Hamish Morrison

I have one that I use with the flat port from eyeofmine & although it is a bit home made in appearance it is an improvement over the standard port. Never had any condensation issues with it. If you put a big enough card in you rarely have to open it anyway!

I'm sure that you can use an external monitor with the new GoPro's. Check out their FAQs: "Can I get a live video output from the camera? Yes, provided that your HD HERO camera is loaded with the latest firmware update". Not personally tried it but I have one & it has a socket that says TV. Hamish

I'm glad I took the macro lens with me to Cocos at least for this shot! Cocos 2010 164 by hamishmorrison, on Flickr

We took the Tri Rail last year. It's very efficient & cheap & you don't have to worry about traffic. As long as you leave yourself plenty of time its pretty stress free. Just make sure your taxi driver at the other end knows where you're going. Ours didn't... Hamish.

I have it from the 'horses mouth' that there will be copies available at the next BSOUP meeting. Hamish

Gudge, thanks for the reporting on the results of your tests with the Zen. It certainly looks very promising. Did you ever get the shade off or was that not necessary in the end? Hamish.

As a fellow seasickness sufferer, I feel your pain, but at least you came back with some great images. Hamish.

Hi Dave, thanks for the real world advice. Buying sight unseen is always a worry & its easy to make an expensive mistake!

Paul, So, by the sounds of things the extra 10mm extension might work in my favour if I was adding a teleconverter / tube to my FE? Hamish.

I've been on the look out for a small (4") dome for my Subal & have come across a DP64b that is for sale. As these are not produced anymore can anyone tell me if it would be suitable for wide angle macro work? I seem to remember some mention of the DP54B recently. Is it similar, earlier / later version of the same thing? Hamish.

Captureone 5.0.1 is now available. Several significant new features have been added since version 4 & it's SL road tested. http://xchange.phaseone.com/Content/Downloads/CO5.aspx

I think this stands a really good chance of being effective. I'm in... Hamish.

Hi Eric, I have been using GSPNavX (http://gpsnavx.com) for some time & can't fault it. There's even an app for the iPhone! Hamish.

Another vote for Martin Edge. My day with him was well worth the cost. Hamish.

Pretty sure they are not part of the package. I know I didn't get one! Hamish.

I have a friend who has done this and the result is very professional. But he has access to a range of precision machines! The concept is pretty basic, in as much as you switch it on before the dive & off once back on board but thats where the editing comes in! His unit is mounted on a helmet so he just films what he sees. Here's a picture I took this weekend of him using it:

Steve, I've just comeback from a Shearwater trip. I took 17-40mm & 15mm FE lenses for my 5D, and ended up only using the FE! However I can't comment on the dolphins as the only ones we saw were riding the bow wave! The sharks come very close though! On previous trips with a cropped sensor I was using a 10-22mm lens which was fine at Tiger Beach but too wide for the hammerheads which were more nervous around us & didn't get close enough. Regarding the diopter on the 17-40mm I can tell you I have a +2 only currently, but I am thinking of experimenting with a stronger one at some point! Hamish.

Stew, I think you may have nailed it. The northern Galapagos islands are great but the rest was only so so, and cold! If you could have the whole week there I might change my mind. But without the schooling hammers at Alcyone I would have be disappointed too. Agreed on the whale sharks, much more reliable at Darwin! Hamish.

Kevster, I read your report with interest as I am booked to go back to Cocos again in 2010. I had heard about the Tiger shark 'problem' before but was hoping that it was only a temporary situation. It's a great shame as the white tip night dive was a bit of a signature dive at Cocos! I was interested in your opinion that Galapagos was the better of the two destinations. Having been to both I thought it was not that clear cut, but could be seasonally related as we know that certain times are more reliable than others. On my experience (both trips in Sept / Oct) it was just to close to call but maybe more variety in Galapagos. Long lining can have a dramatic impact on the diving and what was great last year can be disappointing the next time, so I'm not taking anything for granted. Hamish.

Thanks Loftus, Thats good info & incidentally a second recommendation for Birds!

Hi Scott, I'm planning on being in Crystal River about the same time as you, after a week with Jim Abernethy on Shearwater. Have you pre-booked your manatee trip? I guess its your first time at Crystal River but maybe someone else can suggest which operators are good or otherwise. Hamish.

Hi Stew, Sorry to hear your bad experience with Nautilus2. Although I have not used this boat myself, I have always had excellent service from Tony Blackhurst on Red Sea liveaboards. Presumably you have written to TB as well. As the boat charterer they should also be aware of your concern. After all it reflects badly on their reputation having dissatisfied customers. They can probably apply greater pressure on the owner & are less easily ignored than you are! I have dived several times in the Maldives and have always used Maldives Scuba Tours. I have no qualms about recommending them & their boats (which they own). They are first rate. Boats are crewed by friendly locals & the guides know their patch like the back of their hands. They always check the current before chucking their divers in! Hamish.

Hi Mark, Another vote for Divemaster from me. Their travel insurance is excellent & allows you to dive to your qualification depth. Personally I think its pretty good value especially the multi trip & family policies. Also use them for camera kit and as has been pointed out, it is expensive. But when I did have a problem it was taken care of, without any quibbles. Hamish.

Well it is a bigger heavier boat that is stabilized making the long ocean crossing more comfortable in rough conditions. Accommodation & food was also of a high standard. We did much of our diving straight off the main boat & down the anchor / mooring line although several of the sites required the aluminium skiffs to get there. Whichever boat you decide on there's a good chance you'll be competing for the same anchorage / dive sites with the other one! Hamish.

Yes I saw the odd one or two & I think several people reported seeing a group in the distance. Can't really comment on whether Nautilus was better than Solmar V but they certainly thought so! Would I use them again? Absolutely, crew & boat were first class. Hamish.