View Full Version : Pictured from Dahab
IanStevenson
21-11-07, 17:09
Hi folks,
Here are some of my better photos from my recent visit to Red Sea Relax (http://www.red-sea-relax.com/) in Dahab. You can see the full lot online at http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/
Anemonefish at Mashabra
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0000.jpg
Lyretail Grouper at Lighthouse
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0007.jpg
Unicornfish at Eel Garden
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0021.jpg
Barracuda at Islands
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0025.jpg
Starry Puffer at Islands
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0030.jpg
Moorings on a winch on the Thistlegorm
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0044.jpg
Diver above Thistlegorm
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0046.jpg
Motorbike in the holds of Thistlegorm
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0050.jpg
Lionfish and Anthias, Shark Reef
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0064.jpg
Red Sea Relax
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0086.jpg
Grey Moray at Lighthouse
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0096.jpg
Devil Scorpionfish at Lighthouse
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0102.jpg
Canyon
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0107.jpg
Blue-Green Chromis
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0112.jpg
Phil & Anthias at Moray Gardens
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0123.jpg
Keep Dahab Clean - Ruth with a dumped pipe at Moray Gardens
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0128.jpg
Small Scaled Scorpionfish at Um Sid
http://www.cyclops-online.co.uk/OldFormatGallery/gallery/2007-11-10%20Dahab/2007-11-10_Dahab_0134.jpg
Ach, it's cold and wet here, work sucks, and I just want to be back at RSR!!!
Ian
cracking pics, nice setting & very clear...:)
I want to go! Lovely photos, nice one!
dive granny
21-11-07, 22:06
Great pics. Would lve to go back there again.
Ah it brings back the memories. I learned to dive at the Lighthouse reef :D
Chased a cat with a bag on it head through that very wooden structure next door to your dive shop.
I WANT TO GO BACK!!!!
And cracking pics ;)
brilliant pictures, well taken.
Nice Scorpion fish too!
Love the photos, Lionfish and Anthias, Shark Reef has super colouration. Are you using a majic filter on your setup. What editing prog you working them in? PS if so dam good job. v. natural images :cool:
The Canyon shot has mood and is fab in mono.
What rig are you shooting with.
Moorings on a winch on the Thistlegorm. looking at that load of lines its a wonder the moored boats didnt lift the bugger of the deck:eek:
No wonder they have closed the gorm till next year to fit fixed mooring points.
Ian....
Brilliantly stunning pics.....so beautifully clear and sharp. Definitley want to go there! :D :D
Dave
cracking photos . i borrowed my mates u/camera and managed to flood it so no photos for me said in the soup nazis voice from seinfeild . i had to buy him another camera my misses was not amused .
lovely pics - i was at dahab in june this year and enjoyed some very chilled out diving with bedouin moon reef 2000.
lighthouse, canyon, blue hole, chamber, golden blocks, caves etc etc pretty damn good for shore diving.
Your right about missing the sunshine and warm clear water...:(
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 12:25
Thanks for all your kind comments.
The camera was an Olympus SP-560 in a Olympus PT-037 housing, with a big flash diffuser which makes the internal strobe fairly useful in clear water (not sure how much good it will be in UK waters).
http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/images/SP-560UZ_front_m.jpghttp://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/images/PT-037_sp550_M.jpg
The really close-up shots mostly use the internal strobe. The rest use manual colour balance, ensuring that the colours are at least in the right ballpark straight off the bat. I'm using Paint Shop Pro for final tweaking of colour balance and saturation, noise managment etc.
Unfortunately I had an unexplained total flood of the housing on the last day, so I'm now at the mercy of the insurers for my next trip... I don't know how in favour with them I will be as I have already had one camera claim with them this year (not a flooding, accident caused me to drop and crack my old PT027 housing for my Oly C7070).
Ian
Unfortunately I had an unexplained total flood of the housing on the last day, so I'm now at the mercy of the insurers for my next trip... I don't know how in favour with them I will be as I have already had one camera claim with them this year (not a flooding, accident caused me to drop and crack my old PT027 housing for my Oly C7070).
Ian
Is your gear insured on your house insurance or is it specific to the photo gear. I am asking becouse I would like my gear covered but was unsure of the best way to go.
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 14:04
Is your gear insured on your house insurance or is it specific to the photo gear. I am asking becouse I would like my gear covered but was unsure of the best way to go.
I have a diving equipment insurance policy, which has an extension for underwater photographic equipment.
The advantage of this over my home contents policy is that it covers loss (dumping) or damage that occurs during a diving accident or while rescuing another diver. It is also not clear whether my home contents policy would cover diving equipment when in use at all!
So far I've been very happy with it - they have always been most helpful. It's not cheap, but nor is my full set of dive kit!
Ian
What would the ball park policy price be for an average scuba or photog rig.
Can you name the insurance co that you have had good service from in the past.
Thanx Olddog
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 14:57
I'm with Divemaster, http://www.dive-master.net/dmuk.html
Their equipment insurance policy has an additional option for photographic equipment. Their site gives the rates, basically the premium for dive kit is £42 per £1000 insured, rising to £80 per £1000 insured for camera equipment. T&Cs are the best of any diving equipment policy I have seen, and if you are a BSAC member you can go in through the BSAC site and get a discount.
Very happy with them so far, for equipment (one claim) and travel/diving medical policies (no claims). They have been a bit quiet about my latest claim though so I'm getting nervous :confused:
Ian
Hi Ian ,I am currently using the same rig as your flooded C-7070. I give it a hard life with mostly shore diving and have started to notice stress fractures around the hinge mounts. I love the rig and am reasonably happy with the results it gives me.
But I have to decide what to do about the hinge situation. Upgrade to a DSLR (A bit above my skill level) or stick with a compact like the SP -560 or C7070. The 70 is discontinued but still possible to get hold off. As you have owned both how do you rate each against each other in case I have to make a choice?
P.S. good luck with the claim.;)
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 15:25
Hi Ian ,I am currently using the same rig as your flooded C-7070. I give it a hard life with mostly shore diving and have started to notice stress fractures around the hinge mounts. I love the rig and am reasonably happy with the results it gives me.
But I have to decide what to do about the hinge situation. Upgrade to a DSLR (A bit above my skill level) or stick with a compact like the SP -560 or C7070. The 70 is discontinued but still possible to get hold off. As you have owned both how do you rate each against each other in case I have to make a choice?
P.S. good luck with the claim.;)
Hi there,
I had a C4040 before I bought the C7070, and I was very pleased with it. I also knew the 5060 had a very good rep underwater. I didn't really do my research properly, just going for the simple upgrade option when I wanted to buy a camera I could get a housing for. Big mistake, the C7070 was slower, noisier, had worse autofocus and smaller aperture. To be honest I was never very pleased with it, although I did get some results I was happy with over the years. The C7070 and C8080 were both quite poor compared with their illustrious predecessors, and I reckon they effectively killed the "C" line stone dead.
By comparison, the SP560 is a complete joy. The AF can still be a bit dodgy at max (18x) zoom, but the noise performance is way better and the option of high ISO is very welcome both at night an underwater. The big screen is much easier to see too. Underwater the AF works MUCH better than the 7070 and the flash diffuser makes the built in strobe much more usable. The housing is BIG compared even with the 7070, but I found it handled very well. If you're used to the 7070 then you may be irritated at having to press a couple more buttons to do manual white balance. The USB cable is non standard (minor irritation) and there is no IR remote, but apart from that it should be joy all the way!
What I really want of course is a DSLR, and I think the prices are really good these days, for bodies and lenses at least. What put me off was the £1000+++ starting price for housings.
If you're happy with the C7070, then I'd go for the SP560. I think its a significant improvement, and at £450 for the camera & housing I think its sensibly priced. You could probably sell your 7070 and housing on eBay for nearly that much. The other option is get a DSLR for land use, and a compact like the Ixus 75 (my wife just got one) or the Fuji F30/40/50 for underwater, possibly with a cheap external strobe. These compacts are really VERY good these days...
Ian
The SP sounds like a goodun. The only thing putting me off is that front port. I want the option of wetmate lens, and that rectangular shape just aint going to be supported by the likes of Inon, lens wise.
I hope the port is exchangeable so I could snap on a wet wide and macro. If not it will just be another example of Olys unbelievable research and development program. I am starting to think they must have a mole for Canon working for them! :rolleyes:
How they couldn’t have taken the lessons learnt from the good old 5050 and built on that formula is beyond me. Perhaps its time for a brand name change for me, it’s a pity cos I have been a loyal Oly fan for years.
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 15:49
The SP sounds like a goodun. The only thing putting me off is that front port. I want the option of wetmate lens, and that rectangular shape just aint going to be supported by the likes of Inon, lens wise.
The wide angle on the SP560 is 27mm equivalent to start with, which is wider then most compacts with a wide angle extension lens. There is an Olympus macro lens adapter available on the US olympus site, and Cameras Underwater can get hold of it I believe.
The SP sounds like a goodun. The only thing putting I hope the port is exchangeable so I could snap on a wet wide and macro. If not it will just be another example of Olys unbelievable research and development program. I am starting to think they must have a mole for Canon working for them! :rolleyes:
I spoke to someone from Oly about this at the dive show. Apparently worldwide the number of replacement ports they sold for the PT027 housing could be counted on fingers and toes, so they just decided not to bother. Everyone liked replaceable ports as a feature in theory, but no-one actually bothered in practise apparently.
The SP sounds like a goodun. The only thing putting How they couldn’t have taken the lessons learnt from the good old 5050 and built on that formula is beyond me. Perhaps its time for a brand name change for me, it’s a pity cos I have been a loyal Oly fan for years.
I agree, but I still think the SP560 is a good camera. Canon don't have a housing for anything to touch it, the Nikon 5000 isn't nearly as flexible, Fuji don't have housings for their larger cameras.... I reckon as well as being a good'un its really the only option in the "bridge camera" class. The rest don't have housings, or if you want a housing you have to move down scale to a compact. It's worth doing your research though as everyone wants different things and new cameras/housing come on the market the whole time!
Ian
I spoke to someone from Oly about this at the dive show. Apparently worldwide the number of replacement ports they sold for the PT027 housing could be counted on fingers and toes, so they just decided not to bother. Everyone liked replaceable ports as a feature in theory, but no-one actually bothered in practise apparently.
Ian
I imagine the reason they sold so few ports was the price and the fact that everyone just screwed a wetmait direct to the 67mm front threads. The wetmaits wouldn’t give as good results as a dedicated port/lens option but at least people could swap wide for macro on the hoof.
I may be cynical but perhaps they know they have captured the bridging option and don’t want to share the add lens market. That would explain that whopping rectangular port as opposed to a 67mm threaded flat port installation.
IanStevenson
23-11-07, 16:18
I imagine the reason they sold so few ports was the price and the fact that everyone just screwed a wetmait direct to the 67mm front threads. The wetmaits wouldn’t give as good results as a dedicated port/lens option but at least people could swap wide for macro on the hoof.
I may be cynical but perhaps they know they have captured the bridging option and don’t want to share the add lens market. That would explain that whopping rectangular port as opposed to a 67mm threaded flat port installation.
The huge port is to accomodate the huge zoom. At max zoom the lense extends maybe 10cm in front of the body, compared with maybe 3cm at wide angle. So to accomodate the full wide angle field of view you either need a small piece of glass close to the lense (prevents max zoom being used) or a big piece of glass that can accomodate max lens extension (makes fitting wet lenses hard).
The Oly guy said that since max zoom was useful for big macro shots, they didn't want to shut off that option.
He also pointed out that the camera at 27mm equivalent still has a wider angle than most Canon or Fuji models WITH a wide angle lens added*, and therefore has less need of a wide angle lens. Frankly if you want much wider than 27mm you really need a dome port anyway, and that is a whole different bag of ferrets...
So there is a plausible explanation, even if you personally (and probably me too!) don't think it's the right trade-off.
Ian
*Arithmetically some of them give a wider angle with an external lens, but in practice vignetting means you need to zoom the camera in slightly (unless you like the vignetting effect), adding some focal length back!