Text and Photos by Christa Loustalot.
Additional Photos by David Haas and Stephen Frink.

DEMA 2005

Sitting 3 booths down from Center Stage at DEMA definitely has its pros and cons:

Pro: You are treated to multiple presentations, SCUBA Radio, assorted dive celebrities, awesome live music, and the occasional T-shirt toss.

Con: The DEMA Fashion Show…..5 times a day.

That being said – WOW! DEMA in Las Vegas could not have been any better! People are saying that it was the best one yet – and even though it was my first one, I can definitely see why. When James and Eric asked me to cover DEMA this year because they were both unable to make it (James had to work, and Eric was FORCED to go diving in the Galapagos…poor guy), I jumped at the chance. I figured spending 5 days in Vegas would more than make up for having to trudge around the show floor all week – but boy was I wrong! DEMA was the real fun – the floor was always packed, everyone was in a perpetual good mood, and the products were spectacular. Forget the slot machines….I saved my money for the show! (And for the Wetpixel Happy Hour) The only caveat was the static electricity: Dry Vegas Air + Carpet = A Shocking Experience. Ouch!

The layout was great – well organized and roomy – with plenty of dive-toy-eye-candy displayed within petting distance. I had no trouble finding the photography booths – I was working in the Fisheye booth for most of the day, and dashed away for 2 hours each afternoon to go hunting. I mapped out my routes and just went down the list. Everything was colorful and flashy, perfect for Vegas, and everyone I talked to was incredibly nice and happy to spend as much time as I needed to get the scoop for the Wetpixel report. I also found out that Eric is a VERY popular guy and everyone wanted me to say hello! I was fortunate to meet several world-class photographers and authors, run into some familiar faces, and network with the pros. Now, I have a long list of new friends, and am so glad I got the chance to meet these wonderful people!

On behalf of Wetpixel.com, Christa accepts the
Editor's Choice 2005 award from Scuba Diving Magazine

Vegas is a pretty easy town to get around in if you have any sense of direction…which I don’t. But in a city that doesn’t ever turn off the lights, it’s not a problem to wander aimlessly alone for miles looking for the shortest way to your hotel at midnight. By the last day I finally figured it out, but by then I had no feeling left in my toes and had worn my flip-flops down to nubs. In hindsight, I’d have just spent some extra money and stayed at the Hilton. Circus Circus (or Ghetto Ghetto, as my friend Tammy lovingly calls it) was ok, but there is the Creepy Clown factor to think about. If you’ve ever seen Steven King’s “It” then you know what I mean. DEMA ran shuttles every day, but they only ran until 7:00 p.m., so if you went to dinner you did not have the option being shuttled. It was either a costly cab ride or foot patrol. I usually chose the latter, and was treated to the thousands of “porn trading cards” (as I call them) scattered along the streets and in the parking lots. Ahhh, Sin City….don’t let your kids out without blindfolds.

Ok – so you’re wondering about the new photo gear. Film was of course nonexistent (except for Snapsight’s little bits of course), and the digital theme this year was “HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO”. Stand up straight and say that loudly, with conviction. The Sony HDR-HC1 was a hot ticket (among others) and almost everybody has gotten into the act. I did manage the sneak in the 5D question once in awhile…and once in awhile I got a definite answer. But mostly the word on the aisle about the 5D was that for most makers, the release date is….drum roll…. “soon”. J

Note from Editor: Special thanks to Christa Loustalot for her hard work in producing this DEMA report! Christa -- we owe you. :) Also worth checking out is Drew Wong's round-up of Sony HDV housings.

10-Bar

10 Bar Underwater Housings were showing two new digital still housings and a new dome port. New for this year is the Canon 350D housing, the Nikon D70S housing, and a new 125mm dome port for the 350D. The new dome port houses the Sigma 10-20mm fisheye lens. LC Ng also showed me their housings for the Sony F828 and the Nikon SB800 strobe that they showcased last year. There were a lot of good things packed into this little booth!

10 Bar Canon 350D housing

10 Bar Canon 350D housing

10 Bar Canon 350D housing

Dome port for Sigma 10-20mm fisheye

10 Bar Nikon D70S housing

10 Bar Nikon D70S housing

10 Bar Nikon D70S housing

10 Bar Sony F828 housing

10 Bar Sony F828 housing

10 Bar Sony F828 housing

10 Bar DTTL Strobe Nikon SB800 housing

10 Bar DTTL Strobe Nikon SB800 housing

LC Ng of 10 Bar Underwater Housings

Advanced Design Engineering

ADE’s mantra “We Design Stuff” oughta be changed to “We Design Really Cool Stuff” in my humble opinion. Merlin Phillips showed me the rendering of a custom modified Nexus housing for a pole cam that he designed for photographer Paul Sutherland. Pretty Cool. If it’s good enough for Paul, it’s good enough for me. I have him looking into designing a housing for my ancient Samsung camcorder. Merlin was delightful – check out their website for other underwater “Cool Stuff” – if your noggin’ can conceive it, they can (probably) build it.

A computer rendering of a modified Nexxus housing for a pole cam..made for photographer Paul Sutherland

Merlin Phillips and the rest of the gang at Advanced Design Engineering...."We Design Really Cool Stuff"!!

Amphibico

Robert Ruffolo was my guide to Amphibico splendor – and it was hard not to get starry eyed over the “Rolls-Royce” of underwater housings. He showed me the new PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the new Sony HDR-FX1 & HVR-Z1U camcorders, and the new Dive Buddy EVO HD for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV camcorders. Also featured was the super-cool new prism unit that fits on the top of the housings over the viewing window, allowing the shooter to view the screen without tilting the housing. There are a couple of optional cases available as well for the new housings….gotta protect your (very expensive) baby!

Robert Ruffolo - Asst. Director of Research & Development at Amphibico

Amphibico PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Amphibico PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Amphibico PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Amphibico PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Amphibico PHENOM FXZ1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Close up of the new Amphibico Prism Unit that fits over the viewing window on the top of the housings

Amphibico optional hard case for the PHENOM

Amphibico optional hard case for the PHENOM

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Amphibico optional soft case for the EVO

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Amphibico Dive Buddy EVO HD housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1 HDV

Aquatica

Aquatica’s beautiful booth was showcasing their new flagship D2X housing for the Nikon D2X digital camera. Different from their usual silver and gold goodness, this housing is a sleek and shiny black, and Mauricio (I just love that name) Handler was proud to show it off in all its gleaming glory. This housing looks so good I’m considering dumping Olympus for Nikon. Sorry Oly baby, it’s not you, it’s me. Oh, and the answer to the 5D question is …YES! YES! YES! Look for it in Jan. 2006, at the oh-so-attractive 20D price.

The Aquatica Booth

Aquatica D2X housing for the Nikon D2X

Aquatica D2X housing for the Nikon D2X

Aquatica D2X housing for the Nikon D2X

Mauricio Handler with the D2X housing

Aquatica D2X housing for the Nikon D2X

Aquatica D2X housing for the Nikon D2X

Backscatter

Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo was showing much of what they showed last year. Sy Harris gave me an education on the TopDawg Mini and Standard housings (which will work with at least 150 different camcorders), the three MacroMate macro diopters (Pocket, Flip-Up, and Video – that will work with many different housings), and the Super-Sexy German Hartenberger strobes…heck, even the batteries in these strobes are sexy. (And Sy is pretty cute too).

The Video MacroMate and the Pocket SLR MacroMate

The Hartenberger MINI Electronic Focus Light (mounted on a Subal C20 housing)

The Hartenberger MINI Electronic Focus Light and MINI Compact Hand Light

Battery pack for the MINI Electronic Focus Light

Battery pack for the MINI Compact Hand Light

Sy Harris of Backscatter holds the TopDawg Mini housing

TopDawg Mini housing

TopDawg Mini housing

TopDawg Mini housing

TopDawg Standard housing

TopDawg Standard housing

TopDawg Standard housing

TopDawg Mini sitting quietly by TopDawg Standard like a good little brother...

Sy demonstrates the Flip-Up SLR MacroMate lens

The Flip-Up MacroMate lens up close

Equinox

Equinox Underwater Products, long known for their bright yellow, versatile video housings, are in the digital still market. TJ Mansfield proudly showed me the SEASPY, Equinox’s customizable digital point & shoot camera housing for only $325, and also their new arrival, the SEAPIX 5.0. This compact little camera/housing combo boasts such features as a Sony 5.25 mega-pixel CCD processor, Macro, a rechargeable Li-ion battery, and movie mode to name a few. And just to “wet” your appetite even more, they have an 8 mega-pixel version coming out in January 2006.

TJ Mansfield - President of Equinox Underwater Products - holds a customizable Seapix housing

A customizable Equinox Seapix housing - the front remains the same for any camera

A customizable Equinox Seapix housing - the back before the customization

A customizable Equinox Seapix housing - after customization

Equinox Seapix 5.0 camera/housing combo

Equinox Seapix 5.0 camera/housing combo

Fisheye

I had the absolute pleasure of being a Fisheye employee for the week, and I have to say that Kenji Ohmura was a wonderful boss. It would be hard to find a nicer person, and Fisheye products are definitely top of the line. A newly minted Fisheye expert (and admittedly now a bit biased), I switched into sell mode and showed off six new products to the scores of folks who came by:

1. The new FIX LED48 DX light system. The same body as the FIX LIGHT HG20DX, but with 48 super-bright LED’s and 8 AA batteries. Use it for a focus light, for macro photography, or put a handle on it and use it as a dive light.

2. The Brightstar HID Diving Torch. Light, (as in not heavy) rechargeable Li-ion battery, whoa-mama 21 or 24 watt HID bulb, and your choice of spot or wide-angle beam.

3. The FIX Diving Pocket LED light and optional mounting bracket. This mini aluminum focus light packs a punch, and it’s also handy in a BCD pocket to use as a backup.

4. FIX Rotary Hot-shoe Base – affix this to your hot-shoe on your housing and mount your new FIX LED48 DX – how convenient is that?

5. The UK Light Cannon rechargeable battery set. Is your Cannon weighing you down? Get the lead out! The Fisheye Li-ion battery set includes the lightweight Fisheye Li-ion battery (used in the FIX HG20DX) and charger, plus an adapter to fit it into your UK Light Cannon. Much better…

6. The Seatool Sony DHR-HC1 housing in a Standard and Deluxe version. They did their homework on this one – its lightweight polycarbonate form hugs the camera, making it the smallest HC1 housing out there. The controls are easy to use, and they even installed a mirror for easy viewing of the LCD screen. It’s also customizable if you want to use the bigger battery. Check this one out – even the big guns were coming by to admire this little gem. There are even the faintest whisperings of a 5D housing in the works….maybe soon???

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Standard)

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Standard)

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Standard)

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Deluxe)

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Deluxe)

Fisheye Seatool housing for the Sony DHR-HC1 (Deluxe)

Fisheye FIX LED48DX focus/modeling/dive light

Fisheye FIX LED48DX focus/modeling/dive light

Fisheye Rechargeable Battery Pack Holder for the UK Light Cannon

Fisheye 21/24 Watt Brightstar HID Diving Torch...yes we know the label is on upside down....

Fisheye Rechargeable Battery Pack Holder for the UK Light Cannon - you can see the Fisheye Li-ion battery within and the included charger

Another Fisheye Brightstar HID....again, with the upsidedown label...

Fisheye FIX Rotary Hotshoe Base - seen here attached to the hotshoe of a DSLR for display purposes

Fisheye FIX Rotary Hotshoe Base

Fisheye FIX Diving Pocket LED Light and holder

Kenji Ohmura - President of Fisheye and General Manager of At Deep - tells a customer about the new FIX LED48DX

The Fisheye booth

Gates Underwater Housings

Pamela Mazey Mertz at Gates was showing off three new black beauties: The PC II - which houses the Sony PC1000, the Prototype HC1/A1U – for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U, and the FX1/Z1 – for the Sony Handycam HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1. Another feature was the Squid 50 – a cute but rugged little video light who’s big brother, the Squid 100, might be getting a little jealous. And coming up…..housings for the Panasonic HGVX200 and the Canon XCEL HD.

Pamela Mazey Mertz at Gates Underwater Products

Gates PC II Housing for the Sony PC1000

Gates PC II Housing for the Sony PC1000

Gates prototype of the HC1/A1U housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U

Gates prototype of the HC1/A1U housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U

Gates prototype of the HC1/A1U housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U

Gates prototype of the HC1/A1U housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1U

Gates Squid 50 light (little brother to the Squid 100)

Gates FX1/Z1 housing for the Sony Handycam HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1

Gates FX1/Z1 housing for the Sony Handycam HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1

Gates FX1/Z1 housing for the Sony Handycam HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1

Ikelite

Ikelite – my own personal investment plan – is always a treat. David Haas, Roger Carlson…all those guys are a lot of fun. The commotion this year is all about the DS-80, Ikelite’s new digital strobe that is midway between the DS-50 and the DS-125. Looks good to me – manual and TTL, Pre & Non-preflash settings, LED modeling light, built-in diffuser, 4 AA batteries, and LED screen…should I go on? Can’t wait to see the final version. Also on the menu is Ikelite’s new 8” dome – made by them, for them. Look for that in November. And last we have their latest version of the Canon G6 housing – now new and improved with TTL! What about the 5D, you ask? Well, (pause for effect) let’s just say it’s coming soon….

The Ikelite booth (Photo courtesy of David Haas)

Aquatica and new mold Ikelite 8" dome port. Plus prototype "low volume" 8" dome ports (same radius as 8", but smaller volume) for Nikon 10.5mm and possibly other lenses.....(Photo courtesy of David Haas)

Ikelite's Roger Carlson tells Ryan the new DS80 strobe will be "the bomb" :) (Photo courtesy of David Haas)

Ikelite's Sandy Thomas gets Ryan Canon's wallet buying all the Ikelite stuff he can! (Photo courtsey of David Haas)

Ikelite DS-80 Strobe prototype

Ikelite DS-80 Strobe prototype...it's ON

Ikelite's own.. 8" Dome!!

The Ikelite Canon G6 housing....Now fortified with TTL!

Nobody seems too sure about what Roger's selling......

I just love the catalog!

Inon

Inon was showcasing two items this year, a prototype X-2 housing for the Canon 20D (looks nice), and their new D-2000W strobe. Steve Philbrook showed me that the difference between the D-2000W and the earlier version of the same strobe is the addition of a 5-pin sync connector for DLSR and film cameras...gotta love it! The X-2 prototype is still just that…and there is no expected release date as of yet. However, to note, this housing has a magnetic manual focus ring – a verrry nice feature.

Inon prototype of the upcoming X-2 housing for the Canon 20D

Steve Philbrook of Inon shows off the X-2 prototype and the new D-2000W strobe

Inon X-2 prototype and D-2000W strobe

Inon X-2 prototype housing for the Canon 20D

Close up of the Inon D-2000W strobe - notice the 5-pin sync connector

Close up of the magnetic manual focus ring on the Inon X-2 prototype

Light & Motion

Light & Motion’s booth was gorgeous, and very, very, VERY busy. However, I lucked out when Barrett Heywood dropped everything to show me around. For starters they have the new Bluefin FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U, and then there is the Bluefin HC1 for the Sony HC1, HC1000, V950 and PDX10. Last but certainly not least, the Tetra 7070 housing for the newly discontinued Olympus 7070. I really didn’t want to leave….and before I could…there was…Scootercam!! (check the photos)

Light & Motion Bluefin FX1 housing for the Sony HD HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Light & Motion Bluefin FX1 housing for the Sony HD HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Light & Motion Bluefin FX1 housing for the Sony HD HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Light & Motion Bluefin FX1 housing for the Sony HD HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1U

Light & Motion Bluefin HC1 housing for the Sony HC1, HC1000, V950, and PDX10

Light & Motion Bluefin HC1 housing for the Sony HC1, HC1000, V950, and PDX10

Light & Motion Bluefin HC1 housing for the Sony HC1, HC1000, V950, and PDX10

Light & Motion Tetra 7070 housing for the Olympus 7070

Light & Motion Tetra 7070 housing for the Olympus 7070

Light & Motion Tetra 7070 housing for the Olympus 7070

Light & Motion Tetra 7070 housing for the Olympus 7070

Scootercam!! A QD swivel adapter for any housing that fits a tripod mount...

Barrett Heywood - President and CEO of Light & Motion, and John Larkin - Engineer and CTO. There was so much stuff, I could have stayed there all day....

Marine Camera Distributors

Unfortunately, the DEMA show directory didn't list MCD, so we missed their booth. (content coming)

NightSea

I anxiously made my way to NightSea’s booth to take a look at their products….and they weren’t there. Well, their booth was there, but it was empty. Darn. Disappointed, I contacted author and scientist Charles Mazel when I got back to see what happened. He assured me that NightSea was still around, but they just had to cancel their DEMA appearance at the last minute. They are not offering any new products this year, but they still have the same blue-light flashlights and fluorescence filters that they have been offering. If you haven’t seen the Wetpixel thread on NightSea, make sure you take a look, and then check out their website. Fluorescence photography is really neat! Charles did tell me that he has been working on a technique to take these photos during the day (whereas previously they were taken only at night). He will release this information on his website soon, so stay tuned!

Photo taken of the same coral with a NightSea Flourescense filter....during the day!

Photo taken of the a coral with in 10m of water at about noon

Sea & Sea

Sea & Sea’s booth looked like a high-class modern showroom – very sharp. Big and roomy and easy to get to the beautifully displayed products…reminded me of an art gallery. I asked Brad Lally for a few minutes of his time and he was more than happy to show me Sea & Sea’s new works of art. There are six new items being showcased this year:

• The DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50. Smaller and lighter than the D70, this little housing unites sophisticated function with ease of use.
• The DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D. Another light and compact housing that is sure to please.
• The YS-110 Digital TTL Strobe. This multi-function, all-camera-compatible strobe boasts a long list of functions that you’ll want to try out.
• The VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 & HVR-A1J – An attractive package for those little camcorders.
• The VX-FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1J – You have a wide-angle option with this one as well.
• The DX-750G camera/housing combo. It’s so little! This 5 mega-pixel cutie fits in the palm of your hand and is the perfect camera for the diver who doesn’t want the big rig.

The Sea & Sea booth

The new 2006 catalog....very sharp

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea DX-350D housing for the Canon EOS Digital Rebel / XT / 350D

Sea & Sea YS-110 TTL Digital Strobe

Sea & Sea YS-110 TTL Digital Strobe

Sea & Sea YS-110 TTL Digital Strobe

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea DX-D50 housing for the Nikon D50

Sea & Sea VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1J

Sea & Sea VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1J

Sea & Sea VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1J

Sea & Sea VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1J

Sea & Sea VX-HC1 PRO housing for the Sony HDR-HC1 and HVR-A1J

Sea & Sea VX-FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1J

Sea & Sea VX-FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1J

Sea & Sea VX-FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1J

Sea & Sea VX-FX1 housing for the Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1J

Sea & Sea DX-750G camera and housing combo

Sea & Sea DX-750G camera and housing combo

Sea & Sea DX-750G camera and housing combo

Brad Lally and Kevin McDonnell of Sea & Sea

Seacam

Harald Hordosch was not giving away any secrets, not even with some gentle and polite prodding from Stephen Frink…but he did happily give me the scoop on some new Seacam products that most of you probably don’t know about. The newest “Silver” that Seacam has to show off is their new Remote Control Cable. This you have GOT to see! It will come in two styles, curly cord or straight, in lengths up to 25 meters. Just imagine…with the cord connected to your Seacam housing, you position your camera close to the hidden Garden Eels and slowly squirm away. The eels rise, admiring the sleek silver housing at their…um…feet. Press the button halfway to focus, all the way to click the shutter…and BAM! You have the photo that every photographer wants but can never get. Sweet! Then there’s the new Seacam Wet Diopter – small, fits in your BCD pocket, comes in +2 or +4, and slips on and off the front of your flat Seacam port with ease. Look for these and more goodies (like a NEW Seacam digital flash) to be presented at the Antibes Festival…and the 5D? Soon my child….soon.

The Seacam booth

Harald Hordosch - President of Seacam - shows me the new Remote Control cable accessory (Photo courtesy of Stephen Frink)

The Seacam remote control cable and wet diopter system

The Seacam wet diopter - see how it fits nicely into the front of the Seacam port, and notice the small loop for easy removal

Seacam wet diopter

The Seacam remote control cable attached to a housing. Depressing the button halfway works the focus, depressing it all the way clicks the shutter. You'll have your choice of cables, curly or straight, up to 25 m long. Can you say Garden Eels?

Stephen Frink and Harald Hordosch show off Seacam's newest underwater housing....the MicroCam 2005X

And here it is...small enough to pin to your lapel and the TSA will never get their hands on it.....

A close up of the Seacam remote control cable

Here's Stephen with his new baby - the S.M.A.R.T (See Me And Respond Tube) - you gotta check this out. It's being distributed by Innovative Scuba Concepts. Ask for it at your LDS!

The S.M.A.R.T. Conceived by Stephen Frink - made for photographers - this safety sausage gives you a hands-free way to signal without dropping the camera. A one-way valve keeps the air in even if your BCD deflates, and it fits 80% of all BCD's. It's about time someone made one of these!

Sealife

This year, Sealife was showing their DC500 camera and strobe combo. But the really new item was the DC500 Elite – a cushy soft case that comes with the DC500 camera, strobe, wide-angle lens, and lots of room for accessories in the die-cut foam. Nice.

Snapsights

The Snapsights booth was like going late to a party. Stuff all over the place and everyone was happy. Joe Ganahl was really excited about the new Pixtreme digital camera that Snapsights is offering – and he should be! The ever-upgrading Snapsights has come a long way in the last few years…from a little throwaway snorkeling camera to a very respectable reusable film camera – to their newest mini-digital housed Pixtreme 2! The PX2 will be a 5 mega-pixel darling that you could use as a Christmas ornament if you wanted to, and nobody would say a word. It’s teeny-tiny and compact, the smallest and cheap

The SeaLife booth

The new SeaLife DC500 Elite - combines SeaLife's DC500 digital camera, their new digital flash and wide-angle lens in a convenient and cushy travel case.

The Sealife DC500 Elite - with plenty of room for accessories.

est UW Digital on the market – with full function buttons, a fast write time and an improved LCD screen. You can get a flash diffuser, close-up lens, and a host of other accessories for this little gem. AND, it does video too. What more could you want? Sweetness? You got it! Look for it in a Christmas stocking near you….

The Snapsights booth

The tiny Snapsights Pixtreme 2 (PX2) digital camera/housing combo. Almost as small as the Sports Flash, it fits nicely in a BCD pocket...

Snapsights Pixtreme 2

Snapsights Pixtreme 2

The helpful guys at Snapsights show off their Pixtremes...

Subal

My visit with Subal was brief, but productive. Subal had only one new product to display – their new C20 housing for the Canon 20D. It incorporates all of the normal features that you find in Subal housings, and looks pretty good too. Then there’s that pesky little 5D…..sooooon….sooooon.

The Subal booth

Subal C20 housing for the Canon EOS 20D

Subal C20 housing for the Canon EOS 20D

Subal C20 housing for the Canon EOS 20D

Ultralight Control Systems

Ultralight showed their solid tray offerings, but didn't show any new products except for an alternate adapter for Inon strobes. In addition to the angled adapter, there is also a small, straight adapter (the ball comes straight off the bottom of the strobe). All new INON housings and strobes being manufactured will use Ultralight parts.

ULCS booth

Pivot for the Olympus 800

Pivot for the Tetra Olympus 7070

Pivot for the Tetra Olympus 7070

Watershot Digital

Watershot Inc. designs and manufactures low-pressure “splash” and high-pressure “dive” camera housing for underwater still imaging and motion picture imaging. As a matter of fact, if you’ve seen “Blue Crush”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, or “Into the Blue”, then you’ve seen their work. This year they are featuring prototype housings for the Rebel XT and the Canon Speedlite 580 EX land strobe, which will offers a dome port diffuser and a 6-pin sync connector for Canon TTL. Jim Pena was happy to show them off and also casually mentioned the built-in laser pointer. Laser pointer?!?! That’s enough reason to get one right there!! Look for these in January 2006 and see their website for more info….

Jim Pena of Watershot Digital holds the prototypes for the upcoming housing for the Rebel XT and the Canon Speedlite 580EX land strobe

Watershot prototype housing for the Rebel XT

Watershot prototype housing for the Rebel XT

Watershot prototype housing for the Canon Speedlite 580EX land strobe

Watershot prototype housing for the Canon Speedlite 580EX land strobe

Floor Photos and Socializing

Bernie Chowdhury - Author of "The Last Dive" and Tamara Thompson - my friend who's been teaching me to dive in cold, dark, subterranean places...

Steve Barsky - Posing with his newest book "Underwater Digital Video Made Easy" Heck, if I shot video, I'd buy one...

Women Divers Hall of Fame booth - Go Girls!!

The group at Beneath The Sea was alot of fun! And Eric...they want a Wetpixel booth!

My friend Bill Charlton stands proudly at Nitrox Technologies...Me, I'm a 32 percenter myself...

Dr. George Bass of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology poses with his newest (and gorgeous) book "Beneath The Seven Seas"...I've got mine on order....

The NCUPS Booth - what a friendly bunch! And check out the photos in the background....awesome!

The gang at Reef and Rainforest has me dreaming of my next dive trip....

Cutie Megan Padilla - Senior Editor of Sport Diver Magazine smiles for the camera

John Munro - Nice guy and Associate Editor of Fathoms (what a beautiful magazine!!)

The folks at Scuba Diving Magazine were alot of fun...they gave Wetpixel the Editor's Choice Award....AND they pronounced my last name correctly! Triple score!

The always delightful Ruth and Barry Guimbellot of Dive Training Magazine - Active members of DUPS (Dallas Underwater Photographic Society), Photoshop Gurus, and pretty darn good divers too!

Frank and Melanie Wasson of Gulf Diving LLC - The best diving outfit on the planet!!! Of course, I may be a teensy bit biased.....But if you haven't dived the Flower Gardens yet - GO!!! (And then beat yourself on the head for waiting so long...)

My new best friends - OxyCheq! Look out ladies....;)

Chuck De Pass - President of RS Apparel Inc, - A real sweetheart who totally hooked me up with lots of free t-shirts!

Kenji Ohmura - President of Fisheye and my "boss" for the week - takes a picture of the Big DEMA Diver...

Just one of thousands of creepy clowns at the Circus Circus Hotel where I stayed....(Shudder) I hate clowns....

Getting ready for the Scuba Diving Magazine Editor's Choice Awards....and yes, Wetpixel received one!

Here's me accepting the award on Eric's behalf...(Photo courtesy of Stephen Frink)

The legendary photographer (and nice guy) Stephen Frink poses with his new honey, Jessica Alba.

Jesse Cancellmo - an awesome photographer and familiar face from the Houston Underwater Photographic Society (HUPS)

Here's Stephen with his new baby - the S.M.A.R.T (See Me And Respond Tube) - you gotta check this out!

Curt Bowen - Owner and Publisher of Advanced Diver Magazine - Cave Diver and Explorer Extrordinaire....I could go on and on....

Wetpixel Happy Hour

Happy Hour, with three rounds of drinks paid for by Underwater Colours, Wetpixel, and Aquatica.