sharky1961

Forum username: sharky1961
Real name: Rob
Posts: 290
Active years: 2003–2020
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Video Gear and Technique
Specialization: Nikon DSLR upgrade decisions, system-switching debates, underwater video

Community Role

sharky1961 (Rob) was one of Wetpixel’s longest-tenured members, active from 2003 through 2020 — a 17-year span that tracked the entire evolution of digital underwater photography from early DSLRs through mirrorless. With 290 posts and an unusually high 117 threads started (a ratio suggesting he came to the community primarily to ask questions and start discussions), Rob was a persistent presence in gear upgrade debates.

Rob appeared to be based in Europe (prices quoted in Euros, German-language constructions in some posts such as “Wenn I switch” and “wich lenses”), and was a dedicated Nikon shooter who used a Sealux housing system. His most notable contributions were threads that crystallized the camera upgrade anxieties of the era — the agonizing decisions about whether to switch from DX to FX, from Nikon to Canon, or to wait for the next camera body that might leapfrog the competition.

Notable Contributions

System-Switching Debates

Rob’s most-discussed thread (54 replies) was “Upgrade from Nikon D300 to Canon 5D Mark II” — a question that epitomized the late-2000s tension between Nikon and Canon underwater shooters. His specific concerns — better noise performance, more megapixels (21 vs. 12), 1080p video, but losing the Tokina 10-17mm fisheye zoom — generated passionate responses from the community. Jeff Loftus provided an extended, widely-cited argument against brand switching, noting that each manufacturer inevitably leapfrogs the other: “Should any Canon guy who switched to Nikon have regretted it? I think so. Similarly should any Canon guy who uses a DSMKIII switch to a D3X? Again the answer I think is no.” Drew Wong and Tom Kline also contributed substantially (^[1]).

His earlier thread “upgrade d300 to d3x/d700x” (37 replies) was a more structured comparison, listing specific pros and cons of full-frame for underwater use — including reduced depth of field, loss of AF point coverage, and corner sharpness issues referenced from Stephen Frink’s pool tests. The thread drew nuanced responses, including one commenter’s ranking system for each factor’s importance (^[2]).

Technical Understanding Discussions

Rob’s Nikon D800 thread (20 replies) asked a foundational question about whether switching between FX and DX crop mode affected depth of field. The thread drew an exceptionally detailed response from Glasseye Snapper explaining the physics of solid capture angles, sensor resolution, and diffraction limits — becoming a reference-quality explanation of DOF mechanics that benefited the broader community (^[3]).

Destination and Technique Questions

Rob’s thread on lens selection for Lembeh (18 replies) in 2006 revealed his gear at the time: Nikon D200 in a Sealux housing alongside a Nikon F100 film camera (still shooting Velvia slides), with lenses including the 16mm FE, 17-35mm, 60mm macro, and 105mm macro with 2x Kenko teleconverter. James Wiseman recommended replacing the 17-35mm with a Sigma 15mm fisheye for better DX wide-angle coverage (^[4]).

His thread on shutter speed for underwater video (18 replies) while preparing to shoot thresher sharks in Egypt at 30-45 meters drew an extensive technical response from Nick Hope on white balance depth limits, shutter speed vs. ND filters, motion blur, and the tradeoffs of using color correction filters at depth on the VX2000 (^[5]).

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2006–2012 (gear upgrade discussions)
• Total threads started: 117
• Forum focus: Photography Gear and Technique (~70%), Video Gear and Technique (~15%), General Chat (~15%)
• Camera progression: Nikon F100 (film) → Nikon D200 / Sealux housing → Nikon D300 → Nikon D800 series
• Video: Sony VX2000 in Light & Motion housing
• Dive destinations: Lembeh, Egypt (thresher sharks)
• Top threads:
  • “Upgrade from nikon d300 to canon 5d markII” (54 replies) (^[6])
  • “upgrade d300 to d3x/d700x” (37 replies) (^[7])
  • “Nikon D800” (20 replies) — DOF in FX vs. DX crop mode (^[8])
  • “wich lenses to use in Lembeh” (18 replies) (^[9])
  • “shutterspeed” (18 replies) — VX2000 video technique for deep sharks (^[10])

Timeline

• 2003-08: Joined Wetpixel, one of the early community members
• 2006-03: Preparing for first Lembeh trip with Nikon D200 in Sealux housing; still shooting Velvia slides on Nikon F100 alongside digital (^[11])
• 2007-11: Planning VX2000 video shoot of thresher sharks in Egypt at 30-45 meters (^[12])
• 2009-08: Debated upgrading Nikon D300 to D3X or rumored D700X; compiled detailed pros/cons list for FX underwater (^[13])
• 2009-12: Considered switching to Canon 5D Mark II due to Nikon’s delay in releasing a high-resolution full-frame body (^[14])
• 2012-04: Asked about Nikon D800 FX/DX crop mode and depth of field (^[15])
• 2020-01: Last recorded activity on Wetpixel