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.

SharkTees is a company that offers an exceptional collection of T-Shirt designs, including scuba T-Shirts, zodiac T-Shirts, celebs T-Shirts, eco T-Shirts, humor T-Shirts and more. These T-Shirts dare to make a difference, featuring innovative, original, creative and exclusive ideas, based on the world of scuba diving, celebs, horoscope, humor, politics and ecology.

One of the most fascinating facts about SharkTees T-Shirt designs, is that they are all created by the famous and talented artist, caricaturist, scuba diver, journalist, world news specialist and T-Shirt freak, Shlomo Cohen.

Shlomo Cohen has been diving since 1969 and was one of the first in the region to be certified as a Dive Master. Back then, dive sites in the Red Sea were hardly mapped and the most impressive coral reefs were mainly a matter of rumor. Shlomo’s natural tendency to creativity led him to an adventurous experience, in which he had slowly revealed the most attractive Red Sea dive sites, mapped them within extraordinary accurate drawings and released the first Red Sea dive sites guide in 1975. Dive sites discovered and mapped by Shlomo back then are nowadays some of the most popular dive sites in the Red Sea, including the world famous Dunraven wreck.

Ever since, Shlomo has become an internationally acknowledged scuba diving artist and writer. Up until now, Shlomo has managed to create over 40 logos for the diving industry, to edit 15 dive guides and to map numerous world famous dive sites by incredibly fascinating three dimensional illustrations.

However, throughout the years, the scuba diving world served only as one source of inspiration out of many for Shlomo. His impressive general knowledge and deep acquaintance with a variety of fields, such as politics, environmental conservation considerations and cultural issues, led to a wide variety of creations dealing with almost any theme one can come up with.

For instance, one of Shlomo’s eco designs called “Fried World” and featured as one of the T-Shirt designs on SharkTees, has won the 3rd prize on the Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Awards category of the UNCA 2009 competition, which is an annual international competition among artists, held by the United Nations Society of Writers and Artists. This award winning humor eco drawing was designed in light of one of the most pressing environmental issues nowadays being dealt with – global warming. Our earth is originally introduced on this eco humor design as being fried like an egg as result of global warming factors. The design has won the prize due to a unique and amusing combination of humor and serious contemporary environmental hazards.

Being a big fan of T-Shirts, Shlomo recently decided to share his unique, amusing and original art by printing them on fine T-Shirts, thereby enabling the public to further enjoy his work.


And this is what SharkTees is all about.

On the SharkTees website you will find a wide variety of designs and caricatures created by Shlomo, offered to be printed on high quality 160 grams (5.64 ounce) ###### T-Shirts within an advanced, state-of-the-art digital printing method.

Professional digital printers used for this purpose feature four CMYK print heads and four white print heads, enabling to reach high printing resolutions while achieving exceptional color prints with many shades. This innovative and advanced printing technology allows SharkTees to offer T-Shirts with high quality prints, as never seen before.

These exclusive and innovative T-Shirts can be ordered through the SharkTees website. A user friendly platform has been established in order to allow you to fully customize your T-Shirt, including model, color, size and printed design. In addition to the original T-Shirt model, you can also find on SharkTees a nice selection of long sleeve shirts, tank-tops and V color shirts. Once ordered, T-Shirts can be shipped to almost anywhere in the world.

Nauticam NA-550D

Nauticam: Innovation Underwater

Innovative Nauticam NA-550D Housing features compact size, new locking latches, new lens release lever, new two stage shutter release, and continues the Nauticam tradition of unmatched ergonomics.

Canon EOS Rebel T2i

The newest member of the Canon DSLR lineup boasts an impressive number of advanced features at an entry level price point. Depending on territory, this camera is known as the Canon Digital Rebel T2i (North America), Kiss X4 Digital (Japan) or the Canon EOS 550D (worldwide). With its 18 megapixel sensor and 1080p HD video with manual exposure control, some pundits have called it a baby 7D.

Call it what you will, this camera is now ready to go exploring the underwater world! Nauticam is proud to announce the imminent arrival of the NA-550D housing for Canon 550D/T2i. The NA-550D housing inherits the renowned piano keys from NA-7D housing, patented Nauticam port locking system, comfortable rubberized handles, and innovative ergonomic access to key camera controls. New features include locking housing latches, lens release lever, a fingertip ISO paddle, and access to the camera’s playback button from the left handle.

Unmatched Ergonomics

In keeping with the Nauticam philosophy, the NA-550D housing continues to innovate while building on previous success. Notable examples are the AV+/- switch, new fingertip paddle on the top of the housing to allow easy access to ISO control, a unique rocker lever for easy access to the star (*) and focus point selector buttons, and a piano key for accessing the quick control button. The playback button is moved out to a lever on the left side of the housing accessed from the handle by the user’s thumb. All of these controls are designed to allow the underwater photographer complete access to the camera’s important functions without removing their hands from the handles. AV +/- is a pushbutton on the back of the camera body that must be held down while rotating a command wheel to change F-Stop in Manual Exposure Mode. The Nauticam AV +/- switch brings this control to the right side of the housing, easily accessed from the handle. This two position switch has a position for adjusting f-stop, and a position for adjusting shutter speed, eliminating the press and hold or long reaches required by other housings. The fingertip ISO paddle is designed with video shooters in mind, allowing quick exposure changes from the handle.

Continued Innovation

Another innovative ergonomic advancement is Nauticam’s new two stage shutter release lever. This mechanical lever greatly enhances tactile feel of the half press and full press positions of the shutter release button, allowing precise focus control, and less accidental shutter actuation.

New, easy to use locking latches eliminate the stainless steel latches used previously. This new closure method reduces overall size and is easier to operate. These locking latches are easy to close with minimal hand strength required, and protected from accidental opening by a locking detent.

A lens release button is offered as standard equipment, allowing lens changes while a zoom gear is attached without opening the housing back.

NA-550D housing is the smallest housing in the Nauticam lineup, which should appeal to anyone concerned with the large size of some DSLR housings. This housing can still accommodate the same accessories as all other Nauticam housings, allowing use of an extensive line of lenses, ports, port adapters, lens gears, and viewfinders.

Patented Locking Port Release Lever & Locking Extension Rings

Nauticam’s acclaimed Patented Locking Port Release Lever is incorporated into the NA-550D housing. Lens ports are inserted straight into the Nauticam mount, eliminating the twisting or threading actions that can extrude dry o-rings. Once seated, the large red port lock lever is engaged, securely locking the port in place. To remove a lens port, the silver unlock button is pressed, the port lever rotated to the outer position, and the port is pulled straight out of the housing.

Nauticam is pleased to offer the industry’s only locking extension ring system as standard equipment, securely fixing large dome ports even when mounted with an extension ring.

Patented Expanded Viewfinder

Nauticam’s optional accessory viewfinder provides a crystal clear life size view of the camera’s optical viewfinder through a diving mask. The patented external dioptric adjustment allows eye relief to be fine tuned in water. High quality optics eliminate distortion and keep color fringing to an absolute minimum. The edge to edge, magnified viewfinder image makes confirming fine focus and checking corner composition an absolute breeze.

Port Adapters for Other Housing Lines

Nauticam offers a full range of port adapters allowing existing housing owners to use their current ports. This greatly reduces the cost of switching to a Nauticam housing, and brings the benefits of Nauticam Innovation to a wide range of underwater photographers! Port Adapters are available for Aquatica, Ikelite, Inon, Nexus M5, Nexus M6, Sea & Sea NX, Seacam, Subal Version 3, Subal Version 4, and Zillion lens ports.

Optical Flash Connectors for Inon S-TTL, and Sea & Sea DS-TTL

Reliable automatic flash exposure is available with Nauticam housings and a variety of optically fired flashes. Inon Z-240, D-2000, S-2000, Sea & Sea YS-110 Alpha, and YS-01 strobes provide automated lighting, precisely reproducing the camera’s onboard flash at a proportionally greater intensity. This system yields accurate TTL flash performance with no electrical sync cables to flood! Nikonos, Ikelite, and S6 style flash connectors are available as optional accessories for customers utilizing legacy electrically fired strobe systems.

Rubberized Ergonomic Handles

Nauticam uses a sophisticated over-mold process to produce extremely comfortable rubberized ergonomic hand grips. Handles are available in two sizes to accommodate customers with different size hands, and spacers are available with the housing for cold water divers.

Proven Construction Materials

Nauticam Housings are machined from a solid block of seawater resistant aluminum alloy, then hard anodized making them impervious to corrosion. All hardware is marine grade stainless steel. Acrylic windows protected with a scratch resistant material.

Specifications

• Depth Rating: 100m
• Dimensions: 325mm (180 mm without handles) x 158mm x 120mm
• Weight: TBD

Standard Features

• Patented Locking Port Release Lever
• Sensitive Two Stage Shutter Release Lever
• Optical Strobe Connectors
• Rubberized Ergonomic Grips
• Customizable Accessory Hole (allowing use of optional Nikonos, S6, or Ikelite Strobe Connectors and Hydrophone, Video Out, and Remote Control Connectors)
• Embossed Control Function Labels
• Quick Release Camera Mounting Shoe
• Lens Release Button
• Four Strobe & Accessory Base Mounting Locations
• Complete Access to All Key Camera Controls
• .66x Optical Pickup Finder (Enhanced 180 deg Viewfinder with External Diopter Adjustment Optional)

USA Retail Price, $2500

Estimated Shipping Date, June 14

More information is available from Nauticam USA.

Contact Nauticam USA:

Chris Parsons

Nauticam USA

3320 NE 32nd Street

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

954-489-8678

http://www.nauticamusa.com

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

About Nauticam USA:

Nauticam USA is the exclusive wholesale distributor of Nauticam products in the North American Market. Nauticam USA’s warehouse and service center is located in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Our staff of underwater photography experts strives to provide the best customer support and after sale service available. Dealer inquiries are welcome!

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

A Breathtaking Underwater Journey

The Epson Red Sea 2009 Competition might have already concluded, but such extraordinary images never fade out. And so, we are proud to announce that the Epson Red Sea 2009 Competition Album has finally been published.

All competition nominees and winners images are featured in the album. The result is a breathtaking 152 pages underwater journey.

The album features high quality graphics printed on thick pages at the size of 23x30cm.

“Images submitted to the competition this year consisted of an exceptionally high standard”, says Roni Sofer, head of the Epson Red Sea jury panel. “This might have made it more difficult for us, judges, to make decisions, but at the same time, it sure turned this year’s competition album to one of the best ever presented!”

So whether you have took part in the competition, plan to do so in the future, have an interest in underwater photography or simply a fan of fine art, click here to order the Epson Red Sea 2009 Competition Album.

Regular Price: 39 Euro
Special Price: Only 23 Euro*
*Special Price is valid till February 28th.
**Any of Epson Red Sea previous competitions albums can be ordered as well for a discounted price of 17 Euro only.

Epson Red Sea 2009 had the honor to be driven by the Israeli "Yam" magazine and by an international leader in imaging products, Epson. This album is one of the many magnificent outcomes of this extraordinary event, which is already known worldwide as the "International Underwater Olympics".

I wish you all enjoyable, exciting and safe 2010 dives.

David Pilosof
Epson Red Sea
http://www.eilatredsea.com

Last year, Wetpixel hosted 44 Picture of the Week contests resulting in 44 stunning winners. Over the next 30 days, you—the public—will vote on what you think was the best photo from last year. The author of the winning photo will score a one-week liveaboard dive trip aboard the M/V Solmar V, a fantastic liveaboard dive vessel that runs trips to Socorro, the Sea of Cortez, and to Guadalupe for great white sharks. There are some incredible images in the mix, and if you're a fan of underwater photography, you owe it to yourself to check out the gallery! Voting ends on February 11, 2010. http://wetpixel.com/competition/index.php?view=competition&id=330&page=all