JimDeck

Was just perusing the forums today and wanted to clarify something here. The EPL10 camera max sync speed in non-RC mode is 1/200 with any recognizable connected flash--whether that be an Olympus topside speed light or a RC compatible flash trigger like the one in the housing. If the manual shoe (non-RC one with only the center pin installed) is connected the camera does not recognize that a flash is connected and the sync speed will be 1/250 in non-RC mode. This is why the manual shoe is available with the new USB-C connector for the RC compatible housings in case someone is not using a RC compatible strobe, or just wants to shoot the maximum sync speed when not using RC. In RC mode the sync speed is reduced to 1/160 on the EPL10 when not shooting HSS. Hope this clarifies things on the sync speed!

Hey Brett, Given the options before you the best thing is probably to use the WWL-1B. I've used this lens quite a bit with various systems and use f8 for water in the corners, f11 for anything where there's stuff in the corners, and f22 for CFWA. I do not think you will see an improvement in the corners compared to a 16-35 for what you are doing.

Hi Brett, I think the ultimate in sharpness overall is the WACP for your setup with the kit lens 28-70. I've used this with excellent results in the corners, even at wider apertures. As for using the Canon 8-15 with an adapter, a 140mm dome would be sufficient for blue water corners at f8, with insides of wrecks with things in the corners at f11.

I've shot the UWL-04 on 14-42EZ with a Pen before. The corners are unacceptably soft. That lens works well with compact cameras with smaller sensors.

While anything is possible, it is highly unlikely that the vacuum would cause an issue with the buttons. At -5 inches of Hg (the recommended vacuum to pull) is only 2.5 PSI or the equivalent to about 5 feet in water. So it's as if you're diving the housing 5 feet deeper than your depth. Jim

Sorry to bust your bubble but the G12 will not work in the FIX G11 housing. The front dial sticks out and prevents the camera from laying flat when installed in the housing. You can close the door to the housing, but I'm too nervous to actually submerge it due to the extra force required to close the door. Because of this the zoom doesn't function and neither does ISO or mode. The Canon OEM housing works fine as there is extra space in that area of the housing and the front dial is well clear of the front. It's almost as though they knew when they were making the housing for the G11...

I would chalk it up to a mistake. Sometimes it happens. I'll let Andi know.

You can still do white balance in video mode by taking a still shot in live view video mode. This is how I usually shoot, I don't switch back to stills to do a white balance shot. Sorry to hear of your troubles with the housing. Let me know if you this has been solved or if you need any assistance. Jim

You can do it by the same method on other Canon DSLRs. You need to take a picture of whatever you are using for WB (slate, sand, hand, etc.) and then assign that picture to use for WB. Then set the WB to custom. Make sure that the image is properly exposed otherwise your colors could be off. I've done a WB with an overexposed image and it came out puke green underwater. Being that the Rebel uses multi-function controls on the back of the camera, I can't imagine any underwater housing not having access to WB. Best regards, Jim

We do get many calls and emails everyday, sometimes asking complex questions (such as how to do underwater time lapse for scientific research), sometimes very simple ones ("My strobe doesn't work" "Did you turn the slave to on?"). The person asking the question usually doesn't think it's a lame ass question and I hope that any of our customers don't feel that way. If there's a problem we can solve, even if it is simple, to get a customer up and running on a trip, then it's a good question. At Backscatter we provide free lifetime tech support on all purchases. We do spend time with the customer and try to figure out the best system that will fit their needs. That being said we do deal with a few people who call us, discuss various setups and the best options for them and help them decide on what to get, only to send them a quote and then they take that quote and buy their gear somewhere else. After they purchase their equipment form another store, we get calls asking how to setup the gear, what is the best shooting technique, etc. Unfortunately we can't answer these questions for them as they did not purchase their gear from us. Some people understand, but sometimes this causes the person on the other end to get upset. We can't support other businesses who sell underwater imaging equipment that don't have the proper training and knowledge to adequately serve their own customers' needs. We put food on the table and a roof over our heads by selling underwater imaging equipment and our advice and expertise on using the gear. Thanks for everyone's great responses on this thread. It certainly makes us feel good about what we are trying to do as a company, and also as people who are trying to make a living in underwater imaging. Best regards, Jim

From what I've seen from our customers' feedback, most people are buying the G11 and S90 rigs due to the size and features, including quite a few tech divers. They just don't want to go up to the size of an SLR. I've also seen quite a few DSLR users get one of these systems as a backup system. Unfortunately with the way airlines are treating us with limited luggage for some destinations, size trumps everything else. Best regards, Jim

Hi Jeremiah, I just wanted to comment that the flip macro from Fisheye for the G11 is designed to be used with the lens fully zoomed in with the macro setting turned on. In this configuration there is no vignetting and you can get super tight shots. Best regards, Jim

Hi Aengus, Thank you for your kind words regarding the service you received from our staff. In the past due to being burned on a number of international credit card fraud orders we instituted a policy of requiring first time customers to pay by a bank wire transfer. Since then we do accept international credit card orders from most countries. For countries that have high instances of fraud (i.e., Nigeria) we still require bank wire transfers. I hope this clears up any confusion regarding our international credit card policy. Best regards, Jim

Hi Nicholas, Good job! Nice to see your design work is as good as your underwater photos!

We've shot the HF20 underwater in the WP-V1 housing and it worked fine. I wouldn't consider it overly fragile, it's just not made from the thicker plastic as Ikelite which costs more to do. The Gates and Light & Motion housings are made form machined aluminum, which costs much more to produce and are produced in much smaller numbers. Also the other brands tend to have more controls, and each additional control adds to the cost. The housing has a 67mm threaded port which accepts the popular 67mm wide angle conversion lenses form companies such as Inon and Ikelite. You can also add a color correction filter. Stix is coming out with a tray system for this housing that will have 2 ball mounts for lights. I can suggest the Fisheye LED 1000 lights, as they are self contained and small relative to the amount of light they put out. The handles and tray system carry the weight of the housing and lights, so there's no extra stress on the housing due to using arms and lights. I'll try to get pictures up of everything as soon as we get the products in. Best regards, Jim