Our friends over at Aquatica have sent us an exclusive photo of a prototype Nikon D70 digital SLR housing. We at Wetpixel are very excited for more entry-level digital SLR housings to hit the market. Digital underwater photography with SLRs is getting more affordable almost literally by the month!

PRESS RELEASE: Ocean Brite Systems, in association with Jay-Mar Engineering and Equinox Underwater Products, is proud to announce the release of our new affordable housing for the Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel Camera.

Light & Motion has announced the new Tetra C5060 housing for the Olympus C-5060 5 megapixel digital camera. MSRP is $1599 USD.

The Tetra 5060 is a compact housing that provides access to most camera controls and the LCD screen for instant feedback and accurate subject composition. Multiple lens options are available including a wide angle lens that delivers 95 degrees of coverage, and a wetmate macro underwater changeable lens system.

The Tetra 5060 includes the newest version of the ROC strobe controller. The new ROC features a double flash exposure system that monitors and duplicates the camera pre-flash and actual flash sequence with compatible strobes. ROC also allows for full manual exposure and provides for 12 manual adjustments on most TTL compatible strobes.

Ryan Canon over at Wetpixel sponsor Underwater Camera Pros has posted an informative article talking about his first impressions of the Aquatica A300 housing.

Excerpt: "Most users will be surprised at how small the housing actually is. The body is smaller than the new Ikelite SLR case (D100, 10d, 300d, D70), Sea & Sea's new mold (10d, 300d, and D70), and Light & Motion's Titan D100 Housing. This will be significant for travel. I was able to pack the Rebel, the 18-55, Aquatica Dome Port, and housing body (handles removed) in a Lowepro Dryzone 100. After getting these essential items in the bag, there was still room for a compact strobe, and possibly another lens.

"Aquatica's electronic shutter release controls the Rebel's prefocus and shutter release operation via the camera's command line port. These electronics allow the shutter release to be placed conveniently, and adjusted to fit the preferences of the individual shooter..."

Congratulations to Wetpixel member Rand McMeins, who is INON's featured artist of the month. Head on over to INON America's featured artist page to see a small selection of Rand's work!

Just a reminder that this week's POTW (Theme: Sharks & Rays) will close tomorrow evening. The winner will be presented with a $30 credit at Pictopia.com, which provides fantastic lightjet printing and other photographic services. Submit your photo now! We also need your votes, since the POTW winner is chosen by public voting.

Tip: submit your photos early so more people can vote o­n them!

Wetpixel user Jay Treat has posted a fantastic review of the Canon 300D Digital Rebel housed in an Ikelite housing.

Excerpt: Without a doubt, I'm happy with this system and I can't wait to get back in the water with it. The 300D gives me the flexibility both underwater and above that I've missed while using digicams and the Ikelite solution for getting underwater is a success. As I mentioned above, I do miss auto strobe control in some cases, I feel that the weight and balance could use some improvement, and I wish the viewfinder was a bit more user friendly. To put it into perspective however, I'd buy the same housing and strobes again if I could start over. [discuss in forums]

I've taken the Digideep Picture-of-the-Week syndication offline for the moment, while we work out some bugs.

In unrelated news, hop on over there to see information about UK Germany's new Sony F-828 housing and Fantasea's Nikon Coolpix 3200 and 2200 housings.

Aquatica has just released the I.C.U. ( Illumination Control Unit), currently available for use with the Aquatica A300 and the Canon Rebel body. Continue reading for full press release. *UPDATE* - Photos of production housings added.

'Whalewatch' is the new campaign initiative of over 140 animal welfare organisations representing more than 55 countries worldwide which focuses on the inherent cruelty associated with killing whales.

A few days ago, Whale Watch published a 150 page report called, "A Review Of The Welfare Implications Of Modern Whaling Activities." It can be found on their website at http://www.whalewatch.org/.