Editor’s Note: During the first part of our DEMA coverage, we’ll visit the SeaLife and Kraken booths, and get the latest from show absentees Backscatter, Ikelite and Nauticam.
Waiting for the first attendees to arrive
After nearly two years of uncertainty, lockdowns, and travel restrictions, the DPG team returned to the DEMA Show in Las Vegas last week. Finally, we caught up with some of our friends and industry partners to see what the future holds for divers and underwater photographers during these unprecedented times. Companies from around the world usually come to the show every year to promote their products or destinations, but government mandates and safety concerns have deterred many from attending this year. . The event was no more than a third of its normal size, with many well-known exhibitors absent from the show floor.
While it’s undeniably quieter than usual, the companies selected to attend stay busy and report good business throughout the week. Although the walkways sometimes seem emptier than usual and the social aspect of the show is much lower, people are still there to do business, plan future expeditions, and buy equipment. new — it’s encouraging to hear bad news after so many months. Normally, we post daily coverage of the show, latest gear reports, popular dive spots, and the infamous DPG/Wetpixel party, but since things are a little different this year, we I decided to wait until the show was over and split the scope into two parts, specifically focusing on underwater photography gear and diving tourism.
DPG Editor-in-Chief Joseph Tepper is ready to welcome friends at the DPG booth
Sadly, the hardest hit department this year was the Image Resource Center, and many of the big players in the world of underwater photography were absent, including our sponsors. Backscatter and Ikeliteand other popular brands like Nauticam, Isotta, Above and Seacam. The presentation area was also unusually quiet, with few talks or lectures scheduled, but we were grateful to meet some of the producers who chose to attend and learn all about the products. latest and plans for their future. Some of those aren’t able to deliver to video presentations instead, so here’s a bunch of new gear to get you excited for next year when hopefully we can all travel. schedule and freediving is back.
Sven from SeaLife demonstrates how to use the latest Sea Dragon video lights
Sea life
Probably the busiest booth of the entire show, Sea life seemed unaffected by the smaller-than-average crowd, and Sven Harms, Vice President of Pioneer Research (the company behind SeaLife), and his team had people lined up to talk to them about the device. their new, especially SportDiver underwater and new smartphone case Sea Dragon 3000SF Pro Dual Beam video lights.
SportDiver smartphone case together with the popular Micro 3.0 Camera
Although the SportDiver case has been around for a while, its popularity continues to grow as divers realize that it is now possible to take high-quality photos with just a mobile phone and a waterproof case. Intuitive and affordable water. The best thing about the SportDiver case is that it can be used with a multitude of different phones, and as the camera quality and video capabilities of these devices continue to improve, so does the appeal of the product. For $349 you can capture amazing pictures and videos directly to your smartphone and share them with friends or family on social media before the dive boat even turns around. Pier.
While the case has worked seamlessly with Apple products since its release, SeaLife has now introduced a Android apps—Meaning that almost anyone with a smartphone released in the last few years can now use the SportDiver and experience the art of underwater photography with relative ease. Sven was kind enough to send us a housing and accompanying video light recently, so stay tuned for a holiday review of this product on DPG next month.
A large banner advertising the SportDiver smartphone case
SeaLife’s new Sea Dragon Pro Dual Beam video light
Aimed at more experienced players, the new Sea Dragon Pro Dual Beam light delivers 3,000 lumens across a 120-degree wide flood beam (90 degrees underwater). With the push of a button, you can reduce the power, switch to a 15 degree beam (11 degrees underwater) or use the red 88 degree LED (66 degrees underwater) that won’t scare away marine life during the day. night— or blind your diving buddy! Expect this all-around product to be another popular product in the SeaLife portfolio, and consider pairing two of them with your video system for optimal results.
The SeaLife booth also displayed its other popular cameras such as the Micro 3.0 and a ultra-wide wet dome lens
Kraken Sports booth decorated with some sweet shark photos
Kraken Sports
Along with SeaLife, Kraken is the only underwater photography retailer with a proper booth at the show. They are also very busy and have many new products to introduce. Among the most recent additions to their ever-expanding portfolio is a macro-to-wide-angle conversion lens that converts a Nikon or Canon 60mm macro lens into a 154-degree fisheye lens and is a perfect fit. suitable for shooting reef scenes and wide-angle close-up focal lengths. Like other wet lenses, it attaches to the front of the case using a flip bayonet system. It’s neutral and floats in water, making it easy to put on or take off, depending on what you choose.
Having the ability to switch from macro to wide angle underwater when shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless camera is a bit of a game changer that I haven’t experienced and I hope to get my hands on one of these lenses. and put it to the test next year.
Kraken Sports Super Wide Angle Conversion Lens
Kraken is known for its superb collection of video lights, and the newest addition to the Hydra lineup is an incredibly powerful 15,000 lumen monstrous monster that features a 120-degree beam (in the air) with 11 power levels. Various capacities and USB-C battery packs make charging easy and convenient. Expect this product to attract videographers everywhere and compete with Keldan for part of the professional market in the future.
New Hydra 15000 video light with its slightly less powerful sibling, Hydra 8000
Hydra 15000 and other lights were displayed on stands with the interesting Kraken logo
Other additions to the collection include a snoot adapter that connects to popular 6,000 and 8,000 lumen lights, a quick-release ball mount, and other wide-angle and macro lenses to enhance your creativity when underwater photography.
Backscatter
DPG Equipment Partners has put out a call to not attend this year’s DEMA Show, but with the holiday season coming up, Backscatter is busy preparing tons of great deals on all the latest and greatest gear. Best. Media producer Robin Dodd can keep us entertained all day with the cool stuff they’ve got in store, but we asked him to show us a few highlights.
In the video below, he focuses on the company’s own most recent products, including Macro Width 4300 video lights, Mini Flash MF-1 compact strobes (as well as their matching optical Snoots), and Filtration System FLIP9 / 10. Robin also talks about their newest tray and new Arch, and their two favorite cameras at the moment.
Ikelite
Another big absentee this year, Ikelite has decided to stay home instead to work on buying their newest homes — as well as new and updated coats. In the following video, Vice President John Brigham – who often manages the Ikelite booth at DEMA – gives his introduction to the most interesting gear on the market today and how Ikelite makes it easy for shooters to get the most out of it. multi it.
John chats about Canon EOS R5 Paired with 14–35mm wide angle and Ikelite compact and full dome options, their large bore Optional M24 . accessory port to connect HDMI recorders and their new stands for monitors. He also talks about tweaks to their venerable DS160 as well as two brand new tablets, the DS162 and DS230.
Nauticam
Underwater photographers and videographers also miss the numerous Nauticam booths, which are always filled with cases for exotic cameras equipped with incredible optical accessories. The Hong Kong-based company may not have treated us with their presence this time around, but they have a lot to say in the three videos they shared with us below. .
In the first video, Hergen Spalink provides a smooth tour of Nauticam’s new shell for Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7S III, Canon EOS R5, Nikon D6and Fujifilm GFX 100S (among many others), including the sides of the company’s wet optics (WACP, SMC, and WWL) and cases for monitors/recorders.
In the second video, Hergen dives into professional cinematography with a look at Nauticam’s new and upcoming premium cinema cases for cameras like Komodo RED 6K, Canon EOS C70and Canon EOS C500 Mark II.
Finally, in the final video, we get a detailed look at some of Nauticam’s new wet optics and accessories. Hergen includes the company’s next-generation viewfinders, the new Universal Quadra-Pod Plate filming platform and Extended Macro Wide Lens (EMWL-1).
inside the second part During our DEMA coverage, we catch up with dive operators from around the world to see how they’re responding to COVID-19 and discuss the future of diving tourism and the business. their business.
When purchasing underwater photography equipment like the products mentioned in this article, please support DPG by supporting our retail partner—Backscatter.com.
