Amphibico Announces New Underwater OLED Viewer

The new 3.5" 16:9 crystal monitor pushes the limits for underwater viewing

By Eric Aubort

Once again Amphibico has pushed its limits and now is offering the latest technology for underwater viewing, with a new high resolution 3.5" 16:9 OLED Crystal Monitor. 

The LCD Display:

• The standard  Liquid Crystal Displays or LCD is a fairly old technology that has seen a recent burst in advancement. From calculator screens, LCDs are now fairly common in mobile phones, PDAs, computers, and many more applications. OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diode) are an improved version of LEDs that utilizes organic compounds to produce light.

Improvements:

• The biggest advantage on the OLED display is the much improved brightness and contrast levels it provides. This in turn gives the viewer a much crisper and brighter viewing, especially in sunlight conditions. This technology, while a vast improvement over its predecessors still benefits from a power consumption that is considerably better than a conventional LCD monitor.

Compatibility:

• This High resolution monitor is fully compatible with both the Amphibico housings and the current Aquatica DSLR’s with video output.This High resolution monitor is fully compatible with both the Amphibico housings and the current Aquatica DSLR’s with video output.

Construction:

• The monitor housing shell is made of sturdy aluminum, anodized and then painted for added protection, its electronic components safely guarded by the best closure system available on the market today.

Price:

$1,399.00

For more information on Amphibico products, please visit their website:

http://www.amphibico.com

For more information on Aquatica products, please visit this website:

http://www.aquatica.ca

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Ikelite Housing and Camera Returned From the Deep!

Ikelite rig travels 30 miles after diver loses it in the Irish Sea, only to be returned three months later

By: Eric Aubort

Ever wonder how resilient good quality housings are?  Read on and find out what one diver off the Island of Man in the Irish Sea discovered about his Ikelite housing.

"Lost and Found"

As an underwater photographer, your gear and configuration become an extension of yourself after a period of time when diving.  If the unthinkable were to happen, such as the loss of your camera gear, it could very much ruin your day, to put it mildly.   If this were to happen while diving,  the odds of getting it back would be astronomical.  

I came across an article in the Isle of Man Newspaper (iomtoday.co.im) where a diver, diving off the Isle of Man, in the Irish sea lost his rig.  The diver was Dr. Ian Ross and he was diving a wreck off of the island and apparently lost it on his descent.  He said, "I think I must have forgotten to zip up the pocket on my dry suit and it fell out at the start of the dive. There were lots of pictures of the boat but none of the wreck."

The camera and housing  traveled 30 miles around the island and washed ashore on Douglas beach about 2 months later.  The Isle of Man is a self-governed, British Crown dependency,  between Great Britain and Ireland in the Irish Sea.  Dr. Ross lives in Chesire,  England. Roughly 100 miles south east of where the camera was found on the island.  

Angela Crellin and her dog happen to be on Douglas Beach one morning and found the camera and housing.  She said, "I used to be a diver so I recognized straight away that it was a good camera and it had a diver’s waterproof casing on it. They aren’t cheap so I thought someone was bound to be cursing after losing it." 

So began her search for the camera's owner.  Based on some information she pieced together from some top side pictures, she was able to do some good detective work.  One of the pictures was of a car Dr. Ross was considering buying.  Angela was able to track down the Owner of the garage that performed the car's annual inspection.  She contacted the owner of the garage who knew that Dr. Ross was planning a dive trip to the Isle of Man and contacted him.  

Dr. Ross said, "Getting that email to say someone had actually found it was remarkable". "Despite its excursion, the camera and its casing are unscathed."

"It’s an Ikelite housing guaranteed up to 60 meters", he said.

"At the moment it’s all soaking in fresh water to clean any salt out of the o-ring seals but I think I’ll be trying it out this weekend."

We should all be so lucky if the same fate were to befall our equipment.  But at least with quality gear surrounding your investment, just maybe, it might return to your door step. (It also never hurts to have it insured and at least have your last name and phone number on all your gear.)

Click here for more information about Ikelite housings and products

• Further Reading:

Guide to the most popular underwater housings

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Amphibico Announces New Underwater Video Housing

The new "Genesis" line will facilitate the way pros shoot underwater high definition

By Eric Aubort

Amphibico Inc. recently announced that it is developing a new strain of underwater imaging housings.  The “GENESIS” line of compact Prosumer HD housings will provide a whole new approach to the complex travel systems that are customary to a pro system today.

The New Amphibico "Genesis" Underwater Video Housing

Key Features of the new underwater housing

• Solid Construction

Precision machined from a solid block of marine grade aluminum giving endless durability. Black anodized for corrosion protection a layer of tuff military grade polyurethane powder coat paint and a final coat of clear for the outmost durability in harsh sea water.

• Full Camcorder Control

Complete access to your camcorder while filming underwater. The Genesis boasts a host of features that is certain to pacify the most passionate of underwater video professionals. With dual electronic grips and menu control panel, this housing gives complete access to your camcorder while filming underwater.

• Top Mounted large 3.5" Window

For convenient and easy filming through Sony' sharp, large and bright 3.5 XtraFine™ LCD/ Viewfinder. Located on the optical axis, the 3.5-inch-type XtraFine LCD panel enables easier, more intuitive framing.

• Bayonet Lens Mounting System

Given that the Sony FS100U camcorder features a Super 35mm E-Mount Interchangeable Lens System, a great variety of current and future E-mount lenses from various lens manufacturers (Sony Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma and Cosina) are compatible.

• Ninja SPLASH PRO (optional accessory)

Professionals can now go underwater and record video at considerably higher Bit-Rates and color (4:2:2). 10 bit Uncompressed to Apple ProRes Field Recorder and also be used as a Monitor. Better quality videos can be produced to articulate the motion image being captured in the stunning underwater world below. Designed with a robust look and feel, the Ninja Splash syncs. simply via the LANC control on the camcorder. So press record and the unit starts up at the same time as your camcorder.

Specifications

• 6061-T6 Marine grade solid aluminum
• Fully anodized with a hard coat of polyurethane paint & a final clear coat.
• All hardware is marine grade aluminum & stainless steel

Features & Controls

• Designed for professional underwater use
• 14 Electronic push button controls to access over 25 functions
• Control Panel for all menu access to camcorder functionsProportional Manual Focus
• Proportional Manual Zoom knob
• Manual White Balance
• Manual Iris
• Manual Gain
• Manual Shutter Speed
• Sensitive Hydrophone
• Moisture sensor alarm
• Tally light flashes green while filming
• 3 Auxiliary ports
• Two Year Standard Full Warranty
• Bayonet lens mounting system
• Conveniently designed to accept Aquatica ports

Operating Depth

• 300 feet / 90 meters

PRICE:

• TBA

For more information on Amphibico products, please visit this website: http://www.amphibico.com

Further reading

• Guide to the most popular underwater housings

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

2011 SoCal Shootout - Winners Announced

Bluewater Photo recently announced the winners from its inaugural event

Bluewater Photo is proud to announce the winners of the first annual SoCal Shootout.  There were many excellent entries in all categories, with photographers and videographers from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The SoCal Shootout was judged by some of the top professional underwater photographers in Southern California: Andy Sallmon (www.seait.com), Todd Winner (www.toddwinner.com), Richard Salas (www.seaoflight.net), and Mark Strickland (www.markstrickland.com).  

Congratulations to all the winners for showing what Southern California diving is all about!
 

Best of Shootout, Nayan Savla. "Having Fun"

1st place Wide-Angle, Michael Zeigler. "Rock Stars"

1st place Compact Macro, Eric Aubort. "Anemone closeup"

To see all of the winning images, please visit www.bluewaterphotostore.com/shootout-winners-2011

List of all the winners

Special thanks to the sponsors

Wakatobi Dive Resort is an award-winning luxury eco dive resort in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, where you can enjoy a level of service, remoteness & tranquility rarely found anywhere on the planet.  Wakatobi is sponsoring a 5 day trip for a diver to visit (and photograph) an area that encompasses the highest coral reef biodiverity in the world.

 A cruise on board the Hans Christian Andersen has all the makings of a fairytale come true.  HCA is sponsoring an 8-day / 7-night live-aboard in the Philippines will take their Northern Route, which visits the breathe-taking beauty of the limestone peaks of Northern Palawan, Apo Reef and Pandan Island, rich in both wide angle, macro photo opportunities and topside activities.

Marco Vincent Dive Resort is located in White Beach, a serene and beautiful cove found in Puerto Galera , Philippines.  Marco Vincent Resort is sponsoring an 8-day / 7-night stay will bring amazing Anilao diving at world-class locations like Puerto Galera, Verde Island, Maricaban Island and Sombrero Island offering macro and wide angle photo opportunities.

Maluku Divers is the only dedicated dive resort in Ambon, Indonesia, built specifically with divers in mind.  Maluku Divers is sponsoring a 1-week package that includes 18 dives and 7 nights shared accomodation, overlooking Ambon Bay and some of the most famous muck diving world-wide - a macro photographer's dream.

Manta Ray Bay Resort is the premier dedicated dive resort on the island of Yap in Micronesia, designed by divers and built for divers, considered by many as "World Class Diving's Best Kept Secret".  Manta Ray Bay Resort is sponsoring a 7 night stay and 5 days of diving with Yap Divers on uncrowded reefs with manta rays, sharks, turtles, tropical fish and many more surprises.

Reef & Rainforest is an accredited US travel agency specialized in designing personalized itineraries to exotic destinations since 1995.  Reef & Rainforest's staff is experienced and passionate about diving - ready to help plan your next adventure.

Club Cantamar in La Paz, Baja is home to the largest, fastest and most comfortable fleet on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.  Club Cantamar is sponsoring a 7-day trip with 5 days of diving at Cantamar in the Sea of Cortez, with close access to three of the most beautiful islands in the gulf - San Jose, Espiritu Santo and Cerralvo, plus countless tiny islets that contrute to the area's well-earned dive reputation.

 The Hermosa Hotel is Catalina Island's friendly, economy hotel located in the heart of Avalon half block from the beach and a short, flat walk from the boat landing and the Casino Point Dive Park.  The Hermosa is sponsoring 8 free stays for various category winners, a 20% discount for all divers staying at the hotel during the shootout (Sept 16 & 17) and a 10% discount on any stay for every photographer registered in the Shootout.

The 112 foot luxury live-aboard SolmarV, offers divers adventures to the Socorro Islands, Sea of Cortez and Guadalupe Island with unmatched service and experience.  SolmarV is sponsoring a $1,000 coupon towards one of their trips with some of the best big animal diving on earth - giant mantas, numerous shark species, dolphins, whales and much more.

 Sponsors:  

 Light and Motion is the company behind the popular Sola dive and photo lights as well as several video housings and is sponsoring the Shootout with a Sola Photo 600 light.

Sea & Sea is one of the best-known names in underwater imaging equipment, offering high quality housings, strobes and more, and is sponsoring the Shootout with a YS-110a strobe.

Dyron specializes in high-quality underwater lenses and accessories for DSLR, compact and video shooters and is sponsoring the Shootout with a 20mm wide angle lens for 67mm port and a +7 diopter 77m macro lens.

 Ultralight is the leading manufacturer of high-quality arms, trays and clamps that are built to last and is sponsoring the Shootout with 2 $100 gift certificates.

 Bigblue Dive Lights offers the most affordable and technologically advanced LED and HID lights on the market and is sponsoring the Shootout with an FF1x5 AFO light.

Ikelite has a long history of making strobes, dive lights and u/w housings with a reputation for excellent customer service and is sponsoring the Shootout with 3 flashlights.

Truth Aquatics is an award-winning live-aboard dive fleet, offering unique dive experiences and other activities around the Channel Islands and is sponsoring the Shootout with 2 2-for-1 (1-day) boat coupons as well as a 25% discount on a 1-day trip for every photographer registered in the shootout (booked before September 16).

 Princeton Tec has a reputation for building professional and recreational light technology for over three decades and is sponsoring the Shootout with an Island Pack of 3 lights.

Cal Boat Diving (the Spectre Dive boat) has decades of experience running dive trips to the northern Channel Islands and is sponsoring the Shootout with 4 weekday trip certificates valid anytime (these are 3 dive days).

The Peace dive boat provides world-class dive experiences in the northern Channel Islands in comfort, convenience and safety and is sponsoring the Shootout with 2 2-for-1 (1-day) boat coupons.

 Channel Islands Dive Adventures organizes and plans guided dive trips on various boats in unique and interesting locations and is sponsoring the Shootout with 2 2-for-1 (1-day) boat coupons.

 The Giant Stride

The Giant Stride dive boat provides custom day or multi-day trips for small groups of divers including lobster hunting, wrecks, bluewater dives and more, and is sponsoring the Shootout with 2 2-for-1 (1-day) boat coupons.

Support the Underwater Photography Guide

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Ikelite Announces Underwater Housing for Pentax dSLRs

New housing #6830.05 will support the K-5 & K-7 Pentax dSLRs

Ikelite recently announced the release of their latest underwater housing, this time for the Pentax K-5 and K-7 Pentax dSLR cameras. True to Ikelite form, the Pentax underwater housing is high quality, durable, built to last, and backed by Ikelite's long-standing reputation for excellence.  Ikelite states that they will begin shipping the new Pentax housing in early October.

This heavy-duty clear polycarbonate case is contoured to the camera, durable, and completely corrosion free. A clear view of the main o-ring seal, port o-ring seal and camera controls provides ease of use and confidence. The housing is fully functional to a depth rating of 200 feet (60m).

Shown with the optional Modular Flat Port. A lens port is required, which is sold separately.

Underwater Functionality

Controls are provided through the housing for all camera functions and kept water-tight with Ikelite pioneered Quad-Ring seal glands—proven to be the most reliable method of sealing controls. A large zoom control knob can be comfortably reached without removing your hand from the handle. Recording start/stop while in video mode is also accessed effortlessly from the handle by the thumb of your right hand.

The Super-Eye magnifier offers enhanced visibility of the camera's viewfinder while wearing a diving mask. The camera's large LCD screen can be clearly viewed through the back of the housing. The live preview feature of the camera is accessible for framing your photos using the camera's LCD screen.

Underwater Housing Specifications

• Width ...... 10 in. (250mm) including controls

• Height ...... 6.9 in. (175mm) including controls

• Depth ...... 6.5 in. (165mm) including controls

• Weight ...... 5.4 lb. (2450g) housing only

• Weight ...... 7.2 lb. (3260g) housing with tray & handles

• Buoyancy ...... Neutral to slightly negative in fresh water (actual buoyancy varies dependent on choice of lens and lens port)

• US Market Suggested Retail Price is $1,200

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!