saudio

Forum username: saudio
Real name: Mike
Posts: 237
Active years: 2006–2023
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Trip Reports and Travel, Lights/Strobes/Lighting Technique
Specialization: Battery technology, Inon strobes, Nauticam housings, conservation issues, Hawaiian diving

Community Role

Saudio (Mike) was a methodical and technically minded Wetpixel contributor who participated across seventeen years of underwater photography evolution. Based near Hawaii (a frequent dive destination in his posts), Mike was known for sharing thorough, research-driven posts that went beyond simple opinions to provide tested, data-backed conclusions. His most celebrated contribution was a comprehensive guide to AA rechargeable battery management that became a community reference.

Mike started an unusually high number of threads (64) relative to his post count, indicating he regularly brought new topics and questions to the community rather than primarily responding to others.

Notable Contributions

• AA rechargeable battery guide: Mike’s most valuable contribution (16 replies, February 2010) was a detailed, experience-based guide to managing NiMH rechargeable batteries for underwater strobes and focus lights. Using Powerex MH-C9000 Charger-Analyzers ($50 each), he tested his entire battery collection and discovered that most were at two-thirds capacity or less, that batteries within “matched” sets had widely varying capacities (limiting set performance to the weakest cell), and that improper storage and cheap chargers were accelerating degradation. His five key findings — about capacity loss, mismatched sets, charging damage, unreliable new battery ratings, and 1%-per-day self-discharge — were presented with specific data (e.g., 2500 mAh Sanyos measuring 1700-1800 mAh). He recommended Sanyo 2700 mAh batteries for superior long-term capacity retention over Powerex equivalents (^[1]).

• Sipadan camera ban discussion: Mike posted the link that sparked a major 56-reply community debate about a proposed ban on underwater cameras at Sipadan, Malaysia. The thread became a wide-ranging discussion about conservation versus tourism, diver training standards, and whether photographers specifically caused more reef damage than non-photographers. Contributors including Morten Hansen and newmanl debated whether minimum certification requirements would be more effective than equipment bans (^[2]).

• Canon 7D/Nauticam showcase: Mike shared images from his Canon 7D in a Nauticam housing, contributing to early user reports that helped establish Nauticam’s reputation in the market (16 replies) (^[3]).

• POTW contest nostalgia: Mike started a 16-reply thread expressing the community’s collective missing of the Photo of the Week contest, reflecting on how the contest had fostered community engagement and friendly competition (^[4]).

Equipment

• Inon strobes (primary strobe system)
• Fisheye focus light
• Canon 7D in Nauticam housing
• Powerex MH-C9000 Charger-Analyzers
• Sanyo and Powerex 2700 mAh NiMH batteries

Activity Profile

• First post: January 2006
• Peak years: 2010–2014
• Threads started: 64
• Last appearance: April 2023
• Forum focus: Battery and power management, strobe technique, conservation issues, travel reports (especially Hawaii)