martys

Forum username: martys
Posts: 199
Active years: 2003–2008
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Lights/Strobes/Lighting, General Chat
Specialization: Strobe comparisons, Ikelite gear, early DSLR underwater photography

Community Role

martys was an early Wetpixel community member active from March 2003 through August 2008, contributing 199 posts during the formative years of digital SLR underwater photography. He was a particularly engaged participant in strobe comparison discussions and Ikelite gear conversations, and also contributed to broader community debates about dive culture and conservation ethics.

As an Ikelite user during the period when the brand dominated the affordable DSLR housing market, martys provided practical first-hand experience that helped other photographers evaluate their gear choices. His willingness to share information quickly — such as alerting the community to new housing announcements within hours of their posting — reflected his active monitoring of the underwater photography equipment landscape.

Notable Contributions

• “Inon Z220 vs Ike DS125” (65 replies): Started what became one of the most comprehensive strobe comparison threads on Wetpixel in 2005. The discussion compared the Inon Z220 against the Ikelite DS-125, covering real-world power output, angle of coverage, battery life, and value for money. The thread drew responses from James Wiseman and numerous other experienced shooters, becoming a key reference for photographers choosing between the two dominant strobe systems of the era (^[1]).

• “Rebel housing just posted on Ikelite” (29 replies): Was among the first to alert the Wetpixel community in October 2003 that Ikelite had posted a housing for the Canon Digital Rebel (300D) on their website. Even Ikelite’s own forum account responded that “You guys are too fast for me. I have no details yet or idea on cost.” The thread captured the excitement of the early DSLR era when new housing announcements were community events (^[2]).

• “Boston Sea Rovers == Thugs & Graverobbers???” (15 replies): Started a discussion in May 2005 about federal prosecution of Boston Sea Rovers members for allegedly stealing artifacts from shipwrecks. The thread generated debate about salvage law, wreck diving ethics, and the distinction between treasure hunting and archaeological preservation (^[3]).

• “How do you ‘de-fish’ an image” (10 replies): Asked about techniques for correcting fisheye distortion in underwater images, a common workflow question for wide-angle shooters using lenses like the Nikon 10.5mm (^[4]).

Activity Profile

martys was active during Wetpixel’s early growth period (2003–2008), starting 37 threads and contributing 199 posts. His most active years were 2003–2005, during the Canon Digital Rebel and early Nikon DSLR era. He left 3 article comments in addition to his forum posts. His discussions spanned strobe technology, housing announcements, dive culture controversies, and image processing techniques, reflecting the broad interests typical of early Wetpixel community members who were navigating the rapid transition from film to digital underwater photography.