Julian (Jolly)

Forum username: Jolly
Real name: Julian
Posts: 745
Active years: 2004—2023
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Lights/Strobes/Lighting
Specialization: Canon full-frame underwater photography, viewfinder optics, Magic Filter ambient light shooting

Community Role

Julian, posting as “Jolly,” was one of Wetpixel’s longest-serving community members, with an active presence spanning nearly the full 19-year life of the forums from 2004 through 2023. Based in Europe (his posts reference prices in euros and he dived in Oman/UAE waters), Julian was a thoughtful, technically precise contributor who consistently advanced discussions about Canon camera systems, housing viewfinder optics, and ambient light photography techniques.

Julian was notable for being an early adopter and advocate of Canon full-frame cameras for underwater use. He was among the first to post leaked specifications for the Canon EOS 5D in August 2005, and went on to become one of the most experienced Seacam 5D users in the community. His posts demonstrate deep knowledge of optics, particularly the relationship between camera viewfinders and housing viewfinder systems, a subject he discussed extensively with experts like Paul Kay and James Wiseman.

Notable Contributions

Canon EOS 5D — Early Advocacy and Intelligence

Julian was the first to post the Canon EOS 5D specifications on Wetpixel, sharing a leaked PDF in August 2005 with the words “if it’s true - this is my camera.” The 52-reply thread he started became a landmark discussion about full-frame cameras for underwater photography. Julian provided crucial context about Canon’s lens strategy, noting that Canon had never produced EF-S L-series glass or a DX-equivalent fisheye, which he interpreted as a signal that Canon’s future semi-professional cameras would feature full-frame sensors. He also compared the physical dimensions of the 5D to existing bodies, helping housing manufacturers and users assess compatibility (^[1]).

Canon 20D and 10-22mm Lens Announcement

Julian posted the Canon 20D announcement on Wetpixel in August 2004, linking to Canon USA’s accidentally published product page before it was taken down. The 70-reply thread captured the community’s excitement about the 8.2 megapixel camera and its new EF-S 10-22mm wide-angle lens, which addressed one of the biggest gaps in Canon’s underwater photography system (^[2]).

Seacam 5D Viewfinder Analysis

Julian started and drove a detailed technical discussion about the Seacam 5D housing’s viewfinder system in April 2006. His analysis compared viewfinder magnification, eyepoint distances, and physical aperture sizes across Canon bodies (5D, 1D Mark II, 1Ds Mark II, 10D), identifying that while the 5D and 1D series had identical magnification (0.7x) and eyepoint (20mm) specifications, differences in the physical viewfinder aperture created noticeably different experiences when paired with housing viewfinder optics. This discussion, which drew contributions from Paul Kay, James Wiseman, and other experts, became a reference for understanding viewfinder-housing interactions (^[3]).

Magic Filter Experimentation

Julian was an early and creative user of Alex Mustard’s Magic Filter for ambient light underwater photography. He conducted systematic tests in Oman/UAE waters, shooting with the filter at various depths from surface to 30m, and — against the official guidelines — successfully combined the Magic Filter with strobe light for wreck photography. Alex Mustard himself praised Julian’s results, writing “Wow. Great shots. Wow again. Good technical and creative use of the filter. But what is it with photographers. You set out guidelines on how to use a product and everyone immediately breaks them. And the shots are great. Damn your creativity!” Julian used the Sigma 15mm fisheye and Sigma 10-20mm with a Sealux 10D housing and Inon strobes for this work (^[4]).

Split-Level Photography Research

Julian investigated the feasibility of split-level (over-under) shots using the Inon UWL-100 wide-angle conversion lens and dome unit, starting a practical discussion about the optical requirements for shooting half-above, half-below the waterline (^[5]).

Article Commentary

Julian was an engaged commenter on Wetpixel articles, contributing technical insights to discussions about the Inon D-2000 S-TTL strobe system, Adobe Camera Raw updates, and Zeiss lens announcements for Nikon F-mount (^[6], ^[7], ^[8]).

Gear History

Julian’s documented equipment progression:

• Cameras: Canon 10D -> Canon EOS 5D (full-frame)
• Housings: Sealux 10D housing (noted limitation: ISO button not accessible underwater)
• Lenses: Sigma 15mm fisheye, Sigma 10-20mm, Canon 10-22mm EF-S
• Strobes: Inon (model unspecified, described as producing “cold light”)
• Accessories: Magic Filter, GD viewfinder, Inon UWL-100 wide-angle conversion lens + dome unit

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2004—2009, with a notable gap from 2010—2014, then sporadic activity through 2023
• Threads started: 40
• Articles mentioned in: 3
• Comments left: 4
• Forum focus: Primarily gear discussions, with emphasis on Canon systems, viewfinder optics, and ambient light techniques
• Diving locations: Oman, UAE, Red Sea area

Timeline

• 2004-03: First appearance on Wetpixel; posted about split-level photography with Inon UWL (^[9])
• 2004-08: Broke Canon 20D and 10-22mm lens announcement on Wetpixel (^[10])
• 2005-08: First to post Canon EOS 5D leaked specifications (^[11])
• 2005-11: Published Magic Filter test results from Oman/UAE, praised by Alex Mustard (^[12])
• 2006-04: Led technical discussion on Seacam 5D viewfinder optics (^[13])
• 2023-01: Last recorded forum activity, completing a nearly 19-year span on Wetpixel