Saturday, October 29th, 2011

Aquatica announces housing for Sony NEX-5n

Aquatica has released renderings and specifications for their AN-5n housing for the Sony NEX-5n EVIL camera. The new housing will feature controls aligned with those on the camera, dual fiber optic flash connectors, a quick access lever to activate and deactivate the internal flash and a closure latch design “borrowed” from Amphibico. An adaptor to allow the use of standard Aquatica ports will be released soon and the port selection will include compatibility with the new Sony 30mm macro lens.

Prices and availability dates are still to be announced.

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Shawn Heinrichs receives Sea Hero of the Year award

Wetpixel Senior Moderator, Shawn Heinrichs has been awarded the Sea Hero of the Year award by Scuba Diving magazine, Examiner.com reports. The award, in recognition of the years he has spent fighting against shark finning, will be presented at DEMA next week and includes $5000 of prize money. Shawn was instrumental in creating a shark sanctuary in Raja Ampat, and in keeping with his cause, has already pledged a portion of his award money toward the purchase of a ranger patrol boat. In addition, the creation of a matching program will be announced at the award ceremony by him along with the magazine and sponsoring company, Oris, to find donors who can help complete the funding for this project.

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Adobe Carousel apps available

Adobe has announced the immediate availability of Adobe Carousel in the iTunes App Store and Mac App Store. Adobe Carousel gives access to photo libraries on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Mac OS and allows users to browse, adjust and share photos without worrying about manual syncing. It is powered by the same photo-processing engine used in Lightroom, but only works with JPEG files. Adobe Carousel currently comprises a set of client apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Mac OS desktops wth support for Windows and Android expected in the first half of 2012.

Pricing is US$59.99/year or US$5.99/month through 31 January, 2012 (renewable at that same price for an additional two years.) Thereafter it will be US$99.99/year or US$9.99/month. There is a free 30 day trial available.

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Diving Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape: A Book Review

Papua Barat is considered by many to be the most marine biodiverse area in the world and becoming the new dive mecca of Indonesian dive tourism. Yet there is no dive guide that covers the area with any detail, especially Triton and Cenderawasih bays. Maureen Shimlock and Burt Jones, authors of Diving Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, have worked on a new book, Diving Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape, in hopes of covering the area properly. Read Drew’s review to see if they succeeded.

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Toronto City council bans shark fin

Wild Aid reports that Toronto City council has voted to ban the sale and possession of shark fin by a majority of 38:4 in a vote taken yesterday. The council has also urged other municipalities, provincial governments, and the federal government to act on the issue of shark fin. The proposed bylaw would impose fines ranging from $5,000 for a first offense to $100,000 for a third offense. Toronto is the largest market for shark products in Canada.

Despite opposition to the bill from the mayor, Rob Ford, Toronto now becomes the fourth city in Ontario to enact a shark fin ban, joining Brantford, Oakville, and Mississauga.

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Nautilus becomes threatened by over-fishing

The New York Times reports that the chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is rapidly becoming threatened due to a massive increase in demand for jewellery and ornamental products made from their shells. Nautilus are the last living genera of externally shelled cephalopods, take 5 to 10 years to reach sexual maturity, and only lay a few eggs per clutch. This makes them very vulnerable to over-fishing as consumer demand for them grows. The article quotes:

“A horrendous slaughter is going on out here,” said Peter D. Ward, a biologist from the University of Washington, during a recent census of the marine creature in the Philippines. “They’re nearly wiped out.”

(Image by Stuart Westmorland.)

Monday, October 24th, 2011

Inon releases X-2 housing for Canon EOS 60D

Inon has released the X-2 housing for the Canon EOS 60D SLR camera. It is constructed of cast aluminum and is designed with Canon’s “Capture the Moment” philosophy; which allows for easy and intuitive access to key controls. External flash exposure and triggering is via fiber optic and the housing is compatible with all existing Inon viewfinders. It is also available without a viewfinder for those that already own one. Lastly, ports are available for a wide range of lenses, including the new Canon EF8-15mm F4L Fisheye USM lens, with the Inon magnetic MRS system being used for zoom/focus.

Availability and price are to be confirmed.

Monday, October 24th, 2011

GoPro announces HD HERO2 cam

GoPro has announced the release of the HD HERO2 POV cam. The new model features a new processor and an 11 megapixel sensor which, it is claimed, delivers more than twice the image detail and enhanced low light performance. In addition, the cam features a redesigned wide-angle lens for increased sharpness and later this winter, will have Wi-Fi remote available via smartphones and devices as well as live streaming when there is an internet connection. The unit’s photo capture performance has also been upgraded and can shoot up to 10 frames at full quality is a one second burst, as well as automatic time-lapse photos.

The cam is backwards compatible with existing GoPro mounts and accessories and is available now at $299.99.

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

Lytro releases light field camera

Lytro has announced the release of a consumer light field camera. This new technology captures all the light rays in a scene, which provides new capabilities to the user, such as post-capture movement of the focus point. The new camera features a constant f2 lens with an 8x zoom and as it has no need to auto-focus, has no shutter lag. Lytro has desktop software in a Mac format available now, with a Windows version due in 2012. Wetpixel Publisher, Eric Cheng is Director of Photography at Lytro, so it would seem likely that an underwater housing for the new camera will be developed soon.

The Lytro 8GB camera will retail at $399 and the 16GB at $499, with both being available in early 2012.

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

Watershot releases new and upgraded video lights

Watershot has announced new and upgraded STRYKR LED lighting products. These new models feature dive and video lights heads that range from 900 to 3000 Lumens. The STRYKR video light heads now come in three varieties: 900, 1800, and 3000 Lumen. They use a separate battery pack, and Watershot offers a variety of these packs allowing the option of one or two light heads to be powered per battery pack.

The new models’ release dates and prices are still to be confirmed.

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