The results of the 2023 Underwater Photographer of the Year contest have been announced. The winning image is a split shot of an Amazonian River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) or bota, by Kate Zhou, which was also awarded as the best image from an up-and-coming photographer. Congratulations to her and to everyone that was placed among the winners.
Marelux Ambassador and underwater photographer Kate Jonker kindly provides a report of her experiences using the Marelux SOFT Pro snoot. It is profusely illustrated with wonderful images of the native macro subjects of her home dive sites at Gordon’s Bay near Cape Town.
OM Systems has announced the M.Zuiko digital ED 90mm F3.5 macro IS pro lens. A Micro 4/3s lens, it offers 2 x magnification and in-lens image stabilization.
Canon has announced the EOS R8 full frame and EOS R50 APS-C mirrorless cameras. The R50 has a 24.2MP with uncrossed 4K video capture and Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus. The R8 also has a 24.2MP sensor combined with the DIGIC X processor. It can record 4K video at up to 60p oversampled from the camera sensor’s 6K data.
Alex Mustard provides an in-depth review of his experiences of shooting the Sony a7R Mark V in a Nauticam housing during his recent workshops in the Cayman Islands. He evaluates a few key criteria including autofocus, EVF performance, image stabilization, battery life, and lens choices. He was using the camera with the Nauticam NA-A7R5 housing, and he discusses its performance, along with strobe triggering and water contact lens options.
Nauticam](https://www.nauticam.com/products/na-r6ii-housing-for-canon-eos-r6-ii-camera) has announced their housing for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. It has an N120 port opening and ships with vacuum electronics (needs an optional valve). It offers fiber optic flash triggering with either manual or TTL boards. In addition, there is space for the Nauticam Mini Flash trigger.
Nauticam has announced their NA-XT5 housing for the Fujifilm XT-5 camera. It uses the N100 port system and has an M26 port for HDMI 2.0 out. Fiber optic strobe triggering offers the option of either using an external flash or a flash trigger. There is a dedicated space for an external USB-C battery pack within the housing.
During his recent Grand Cayman workshops, Alex Mustard was lent and used extensively a Sony a7R V mirrorless camera. The camera is now receiving favorable reviews in the “above water” photographic community, so this is a rare opportunity to get an early opinion specific to underwater use about an exciting new camera body. Joined by Adam, the duo had some technical issues with the recording; this episode has a few glitches. However, the information presented is important and is worth watching.
Giacomo Rossi kindly shares his impressions of the new Scuba Lamp D-PRO strobe. He reviewed the previous D-MAX version in 2021 and was also able to compare the new version to the performance of a Retra Pro. The new D-PRO has added a significant number of improvements and modifications, which Giacomo discusses and notes how they improve the strobe’s performance and usability.
We hope that the Year of the Rabbit will bring you longevity, peace, and prosperity. May your dives be safe and enjoyable, your subjects fascinating and cooperative and your travels smooth and worry-free. Gung Hei Fat Choi! 恭喜發財! Happy New Year!