Alex_Mustard

The issue is that it is also a moving target - as Retra keep coming up with new ideas. Each time someone approaches them with a new idea it might lead to a new lighting accessory.

Really looking forward to this one.

The press release just says this is happening. With nothing on still photo specs. So I’d wait and see what the sensor actually is and for the advances in frame rate and autofocus before forming a still photography opinion. If they are announcing later in the year, you would have to expect it to match/exceed the cameras from rivals that are already out there. Or maybe it does not, which is why they are not saying anything on specs! Alex

Adam and I don't typically use them. But lots of photographers definitely find them a big benefit. Well worth trying.

11:15 - invader!

The issue that is not mentioned enough - relating to this - is that the strobe position for both of these scenarios is very different. Just having the right strobe power is not all you need to change. We need a TTL-auto-strobe positioning control, that looks for uneven lighting or too much backscatter and moves your strobes as well as changing the powers!

Good discussion. A few things I would add. First please remember that Wetpixel Live is always intended to be a take on a subject, rather than a definite review of an issue. Adam certainly hadn’t done those calculations before we did it, although they do bear out what we were saying. Also WP Live is recorded in one take - and things often come out slightly wrong or get forgotten (there is no edit button like there is here). Although I don’t think there is anything wrong in this one. During the discussion we do comment that some people definitely prefer Mirrorless systems and some definitely prefer SLRs irrespective of weight. And this is definitely reason to choose. But the argument of a sideways move within a format from SLR to Mirrorless because of the weight saving does not usually stack up. The big saving is moving to the smaller M43 mirrorless format. Especially some of the smaller, lighter cameras, which can make a massive saving to system weight. Depending on the camera you are downsizing from this might mean a drop is potential image quality - but as we say while you might be able to see the difference on the computer, you probably won’t on the page and certainly not online. And the image quality is definitely still within the “professional quality” expected standards. So it is really up to the individual to learn to deal with that aspect.

I think that is a good point. That BBF is good both in situations where the lens struggles to focus. And also with lenses that struggle to focus!

Best lens for the big animal encounters on a Southern Egypt Itinerary on full frame is WACP. As an SLR user I use Nikon 28-70mm and WACP1. On Z6 the only option is WACP2 - which would be great, but their goes your baggage allowance! https://www.amustard.com/library/Stock65/RS19_am-21000.jpg The oceanics do come close enough for the full fisheye. But it is not the best option for the other sharks - nor is it really for the oceanics. But it is the best option for the reef scenery, wrecks, caverns and dolphins etc. https://www.amustard.com/library/Stock65/RS19_am-22121.jpg For macro and fish portraits - the 105mm is the way to go in the clear water. https://www.amustard.com/library/stock69/RS19_am-23001.jpg If you click image info below the shots you can read the lens and camera settings. Alex

I've never tried that. Thanks for the tip. Alex

I think the statistic that is missing from most websites comparing strobes is the % profit that the sales of a certain model offers dealers... Alex

I agree and have discussed it with Adam. I find it surprising that a group that you would expect to be filled with divers and photographers “likes” some of the images that they do. Although if you think of the numbers - the group has 40K members and a popular photo gets 1k likes, which means that just 1 in 40 actually expressed a preference. And I can understand the silent majority of people just saying silent when they don’t like something - after all most people steer away from social media flame wars.

I shot a lot of useful, but very little stunning underwater photos in 2020. My favourite photos from the highly unusual year are memories of family days at the coast. We visited rock pools in England, Wales and Scotland during the year allowing me to photograph how limpet body shapes change on the different coasts - fascinating stuff. I am not sure anyone will ever seen my limpet portfolio, but here are a couple of Isa enjoying rock-pooling, whatever the weather (SW England and NE England).

These are the tests on a rectilinear lens (modelled) from this article (by myself and Edward Lai): https://wetpixel.com/articles/review-nauticam-wide-angle-corrector-port/P1 comparing dome port size on image quality The impact on image quality across the frame when using different sized dome ports compared with a lens in air (this graph plots RMS GEO radius against FOV of a lens, data source: Zeemax spot diagram analysis, Edward Lai, 2017). Results are discussed in the text below. Before moving on, I want to add more data to the graph from the previous section, which is very valuable for improving our understanding of using dome ports. As far as I know, this is the first time anyone has probably collected and certainly presented test data of this kind for different domes. The 100mm (4”) dome port performs slightly worse than the 200mm (8”), while the 230 mm (9”) performs considerably better. However, do note the data for a 230 mm dome that was not placed correctly, using a port extension just 3.8cm or 1.5” too short — something I see lots of people doing. Like this, the expensive 230 mm dome now drops as much image quality at the 100 mm. The graph shows that big, expensive domes deliver on image quality, however, they must be correctly positioned to do so. (Also note that all domes give good sharpness in the center of the picture, the advantage of bigger domes comes towards the edge of the frame.)