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S.U.P.E.R. Part 9: Nauticam NA-EM10II
In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown from Frogfish Photography review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the ninth instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the NA-EM10 Housing from Nauticam.
Nauticam have added the latest housing for the Olympus EM10 mkII to their extensive range of underwater camera housings.
The first thing we noticed when getting it out of its box was how light it was. Okay, we are used to heavier SLR housings, but this is very light (at just a touch over 1kg), and indeed compact in size too. The Olympus mirrorless cameras are probably the most popular – of this genre – with underwater photographers, due to the quality of the cameras and the range of lenses available for them. Nauticam has made a housing that ensures that you can access every function with ease, and has port and gear options to allow users to have a great choice on what to buy. The housing is tough and is made from solid aluminium with a depth rating of 100m, which makes it suitable for technical diving too.
It is always difficult to test a new housing, with an unfamiliar camera inside, with only one day to dash up to Capernwray Quarry, in freezing conditions, and get the best from the system. Cold hands combined with unfamiliarity with the camera itself can lead to frustration. However, Nauticam housings do help, with an intuitive design, a sturdy build and some great extras. One of the first things that really pleased us about this housing was the new Shutter Release Extension. This is a piece that can be fitted to the housing that makes the shutter release easy to press (even with 5mm gloves) without moving your hand away from holding the handle. This new housing also comes with metal brackets that anchor the handles from the tray system to the housing – giving better stability all around.
This new housing and ports are also designed to take the fantastic new wet lenses that Nauticam have brought out and so, with the Compact Macro Converter (CMC) attached to a holder on the arm, and the Wet Wide Lens (WWL-1) attached to the bayonet fitting on the port, we were ready for action. The WWL-1 is a heavy wet lens, as you would expect from a quality piece of glass, and so you can also get a handy float for the housing that keeps the system nicely balanced in the water.
With these optional Nauticam wet lenses, you can actually stick with the “kit” 14-42mm lens and the small Macro 29 port and take amazing images. However, there are also great lenses for the Olympus range for both macro and wide angle lovers to select from.
Whilst the Nauticam Vacuum Leak Detector is not a new feature specifically for this housing, as it has been around for a while now, it does come with the ability to have one fitted. This feature really does give you peace of mind, as it tests the integrity of housing seals before you get into the water. A green light and you are good to go.
It is hard not to be impressed with Nauticam housings and this is no exception. It looks good, feels good in the hand, and is obviously built to a high standard. With some fabulous accessories, a great choice of lenses, ports and gears to select from, the hardest thing for buyers will be what to leave out of the package! Whilst we only got a single, cold water dive to form our views, we are certain this is a product that will not disappoint. Actually we would quite like it back!
For more information regarding Nauticam products visit www.nauticam.co.uk.
To find out more about Nick and Caroline and Frogfish Photography, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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