review

Interviews with the Pros: Shooting Subjects Big and Small with Dustin Adamson From humpback whales to nudibranchs, tiger sharks to flamboyant cuttlefish, Dustin Adamson has shot it all. In this interview, Dustin shares key insights on the gear he uses, as well as his process and workflow for...

GoPro HERO13 Camera & Underwater Housing Review The new GoPro HERO13 action camera has new features for both underwater and topside shooters. We put the GoPro HERO 13 to the test in our home kelp forests of Monterey, California and Goliath Grouper aggregations of Florida. In this article and the...

Inon S220 Underwater Strobe Review The Inon S220 is the latest flash from Inon, sporting a compact build, guide number f/22 flash power, and a dome diffuser system. The Inon S220 is the successor to the Inon S-2000, with a brighter, wider flash beam and larger improved controls, making this...

Got my white RK4 fins from Apeks this week and had a chance to dive with them. Might make a video soon. I own RK3 medium size. And i do like them very much so i thought i might try the RK4s the same size. So here is my review: Size: Although they seem massive they are almost exactly the...

Remote Lighting with Backscatter Hybrid Flash & Mini Flash 2 Underwater Guide Not Just a Slave Strobe—Wirelessly Change Power Levels One of the standout features of the Hybrid Flash and Mini Flash 2 is Remote Mode. Unlike a simple slave mode, Remote Mode allows for remote triggering and...

IKELITE DS230 & DS232 UNDERWATER STROBE REVIEW The Ikelite DS230 and Ikelite DS232 strobes stand as Ikelite’s latest flagship offerings. Both models boast identical flash features and characteristics, with the only discernible difference being a built-in 2500-lumen video light and a higher...

BACKSCATTER HYBRID FLASH UNDERWATER STROBE & VIDEO LIGHT REVIEW Most Powerful Strobe & Video Light Combination Ever Created! With the introduction of the Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1, underwater photographers can now capture stunning stills and video with a single versatile tool. With an...

RETRA FLASH PRO MAX UNDERWATER STROBE REVIEW The Retra Flash Pro Max is Retra's latest top-end strobe. It has a redesigned battery compartment and booster, as well as a rear OLED screen added to the back. This is an attractive upgrade for Retra shooters with older strobe models or for any...

SEA & SEA YS-D3 DUO UNDERWATER STROBE REVIEW The Sea & Sea YS-D3 Duo is the latest strobe model, and it comes with a few new features compared to its predecessor, the YS-D3. The most significant change is that the Sea and Sea YS-D3 Duo now supports Olympus and OM System RC Automatic TTL Flash...

STROBES VS. VIDEO LIGHTS FOR UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Video Lights Work, But Strobes Are Best For Photos One of the most common questions at Backscatter is whether you can use video lights instead of strobes for underwater photography. The straightforward answer is that a strobe will always be...

2023 DIGITAL SHOOTOUT EVENT COVERAGE This year's Digital Shootout marked the 20th anniversary of this renowned event. WOW! 20 years of dive, shoot, learn, and repeat, is the perfect recipe for a working vacation for the underwater image-maker looking to level up! And there was no better place to...

NIKON Z 8 UNDERWATER CAMERA REVIEW In this article, we'll provide an in-depth review of the highly anticipated Nikon Z8 for underwater photography from our first-hand perspective. We’re going to explore and discuss the key aspects, such as image quality, autofocus, the differences from previous...

Hi everyone, Nowadays most cameras perform decently in shallow/clear water dives, but things can go south when the ambient light gets low or when the visibility drops. I have years of trust in my DSLRs ability in those conditions, but I was really curious to see how a top-range mirrorless camera...

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M10 IV UNDERWATER CAMERA & HOUSING REVIEW Excellent image quality, more affordable than similar rigs, and compact enough for travelers and novice shooters - is this the new Best Bang For Your Buck in underwater photography? That’s a 10-4, good buddy! Meet the new contender for...

OM SYSTEM 90MM MACRO LENS UNDERWATER REVIEW Watch our full review of the OM System 90mm Macro Lens. The OM System 90mm Macro Lens provides an all-new, greater focal length to use on micro four-thirds sensor and lens mount cameras than was previously available. What does this mean for...

NAUTICAM EMWL UNDERWATER LENS REVIEW The Nauticam EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) is a wet-mounted accessory lens for capturing macro-sized subjects with a wide angle perspective. It features interchangeable objective optics for different fields of view, allowing photographers and videographers...

Canon underwater shooters are spoiled for choice at the moment between two great full-frame mirrorless cameras with the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R5 C. While these cameras appear similar in both name and appearance, there is a lot going on under the hood that makes shooting each of them a...

SONY A7 IV UNDERWATER CAMERA REVIEW By: Jim Decker The Sony a7 IV boasts an all-new sensor and other significant performance upgrades from the previous Sony a7 III camera. The “middle” child of the a7 series, the base model has often been looked over. But at 33MP resolution, it’s knocking on...

OLYMPUS OM-1 UNDERWATER CAMERA REVIEW By: Jim Decker The Olympus OM-1 camera is the latest top-of-the-line flagship Micro 4/3 camera from Olympus/OM Systems. We took the new Olympus OM-1 mirrorless camera underwater to the Digital Shootout in Bonaire for a complete review and performance test...

There's not many video's on this dive computer, so I thought I'd give my initial thoughts on it after having had a few dives. Higlights: Easy to operate. The most important information always seems to be highlighted when you need it. Great value for money with current specials. Good air...