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New SW8 dome port for the Aquatica 4/3 Micro series housings

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Aquatica 2Along with its new line of housings for the Micro 4/3 series of Camera, Aquatica have introduced the SW8 Port, specially designed to cover Super Wide Angle lenses such as the 114o    FOV Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F/4 and the 100o FOV Olympus M.Zuiko  9-18mm f/4-5.6. With  these  ultra  wide  angle  rectilinear lenses,  to  get  the  best  optical  results, the use of a large  radius dome port is required.

Aquatica 8 inch Dome Virtual Image LocationTo achieve the optimum quality over the whole image area, Aquatica uses its legendary 8’’ diameter dome port with an added twist. The SW8 port only uses the portion of the dome lens required to cover the field of view of these extreme lenses. Consequently, the resulting dome port is substantially smaller and lighter, while retaining the optical performance associated with these large hemispherical dome ports.

Whenever a dome port is immersed in a liquid, it creates a Plano-Concave lens element of its own. This additional lens element has the property of retaining the original field of view of the lens (as opposed to a flat port which

will considerably reduce the field of view of a lens).  One of the side effects of this optical phenomenon is that it creates a virtual image of the scene being photographed. This image is projected at 4x the radius from the optical center of the dome used.  In other words, that scene is now projected at a much closer distance than it is in reality, and a lens will usually need to be focused close to its minimum operating distance.

Using an 8’’ dome wraps the projected virtual image at +/- 12’’ (30cm) from the external surface of the dome lens, while a smaller dome port, such as one with a 6’’ diameter, will force this virtual image to be wrapped a mere +/- 9” (23cm) away. This might be a relatively innocuous difference of distance in normal situations, but it is also common knowledge that the closer the focusing distance, the harder it will be to get adequate depth of field. At these close distances, such small difference does have a huge impact on the success of the images taken.

Aquatica dome lense by camera

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Modular System:

Once underwater, a dome port will force the light to radiate towards a central point.  To obtain the best performance, this optical center should be located, as close as possible, where the optical center of the lens used is when set at its widest field of view.  With the Aquatica system, a modular port extension system allows the SW8 port to be optically optimized to this position so that it can be used successfully with wide variety of lenses.

To complement the SW8 port, Aquatica also offers its well established and renowned 4’’ BK-7 coated glass dome for the Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm f/3.5 lens, and for Macro work, two dedicated flat port for the Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 ED and the Leica DG Macro-Elmarit  45mm f/2.8.

Aquatica SW8 diagramIn keeping with the spirit of the housings it was designed for, the Aquatica SW8 port is compact, and because of its modular nature, its footprint in your luggage will be 1/3 the space than a regular 8’’ dome port would require. This should be a welcome relief for the travelling photographers.

The SW8 Port is priced competitively at USD $579 and will be available in March 2014.

www.aquatica.ca

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OrcaTorch D710 Dive Light now available in four colours

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Whether you’re a recreational or a professional diver, you’ll find the OrcaTorch D710 dive light useful in your underwater activities.

With max 3,000 lumens, the D710 is one of the strongest torches in its class. You also have plenty of brightness settings to choose from if you prefer less power.

It runs on one OrcaTorch 21700 5000mAh rechargeable battery with a Type-C charging port, easier for you to charge it anywhere. Now it offers four exterior colour options: Black, Green, Red, and Blue, to satisfy your diverse needs.

orcatorch

Featuring:

* Uses Luminous LED, max 3000 lumens

* Uses 1 * 21700 Li-ion battery

* 6° beam angle

* Offers four exterior colour options: Black, Red, Green and Blue

* Easy operation with side titanium alloy push-button switch

* Safe lock function, prevents mis-operation

* Intelligent Over-Heat protection

* Battery indicator

* Water pressure resistant construction, depth rated to 150 meters

* Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation

* Over-discharge protection function

* Constructed from high-strength A6061-T6 aluminum

* Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized finish for durability and corrosion resistance

* Two sides coated toughened glass with high water pressure resistance under deep water

www.orcatorch.com

Sea & Sea is the home of OrcaTorch and other leading diving brands in the UK. 

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Hammond Drysuits Launch New Scuba Diving Drysuit

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Hammond Drysuits has announced the launch of their new scuba diving drysuit, the Pro-Elite Lite SD.

This drysuit is essentially their popular Pro-Elite self-donning drysuit. It comes with plenty of extras as standard – neoprene neck and wrist seals, neoprene boots, zip with wet zipper
cover, knee and shoulder reinforcing, swivel inflation and hose, auto dump, elasticated rear waist and braces, two pockets, fly zip and cover.

The Difference

The Pro-Elite Lite SD is made from lighter material whilst maintaining it’s durability this suit is flexible, light and less restrictive. It’s suitable for all but especially the more petite
person or those who travel with their drysuit.

Size

Made-to-Measure – the drysuit is made to the end-user dimensions or the ultimate comfort and fit.

Colours

Olive, Red, Navy, Yellow, Black or Royal Blue

Be one of the first to see the NEW HDS Pro Elite Lite SD! Check out the detailing and get measured at Go Diving in Hall 2 Stand 140 on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March.

www.hammond-drysuits.co.uk

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