April 2011

Endangered fish of the Mediterranean, according to IUCN

The IUCN has published on its website (click on the image to download the pdf file) a document on the state of the fish of the Mediterranean in the framework of the RED LIST updates. The publication is authored by 15 European, Australian, and American experts, among whom the Italian Leonardo of Tunesi-ISPRA. In summary, it results that 40% (31 out of 76 species) of cartilaginous fishes (sharks and rays) is at risk of extinction, with 18% (14 species) in critical conditions. Among osseous fish, 2.5 % is at risk (12 species out of 442) and among these only 1 in critical conditions, the little goby, Pomatoschistus microps. This list contains well known species like wreckfish, bluefin tuna, green tuna, five-spotted wrasse, brown meagre, dentex. To this picture, one must add the lack of data for many species.

Ikelite: a new housing for the Nikon S9100

A new housing for the superzoom compact Nikon S9100 is on its way. The housing, depth rated to 60m, is built in transparent polycarbonate, mounts a diffuser, and makes all camera controls available from outside. The predicted price is € 400, and it can be purchased from Europhoto. The camera has only one automatic exposure mode, P + SCENE, has a 25-450 equivalent zoom, full 1080p HD, and macro focusing up to 4 cm in wideangle.

Nauticam launches the new housing for the Panasonic LX5

The new housing for the prosumer compact Panasonic LX5, a much praised direct competitor of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1. The housing, depth rated to 60 m, is provided with diffuser and allows access to all camera controls. The flat port has an M67 thread and therefore can mount both macro lenses and add-ons or wideangle ports. The predicted price is € 850. Available from Digital Media Service.

Isotecnic housing for the Nikon D7000

Isotecnic announces the availability of the Isotta housing for the new Nikon D7000. An interesting feature is the possibility of mounting, in addition to the Isotta ports (bayonet with safety lock to avoid accidental opening), third party ports like Underwave, and upon request Subal, Seacam, Sea&Sea, and others. Read the complete press announcement and check out construction details.

1 Ikelite housing for 5 Panasonics

Ikelite annouced the new housing #6170.08, which can host as many a five new Panasonic compacts and prosumer compacts: ZS8, ZS10, TZ18, TZ20 & TZ22. The constructive features are the usual of the Indianapolis company, and the housing is depth rated to 60 m. It weighs 1.3 kg and is provided with a diffuser for the on-board flash. It can work with external servo strobes, but doesn’t have a socket for optical cable. It can mount macro lenses through an appropriate port adapter, and for wide images it can mount the WD-4 Wide Angle Conversion Dome, which can be applied/removed underwater.

IUCN alarm on some charismatic species

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has singled out a few charismatic species to send an alert on the need to invert the processes at the origin of climate change, a major cause of extinction for many species in the 21st century. Between 20% and 30% of animal and vegetal species are subject to a growing risk of extinction deriving from the global increase of average temperatures. In particular, the IUCN focuses its analyses on some marine and terrestrial species, and among these the clown fish, the staghorn corals, and the lute turtle. Click here for more on the subject.

New Sea&Sea housing for the Nikon D7000, and morh

Sea&Sea officially presented the new Housing MDX-D7000 for the reflex Nikon D7000, which uses the existing ports for the MDX series. All controls are available from outside, except for the Flash Mode/Flash Exposure Compensation and Shutter Release Mode Dial Lock Button/Shutter Release Mode Dial. The housing can control external flashes through optical cable with two connectors and through electric cable with one connector, but not working in TTL. Particularly handy is the video function control, with the lever for the activation of the Live View mode, and the REC lever within thumb reach, without having to leave the handle. The housing is in aluminum, weighs 2.7 kg, and is very compact. Provided with humidity sensor, it is depth rated to 100 m. Sea&Sea has also presented two new compact macro ports, with a thread for addional M67 external lenses, and a new adapter for mounting macre lenses on the housing for the compact DX-GE5.

A new galley: Marco Giuliano

Sometimes hazardous gambles pay off: that’s what happened to Marco Giuliano, who succeded to turm his dives in his Adriatic, in the Numana area, a must for those who want to keep being dazzled by underwater photography. His pictures dangle between the Indonesian muck dive and Conaro muck dive, to prove that, more than the place, it’s the eye of the photographer that really counts. But spectacular images of the Red Sea and other spots from his trips are there too.

2011