peteatkinson

Forum username: peteatkinson
Posts: 334
Active years: 2008–2023
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique
Specialization: Vacuum leak detection systems, Nikon D800 underwater photography, optical engineering

Community Role

peteatkinson was a technically minded underwater photographer active on Wetpixel from 2008 through 2023. With 334 posts over a 15-year span, he was a consistent contributor who brought an engineering perspective to gear discussions. He was particularly notable as an early adopter and advocate of vacuum leak detection systems for underwater camera housings, and his detailed testing and feedback helped advance this technology within the community.

He shot primarily with a Nikon D800 in a Nauticam housing and was deeply interested in optical performance, including entrance pupil positioning for wide-angle lenses and dome port correction. His background in optics informed many of his forum contributions, making his technical analyses particularly valued by other members.

Notable Contributions

• “Leak Sentinel from Vivid Housings” (81 replies): Started this landmark thread in April 2013, providing a detailed teardown and review of the Vivid Housings Leak Sentinel V3 vacuum leak detection system. His honest reporting included discovering a critical design flaw — the bottom O-ring could be pushed in by water pressure — after getting about a cupful of water in his Nauticam D800 housing. His urgent warning to other users and direct engagement with manufacturer Miso helped prompt a design correction, making this thread an important reference for housing safety (^[1]).

• “Tokina 10-17 on D800 — how useful?” (29 replies): Explored the practicality of using the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye zoom lens on the full-frame Nikon D800, a common question as shooters weighed cropped fisheye coverage against full-frame image quality (^[2]).

• “Apparent front entrance pupil position for wide lenses” (14 replies): Started a technically sophisticated discussion on entrance pupil positioning for wide-angle lenses behind dome ports, demonstrating his understanding of underwater optical principles and contributing to community knowledge about optimal port selection (^[3]).

• “Nauticam D800 handle ergonomics — a solution” (11 replies): Shared a practical modification to improve the ergonomics of the Nauticam D800 housing’s handles, demonstrating his hands-on approach to problem-solving (^[4]).

Activity Profile

peteatkinson maintained remarkably consistent activity across 16 years (2008–2023), starting 64 threads and contributing to gear and technique discussions throughout. His posting was spread across every year in that range, reflecting a long-term commitment to the community rather than the burst-and-fade pattern common among many users. His focus areas included vacuum leak detection, dome port optics, Nikon D800 system optimization, and housing ergonomics. He left one article comment, showing primarily forum-based engagement.