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I was once a big proponent of mirrorless: same image quality as DSLR, but way more compact. BUT, I finally realized there are two very important limitations to mirrorless as compared to DSLR: auto-focus and battery life! I was always frustrated by the very pokey AF of my mirrorless. Having to...

Hmm, I don't know if getting the Sony is such a good idea if you plan to use it only with the kit lens. The kit lens has a minimum focus distance of 25 cm, with magnification of of 0.215, neither of which are stellar. IMHO, one of the most important characteristics of a lens for underwater use...

If you are a serious underwater photographer, then Anilao is hands-down the best place to dive in the Philippines. The corals are every bit as good as PG, but there is also much more macro, and unlike Dumaguete, not all of it is black sand/muck. Another big plus is that Anilao is the...

I would suggest the Canon G7X. It's basically the replacement for the G16, albeit with a bigger 1" sensor. The G7X Mark II has just come out, so housings will be coming in the near future. If you want to save a few $$, I would think there is still time to pick up a G7X, if you want a housing now.

Yes, I guess I should have been more clear, the aperture range of the g7X is f/1.8 wide, f/2.8 telephoto to a minimum aperture of 11. So I would recommend starting out with an aperture in the middle of that range, say around f/4 to f/8. That should provide enough depth of field for most shots...

For example your second shot, settings are f/11, 1/160 sec, ISO 640, so your camera is metering for ambient light (background is exposed correctly) and your strobe is overexposing the subject in the foreground. Your first shot has similar settings but the foreground is not so glaringly...

Quite right, if it is sunny midday, good viz, and you are shallower than 20 feet, you can get great wide-angle pics with ambient light. But for everything else, a strobe or 2 will help a lot.

To get nice sharp shots underwater, you need camera settings that minimize ambient light and maximize your strobe light. The best and easiest way to do this is to shoot in full manual. i.e., ISO 100, aperture around 4-7, fast shutter, say 1/200 or faster. Then control your exposure by varying...

Hi Jim, Good discussion. If you want the versatility of zoom, you probably are better off with a compact. The Nauticam housing for EOS M (and EOS M3 I'm fairly certain) does has a zoom control. I used both the 18-55 kit lens and the 11-22 wide-angle lens in the semi-dome port. I ended up not...

The compact cameras have become very good these past few years; there really are no bad cameras these days. In the compact world, I still think Canon is top dog (better inherent macro and better usability than Sony, IMHO), although the Olympus TG-4 is also intriguing. Anyway, if you like Canon...

I think you will need a 20mm extension ring, and also a different zoom gear. Double check with your Nauticam dealer to be sure.

You don't mention what camera you have, but reading in between the lines it sounds like you have a cropped-sensor Canon SLR. You also don't mention what housing you have, but I assume you have zoom gear and ports for both the kit lens and the Tokina 10-17mm. Between the 3 lenses you mention, you...

It may not be feasible/legal/advisable to cross Batangas channel at night. I think your best bet is to simply overnight in Manila when you arrive, and arrange for a driver to pick you up at about 4 am. If you are coming from North America, you won't feel sleepy then anyway. With a 4 am pick-up...

I have used the Canon EOS M extensively for the past 2-3 years. I was very happy with the image quality, but the AF was slow when using the EF-S 60 mm macro lens with the adaptor (although for wide-angle, the native EF-M 11-22 mm lens was fine). I was really hoping that Canon would come out with...

If shooting macro, try putting your camera into manual mode, ISO around 100 or 200, shutter speed 1/200, aperture around f/5 or f/6. Put your strobes on half power. Get close to your subject, take a picture, check the exposure. If over-exposed, turn your strobes down a bit, or close your...

These lenses are meant to be used as a "dry diopter", i.e., one would normally attach it directly on the lens like a filter. They can be useful dry (on your lens inside the housing), as it will allow your lens to focus closer. I have found them useful for use on a kit lens where the minimum...

I would probably rule out Bohol because the time required to off-gas prior to your flight will cause you to miss a day of diving. Plus, even if the flight is short, you still need plenty of time to check in, deal with potential traffic around the airport, etc. PG and Anilao are both great...

Good question. G1X Mark II has been out a while and seems to have potential as a great underwater compact camera. There are housings available from Ikelite, RecSea and Canon, but for whatever reason, this camera doesn't seem to have been a popular choice for underwater. Perhaps because of price...

A few weeks ago water temp was 27 C, maybe 26 C below 30 m, so a 3-5 mm full wetsuit should be fine. Always a good idea to add a hood or hooded vest just in case. A lot depends on how much diving you are doing.

If you are a photographer on a budget, Cub Ocellaris in Anilao would fit your bill. Outstanding guides, very oriented to photographers/serious divers. Accommodations are somewhat spartan and rustic, but priced accordingly, and who cares about a fancy resort if you are diving all day anyway? ;)