Heading to British Columbia!

[Jonathan Bird]

Well, I'm heading off to BC on Thursday. Pierre will be there, plus a few others who are not regulars here on UWPC. We are shooting some Blue World segments and parts of segments. It's the second-to-last shoot of the second season of the show.

I'm still debating whether or not I will be taking still camera gear. I have a lot of new video gear to try out, a long shot list, and I'm flying Delta--airline of massive overweight fees. So, I'm thinking I may just concentrate on video, so there might not be many pics (from me anyway) for the trip report.

Last time I was there was in 2005 and I wrote about it (http://www.jonathanbird.net/bc_trip_report.htm) on my website.

The most important part of the trip to me though is the wine course that Pierre is giving on the boat! I can't wait!

Jonathan

[sorvju-f]

Have an enjoyable trip with nice video shootage. Your decission might be soon truth to many of us...choose either or:(

I'm flying Delta--airline of massive overweight fees. ????????????????????????????

The most important part of the trip to me though is the wine course that Pierre is giving on the boat! I can't wait!

I hope that you have some Malbeck left:D

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

????????????????????????????

Yeah, I know. It's my LAST Delta ticket! I bought it with Frequent Flier miles!



I hope that you have some Malbeck left:D


Nope, we're doing the Bordeaux and Burgundy route on this course!

[Jonathan Bird]

Well, I'm getting on the plane this afternoon....talk to you all when I get back! Jukka, you gotta keep the fun going!! And don't let Clay slack off too much just because he's on vacation.

:)

Jonathan

[sorvju-f]

Well, I'm getting on the plane this afternoon....talk to you all when I get back! Jukka, you gotta keep the fun going!! And don't let Clay slack off too much just because he's on vacation.

:)

Jonathan

Understood:D ! Play safe in BC and best regards to Pierre!

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

Well, we're back. The BC trip was a lot of fun, but we did not get the best weather. Lots of rain and wind, viz about 20 feet. Few octopuses. But we had a stellar encounter with a wolf eel (fish) that will definitely make the next season of the show.

I don't have any great pics to post because I didn't have an UW still camera with me. I'll post a couple shots of our wine-tasting course conducted aboard by our wine expert Pierre.

I tested my new Ultra-Ikelite video camera with the Fathom lens. It worked great, but I still have a little work to do on making the flip filter work well and getting the balance right...the lens is quite heavy.

Jonathan

[sorvju-f]

Well, we're back. The BC trip was a lot of fun, but we did not get the best weather. Lots of rain and wind, viz about 20 feet. Few octopuses. But we had a stellar encounter with a wolf eel (fish) that will definitely make the next season of the show.

I don't have any great pics to post because I didn't have an UW still camera with me. I'll post a couple shots of our wine-tasting course conducted aboard by our wine expert Pierre.

I tested my new Ultra-Ikelite video camera with the Fathom lens. It worked great, but I still have a little work to do on making the flip filter work well and getting the balance right...the lens is quite heavy.

Jonathan

It is good to hear that you will get one more episode even weather was not supporting.

How about quality of video with your new video-set?

How to be nominated UW-wine master:D ? Maybe Pierre have answer to that;)

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

The camera housing was mostly brilliant. I had a couple dives to tweak the balance of everything, because the lens is heavy and it wants to nose down in the water.

The lens is amazing. Astonishing.

The flip filter is a bit problematic because of the design of the Ikelite housing. The front cover uses a gasket which compresses as you go deeper, which makes the gap for the flip filter decrease at depth. At 10 feet, the flip filter would no longer flip. I am working on a solution. The simplest solution may just be a tad thicker gasket. As long as it doesn't vignette at the surface due to the slightly larger flip filter gap, that's what I'll do.

(The gasket is an o-ring, but it's not used as an o-ring, like the one on the back door of a Nikonos or Amphibico in a groove that seals against the wall of the housing. It's in compression, like the gasket on a jelly jar. So even though it looks like an o-ring, technically, it's not.)

[Neptune7]

Here is a link to see a minute of the great wolf fish action we had. I have posted it on a sketch of a web site I am creating for my TV show. Except for a few lines, all the text is actually "filling text". You will also see the opening sequence of the show.

http://web.me.com/pierre_seguin/Passion_Plongée/Wolf_fish.html

Pierre

[sorvju-f]

Here is a link to see a minute of the great wolf fish action we had. I have posted it on a sketch of a web site I am creating for my TV show. Except for a few lines, all the text is actually "filling text". You will also see the opening sequence of the show.

http://web.me.com/pierre_seguin/Passion_Plongée/Wolf_fish.html

Pierre

Hi Pierre!

Just super work! Just waiting to see more,

I didn't know that you visited Egypt end of 2008. Did you dive there?

Jonathan had very close face contact with this wolf fish...can it bite?

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

I guess they can bite, but they don't. Very friendly and used to interacting with divers.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

Pierre and Tim enjoying a little Chablis in BC!

[sorvju-f]

Pierre and Tim enjoying a little Chablis in BC!

How was Tim...has he gotten more familiar with D300?

I am not sure to have wine tasting on the Mac:D

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

How was Tim...has he gotten more familiar with D300?

I am not sure to have wine tasting on the Mac:D



Funny, I don't remember Tim shooting underwater at all. He might not have brought the D300 underwater on that trip.

Pierre does have a tendency to keep his Mac in harm's way though. We had to tell him to get it off the table a few times! :rolleyes:

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

Here we are showing off the world's best fins. Pierre is a convert!

[Neptune7]

Hi,

I was a skeptic but I have to admit it, I am now a new Force fins convert. I don't think there is a more comfortable, easy doning, more efficient fins for cold water, dry suit and booties than the Tan Delta Force Fins. Can't wait to use them again in the Galapagos...;)

Pierre

[Jonathan Bird]

Pierre,
Those are XXL for the dry suit....might be too large to use in the Galapagos unless you put the inserts in. Don't forget to bring them!


Jonathan