Robert (Troporobo)

Forum username: troporobo
Real name: Robert
Posts: 1,057
Active years: 2010—2025
Primary forums: Photography Gear and Technique, Photo/Video Showcase, Lights/Strobes/Lighting, Critter Identification
Specialization: Micro Four Thirds macro photography, Olympus systems, critter identification, close-focus wide angle

Biography

Robert, known on the Wetpixel forums as troporobo, is one of the community’s most enduring members, with over 1,000 posts spanning 15 years of continuous activity from 2010 to 2025. He lives on Camano Island in Washington state’s Puget Sound, though he spent many years working in the South Pacific islands (Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea) and Southeast Asia, diving on weekends during that period. He described himself as having 25+ years of diving experience when he joined in 2010, having previously used a Nikonos film camera before transitioning to digital (^[1]).

Robert learned to dive in Seattle but after decades in the tropics expressed uncertainty about returning to the cold waters of Puget Sound. He also mentioned spending time on the east side of the Cascades, suggesting a life split between multiple Pacific Northwest locations.

Community Role

Troporobo is one of Wetpixel’s most consistent and long-lived contributors, with an active presence spanning essentially the entire second decade of the forum’s existence. His community role evolved significantly over the years: he joined as a self-described newbie struggling with strobe sync issues on an entry-level Olympus system, and gradually became a trusted expert on Micro Four Thirds macro photography who could advise others from deep personal experience.

His posting style is characterized by intellectual curiosity, humility, and a genuine desire to learn and share. He frequently asked thoughtful questions that generated substantive technical discussions, and he was generous in welcoming new members — particularly those from the Pacific Northwest region or with Olympus systems. His 15-year tenure makes him a living institutional memory for the MFT underwater photography community.

Robert also contributed actively to critter identification threads and shared insights about “macro vision” — the skill of training one’s eye-brain combination to spot tiny underwater subjects by learning their habitats and behavioral patterns.

Notable Contributions

Olympus M4/3 Macro Options Comparison

Troporobo’s most significant thread systematically compared macro lens options for Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, including the Olympus 60mm macro, the Olympus 12-50mm (with its unique macro mode), and various diopter combinations including the Nauticam CMC-1. The 37-reply thread became a reference for MFT macro photographers evaluating their lens choices, with detailed discussions of working distance, depth of field limitations, and the practical challenges of super macro on smaller sensors (^[2]).

His contribution included practical knowledge about the 12-50mm’s “fiendishly complicated” push-pull zoom mechanism for accessing macro mode, noting that only Nauticam made an underwater zoom gear capable of handling it.

Close-Focus Wide Angle on M4/3

In 2016, troporobo started a comprehensive thread seeking recommendations for CFWA lenses and ports on Micro Four Thirds, establishing clear criteria: closest focus distance, widest field of view, rectilinear projection, and dual-use capability for topside photography. The 32-reply discussion compared the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro, Panasonic 7-14mm f/4, and the Nauticam WWL-1, and explored the fundamental question of why fisheye lenses are traditionally recommended for CFWA despite their distortion (^[3]).

Photography Technique Discussions

Troporobo started the engaging thread “How do you shoot a black hole?” about the challenge of photographing a black hairy frogfish on a bright sandy bottom, which generated practical lighting advice from the community including suggestions for snoots, low-angle shooting, and exposure management (^[4]).

He contributed valuable advice on critter spotting technique, describing his concept of “macro vision” — dedicating entire dives to looking for small subjects, learning to identify habitats first (bubble coral for porcelain crabs, specific algae for nudibranchs, particular anemones for shrimp), and learning from experienced spotters (^[5]).

OM System Transition

As Olympus transitioned to OM System, troporobo followed the ecosystem closely, commenting on the OM-1 and its Nauticam housing, providing feedback on Topaz AI processing tools for MFT images, and participating in discussions about whether MFT remained viable against full-frame systems. His continued activity through 2025 demonstrates sustained commitment to the platform.

Gear History

• Pre-2010: Nikonos film camera (1980s—1990s era)
• 2010: Olympus E-PL1 with PT-EP01 OEM housing, Olympus UFL-2 strobe, fiber optic cable — his first digital underwater system
• 2012—2015: Upgraded to Olympus OM-D E-M5 in Nauticam housing; Olympus 60mm macro with Subsee diopters (+5, +10) for macro; Olympus 12-50mm as versatile option
• 2016: Evaluating Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro for wide angle; planning upgrade to E-M1 (or E-M1 Mark II)
• 2018—2020: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II in Nauticam housing; continued focus on 60mm macro
• 2022—2025: Following OM System OM-1 developments; using Inon Z330 strobes; experimenting with Topaz AI processing suite

Dive Locations

Robert’s extensive tropical experience includes:

• Vanuatu — years of weekend diving while working in the region
• Solomon Islands — extended residence and diving
• Papua New Guinea — work-related diving
• Marshall Islands (RMI) — diving mentioned in member introduction welcomes
• Anilao, Philippines — macro photography destination
• Lembeh, Indonesia — macro photography
• Bonaire — regular dive destination
• Bali, Indonesia — mentioned in frogfish and macro discussions
• Port Hardy, Vancouver Island — cold water diving (4K video thread)
• Blue Heron Bridge, Florida — muck diving
• Rowley Shoals, Australia — trip report
• Washington state / Puget Sound — home waters

Activity Profile

Troporobo’s 1,057 posts across 50 threads started represent a highly consistent contribution pattern spanning 15+ years, one of the longest active tenures in the community. His posting frequency was relatively steady rather than concentrated in bursts, reflecting ongoing engagement rather than intense short-term interest.

His participation spans an unusually broad range of forum sections: gear discussions, photo/video showcase, critter identification, lighting technique, conservation, and general chat. He was an active welcomer of new members and frequently shared local knowledge about Pacific Northwest diving.

Timeline

• 2010-07: Joined Wetpixel; first post seeking help with Olympus E-PL1 strobe sync issues (^[6])
• 2015-08: Active in Olympus M4/3 macro options comparison thread (^[7])
• 2016-03: Started CFWA lens/port recommendation thread for M4/3 (^[8])
• 2018-02: Started “How do you shoot a black hole?” technique discussion (^[9])
• 2022-03: Welcomed new members from PNW; mentioned living on Camano Island, years in South Pacific (^[10])
• 2022-07: Commented on OM-1 performance and Topaz AI processing (^[11])
• 2022-10: Shared “macro vision” critter spotting advice (^[12])
• 2023-08: Participated in “Preservation of Wetpixel” discussion (^[13])
• 2023-11: Still welcoming new members, sharing PNW diving knowledge (^[14])
• 2025-09: Last recorded activity, still contributing after 15 years