synthetic

Forum username: synthetic
Real name: Jeff
Posts: 215
Active years: 2004–2025
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Photo/Video Showcase
Specialization: Ikelite housings, Canon full-frame systems, California cold water photography

Community Role

synthetic (Jeff) was one of Wetpixel’s longest-active members, spanning an extraordinary 21 years from September 2004 through September 2025. With 215 posts, he was a steady contributor rather than a high-volume poster, but his longevity and consistent engagement with Ikelite housing systems made him a valuable voice in gear discussions. Based in California, he was primarily a cold-water diver shooting local sites like the Channel Islands, which gave his equipment assessments particular relevance for temperate water photographers.

Jeff’s equipment journey tracked the Canon full-frame evolution: from an Aquatica-housed camera to a Canon 5D in an Ikelite housing, then to a Canon 5D Mark II in Ikelite, and later exploring Nauticam options. His willingness to share honest assessments of equipment limitations — including problems with his Ikelite housing — contributed to the community’s practical knowledge base.

Notable Contributions

• “WA distortion with 5D/Ikelite 8-inch” (53 replies): Started a major technical discussion in September 2006 about wide-angle distortion when using the Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens behind an Ikelite 8-inch dome port on the Canon EOS 5D. After his first dives with the setup, he documented significant distortion affecting the left and right quarters of the frame and asked the community for help. The thread drew responses from photographers using the same lens with various housings (Aquatica, Ikelite) and generated detailed discussion about dome port size, diopter correction, and focal length sweet spots for minimizing underwater wide-angle distortion. He also noted practical issues like flooding the sync cable twice until learning the proper seating technique (^[1]).

• “Do Ikelites fog?” (35 replies): Started an important practical thread in July 2006 asking whether Ikelite polycarbonate housings were more prone to fogging than aluminum housings in cold water (California). He was evaluating between Ikelite and Aquatica for his Canon 5D and received community reassurance that fogging was not a significant issue with DSLR Ikelite housings in cold water, with multiple California divers confirming their Ikelite experience. The thread included useful technical discussion about condensation physics and heat sources inside housings (^[2]).

• “First trip out with Canon 5DmkII” (11 replies): Shared images from his first dives with the Canon 5D Mark II in March 2009, shooting from the dive boat Vision to San Miguel Island. He posted macro shots of a Dendronotus albus nudibranch, decorator crab, and wolf eel using the Canon 100mm macro, and noted he hadn’t tried video yet as his wife was the better videographer (^[3]).

• “Kona shots” (11 replies): Shared images from diving in Kona, Hawaii (^[4]).

• “Nauticam 45 viewfinder for wide angle?” (12 replies): In later years explored Nauticam viewfinder options, reflecting his continued engagement with the community and potential equipment transitions (^[5]).

Activity Profile

synthetic’s 21-year activity span (2004–2025) makes him one of the longest-tenured active members in Wetpixel history. He started 40 threads and contributed 215 posts, with 7 article comments. His most active period was 2004–2013, with continued sporadic activity through 2025. His 16 distinct active years across two decades demonstrate remarkable loyalty to the community. His discussions centered on Canon full-frame systems, Ikelite housing performance, dome port optics, and California cold-water diving, making him a particular resource for West Coast underwater photographers.