TimG

WOAH!!!! I've been praying for this! I have the Nexto which is very good but can't do XQD/CFe. I'm excited!

Amazing stuff. This guy's patience must be limitless!

This is what Retra have suggested to serpentara. Picking up the point about atmospheric pressure distorting the o-rings, that sounds a bit odd to me. Chris makes the point that increasing pressure actually increase the sealing quality of the o-ring. I could understand if increasing pressure impacted the effectiveness of the control switches, but not forcing an opening or distortion in the o-rings. From my understanding of the construction of the Retra strobes - and the points that Retra have made above - water should not/will not have entered the strobe itself. The battery compartment can be cleaned and may work without further repairs or return to Retra. If repairs are necessary it should "only" be to the battery compartment(s). Annoying but at least the strobe itself should be ok and cost would be significantly lower. It seems reasonable that water access to the battery compartment is not covered by the warranty. As Retra point out, this is one area where they can have no control over user behaviour - and, seems to me, they have done all they can to make the main element of the strobe protected. Perhaps clean out the battery compartments as best you can then try the strobes? If they don't work, then send the strobes and Superchargers back to Retra. I had to send a strobe back a short while ago for a minor firmware issue. The turn-around and return was admirably fast and the support excellent.

Hi Pangeagirl As you might have seen from other posts about strobes, the general consensus is that GNs are pretty meaningless underwater.

Hey Matan As pbalves explains, there's almost no point in having a tripod on a system that is neutrally buoyant. It's unlikely to stay still. As he suggests, you could use a lift bag to raise the system when not wanting to have it anchored. If you use the type that has a venting valve built into it, you can add air when you need to by using your alternate air, or exhaling into the lift bag; and then vent the air when you need the tripod anchored. With a bit of practice you can probably create neutral buoyancy on the system with the lift bag for moving from photo site to photo site. Another option, though maybe a bit risky, is to carry additional weights on you that you can use to anchor the tripod when it needs to. But there are, or course, all sorts of buoyancy issues that come with this approach. But bottom line, the whole point of using a tripod is so that the camera doesn't move. This requires negative buoyancy.

Oh my lord So sorry to read this. Yep, do let us know what Retra say. I hope they were insured......

Thanks, yep, noted. See Davide's post above.

ooooo, I don't know - it sounds VERY civilised.

Is there some sort of inverse equation going on here? The Older you get the more capable you are of Affording the gear; but the older you get, the less capable you are of actually Using It?

I second that!

We’ve all been there, Claire……

Yep, I agree with Chris. It’d be wise to remove the port periodically and clean the o-ring and areas on the port and housing where they fit together. As Chris points out, if you don’t, eventually there could well be a problem.

Wise move

Still available......

Hey Bruce Retra certainly encourage the use of Eneeloops. I'm sure Oskar will chip-in before long and give the official view. I'd have thought any AA battery would work, it'd be more a question of how effectively and do they allow the Retras to perform to their fullest. Cue Oskar...... Tim

Wow, I’ve never come across this either. Surely carry in weight is determined by an airline, not a local authority? A bunch of us flew out of Marsa a couple of weeks ago and had no problem.

Fair question and difficult to answer. It depends on how picky you are; and whether the expenditure is relatively minimal to you or painful. If minimal, yep, they are worth it. But if the cost represents a hefty outlay, I'd say..... hmmm..... maybe not so much. But they do soften and spread the light and, I think, produce a more pleasing picture. (I'm using Retra Pro strobes) That said, I'm not sure though to what degree Inon dome diffusers would have more impact than the diffusers that come already with the Z240. Not so much maybe. The Retras don't come with any diffuser.

The Cinebags Grouper folds down to a reasonably packable size. It also makes an excellent carry bag or rinse tank for a decent size system. I use it for my Subal-housed D500 with 2 Retra strobes. Coffee cup included to give an idea of scale!

New home wanted.....

New home wanted

Looking for that new loving home.....

Spot on, I'd say. But is the "good enough society" anything new? Hasn't it always been like that? Do most people really care about the technical quality of a photo? From the u/w photo perspective there will always be a very small group of "we" nerds and super-nerds. For the rest, yeah, simple, straightforward, relatively inexpensive, shareable and relatable - and preferably cool.

Interesting question, sinetwo I agree with your observations. As you say, it is difficult for younger people. Entry costs to the sport are high; costs to get into u/w photography are even higher. I have a decent, although not extravagant system, and there would have been no way I could have afforded "the investment" prior to making sure kids were educated and out of the nest. That said, having just spent 3 years living in the Caribbean and more closely involved with diving, there were lots of teenagers and young adults getting into scuba diving. And the GoPro was the entry to u/w photography. It was unusual for a relatively new diver NOT to have a GoPro. But to what degree that will turn into a passion for u/w photography and then the commitment of sacks of cash is hard to say. I suspect a hugely dwindling number. It is a niche hobby and probably always will be in terms of the numbers of the truly dedicated. But for those who don't want to take a major plunge, it seems to me the market is growing with GoPros and iPhone-type housings.

Cos I'm a generous soul, I'm dropping this to €225... including shipping in the EU or UK (in slightly slower time)

No, there is only a short window for the person making the post to edit it.