Chris Ross

Forum username: chrisross
Real name: Chris Ross (from profile website/email)
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 3,633
Threads started: 19
Active years: 2016—2025
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Lights/Strobes, Beginner Forum
Specialization: OM System / Olympus Micro Four Thirds, strobe systems, macro photography

Community Role

chrisross was one of the most active Wetpixel contributors during the forum’s later years, joining in 2016 and remaining active through 2025 — making them one of the last consistently engaged members. With peak activity of 995 posts in 2021 alone, they became an essential voice during a period when many long-time members had departed.

With over 2,000 posts in Photography Gear and Technique and 600 in Lights/Strobes, chrisross focused heavily on equipment evaluation and practical advice. They also maintained a significant presence in the Beginner Forum (289 posts), actively helping newcomers navigate gear decisions. Despite starting relatively few threads themselves (19), their prolific commenting in others’ threads made them one of the forum’s most responsive members.

chrisross was particularly knowledgeable about the OM System / Olympus Micro Four Thirds ecosystem. They started the thread announcing the OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO lens in February 2023, providing detailed technical analysis of its features including the 2x magnification mode, working distances, and whether the focus limiter switch could be programmed to a function button for underwater use. They noted the lens was “very sharp” with “very impressive” performance at f/18, not exhibiting the diffraction softening typically expected (^[1]).

Notable Contributions

• OM System 90mm macro announcement (86 replies): Started the definitive thread on this lens, analyzing its underwater potential including 2x magnification mode, 94mm working distance at 1x, and whether Nauticam would provide a mechanism to activate 2x magnification in the port (^[2])
• OM-1 announcement (76 replies): Started the thread on the new OM System OM-1 with its BSI stacked sensor, noting the “extra two stops on noise performance and one stop of dynamic range” over the previous generation, along with the 1,053 cross-type AF points and 50 fps burst capability (^[3])
• Panasonic GH6 announcement (18 replies): Contributed to discussion of the GH6’s video capabilities for underwater use (^[4])
• Canon RF 100mm macro lens: Participated in evaluating this lens’s potential for underwater macro (^[5])
• Purple fringing investigation: Contributed to troubleshooting purple fringing with the Panasonic 8mm f/3.5 lens on Olympus bodies, a cross-platform compatibility issue (^[6])
• Active in strobe discussions including Retra strobe threads and Sea & Sea YS-D3 TTL trigger compatibility issues (^[7])
• Participated in discussions about Wetpixel’s survival and future in 2024—2025 (^[8])

Activity Profile

• Forum focus: 58% Photography Gear and Technique, 17% Lights/Strobes, 8% Beginner Forum, 5% Video Gear and Technique
• Top threads by replies: OM System 90mm macro (86), OM-1 announced (76), Panasonic GH6 (18), Canon RF 100mm macro (17)

References