donauw

Feel free to contact me off list for additional information on Truk. donauw@dwave.net

I have been on both the Thorfinn and the Odyssey. If at all possible, get on the Odyssey. This boat is by far the best live aboard I have been on. Thorfinn is essentially an anchored hotel. You will go to your dive sites in chase boats (rough but functional) whereas Odyssey goes directly to the sites. Cap't Lance is indeed a "character" but can be difficult to deal with. There is definately a lack of service mentality on the boat. The photo area of the Thorfinn is on the second deck - you have to climb up to it with your equipment. Odyssey's camera area is on the dive deck. Thorfinn's food was mediocre at best, Odyssey's great. All diving on Thorfinn is on aluminum 80s - many of these dive sites are deep and having steel 110s pumped to 3000 gives you almost twice as much bottem time. Also, Thorfinn has "no deco" policy whereas Odyssey supports deco diving with stage bottles and custom bottem mixes. Frankly, if I had to choose between Thorfinn and shore based at Blue Lagoon I would go with shore based. Aggressor is another option but I believe they have depth limit of 100' and that eliminates some of the best dives. Regards, Don Dixon

Grand Turk. Quiet, friendly, great coral/wall minutes from beach. Regards,

Epson has just made available an online 12 week "course." I have worked through the first week and picked up some good tips relative to both Photoshop CS and the Epson 2200. There are daily "lessons" and also a video library of good Photoshop tips and tutorials. Host is Graham Nash... Cost is $29.95 US. Check out www.epsonprintacademy.com for more information. I have no Epson or Adobe affiliation/interest. Regards,

Mine nearly doubled last year compared to the year prior. There was not longer than much difference between DAN and DEPP.

12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Nikkor AF 60mm f/2.8 Regards,

Based on my miserable experience with the Sea & Sea DX D100 I would avoid it. I'd suggest either selling your ports and going with one of the other housings (I use the Subal D10 and am very happy with it) or get the L&M with the Sea & Sea adapter. Regards,

Yes - learning Photoshop is, IMHO, rather necessary. It is an investment of time with great returns. It is like learning darkroom techniques back in the middle ages - it greatly enhances your enjoyment of the process. Regards,

Nikon D100 w Nikon 60 mm AFD in Subal D10 with twin Ike 200s 1/60th @ f16, Strobes at 1/2 Shot RAW, converted, cropped, color corrected in PS-CS Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys

Was there a question here? If so, then answer is FE2 port with EXR-50 extension and +2 diopter (although some feel the diopter is not necessary). Regards,

Try changing to your focus mode - front of camera, lower left - to "C" (or "M") instead of "S." It may be that, if you are in the "S" mode, you don't have a focus lock in the pool. Shutter won't release in the "S" mode unless it is "locked on." Regards,

Along with reading, there is a pretty good online course authored by Marty Snyderman. I found it worth the $50 he charges for it. Interactive, lots of examples and images. Check it out at http://www.theunderwaterphotographer.com/ Regards,

Bulky. Difficult to see viewfinder because reg hits back of case - cannot see all of viewfinder in any case. Poor ergonomics - it is difficult to change shutter/aperture without taking your hand away from the shutter release. On mine, many of the rear (plastic) panel buttons ceased to function at 30 feet. Poor support when I sent it back for adjustments, repairs. Long waits, multiple phone calls ("Oh, we found it in back...") Regards,

I don't know...those housings look very much like the DX D100 housing I quickly learned to dislike a LOT. (And sold...) I suspect that Sea & Sea is not going to be a player in the digital housing market unless they change their strategy. For a similar price - you can get an Aquatica housing. Regards,

Oh, sure, just what we need for a touch of realism - a light (torch)... It seems that every shot in every dive magazine featuring a diver has a light, or a pink mask and a wide eyed expession casually examining a grouper (or similar docile hand fed fish). I like the shot the way it is. Regards,