This article is the first of a series on “my favorite dives”. I’ve been lucky enough to dive at some of the best dive locations in the world, with some of the most fantastic aquatic animals. Picking just one is not possible – hence the need for a “my favorite dive” series.

Flashback to Wolf Island, Galapagos. Wolf Island is one of, if not the best, places in the world to see hammerhead sharks. Wolf Island, along with nearby Darwin Island, are the two most remote islands of the Galapagos Islands. In fact, you can go days without seeing another boat or human there, except for the ones on the boat with you.

Two hammerhead sharks making a close pass at Wolf Island

It takes about 14 hours to travel to Wolf from San Cristobal Island. The water is warmer at Wolf and Darwin than at the other Galapagos Islands, the marine life is prolific, and the currents are strong. Dolphins, whale sharks, eagle rays, and several shark specials are seen on a regular basis. Red-lipped batfish are found on the back side of the island. Wolf Island is named after a German geologist Theodore Wolf, who studied the Galapagos Islands in the late 1800s. There are no wolves or wolf eels here.

But the main attraction is the schools of hammerhead sharks. The hammerheads are there year-round, often coming to shallow water to get cleaned by butterfly fish. They are also very skittish.

Hammerhead shark getting cleaned in the Galapagos. You can see the butterfly fish that does the cleaning at the bottom of the photo.

Getting a close-up or a silhouette shot is not easy. They are afraid of divers, bubbles, and cameras – and they often swim quite deep, meaning you are looking down at them, into the dark depths.

On this particular dive, the schools were thick. They were coming slightly shallower over large rocks, and when I got below them, their beautiful silhouettes would fill the sky. I watched these majestic beasts dive after dive – we had 4 full days of diving at Wolf and Darwin.

Some of my most memorable dives ever were in the Galapagos. I can’t wait to go back. Stay tuned for “My Favorite Dives”, part II, featuring a huge manta ray!

For another great dive destination, read about the best diving in Africa here!

The post My favorite dive series – Hammerheads at Wolf Island, Galapagos first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

A discussion on Flash Triggers, and the different ways to fire strobes

Today I want to talk about flash triggers, TTL, and a little history of how photographers used to fire their strobes underwater.

Back in the day, to fire strobes quickly you needed an electronic sync cord, which went from your camera hot shoe, through a hole in the housing called a “bulkhead”, to your strobe. Sync cords often flooded, or got corroded. Underwater housing maintenance was extremely important. The advantage, was that you could fire quickly, as there was no internal camera flash that had to “recycle”. You were limited by just your camera buffer, memory card write speed, and of course your strobe recycle time.

Eventually, as internal flashes could fire faster, and strobes advanced, fiber optic cables became more popular. With fiber optics, no sync cord or bulkhead was needed, the only requirement was that you could pop up your camera’s internal flash inside the housing. Some strobes even supported basic TTL (Through the Lens) functionality through the fiber optic connection. TTL means that your strobes or TTL converter can set the strobe exposure automatically, instead of the photographer having to dial in a particular strobe power.

Now in 2019, we have flash triggers. Flash triggers sit on the hot shoe of the camera, and fire a weak flash of light similar to an internal flash, but with the ability to fire quickly. Flash triggers have the advantage of being corrosion-free like fiber optic cables, but fast-firing like electronic sync cords. However, they do have their disadvantages – they can stop working, batteries in the flash trigger can die, and some fiber optic cables don’t transmit the weak flash well. The good news, is that these downsides are improving and this year’s flash triggers, like the Nauticam flash triggers, are better than ever. There is also a new Fantasea flash trigger that can work with several different cameras.

Some flash triggers are even building in TTL technology, so you get a flash trigger and a TTL converter in one unit. Check out this impressive Sea & Sea TTL converter demo.

Of course, having a fast method of firing your strobes doesn’t really matter if your strobe can’t keep up, even if you are shooting with the best dSLR camera. That’s the advantage of using a fast-recycle time strobe like the Ikelite DS-160 strobe, I wish I had one while diving Socorro Island recently with all the fast moving sharks and manta rays in front of me.

I have one word of parting advice – whether you use sync cords, a flash trigger, or just fiber optics, have a backup method! – Scott

The post Flash Triggers & Underwater Strobes first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

This is the first in a series of blog posts comparing shooting with cropped-sensor versus full-frame sensors. I hope you enjoy! – Scott Gietler

When I used to shoot with the Nikon D80, D300, and D7100, when I wanted to shoot macro I had to decide between using the 60mm macro lens and the Nikon 105mm macro lens. Now that I am using a full-frame camera, I no longer have to decide. When I use the 105mm macro lens, it has the angle of view that I had with the 60mm macro lens, but the bokeh and ability to isolate the subject that I had when I used the 105mm macro lens on a cropped sensor camera. The best of both worlds!

I have more room for compositional errors with small fish than I had before with the 105mm lens. And if I crop the photo, I end up with the exact same image I would have taken on a cropped sensor camera. I will admit, one thing I do miss is the lighter weight and smaller port of the 60mm macro lens + cropped sensor setup.

Have you tried shooting with both a cropped sensor and full frame camera? Which one did you prefer? Leave your answer in the comments.

Here’s a sample of photos I took last year on a 3-day Channel Islands trip with the Nikon 105mm VR macro lens. I hope you consider joining one of my photo trips this year to the SoCal Channel Islands in August, Anilao  Philippines in December, or Tahiti for Humpback Whales in September or October.

And if you are serious about macro, check out the Nauticam D850 housing, Sea & Sea D850 housing, Aquatica D850 housing, and the Ikelite D850 housing, and my recent article on photographing mandarin fish underwater.

The post Flexibility of the full-frame macro lens first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Best Cameras for Underwater Photography & Video

12 Ideas For the holidays of 2017

By Scott Gietler, Owner Bluewater Photo

Which underwater camera to get? With so many great cameras, lenses and housings out there, the decision is tough. Here are some models that you can’t go wrong with for all budgets, whether your shooting stills or underwater video- and we’ll mention some runner-ups at the end of the article.

#1 Best deals, up to $1,150 off

Olympus OM-D E-M5 II bundle or A6000 awesome package

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II underwater housing bundle is the deal of the year, selling for $1,299 instead of $2,444. It includes the E-M5 Mark II mirrorless camera (which is an awesome high-end camera!), 14-42mm lens, housing, port, & zoom gear for the 14-42/9-18mm lenses. The E-M5 II focuses much faster than any compact cameras. Additional glass and acrylic ports are available for most mirrorless lenses. We also have a popular E-M5 II package with a strobe and video light.

Our exclusive Fantasea Sony A6000 awesome package is a steal at $1,499 and includes the Sony A6000 camera, 16-50mm lens, housing, port and zoom gear. The huge advantage of this setup is that is has great wet-wide angle lens options, giving shooters the flexibility of doing wide-angle or macro on the same dive. The image quality of the A6000 is amazing, and the sensor size is the same as the Nikon D500.

#2 Best Entry Level, Snorkeling or Diving

Olympus TG-5

The Olympus TG-5 housing + camera package is well priced at $699. In fact, nothing at this price point can touch the quality of this setup. The TG-5 shoots in RAW, and can take amazing photos & video for such an inexpensive camera. It will work well with high quality wet lenses such as the UWL-04 fisheye lens, or the Bluewater +7 macro lens. Check out our exclusive Olympus TG-5 packages on sale at unbeatable prices, with strobes, video lights and ring flashes.

#3 Small housings, serious underwater photos

Sony RX-100 V for wide / video, Canon G7X Mark II for a little of everything

The tiny Sony RX-100 V can take excellent photos, especially when combined with the UWL-09 Superwide lens for very good wide-angle. There is also a good selection of Sony RX-100 V underwater housings for it, including the inexpensive Fantasea RX100 V housing.

The Canon G7x Mark II can take great video, and very good macro & wide-angle, and is an excellent all-around compact camera choice. It has a better zoom range / macro capability that the RX100 III/IV/V, and a brighter lens than the RX100 II, and there are some very well-priced high-quality housing like the Fantasea G7X Mark II housing. See our G7x Mark II housings.

#4 Small housing- professional photos

Olympus E-M1 Mark II, Sony A6300 .

The Olympus E-M1 II & E-M1 Mark II are the king of mirrorless cameras, with great E-M1 II housing choices (read our E-M1 II review) and an excellent selection of lenses. The Aquatica E-M1 II housing is incredible. To save a decent amount of money, go for the Nauticam Olympus E-M10 Mark III and you’ll get the same image quality. The excellent E-M1 Mark II camera is the top of the line micro-four thirds camera for stills, here is our E-M1 Mark II camera review. The excellent Olympus 60mm macro lens is on sale now for a great price.

Sony A6300 & A6500

The Sony  A6300 and A6500 cameras boast a larger sensor than the Olympus E-M1 II, resulting in spectacular video quality and dynamic range in wide-angle photos. We recommend the A6500 for the image stabilization. Both cameras have an electronic viewfinder, takes excellent 4K video, and works well in the Nauticam Sony A6500 housing and the Ikelite A6500 housing ($975), and the Fantasea A6500 / A6300 housing.

#5 Small housing- professional stills & videos

Sony A7 II, A7s II, A7r II – or wait for the A7r III

The Sony A7r II is considered the ultimate choice by some underwater photographers and videographers. There is a great selection of housings and lenses, and the full frame sensor produces incredible stills and videos. We recommend the A7R II over the A7, as the 42 megapixels will come in handy for both wide-angle and macro, high ISO performance and dynamic range are both great given the smaller pixel size, and the video features are almost as good as the A7S II. The downsides are slower responsiveness in general compared to a DSLR, especially when using the Sony 90mm macro lens, and less than ideal battery life. Check out the housings from Nauticam, Sea & Sea and Aquatica – they support all 3 of the Sony models, or read our Sony A7 II / A7R II review.

The Sony A7r III is out in a few days, and it looks great. Read our Sony A7r III pre-review and initial thoughts.

#6 Best of the best

Canon 5D Mark IV, Nikon D500, Nikon D850

With 20 megapixels, 4K video, amazing auto-focus, and 10fps shooting speed, the Nikon D500 is a top choice – view our Nikon D500 housings, or our complete D500 review for underwater. For the unbeatable image quality that comes with a 46 megapixel full frame sensor, check out our Nikon D850 housings and read our D850 review for underwater. The D850 can truly do everything.

The advantage of the Canon 5D Mark IV is its full frame sensor, and much better auto-focus during video than most other dSLRs, view our Canon 5D Mark IV housings and our Canon 5D Mark IV review for underwater.

#7 Gifts for the GoPro Owner

Lighting packages, accessories

We have several GoPro lighting packages, including ones for best price, small size, and great power. We also stock most GoPro accessories & GoPro mounts.

#8 Best for Video

Sony RX100 V, Panasonic GH5, Sony A6500, Sony A7R II

The Sony RX100 IV & V both have  game-changing slow-motion video capability – see an example here, and great housing options for all budgets. For professional level video, the Panasonic GH5 is unbeatable for its size, price and lens selection – we like the Nauticam GH5 housing. Stills from the GH5 are also excellent – check out these killer hammerhead photos taken with the GH4- the GH5 performs even better.

The full-frame Sony A7S II can take video at an ISO higher than any other camera we mention in this article, and  this camera is a top choice for pro film makers. The RX100 IV / V, LX100, GH5 and Sony A7R II all take 4K video. Last, but certainly not least, the Canon 5D Mark IV is the best choice for a dSLR that offers good auto-focus during video.

#9 Other options for underwater photography

Sony RX100 IV,  Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, 7D Mark II

There are other excellent cameras out there, like the Sony Rx-100 IV, Olympus E-M5 Mark II, and the Canon 7D Mark II. All of them are very capable of excellent photos and/or video. The E-M5 Mark II is a very close contender to the E-M1 – read our E-M5 Mark II review for underwater. The full-frame sensor of the Canon 5DS R can result in spectacular photos, and Canon has some of the best full-frame wide-angle lenses on the market as options. The autofocus of the Canon 7D Mark II works quite well during video and live-view.

#10 In-depth articles on the best cameras

You can also read our three in-depth articles on the best camera choices for underwater photography for 2016 – best compact cameras for underwater photography, best mirrorless cameras for underwater photography, and best dSLR cameras for underwater photography.

#11  Sale! 20 – 50% off Focus & Video Lights during December

20-40% off a large number of focus & video lights – see all the specials here, including the Sola 800 photo for $239, Sola 3000 video light for $299, the multi-featured high end Kraken 3500 for $399 and the iTorch Pro6+ 2800 lumen video light for $299.

#12 Ten Unbeatable Dive Travel Specials

Be sure to view our End of Year dive travel specials, all are for travel next year, courtesy of our sister company Bluewater Travel – who specializes in personal & individual dive travel. Already have photo / video gear? Give the gift of dive travel! Locations on special include Fiji, Roatan, Komodo, Socorro, Cocos, Thailand, Bonaire, Philippines & more.

Holiday Sale Items

Check out our sales & specials page for amazing sales and specials throughout December. Up to 50% off strobes, housings, lights, lens and more from Light & Motion, iTorch, Olympus, Sony, Sea & Sea and many others.

Sample underwater photos

The post Best Underwater Cameras for Christmas 2017 first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Best Cameras for Underwater Photography & Video

12 Ideas For the holidays of 2016

By Scott Gietler, Owner Bluewater Photo

Which underwater camera to get? With so many great cameras, lenses and housings out there, the decision is tough. Here are some models that you can’t go wrong with for all budgets, whether your shooting stills or underwater video- and we’ll mention some runner-ups at the end of the article.

#1 Best deal, $1400 off

Olympus OM-D E-M1 bundle

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 underwater housing bundle is the deal of the year, selling for $1,699 instead of $3,106. It includes the E-M1 mirrorless camera (which is an awesome high-end camera!), 14-42mm lens, housing, port, & zoom gear for the 14-42/9-18mm lenses. The E-M1 focuses much faster than any compact cameras. The ports are much easier to change than the E-PL5 or E-PL7 housings, making this deal a no-brainer. Additional glass and acrylic ports are available for most mirrorless lenses. We also have a popular E-M1 package with a strobe and video light.

#2 Entry Level, Snorkeling or Diving

Olympus TG-4

The Olympus TG-4 housing + camera package is well priced at $649. The TG-4 shoots in RAW, and can take quite good photos & video for such an inexpensive camera. It will work well with high quality wet lenses such as the UWL-04 fisheye lens, or the Bluewater +7 macro lens. Check out our great Olympus TG-4 packages on sale.

#3 Small housings, serious underwater photos

Sony RX-100 V for wide / video, Canon G7X Mark II for a little of everything

The tiny Sony RX-100 V can take excellent photos, especially when combined with the Dyron Superwide lens for very good wide-angle. There is also a good selection of Sony RX-100 V underwater housings for it, including the inexpensive Fantasea RX100 V housing. People who prefer wide-angle over video can save money by getting a Sony RX100 II camera & housing with the UWL-04 fisheye lens – which is my favorite combo for underwater wide-angle with a compact camera. For macro enthusiasts, the older Canon G16 is still king, with its long zoom range allowing for great prize-winning macro shots with a wet lens. Check out, at $399, the very well-priced Fantasea G16 housing.

The Canon G7x Mark II can take great video, and very good macro & wide-angle, and is an excellent all-around compact camera choice. It has a better zoom range / macro capability that the RX100 III/IV/V, and a brighter lens than the RX100 II, and there are some very well-priced high-quality housing like the Fantasea G7X Mark II housing. See our G7x Mark II housings.

#4 Small housing- professional photos

Olympus E-M5 Mark II, Sony A6300

The Olympus E-M1 & E-M1 Mark II are still the king of mirrorless cameras, with great E-M1 housing choices (read our E-M1 review) and an excellent selection of lenses. The Aquatica E-M1 housing is incredible. To save a decent amount of money, go for the Nauticam Olympus E-M10 Mark II and you’ll get the same image quality. The excellent E-M1 Mark II camera just came out, here is our E-M1 Mark II camera review. We expect underwater housings to arrive very soon, pre-order the Nauticam E-M1 Mark II here.

Sony A6300

The Sony  A6300 boasts a larger sensor than the Olympus E-M1, resulting in spectacular video quality and dynamic range in wide-angle photos. The A6300 has an electronic viewfinder, takes excellent 4K video, and works well in the Nauticam Sony A6300 housing and the Ikelite A6300 housing ($975).

#5 Small housing- professional stills & videos

Sony A7 II, A7s II, A7r II

The Sony A7r II is considered the ultimate choice by some underwater photographers and videographers. There is a great selection of housings and lenses, and the full frame sensor produces incredible stills and videos. We recommend the A7R II over the A7, as the 42 megapixels will come in handy for both wide-angle and macro, high ISO performance and dynamic range are both great given the smaller pixel size, and the video features are almost as good as the A7S II. The downsides are slower responsiveness in general compared to a DSLR, especially when using the Sony 90mm macro lens, and less than ideal battery life. Check out the housings from Nauticam, Sea & Sea and Aquatica – they support all 3 of the Sony models, or read our Sony A7 II / A7R II review.

#6 Best of the best

Canon 5D Mark IV, Nikon D500

With 20 megapixels, 4K video, amazing auto-focus, and 10fps shooting speed, the Nikon D500 is a top choice – view our Nikon D500 housings, or our complete D500 review for underwater. For the unbeatable image quality that comes with a 36 megapixel full frame sensor, check out our Nikon D810 housings and read our D810 review for underwater.

The advantage of the Canon 5D Mark IV is a full frame sensor, and much better auto-focus during video than most other dSLRs, view our Canon 5D Mark IV housings and our Canon 5D Mark IV review for underwater.

#7 Gifts for the GoPro Owner

Lighting packages, accessories

We have several GoPro lighting packages, including ones for best price, small size, and great power. We also stock most GoPro accessories & GoPro mounts.

#8 Best for Video

Sony RX100 V, Panasonic GH5, Sony A6500, Sony A7R II

The Sony RX100 IV & V both have  game-changing slow-motion video capability – see an example here, and great housing options for all budgets. For professional level video, the Panasonic GH4 is unbeatable for its size, price and lens selection – we like the Nauticam GH4 housing. Stills from the GH4 are also excellent – check out these killer hammerhead photos taken with the GH4. However, you may want to wait for the GH5 which is coming out soon.

The full-frame Sony A7R II can take video at an ISO higher than any other camera we mention in this article, and we expect this camera to also be a top choice for pro film makers. The RX100 IV / V, LX100, GH4 and Sony A7R II all take 4K video. Last, but certainly not least, the Canon 5D Mark IV is the best choice for a dSLR that offers good auto-focus during video.

#9 Other options for underwater photography

Sony RX100 IV, LX100, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, 7D Mark II

There are other excellent cameras out there, like the Sony Rx-100 IV, LX100, Olympus E-M5 Mark II, and the Canon 7D Mark II. All of them are very capable of excellent photos and/or video. The white balance of the LX100 during video is suberb – see our uw video and LX100 review. The E-M5 Mark II is a very close contender to the E-M1 – read our E-M5 Mark II review for underwater. The full-frame sensor of the Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 5DS R can result in spectacular photos, and Canon has some of the best full-frame wide-angle lenses on the market as options. The autofocus of the Canon 7D Mark II works quite well during video and live-view.

#10 In-depth articles on the best cameras

You can also read our three in-depth articles on the best camera choices for underwater photography for 2016 – best compact cameras for underwater photography, best mirrorless cameras for underwater photography, and best dSLR cameras for underwater photography.

#11  Sale! 20 – 40% off Focus & Video Lights during December

20-40% off a large number of focus & video lights – see all the specials here, including the Sola 800 photo for $239, Sola 2500 video light for $349, and the iTorch Venom 3800 lumen video light for $399.

#12 Ten Unbeatable Dive Travel Specials

Be sure to view our End of Year dive travel specials, all are for travel next year, courtesy of our sister company Bluewater Travel – who specializes in personal & individual dive travel. Already have photo / video gear? Give the gift of dive travel! Locations on special include Fiji, Galapagos, Socorro, Cozumel, Raja Ampat, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Bali & more.

Holiday Sale Items

Check out our sales & specials page for amazing sales and specials throughout December. Up to 50% off strobes, housings, lights, lens and more from Light & Motion, iTorch, Olympus, Sony, Sea & Sea and many others.

Sample underwater photos

The post Best Underwater Cameras for Christmas 2016 first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Canon 7D Mark II is one of the top choices for underwater photographers.  I’ve used Bluewater Photo’s rental 7D Mark II on my last two trips, logging over 75 dives and several hours snorkeling with the camera.

We’ve discussed the macro merits in Macro with the 7D Mk II, and how incredibly sharp the images are with the Canon 100mm macro lens and SubSee diopter, but now it’s time to dive into autofocus for wide-angle shooting. Atlantic Spotted Dolphins in Bimini, Bahamas provided the perfect test, pairing the 7D Mark II with the wildly popular Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens. This combo, used with Canon’s dual-pixel AF sensor, is incredibly fast when shooting single photos and when tracking moving subjects. Below is an overview of the system.

Autofocus Drive Modes

Single:  This mode is great for capturing a moment of dolphin action, ensuring that the dolphin is in sharp focus before the shutter is released.

AI Focus:  This mode is designed for stationary subjects that may move, and is not often used in u/w photography.

AI Servo:  This focus mode will continue to track the subject as long as the shutter is half depressed.  It’s a great option for rapidly shooting multiple frames of those fast-moving dolphins. Advanced shooters can even check out back-button-focus for more ergonomic subject-tracking.

Autofocus Area Groups

The Canon 7D Mk II has seven different AF area selections, but I generally use two for underwater photography: Single-Point Spot for macro and Point Expansion (4) for wide-angle. For shooting the dolphins in Bimini, I used the trusty AF Point Expansion (4) group. This group is based on a single point of focus, but uses extra AF points on top, bottom and sides to acquire and track focus. Once you move into the larger AF groups (AF Point Expansion 8, Zone AF), the camera starts to look for the closest part of the subject falling within the point group, which may not precisely fall on the eye. That said, the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye produces a very wide-field of view, so small details like this likely won’t matter (there will be enough depth of field in your image). Learn more about Fast Focus Underwater.

Dolphin Photos

The next step is just getting out there with the dolphins so that you can capture some great photos!

Want to learn how to apply these settings to real life shooting situations?  Join me for a photo workshop:  Bali, the Lembeh Strait, La Paz Mexico, Sri Lanka for whales, or reefscapes in Alor, Indonesia.  Full workshop schedule.

– Brent Durand

A group of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins swims underneath. Photo: Brent Durand

Spotted dolphins of many ages swim along. Photo: Brent Durand

Portraits take two. Photo: Brent Durand

Happy photograpers. Photo: Brent durand

The post Fast Focus with the 7D Mk 2 first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

I’ve been shooting the Nikon D500 over the last few days, and I’ve been very impressed by the results. The camera is ideally suited not just for underwater photography, but also for topside photography, particularly action, low-light, and wildlife behavior photography. There are 3 areas in which the Nikon D500 really stands out.

Nikon D500 High ISO Performance

My entire idea of “High ISO” has changed with the D500. Previously, High ISO to me meant ISO 3200. But now, I have been shooting the D500 at ISO 16000, ISO 25000, and ISO 51000. Results are much better than expected, check out the photo of moon below at ISO 16000, and the night shot of the Great Blue Heron taken at ISO 51000. Yes, ISO 51000 – there is not an extra zero in that number.

Auto-focus capability

I’ve playing around with the single focus point mode, 3D shooting mode, and “Auto” mode using the entire grid of auto-focus points. All work quite well and I was impressed with the 3D tracking capability. You see can see the results of the 3D tracking in the seabird photos below. I generally shoot in AF-C mode which allows me to take a shot at any moment I desire. In very low light after dark, the camera focused nice on the Heron that you’ll see in the photos below. It was quite impressive!

High-speed shooting

The Nikon D500 shoots at 10 frames per second. This is actually quite amazing, you feel like you are shooting a machine-gun with a hair trigger. Once you get used to rattling off 10fps, it is hard to go back to a regular camera. In the photo below, you will see a sequence of 3 shots of a fast-moving seabird that I took while on a moving boat. The high-speed shooting capability means that you have many more compositions to choose from, and it fact those 3 photos were the best of about 12 shots I took of that seabird in a 1.2 second period!

I also used 10fps to capture the heron putting his head in the water to catch a fish. That moment actually happens very quickly, I saw the heron twitch and I pressed the shutter, which rattled off 4 or 5 shots, one of which captured his head in the water.

The Nikon D500 specs boat a RAW buffer of 200 images. I consider that a distortion of the facts, as the camera buffer is only 29 images, in 14-bit RAW mode. If you have a slower memory card, after 29 images, the camera will stop shooting. However, if you use a very high speed XQD memory card, the write speed of the card can keep up with the camera and it can take up to 200 images, which is about 20 seconds of high-speed shooting. The highest speed SD cards will get you about 100 shots in a row at 10fps. In my experience though, you rarely need more than a few seconds of high speed shooting.

Nikon D500 Auto ISO

I really like using Auto ISO on the Nikon D500. I set Auto ISO on, put the camera in manual mode, and fix the aperture and shutter speed. Then I just let the camera compute the correct ISO. It works great! Functionality of the Nikon D810 Auto ISO feature is similar ,with both having a limit of ISO 51,200 as the highest possible ISO value.

Nikon D500 Underwater Housing Reviews

I recorded a video of my review of the Nauticam D500 housing, I hope you enjoy it and please email me with any questions or comments. The Ikelite D500 housing, Aquatica D500 housing, and the Sea & Sea D500 housing will be coming soon.

Sample Nikon D500 images

All images taken with the Nikon 200-400mm F4 lens, shot in RAW. Simple noise reduction was applied to high ISO images in Adobe Lightroom. Click on photos for a larger view.

The post Nikon D500 testing first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Canon 7D Mark II is a staple for underwater photography. A lightning-fast dual-pixel autofocus sensor puts this camera above others in its class, especially when considering focus tracking in Live View mode (used for video). It’s no wonder that the camera performs well for the fast action of wild dolphin encounters.

I’ve had the opportunity to use Bluewater Photo’s rental Canon 7D Mk II and housing, along with my Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens, here on our Bimini, Bahamas small group photo trip. We’ve had some great dolphin encounters, along with sharks, rays and some reefs. But it’s the dolphins that stand out. And the 7D Mk II / Tokina 10-17mm combo that makes those dolphins stand out. You can see what I mean in the photos below!

As always, email the Bluewater Photo team with questions about this camera setup or anything else. Join me on a trip to Bali for mola mola, La Paz for whale sharks, Sri Lanka for Blue Whales or Alor for unspoiled wide-angle reefs – view the trips here.

– Brent Durand

One happy group in Bimini.

Saying hello for the camera.

We travel below the surface. Shot with 8″ acrylic dome port.

The post Canon 7D Mk II and Wild Dolphins first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Canon 7D Mk II is one of the best choices for serious underwater macro photography.  With 65 AF points (all cross type), lighting-fast focus (both through the viewfinder and in live view (thanks dual-pixel sensor)), fast processor and the beautiful color, contrast and image quality we expect from Canon, you’ll find the camera in the hands of many pros.  And knowing all this, I was psyched to try it for Bluewater Photo’s back-to-back Anilao u/w photo workshops… leaving only myself as the obstacle to creating great exceptional photos!

The photos below are just a very small sample of images shot with the 7D Mark II and the Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens during the workshops. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other blog entry ‘Sharpness with the SubSee +10 Diopter’, where we take a look at supermacro images shot with this gear. If you’re looking for a new Canon DSLR, the 7D Mk 2 should be considered a major contender. Feel free to email me for more info on shooting macro with the camera.

– Brent Durand

MORE INTERESTING READING 

Learn more about diving Anilao, Philippines.

Read the Underwater Photography Guide’s Canon 7D Mk 2 Review.

Check out Bluewater’s rental 7D Mk II and Nauticam housing.

Email us to join Bluewater’s December Anilao workshop or next year’s Spring 2017 Anilao workshops – both led by Bluewater Photo pros TBD.

Nudibranchs are everywhere in Anilao. Canon 7D Mk 2, Canon 100mm macro, SubSee +10 diopter.

Crinoid clingfish. Canon 7D Mk 2, Canon 100mm macro, SubSee +10 diopter.

Magnificent shrimp goby in full display. Canon 7D Mk 2, Canon 100mm macro.

Leaf scorpionfish portrait. Canon 7D Mk 2, Canon 100mm macro.

The post Macro with Canon 7D Mark II first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

I sit here in Anilao, Philippines watching the peach sunset afterglow fade to black behind dancing palm trees and can’t help but appreciate the opportunity to experience some of the best macro diving on the planet. Here at the Bluewater Photo Anilao workshop all the divers are off shooting away on a night dive.

I’m borrowing Bluewater’s rental Canon 7D Mark II camera and Nauticam housing for this trip, and naturally, brought along my SubSee +10 diopter in order to shoot some supermacro.  And maybe it’s because I haven’t used a diopter in a year, or maybe the difference between shooting the 7D Mk II vs. my old 5D Mk III kit, but the sharpness is incredible!  The crop sensor really allows for tight perspectives, as well as shooting small subjects that just wouldn’t fill the frame of the 5D3. The SubSee +10 is up to the challenge, delivering needle-sharp images with nice color and contrast. Below are a some examples shot in the last couple days.

If you’re considering a diopter for great supermacro with a DSLR, the SubSee +10 is a great choice.

– Brent Durand

Coleman Shrimp. Canon 7D Mk2, Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, SubSee +10 diopter. Uncropped. ISO 200, f/29, 1/200.

Goby. Canon 7D Mk2, Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, SubSee +10 diopter. Uncropped. ISO 200, f/32, 1/200.

Zeno Crab. Canon 7D Mk2, Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, SubSee +10 diopter. Uncropped. ISO 200, f/29, 1/200.

Crinoid Shrimp. Canon 7D Mk2, Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, SubSee +10 diopter. Uncropped. ISO 200, f/32, 1/200.

Christmas Tree Worm. Canon 7D Mk2, Canon 100mm f/2.8L macro lens, SubSee +10 diopter. Uncropped. ISO 200, f/32, 1/200. Great edge sharpness!

The post Sharpness with the SubSee +10 Diopter first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.