Experiencing the underwater world is a gift, sharing it with others through photography is a privilege. As a novice underwater photographer, any time I can find gear that improves video and images is a welcomed addition. Having experimented with my DSLR I found a fantastic tripod set up designed specifically for underwater housings. Xit 404’s tripod bracket offer two basic versions – one for mounting SLR housings and one for mounting camcorder housings. The brackets provide a wide, low profile footprint with two options for extendable legs, Ball Adaptor or Twist Clamp styles. The tripod bracket with its extendable legs is most certainly built for a stable lifestyle, but also proves to be a great “on the go” tool. If you are looking to increase the quality of your videography and still photos, the Xit 404 tripod bracket and legs is highly recommended. The versatility and overall quality marks this as one of my favorite photography tools. Check them out on their website –
www.xit404.com
Camera Reviews
XIT 404 Tripod
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GoPro Cameras
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GoPro cameras seem to be going everywhere lately. Whether you are going up 6000ft to go skydiving, or down 180ft to go scuba diving, this small but powerful camera can deliver 4-6 hours of video depending on the settings you select. The Hero2 can take 30fps at 1080p or up to 120fps at WVGA. The Hero2 can also take up to 10 photos per second. To see an interview we did with Dean, go to our DNN Youtube under mike Hughes scuba and to see a how this camera beautifully captures the talent of a very attractive Hawaiian surfer and the perfect backdrop of Hawaiian waves, go to www.GoPro.com where the pictures and vids are worth a thousand words; 30 to 120 frames per second.
Nauticam NA-XZ1 Housing for Olympus XZ-1
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Nauticam announced the arrival of it’s the NA-XZ1 Housing for Olympus XZ-1. The XZ-1 is Nauticam’s second entry into the advanced compact camera world. This camera and housing package offers complete control and image quality traditionally only available from much larger SLR systems with the ease of use expected of a compact system. A compact camera with this much functionality demands a rugged yet compact housing, and the Nauticam engineers have delivered with an aluminum housing offering all of that functionality to the underwater shooter. No controls need to be preset when installing the camera in the housing - simply drop it in. The housing is securely closed with a locking rotary latch. For more info visit Nauticam USA at www.nauticamusa.com.
Sea & Sea MDX-D7000 Underwater Housing
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The Sea & Sea’s MDX-D7000 Underwater Housing for Nikon D7000 is a compact housing constructed from machined solid block aluminum, with corrosion-resistant die-cast aluminum alloy grips. Camera features can be controlled using the ergonomic slanted controls on the rear of the housing. A built-in leak detector warms of water leakage and a 0.5x optical viewfinder is included. The housing can be fitted with an optional strobe bulkhead for hardwired strobes. Strobes can be triggered as slaves using the Fibre-Optic Cable L-Type. The housing has a corrosion- and abrasion-resistant anodized coating and features an anti-reflection coated LCD window, a port locking mechanism, locking latches, 2 fiber-optic cable sockets, and a camera quick-shoe, which makes installing and removing the camera very easy.
For more info visit www.seaandseacom.
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