David Cheung (CheungyDiver)

Forum username: CheungyDiver
Real name: David Cheung
Posts: 643
Active years: 2002—2016
Primary forums: Video Gear and Technique, Photography Gear and Technique, General Chat
Specialization: Cinema-grade underwater housings, housing modification and engineering, Magic Lantern RAW video, professional video camera systems

Biography

David Cheung was the owner and proprietor of ScubaCam, an underwater imaging equipment shop in Singapore that served as a hub for professional and serious amateur underwater filmmakers across Asia and worldwide. Known on Wetpixel as “CheungyDiver,” he was a member from November 2002 — one of the earliest community participants — and contributed 643 posts over a 14-year period. He was described by Adam Hanlon as “an inveterate tinkerer, inventor and engineer” who could “almost always figure out a way of making one” when stock equipment did not meet a filmmaker’s needs.

David passed away in March 2022 after a battle with cancer. His memorial article on Wetpixel described a man who was “incredibly generous in sharing his time and knowledge with those around him” and who “helped vast numbers of image-makers from all over the world to achieve their goals.” (^[1])

ScubaCam was not merely a retail operation. David ran a housing rental program for professional filmmakers in Asia, supplying, servicing, and maintaining camera equipment used by some of the world’s best-known underwater image-makers. He took stock products and refined them, modifying cinema housings for major productions. His shop was described as “stuffed-to-the-gunwales” with underwater imaging equipment.

Notable Contributions

Cinema Housing Engineering

David operated at the professional cinema end of underwater video — a level above the prosumer and DSLR discussions that dominated most of Wetpixel. His work included:

• RED EPIC M + Gates Deep Epic (2012): David acquired a RED EPIC M camera in a Gates Deep Epic prototype housing, one of the first in Asia. He tested it with both RED PL and Canon EF lenses and sent it to Truk Lagoon for a professional shoot. The housing was featured in a Wetpixel article. (^[2])

• Gates Phantom Flex 4K housing (2014): David showed Adam Hanlon the Gates housing for the Phantom Flex 4K high-speed camera, capable of 4K at 960fps, along with the TVL 55 monitor housing. This system was used for filming fast-action feeding sequences. (^[3])

• Modified Arri Alexa housing (2014): David took an existing Patima housing and re-engineered it for the Arri Alexa digital cinema camera, re-centering the lens position to work with a Gates dome port and adding Arri remote control integration along with custom manual controls. This kind of cross-manufacturer housing modification was extremely unusual and demonstrated his deep engineering knowledge. (^[4])

• Amphibico Genesis for Sony FS100 (2012): David was among the first to evaluate the Amphibico Genesis housing for the Sony FS100, posting detailed impressions of the controls, ergonomics, and port system. He noted the housing used the same port mount as Aquatica DSLR housings and theorized about using Metabones EOS adapters for Canon lens compatibility. (^[5])

Magic Lantern RAW Video Pioneer

David was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic advocates on Wetpixel for using Magic Lantern firmware hacks on Canon 5D Mark II and Mark III cameras to achieve RAW video output. His thread “magic lantern 5D 2K DNG RAW” (140 replies) tracked the rapid evolution of Magic Lantern from producing 2K DNG still sequences at 2fps to achieving continuous 720p and eventually near-1080p RAW video at 24fps.

David (signing posts as “David” and “Cheers David”) recognized immediately that Canon’s consumer DSLRs contained hidden capabilities that rivaled dedicated cinema cameras. He wrote: “On a relatively cheap 5D MII camera body lies hidden gems.” He saw the dynamic range and detail of Magic Lantern RAW as a “huge leap” over compressed video, comparing favorably to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera at a fraction of the cost. He also tracked ML development for the 6D and 1DX, and noted the potential for underwater use where sound recording was not critical. (^[6])

When fellow Wetpixel member Eunjae posted stunning macro footage from Lembeh shot on a 5D Mark III with Magic Lantern, David provided expert commentary on the image quality, noting that the footage “up-res nicely on my Asus 4K TV at 60hz” and praising the resolved detail and color pulled from RAW. (^[7])

Cinema Camera Evangelism

David consistently pushed the community toward higher-end video systems, starting threads on the Kinefinity cinema camera, the RED Dragon’s DXO scores, the Gates Sony F55 housing, and the Blackmagic 4K production camera. He was a proponent of using cinema cameras underwater rather than adapting still cameras, while simultaneously recognizing the practical value of DSLR systems for most shooters.

His expertise extended to comparing different cinema cameras for underwater use: the Sony F55, the Sony PMW-200, the Canon Cinema EOS XC10, and various RED platforms. He contributed to threads on 4K readiness, the choice between SLR and dedicated video cameras for filmmaking, and the emerging drone (DJI Phantom) ecosystem. (^[8]) (^[9])

Community Role

ScubaCam as Community Hub

David’s ScubaCam shop in Singapore functioned as an unofficial gathering point for underwater image-makers transiting through the city. Adam Hanlon wrote: “For many underwater image-makers, traveling to and from many Asian destinations involves transiting through or via Singapore. This is often an opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city and until yesterday, for many of us, it was also an opportunity to catch up with David Cheung.” (^[10])

An “innocuous imaging-related question could result in hours of discussion and debate,” Hanlon recalled, requiring “time management devices” to avoid losing entire afternoons.

ADEX Party Co-host

For many years, David and Drew Wong co-hosted the Wetpixel/ADEX party at the Asian Dive Exposition. These social events connected the Southeast Asian dive community with international visitors. David was “notorious for finding a secluded corner, away from the limelight, and getting involved in meaty discussions,” with the quality of conversation varying with alcohol intake. (^[11])

Mentorship and Support

David was a prolific helper and advisor to both amateur and professional filmmakers. Peter Walker credited David at the end of his BS Kinetics review article: “Thanks to Wetpixel member David Cheung (CheungyDiver) from ScubaCam for helping to make all this happen.” (^[12])

When David broke his leg in a motorized skateboard accident in February 2014, the outpouring of well-wishes from the community reflected his stature. Peter Walker visited him in hospital and reported that David was already bored despite a bad break just below the knee requiring external fixation and a pin. (^[13])

Drone Pioneer

David was an early adopter of drone technology, with an amphibious drone that famously flew “perfectly… sideways” and scattered Singaporean residents during testing. His first drone experience ended with him, Tony Wu, and Adam Hanlon throwing sticks at a drone stuck in a tree. (^[14])

Dive Locations

David’s posts and articles document work across Southeast Asia and beyond:

• Singapore: Home base and ScubaCam location
• Indonesia: Lembeh Strait, Komodo, Raja Ampat
• Maldives
• Truk Lagoon: RED EPIC test shoot
• Red Sea: Amphibico Genesis field testing
• South China Sea: Testing with Peter Walker

Timeline

• 2002-11: Joins Wetpixel forum, one of the earliest members
• 2003—2010: Active in video and photography gear discussions, building ScubaCam business
• 2011-08: Credited in Peter Walker’s BS Kinetics review article; tests 3D camera in South China Sea (^[15])
• 2012-01: RED EPIC M + Gates Deep Epic featured in Wetpixel article (^[16])
• 2012-07: Reviews Amphibico Genesis FS100 housing (^[17])
• 2013-04: Starts Magic Lantern 5D RAW video thread (140 replies) (^[18])
• 2014-02: Breaks leg in motorized skateboard accident in Singapore (^[19])
• 2014-10: Shows Gates Phantom Flex 4K and modified Arri Alexa housings to Adam Hanlon in Singapore (^[20])
• 2015—2016: Continues posting on GH4, video lights, and cinema cameras
• 2016-01: Last forum appearance
• 2022-03-17: Passes away after battle with cancer
• 2022-03-18: Memorial article published on Wetpixel by Adam Hanlon (^[21])