troporobo

Wow. That’s all I can say. (Though I’m also super interested in the techniques and lighting used)

Agree on Malapascua for macro. There are only a few sites but they are very productive especially at night. I got my best-ever shot of mating mandarinfish there.

I should have elaborated. I inferred from the quoted recommendation that the advice-giver didn’t think quality matters if the photographer only posts images online. Heck I rarely post or print anything but quality still matters a lot! And I define quality in multiple dimensions, not only resolution but also depth of field, dynamic range, strobe control, and flexibility of lens and diopter choice. In my experience (having moved from a point and shoot compact to an EM-5 to an EM-1 mk II) is that I got more of everything that I like each time. By the way, since you’re interested in super macro on m4/3 you’ll find it useful to search the many threads here on the Olympus and Panasonic lens lineup and various diopters. I am sure the 90mm lens is great and there are now threads with great examples, but I also really like the 60mm with a +5 diopter. Here’s one very good thread with lots of examples, and if you scroll all the way down you’ll find my image of anemonefish eggs that were only +/-3mm long. Olympus 60 vs 30 Macros

I would stop listening to whoever says such stuff. That’s just dumb.

Many great shots here, thanks for sharing! I love the skeleton shrimp party just because I’ve never seen more than one.

I’ve used both the S2000 and the Z240 (precursor to the Z330) extensively. One of each would not work well together for standard wide angle as the Z models put out a LOT more light than the S model which has a narrower beam and lower guide number. It might be possible within say 1 meter of the subject with the S on full and the Z on half, or in a CFWA scenario when you want asymetric light on a macro subject and background balanced with ambient light. But, you know the old saying, the best gear is the stuff you have with you when an opportunity arises, so mixing them is worth a try while waiting for another Z330. By the way, I regret selling my pair of S2000s. They were excellent for extreme macro, which is my thing. I have long wished that I kept both pairs.

I’d just like to give a heartfelt vote of thanks for those who contribute and keep order here. Wetpixel has been my morning coffee companion, learning resource, and daydream fuel for longer than I can remember. Without this forum, I’d probably have to read the news, and that would likely make me miserable most days. So I hope this all gets resolved and Wetpixel remains on an even keel. Thanks to all who make this so valuable!

That is correct, but you can’t access the true macro range without the physical switch on the lens barrel, which is why the dedicated Nauticam port and gear are so complicated.

For those interested in this lens, Backscatter has posted a review specific to UW use. It looks promising. Backscatter review of OM 90mm lens

I have the same setup that Tim uses. A case like that Pelican comfortably holds everything I need. The problem is that it weighs about 5 kg empty, and probably 15 kg when fully loaded. On budget airlines that weigh carried bags, it will end up in the hold, but that’s OK as it is indestructible. I’m actually happy when the airline asks at the gate for volunteers to check their carryon!

IMHO, “macro/fish portraits, with the occasional wide angle session” are fundamentally incompatible styles. I say this because it’s exactly my style too! Smaller compact strobes are great for macro (and travel) and bigger more powerful strobes are needed for wide shots. So far so obvious. I used Inon S2000 strobes for years (on Olympus, with TTL) and they were excellent for macro. Then I “upgraded” to Inon Z240 strobes to shoot more wide angle. While the Z240s are excellent, and did what I needed for all scenarios, they are not as convenient for macro. I wished that I had kept the S2000s so I could better tailor my setup for each dive. But I wouldn’t pack both for air travel. In the end, I’m happy with the Z240s and if I was buying today I’d stick with Inon’s latest model for all around use. They work perfectly with the Olympus flash as a trigger for either TTL or manual. FWIW, I never have been able to get the RC mode to work reliably and don’t quite understand why I’d want to use it.

I don’t see a use case for that lens underwater. It’s not wide enough for reef shots, and not very useful for close up shots, and the wide aperture is generally not desirable unless shooting ambient light at shallow depths, but perhaps it’s OK for fish portraits, if anyone makes a port for it. For macro (extreme close up) the choices for m4/3 are 30, 45, 60, and 90 mm. They differ in working distance and magnification. I really like the 60mm lens.

About removing backscatter, a few years ago, someone posted here about software under development called Backshatter. I volunteered to be a beta tester and found it worked fairly well after some experimenting with the parameters. I stopped using it as I got better and not producing backscatter in the first place. It looks like the software is no longer under active development but the trial version is still available, in case anyone wants to give it a go. Backshatter

That’s pretty dang impressive! I will have to try that with a photo that has bothered me for years for a similar reason. My only comment is that the new AI fish head looks slightly underexposed and slightly less sharp than the others, so maybe try bumping the exposure, highlights, and clarity with a radial filter with a gradual feathered edge. (Chris - I can view the images in Safari by choosing “view” instead of downloading)

I haven’t dived in Guam but friends like it and it’s very popular as a place to get certified. I would imagine it’s typical of Micronesia and would search ScubaBoard for reports. I *really* don’t appreciate the topside scene though, with so many tourists from Asia packing the high rise hotels and clamoring for “duty free” shopping. Sorry to be so down on the northern islands, hopefully others can chime in on the positive aspects.