a first look at Ikelite's preproduction Canon EOS Digital Rebel housing.

David Haas takes Wetpixel readers through a first look at Ikelite's new Canon EOS Digital Rebel housing.

Excerpt:The Canon Digital Rebel was fairly easy to learn with the manual in hand. Even this Nikon D100 user (but a previous EOS film SLR user) was able to figure out which buttons did what. The body is light without feeling cheap. The camera features good ergonomics, both the settings display and review LCD screen are located right below the eyepiece for easy viewing. The settings display can be illuminated underwater with the press of a button, which is very nice for night dives [read the review]

The Tetra S400 is a rugged machined aluminum housing designed specifically for the palm size 4.0 Megapixel Canon PowerShot S400. The housing is small enough to be stowed in a BC pocket, but also able to capture great digital images. The simple design is a snap to set up and provides digital TTL, point and shoot automatic exposure. Designed for the casual photographer, the Tetra S400 is an easy to travel size and delivers 4 megapixel digital photo quality. Increase your field of view with the optional bayonet mount wetmate wide or macro lens.

The Tetra S400 features Digital TTL exposure control to make capturing that perfect shot as easy as point and shoot. The Tetra housing provides communication with the camera and the strobe allowing for accurate exposure of your subject. Further improving the process is the ability to access the camera's exposure compensation controls. Use the review button o­n the Tetra housing to access the camera and have a look to see how Digital TTL exposed the shot. Not quite right? You can use the housing controls to access the cameras exposure compensation setting and change the exposure plus or minus 2 full f-stops.

Tetra S400 incorporates a unique exposure system that will allow you to get the images you want, and still enjoy your dive. The new Tetra is available as a pocket size solo housing or can be purchased as a complete single strobe Travel Package including arm, bulkhead, sync cord and custom travel case. [more info]