The Philippines International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) has announced that in conjunction with the event, they are hosting an online photo contest. In order to enter, entrants must physically attend Phidex, and the image(s) must have been taken in the Philippines. The contest is accepting entries now.
Please forgive the somewhat irreverent title! Recently, while preparing for a dive, Wetpixel Live presenter Adam Hanlon had a heart attack, and he and Alex discuss the events surrounding it and his prognosis going forward. As a spoiler, expect to see Adam at a dive site near you sometime soon and in the interim, normal service is gradually resuming.
Nauticam has announced the release of the WACP-C, a light and compact version of the WACP conversion lens in their N100 port fitting. It will work with lenses of a full frame equivalent of 28mm, and offers an 130° field of view.
Sigma has released a 20mm wide angle lens. It is available in Sony E-Mount and L-Mount. It has 17 elements in 15 groups, a 94.5° FOV (in air) and a minimum focus distance of 23cm/9.1in. Performance behind a dome port is as yet unknown.
Nauticam has announced the NA-R7 housing for the Canon EOS R7 camera. It uses the N100 port system and offers compatibility for both native R mount and EF mount with adaptor lenses. Strobe triggering is via optional manual or TTL electro-optical conversion boards.
AOI has announced their UH-OM1 housing for the OM Systems OM-1 camera. Designed to be light and compact, the housing offers port support for popular underwater lenses, an integrated optical strobe trigger, and an integrated vacuum system.
Sea&Sea has announced a universal housing for Sony Alpha series cameras. The MDX-au is currently compatible with the a7 Mark IV, a7R Mark IV, a7S Mark III, a9 Mark II, and a1, although there are modifications and limitations with some models (see below). The housing utilizes Sea&Sea’s MDX ports, and ships with a vacuum system, and there are a number of electronic and optical strobe triggering options available.
Horizon Charters has announced that the 2021 closure of the Guadalupe Island Biosphere will be extended through the 2022 season. This will affect any planned shark diving charters. The company has appealed against the closure, but this was overruled by a federal judge. They also stress that other charter companies are also separately appealing the decision, but suspect that given their unsuccessful appeal, this will be the precedent applied to all similar appeals.
Typically, underwater photographers invest significant amounts of money and energy in obtaining the best lighting tools for their purposes. Almost all of these are powered by some form of rechargeable batteries. Alex and Adam discuss some of the challenges that these present and outline how they have evolved their charging hstrategies in order to ensure that they have light on their subjects when they need it.