Jim Decker

Role: CEO of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo
Location: Monterey, California
Affiliation: Backscatter
Forum username: JimDeck
First appearance: 2007 ([1])

Biography

Jim Decker is the CEO of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo, the largest underwater imaging retailer in the world, based in Monterey, California. He has been a key figure at Backscatter since at least 2007, when he appeared at the company’s DEMA booth alongside founder Berkley White. By 2012, he was identified as the company’s CEO ([2]).

Under Decker’s leadership as CEO, Backscatter expanded from a specialty retailer into a distribution and content powerhouse, becoming the North American distributor for Olympus Underwater products and later AOI lens ports, while producing influential buyer’s guides, camera comparison tests, and educational content.

Contributions

Buyer’s Guides and Camera Comparisons

Decker co-authored Backscatter’s influential annual “Best Underwater Point and Shoot” buyer’s guides with Berkley White, praised by Stephen Frink as an “excellent reference” ([3]). These guides became essential resources for the underwater photography community, helping shooters navigate the rapidly changing compact camera market.

He also conducted hands-on underwater camera comparison tests, including the Nikon D850 vs Sony a7RIII video comparison shot in Roatan and Little Cayman ([4]).

DEMA Image Resource Center Presentations

Decker was a regular presenter at the DEMA Show Imaging Resource Center (IRC), the dive industry’s premier educational venue for underwater imaging:

At DEMA 2014, Decker was photographed alongside Berkley White and Stephen Frink of Seacam USA at the Backscatter booth, reflecting the company’s position at the center of the underwater imaging industry ([9]).

Olympus Distribution

As CEO, Decker oversaw Backscatter’s appointment as the North American and Caribbean distributor for Olympus Underwater products in October 2012, stating: “In the past few years Olympus has shown a renewed commitment to the dive market with their PEN and tough series lines” ([10]). This distribution deal, along with later AOI lens port distribution, cemented Backscatter’s role as a bridge between camera manufacturers and the underwater photography market.

Digital Shootout Participation

Decker participated in Digital Shootout events, shooting Canon 5D Mark II and Canon Rebel T2i video alongside Berkley White and Russ Sanoian. In a comment on the 2010 Digital Shootout coverage, he described his technique: shooting both cameras with Magic Filter, using manual white balance, and noting that “with these cameras you need to nail the WB and exposure and it will look spectacular. If not it can turn to crap really quick” ([11]).

Monterey Shootout

Decker served as a video judge at the 2014 Monterey Shootout alongside Joel Penner, with Mary Lynn Price judging as well and Berkley White presiding over all judging ([12]). He also participated in the 2017 Monterey Shootout ([13]).

Trade Show Presence

Decker represented Backscatter at numerous industry events:

Timeline

References

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2007: Dema 2007 Backscatter ↩
  2. Wetpixel article, Oct 17, 2012: Backscatter Appointed As Olympus Distributor ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Mar 1, 2010: Backscatters Best Point And Shoot Systems For 2010 ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, May 30, 2018: Backscatter Compares The Nikon D850 And Sony A7riii ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Sep 14, 2011: Dema 2011 Image Resource Center Schedule Announced ↩
  6. Wetpixel article, Oct 11, 2012: Dema 2012 Irc Schedule Released ↩
  7. Wetpixel article, Oct 21, 2014: Dema 2014 Image Resource Center Schedule ↩
  8. Wetpixel article, Nov 25, 2014: Wetpixel Coverage Dema 2014 ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Nov 25, 2014: Wetpixel Coverage Dema 2014 ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, Oct 17, 2012: Backscatter Appointed As Olympus Distributor ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, Jun 25, 2010: The Digital Shootout Live Coverage Underway ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, Aug 20, 2014: 2014 Monterey Shootout Winners Announced ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, Aug 14, 2017: Call For Entrants Monterey Shootout 2017 ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2010: Beneath The Sea 2010 Day 2 Coverage ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, Mar 29, 2011: Beneath The Sea 2011 ↩
  16. Wetpixel article, Mar 29, 2012: Beneath The Sea Show 2012 ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2007: Dema 2007 Backscatter ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Jun 4, 2010: Bay Area Dive Show 2010 Photo Gallery ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Jun 6, 2008: Digital Shootout Bonaire 2008 Live Coverage ↩
  20. Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2007: Dema 2007 Backscatter ↩
  21. Wetpixel article, Jun 6, 2008: Digital Shootout Bonaire 2008 Live Coverage ↩
  22. Wetpixel article, Mar 1, 2010: Backscatters Best Point And Shoot Systems For 2010 ↩
  23. Wetpixel article, Jun 25, 2010: The Digital Shootout Live Coverage Underway ↩
  24. Wetpixel article, Sep 14, 2011: Dema 2011 Image Resource Center Schedule Announced ↩
  25. Wetpixel article, Oct 17, 2012: Backscatter Appointed As Olympus Distributor ↩
  26. Wetpixel article, Mar 1, 2013: Backscatter Releases The Airlock ↩
  27. Wetpixel article, Aug 20, 2014: 2014 Monterey Shootout Winners Announced ↩
  28. Wetpixel article, Nov 25, 2014: Wetpixel Coverage Dema 2014 ↩
  29. Wetpixel article, May 30, 2018: Backscatter Compares The Nikon D850 And Sony A7riii ↩
  30. DEMA 2007 Backscatter booth (article) ↩
  31. Digital Shootout Bonaire 2008 (article) ↩
  32. Best point-and-shoot for 2010 (article) ↩
  33. Beneath the Sea 2010 (article) ↩
  34. Bay Area Dive Show 2010 (article) ↩
  35. Digital Shootout 2010 coverage (article) ↩
  36. DEMA 2011 IRC schedule (article) ↩
  37. Beneath the Sea 2011 (article) ↩
  38. Backscatter appointed Olympus distributor (article) ↩
  39. Beneath the Sea 2012 (article) ↩
  40. DEMA 2012 IRC schedule (article) ↩
  41. Backscatter AirLock release (article) ↩
  42. DEMA 2013 coverage (article) ↩
  43. DEMA 2014 IRC schedule (article) ↩
  44. Monterey Shootout 2014 winners (article) ↩
  45. DEMA 2014 coverage (article) ↩
  46. D850 vs a7RIII comparison (article) ↩