aussiebyron

Forum username: aussiebyron
Real name: Mark
Posts: 691
Active years: 2010–2018
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Photo/Video Showcase
Specialization: Aquatica housings, Nikon DX cameras (D7000, D500), wide-angle marine life photography

Community Role

aussiebyron (Mark) was a dedicated Aquatica and Nikon user from Byron Bay, Australia, who became one of Wetpixel’s most thorough and knowledgeable contributors on Aquatica housings during the DX DSLR era. Based at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay — one of Australia’s premier dive sites — and frequently diving Fish Rock at South West Rocks, Mark had regular access to large marine life including manta rays, grey nurse sharks, loggerhead turtles, and various shark species, making him a prolific contributor of wide-angle underwater images.

His forum tenure spanned the entire lifecycle of two major Aquatica housings: the AD7000 (2010–2015) and the AD500 (2016–2018), and his detailed first-hand reports served as invaluable real-world references for other photographers considering Aquatica equipment.

Notable Contributions

Definitive Aquatica D7000 Thread

Mark’s most significant contribution was the “Aquatica housing for Nikon D7000 information” thread (155 replies), which became the de facto community resource for the Aquatica AD7000 housing. He started the thread in December 2010 after pre-ordering the housing, and it grew into a multi-year discussion covering every aspect of the housing. The thread drew a direct response from Aquatica’s own representative (Viz’art), who provided detailed information about the housing’s engineering, including laser-cut parts, redesigned control mechanisms, and competitive pricing philosophy. Mark drove discussions comparing the Aquatica to the Nauticam alternative, noting the approximately $600 price difference between the two systems (^[1]).

Nikon D500 / Aquatica AD500 First Impressions

When Mark upgraded to the Nikon D500, he wrote one of the most comprehensive first-impression reviews on Wetpixel (18 replies). His detailed post covered the camera’s XQD card requirements for achieving 10fps continuous shooting, buffer behavior differences between RAW and RAW+JPG modes, PS CS6 compatibility issues with D500 NEF files, and side-by-side comparisons between the AD500 and AD7000 housings. He documented specific improvements including metal control dial pulleys replacing plastic ones, a redesigned video switch, improved ISO button access, and the larger housing size that actually improved Aquaview viewfinder clearance. His post also included practical information about AF area mode selection for close encounters with large animals (^[2]).

Vacuum Seal Advocacy

Mark was an early and enthusiastic advocate for vacuum seal systems in underwater housings. His “Housing Sentry Vacuum Seal” thread (27 replies) documented his installation of the Housing Sentry basic system in the hydrophone port of his Aquatica AD7000. He recommended the system as essential for all housing brands and shared his practical approach of sealing the housing the night before diving and checking the vacuum before boarding the boat. He was pragmatic about equipment choices, noting that an electronic monitoring system during the dive was unnecessary in his workflow if the vacuum held overnight (^[3]). He later upgraded to Aquatica’s own Surveyor system with the Vivid Leak Sentinel on his AD500 (^[4]).

Camera Comparison Discussions

Mark consistently helped the community navigate camera upgrade decisions. His “Nikon D600 vs D800” thread (29 replies) broke down the specifications of the newly announced D600 against the D800 shortly after the official release, including sensor specs, AF point differences, and price considerations. He followed Nikon’s product announcements closely and often was among the first to post specification comparisons for new releases (^[5]).

Equipment Compatibility Research

Mark frequently investigated and shared compatibility information across brands. He started threads about Aquatica ports with Nauticam housings, INON viewfinder compatibility with Aquatica housings, Ikelite strobe connections with Aquatica bodies, Zen mini-dome compatibility, and many other cross-brand combinations. His “Will the INON 180 viewfinder fit an Aquatica D90 housing?” thread (27 replies) was typical of his practical, research-oriented approach (^[6]).

Diving and Photography

Mark primarily shot wide-angle with a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye behind an 8-inch dome, usually at 10mm. His subjects reflected the remarkable marine life around Byron Bay and the New South Wales coast:

• Manta rays at Julian Rocks
• Grey nurse sharks at Fish Rock, South West Rocks
• Loggerhead turtles encountered on regular dives
• Sharks of various species in the Coral Sea and local waters

He shot unedited, straight-from-camera JPGs to demonstrate camera capability, often posting comparison images with full EXIF data (typically f/8, 1/200th, ISO 125) to help other photographers evaluate results (^[7], ^[8]).

Gear History

Mark’s equipment progression through his active years:

• 2010–2011: Nikon D90 in Aquatica housing (early setup)
• 2011–2015: Nikon D7000 in Aquatica AD7000 with Tokina 10-17mm, 8-inch Aquatica dome, Aquaview viewfinder, dual Ikelite DS161 strobes, ULCS buoyancy arms with Aquatica arm clamps
• 2013–2015: Added Housing Sentry vacuum system, later upgraded to various macro lenses for D7100 compatibility research
• 2016–2018: Nikon D500 in Aquatica AD500 with Tokina 10-17mm, Aquatica Surveyor vacuum system with Vivid Leak Sentinel V4, Lexar PRO XQD2 cards

His loyalty to the Aquatica/Nikon/Ikelite combination over nearly a decade provided the community with long-term reliability data on these systems across hundreds of dives.

Activity Profile

• Joined: July 2010
• Last active: June 2018
• Total posts: 691 across 66 threads started
• Peak years: 2011–2013 (D7000 era) and 2016–2017 (D500 era)
• Active in 9 consecutive years (2010–2018)
• Activity score: 889