Aquatica announces the production of a new housing for the Nikon D7000 camera. Although housing specifications haven't been announced yet, we have been advised that this housing will be loaded with innovative features and new technologies. It will also feature a depth ratio of 100 meters/300 feet, fulfilling even the most demanding needs of technical divers.

In addition to these promising features, Aquatica will be offering this new housing at an attractive price point of 2,499 USD (retail price).

Estimated release date is early 2011.

Furthermore, if you wish to use your new AD7000 on an upcoming shark, pole bear or alligator expedition, you will be happy to find out that it is perfectly compatible with the new Aquatica Pole Cam System, designed especially for such risky missions! This modular pole system was designed in order to allow the photographer to stay off the food chain while providing them with the dramatic "in your face" close up image capabilities.

Curious to find out what the AD7000 Housing is going through these days?
Aquatica's Technical Adviser, Jean Bruneau, has written a 5-part series of articles which offers a behind the scenes tour of how an Aquatica housing is made, start to finish. Click Here for this great read.

Among modifications carried out since the preproduction prototype is a new retractable focus/zoom gear rack and lens release lever. Pulling out these controls clears the path for installing and removing the camera/lens assembly. Replacing the battery, card or lens now becomes a simple task to do. The controls layout has been ergonomically positioned with vital functions (for both stills and video), all being accessible at the tip of your fingers.

The Aquatica AT2i Housing is manufactured in North America by a team of highly trained individuals from a company with over 28 years of experience in making underwater photography housings. The housing is manufactured from the best quality aluminum and high grade stainless steel components, which will not rust. The housing shell is treated to a military specification anodizing process and covered with a protective layer of baked powder coating. The Aquatica AT2i is designed and destined to provide its owners with years of loyal services.

Aquatica housings have long been known for offering a wide variety of strobe connectors to accommodate most of all lighting requirements for underwater photography. The Aquatica AT2i is no exception, and for optical strobe usage, a simple and easily accessible knob has been added, which allows the built in flash of the camera to be lowered for the purpose of ambient light images. Activating a push button allows to raise it when the photographer wishes to return to strobe illumination.

Since the introduction of video on modern cameras, it has become imperative that both still and video controls be made as equally accessible. This has been accomplished on the Aquatica AT2i housing with the use of internal control extenders, none being held by fasteners passing through the housing shell, thus eliminating the risk of leaking from through retainers. All controls are sealed with dual sealing O-rings and all push buttons are equipped with sealing Quad-rings. Aquatica is committed to the safety of the camera. The 300ft/90m depth rating and sturdy construction bears testimony to this fact.

Also introduced this summer and now available are two ports:

• 4” Mini dome 100 (#18410)
• Low profile Macro Port (# 18429), designed especially for the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens

All this, coupled with the fact that the Aquatica AT2i is one if not the smallest of housings for the Canon T2i on the market, will make packing this housing kit a dream for travelling.

Want to be Invited to the Epson Red Sea 2010 Competition

FREE OF CHARGE?

Compete for the title "Photographer of the Year"!

Between the months of April and August, the Epson Red Sea 2010 online competition will take place. Each month during the competition, amateur and professional photographers from all over the world are invited to submit a portfolio of 3 digital photos. By the end of each month, 3 photographers will be announced as the winners of that particular month, chosen both by the public and by a panel of 5 international judges.

An online competition among all the monthly winners (15 photographers) will then begin on September 1st, 2010. Online voters and a panel of 5 internatioal judges will eventually select one of the competitors as the Photographer of the Year.

Flights, accommodation (BB) and diving costs of the Photographer of the Year will all be covered, in order to enable this winner to participate at the Epson Red Sea 2010 shoot-out in Eilat.

So starting from April 1st, you can start submitting images to the competition by CLICKING HERE. Don't have any winning images yet? What are you waiting for! Get into the water...


Epson Red Sea 2010

The 6th annual Epson Red Sea competition will be held on November 8-13, 2010 in Eilat. A wide variety of innovative categories and worhy prizes are included this year, which makes it very much worthwhile to be elected as the Photographer of the Year.

>> Click Here for Epson Red Sea 2010 Innovative Categories and Prizes

See you on April 1st!

Best Wishes,

David Pilosof
www.eilatredsea.com
+972-9-7457055

Aquatica proudly introduces the BK-7 coated glass Mini Dome 100.

This new addition to their already fine line of ports is ideally suited for fisheye lenses, such as the Nikon 10.5mm, Tokina 10-17mm and Sigma 10mm.

Because of its small diameter of only 100mm (4 inches), its reduced frontal signature means you can really sneak up on a subject and have the extra room to properly position your strobes in ultra close-up wide angle situation. Its miniature size and lighter weight are welcome features by travelling underwater photographer in these days of increased travel restrictions.

Made from grounded BK-7 mineral glass and polished to perfection, the Mini Dome 100 is competitively priced without compromising on quality.

Discriminating photographers will appreciate the integration of optical anti reflection and scratch resistant coatings provided at no extra cost.

The Mini Dome 100 will shortly be made available for other housing brands.

• Depth rated to 90m / 300ft
• Made from BK-7 mineral glass
• Suggested Retail Price: 699 USD
• Available: Spring 2010

The 15th Issue of the Underwater Journal Magazine is now available for free download.

The following articles are featured on this issue:

• Farnsworth Bank: A snap shot of a truely great California dive, when Mother Nature lets you
• DSMB’s: A look into the types of Diver Surface Marker Buoys and why you should have one
• Red Demons: Sleek, fast, powerful & voracious. What you should know about Dosidicus gigas, the Humboldt Squid
• Dolphin Dream: Taking in the exciting reaches of the Little Bahama Banks on board the M/V Dolphin Dream
• Fiji’s Shark Reef Reserve: How Fiji maybe setting the new bench for both the protection of sharks and the continuation of shark dives
• Frozen Fins: Put down that glass of iced tea and jump into a form of diving under the ice that can really exhilarate the senses
• Superior Producer: Looking back on one of Curacao’s great wreck dives, the Superior Producer
• Parting Shot: Sometimes keeping it simple can land truely stunning underwater imagery