Video

Olympus released their 7.5 megapixel Live View digital E-330 SLR this year to much hoopla. The first SLR camera to offer the ability for users to see an image on the LCD before the shutter is depressed, the E-330 is, well, revolutionary. Recently, Jeff Mullins, owner of Tulamben's Reef Wreck and Critter guided dive company and author of the excellent book of the same name, got his hands on an E-330 and put it inside a specially-made housing from Hong Kong-based 10Bar. He posted his very thorough (and positive) review on Wetpixel.

Featuring two memory card slots, Mullins was very ...

If you were interested in Jeff Mullins' review of the 10 Bar housing for the Olympus E-330, but you're not quite able to make it to Hong Kong to pick up a 10 Bar of your own, check out Jack Connick's website. Jack (who you might remember as the diver from the excellent Optical Ocean) now sells the complete line of Fantasea products -- which includes the same housing for the E-330 as 10 Bar's, but re-named the FE-330. That's right, Jack has the entire Fantasea Line at his disposal -- from housings for Coolpix cameras, to housings for many ...

I was beginning to write a post about Pentax's waterproof Optio W10, when I realized that Pentax had already released the Optio W20. Oops.

According to the press release, the W20 features a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, a 3X optical zoom lens that delivers 7.0 effective megapixels, 21.9 MB of built-in memory, a Blur Reduction mode, and the ability to snap photos as close as one centimeter from a subject. Moreover, the W20 is able to withstand up to 30 minutes of continuous operation at a depth of 5 feet, without a waterproof case. While 30 minutes at 5 feet might ...

Stephen Frink is the world's most widely published underwater photographer. Not surprisingly, he has a deep, color-rich library of underwater photos that most divers would kill for. In addition to being an "artsy" photographer, he's also quite articulate: he's written books, housing reviews, and loads of articles for Scuba Diving Magazine. He provides personal photo instruction as well as escorted photo tours. He's also an inventor. In other words, if it has to do with cameras in or near water, he's your go-to man. Pretty amazing for someone who grew up in Illinois.

For this installment of 10 Questions for..., Stephen ...

Years ago I was using an Olympus C-3000 Zoom digital camera with Olympus' own underwater housing. I had to double- and triple-check to ensure I bought the right housing because although the Olympus C-series bodies looked alike they had slight differences and the housings had to match.

It seems this is the case with other camera manufacturers and Chris at DiveHappy.com has done us a favor by compiling a list of compatible Canon Powershot cameras and their compatible housings. Following each of the links you'll find a photo of the Powershot model and its respective underwater ...
BCD systems, jackets
Halcyon Voluntary Recall of Select Explorer 40 BC's (Serial Numbers Listed Below)

Halcyon Manufacturing has identified a very small number of Halcyon Explorer-40 BC's sold after July 2005 that could develop problems over time. In these few units it is possible that the over pressure valve (OPV) could ...
Diving Computers

X-Ray Magazine has provided excellent scuba, photo, and marine news in their downloadable magazines since February of 2004. This weekend, they released their 10th issue. As usual, it’s completely free. Also as usual, it’s completely great: X-Ray is quickly proving itself to be among the best dive-related resources out ...

Masks, Fins, Snorkles

If you don't have the luxury of a large gear bag when you travel, saving space might be important to you. In that case, you might want to consider a folding mask. Although they don't feature a hinge that really "folds" them in half, folding masks are masks that lay down ...

O-Rings
At the Florida Dive Show, I talked to the vendor from Deep Outdoors. Rather than showcasing their newest mainstream recreational dive gear, they took an alternate approach: they were highlighting their Mini-Breather. Ranging in design from the Classic Pro to the Sport MK1 to the C-Pro, the Mini-Breathers aren’t designed ...
Other

Do you scuba dive with a bunch of shady characters? Do you feel uncomfortable leaving cash or other important documents on the boat when you get wet? If so, maybe the Aqua Roo is for you. Fashioned from abrasion-resistant ripstop double-coated nylon, the Aqua Roo is a fully submersible waistbelt ...

Regulators
Taking care of your regulator is one of the most important duties you can perform. For some, this might be a breeze. For the rest of us, who are a bit behind the technical curve, Mares has a nice write-up concerning how to care for your reg. From routine maintenance ...
Swimming Suits

Most wetsuits are made from a few large pieces of rubber that are cut to resemble the human form. They are then stretched to fit a "person" and stitched together. Wetsuits made in this fashion often lack durability: the seams are stressed from holding together the large pieces of material that are stretched over a person's body. However, if ...