Photo / Video News & Reviews
S.U.P.E.R. Part 18: Cinebags CB70 Square Grouper
In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Scubaverse.com’s underwater photography editors Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the eighteenth instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the CB70 Square Grouper from Cinebags.
We discovered Cinebags at DEMA 2016 and were instantly impressed with what we saw. They encouraged us to take one home with us to try out for ourselves, and with two trips – to Fiji and Sharm – coming up, along with several testing days in a U.K. quarry, this would be perfect timing to put this rugged bag through its paces.
The Cinebags CB70 is a large bag that has been designed to carry your full underwater camera setup, including lighting, as well as all the spares and bits and bobs you might want to take on a day of diving with your camera. We put Nick’s D800 in a Nauticam housing, with its glass dome port, arms, 2 INON Z-240 strobes and a couple of video lights in the main compartment of the bag, and it fitted with no problem at all! The bag is made out of heavy duty pvc tarpaulin material and is well padded. It really gives you peace of mind when you pop it on a boat, and you know it is in its own protective bag. No-one can brush their camera against yours on the camera table and you do not have to worry about accidentally knocking it as you walk to the dive boat. It makes carrying your underwater photography gear to the boat or shore much easier, using the tough yet comfortable handles or shoulder strap.
One of the features that we loved about this bag is all the extra little pockets, both on the inside of the lid, and on the outside of the bag. We put camera care equipment, like spares, grease, lens clothes on the inside pockets, and then our sun cream, sunglasses (or woolly hats and hand warmers) and other bits and bobs in the mesh pockets on the exterior. There are even cargo loops on the top of the lid to help keep all your gear in one place. The bag collapses down neatly, and the shoulder strap can be removed, so that it is easy to pack when you are heading home.
Another fantastic feature of this bag is that it is watertight. This means that whenever you have the CB70 with you, you also have your own personal camera rinse tank. Rather than adding your camera to the mass of others in the general rinse tank, risking damage to it and any lighting, you can simply grab a hose and ensure that your camera is kept safe in a padded rinse tank of its own. Even better, at diving locations where a rinse tank is difficult to access, you can put this under a shower or add water from any source when you return from your dive.
We have found the bag to be extremely useful on both overseas trips and whilst diving here at home. Not only does it keep your precious equipment safe whilst travelling to and from the dive site, walking, on a boat or in the car, when you are about to go diving, it is a great way to keep all your accessories in one place as you are about to get into the water too. Our lens hoods, towel, dive lights and anything we might not be taking on a particular dive gets tucked away in this versatile bag.
Cinebags also make a matching range of port pouches to keep all your glass safe whilst you travel too. The only sadness that I have about the Cinebags CB70 Square Grouper, is that we do not have two – so we are still arguing on who gets to use it each morning!
For more information visit www.cinebagsunderwater.com
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
An emotive photograph showing a freediver examining the aftermath of whaling sees
Alex Dawson from Sweden named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024. Dawson’s
photograph ‘Whale Bones’ triumphed over 6500 underwater pictures entered by underwater
photographers from around the world.
“Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions,” explains chair of judging
panel Alex Mustard, “as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear
witness to the carcasses. The composition invites us to consider our impact on the great
creatures of this planet. Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today,
just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock. Our way
needs to change to find a balance with nature.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Whales dominated the winning pictures this year with Spanish photographer Rafael
Fernandez Caballero winning two categories with his revealing photos of these ocean giants:
a close up of a grey whale’s eye and an action shot of a Bryde’s whale engulfing an entire bait
ball, both taken in Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Fernandez Caballero took ‘Grey
Whale Connection’ while drifting in a small boat, holding his camera over the side in the water
to photograph the curious whale. ‘The End Of A Baitball’ required Fernandez Caballero to dive
down and be in exactly the right place at the moment the whale lunged. “The photo shows
the high speed attack,” he said, “with the whale engulfing hundreds of kilograms of sardines
in one bite — simply unforgettable to see predation on such a scale.”
Photo: Rafael
Fernandez Caballero
Lisa Stengel from the United States was named Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image of a mahi-mahi catching a sardine, in Mexico. Stengel used both a very fast shutter speed and her hearing to catch the moment. “If you listen there’s an enormous amount of sound in the ocean,” she explained. “The action was too fast to see, so I honed in on the sound of the attacks with my camera to capture this special moment.”
“It is such an exciting time in underwater photography because photographers are capturing such amazing new images, by visiting new locations and using the latest cameras,”
commented judge Alex Mustard. “Until this year I’d hardly ever see a photo of a mahi mahi,
now Lisa has photographed one hunting, action that plays out in the blink of an eye.”
The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest is based in the UK, and Jenny Stock,
was named as British Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for her image “Star
Attraction”, which finds beauty in species of British wildlife that are often overlooked.
Exploring the west coast of Scotland, Stock explained “in the dark green depths my torch
picked out the vivid colours of a living carpet of thousands of brittle stars, each with a
different pattern. I was happily snapping away, when I spotted this purple sea urchin and I
got really excited.”
Photo: Jenny Stock
In the same contest, Portuguese photographer, Nuno Sá, was named ‘Save Our Seas
Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024, with his photo ‘Saving
Goliath’, taken in Portugal. Sá’s photo shows beachgoers trying to save a stranded sperm
whale. The picture gives us hope that people do care and want to help the oceans, but also
warns us that bigger changes are needed. “The whale had been struck by a ship and its fate
was sealed,” explains Sá. “An estimated 20,000 whales are killed every year, and many more
injured, after being struck by ships-and few people even realise that it happens.”
Photo: Nuno Sá
More winning images can be found at www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com.
About Underwater Photographer of the Year
Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, based in the UK, that celebrates photography beneath the surface of the ocean, lakes, rivers and even swimming pools, and attracts entries from all around the world. The contest has 13 categories, testing photographers with themes such as Macro, Wide Angle, Behaviour and Wreck photography, as well as four categories for photos taken specifically in British waters. The winners were announced in an award ceremony in Mayfair, London, hosted by The Crown Estate. This year’s UPY judges were experienced underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Dr Alexander Mustard MBE.
Header image: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winner Alex Dawson
The winners of the prestigious World Shootout 2023 underwater photography competition were announced at this year’s BOOT Show, captivating audiences at the world’s largest diving and water sports exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany. Hundreds of photographers from 54 countries competed across nine categories, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technical skill.
Grand Prize Winners
- Picture of the Year: Spanish photographer Eduardo Acevedo “secured” the top Honor with the prestigious prize the “boot Dusseldorf Director’s Prize, earning an Andromeda statuette and a €2,000 cash prize.
- Best 5 Images Portfolio: Luc Rooman from Belgium triumphed in this category, winning a dream 4-week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea, valued at $18,900.
- Amateur Photographer: Alexandra Ceurvorst from the USA impressed the judges with her talent, taking home the 1,000 € cash prize award.
Celebrating Diversity and Innovation
This year’s competition saw 11,680 entries from 964 photographers, showcasing a remarkable spectrum of skills and perspectives. From the intricate wonders of Macro photography to the beauty of “Black Water”, the “Underwater Fashion” category added a touch of artistry and innovation, while the ever-important ” Environmental & Conservation” category served as a powerful reminder of the need to protect these fragile ecosystems.
Looking Ahead: AI and Ocean Conservation
World Shootout founder and producer David Pilosof unveiled an exciting addition for the 2024 competition: this year the Environmental category will be focusing on the impact of plastic on our oceans and future.
This category will embrace the potential of AI or other editing software as a tool to amplify the conservation message.
Entrants will submit campaigns of three original underwater photographs dealing with plastic pollution, along with their final AI assistance processing. This innovative approach encourages artistic expression while raising awareness about a critical environmental issue.
Explore the Stunning Collection
Discover the complete album of competition entries by clicking here.
For Low-resolution photos of finalist entries in eight categories, click here.
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