2004
Key events
The Nikon D70 becomes the first truly affordable DSLR (~$1,000) with widespread underwater housing support — a watershed moment for enthusiast underwater photographers. Aquatica cracks the Canon E-TTL code for underwater strobe control, releasing the I.C.U. (Illumination Control Unit). INON debuts the D-2000 strobe with S-TTL auto exposure. Doug Perrine wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year with digital underwater photos — the first year digital entries were allowed. DEMA 2004 sees film products nearly absent. Alex Mustard joins Wetpixel as moderator. Wetpixel v3.0 launches with a ground-up redesign, adds a classifieds section, and doubles from 1,000 to 2,000 forum members. The year publishes 241 articles — more than double 2003’s output.
January
- 2004-01-06: Olympus PT-020 housing ships — first PT housing with accessory shoe and strobe bulkhead. ([1])
- 2004-01-11: James Wiseman publishes review of Seacam Fuji S2 Pro housing. ([2])
- 2004-01-13: Aquatica announces E-TTL breakthrough for Canon 300D Digital Rebel housing — first to crack E-TTL code for underwater TTL strobe control. ([3])
- 2004-01-23: Wetpixel v3.0 launched — ground-up redesign by Eric Cheng, James Wiseman, and Craig Jones. ([4])
- 2004-01-23: INON Japan announces X-2 Canon 10D dSLR housing. ([5])
- 2004-01-26: Ikelite beta-tests prototype TTL conversion circuit for Olympus 5050/5060, with tester Peter Schulz reporting “outstanding” results — “The TTL system really rocks!” ([6])
- 2004-01-27: James Wiseman publishes “Upgrading to a DSLR” feature, guiding compact camera users through the transition. ([7])
- 2004-01-28: Wetpixel unveils classifieds section for buying and selling underwater photography gear — free listings for private sales. ([8])
- 2004-01-29: Sea & Sea Japan announces DX-D70 housing for Nikon D70. ([9])
- 2004-01-29: James Wiseman publishes tutorial on using Photoshop CS Channel Mixer to correct green water in temperate diving images. ([10])
February
- 2004-02-04: Fujifilm introduces FinePix S3 Pro at PMA 2004 — Super CCD SR sensor with 12.3M effective pixels, Nikon F-mount. ([11])
- 2004-02-05: Wetpixel members sweep Beneath the Sea photography/video competition. David Doubilet Award presented. ([12])
- 2004-02-07: Stephen Frink publishes Seacam Canon EOS 1D/1Ds housing field journal from Thailand. ([13])
- 2004-02-09: Nexus announces Nikon D70 housing with special dome for Nikon 10.5mm fisheye. ([14])
- 2004-02-10: Celebrate the Sea / Wetpixel Digital Portfolio 2004 announced — one of the most prestigious underwater digital imagery competitions, held in association with Antibes Festival, with prizes valued over $60,000. ([15])
- 2004-02-12: Kodak announces DCS Pro SLR/n — 14MP full-frame CMOS DSLR with Nikon F-mount at PMA 2004. Also at PMA: 8MP consumer cameras, 8GB CF cards, 2GB Memory Stick Pro cards. ([16], [17])
- 2004-02-15: Jean Bruneau tests Nikon 10.5mm fisheye with Aquatica D100 housing, demonstrates fisheye correction via Nikon Capture 4. ([18])
- 2004-02-17: Eric Cheng gets digital cover shots on Tauchen Magazine and Shark Diver Magazine, both shot with Sea & Sea-housed Canon D60. ([19])
- 2004-02-21: James Wiseman publishes RAW vs JPEG feature article explaining dynamic range and workflow advantages of RAW format for underwater photography. ([20])
- 2004-02-27: Alex Mustard joins Wetpixel as moderator. Previously won four Antibes Festival awards in 2002, founded Young UW Photographers Group. ([21])
March
- 2004-03-02: Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition accepts digital images for first time. ([22])
- 2004-03-04: INON announces UFL-165AD fisheye conversion lens — 165-degree maximum FOV, AD Mount. ([23])
- 2004-03-07: Eric Cheng gives digital UW photography seminar at Boston Sea Rovers 50th Anniversary Clinic. ([24])
- 2004-03-10: Aquatica releases I.C.U. (Illumination Control Unit) — E-TTL to TTL bridge microprocessor for Canon Rebel housing, making automated strobe exposure possible with Canon DSLRs underwater. ([25])
- 2004-03-15: Aquatica shows prototype Nikon D70 housing. Entry-level DSLR UW photography becoming more affordable. ([26])
- 2004-03-18: Kodak announces DCS Pro SLR/c — 14MP full-frame CMOS with Canon EOS mount. ([27])
- 2004-03-21: Wetpixel announces bi-monthly photo contest with jury including Alex Mustard, Stephen Frink, David Fleetham, Douglas David Seifert, James Watt. ([28])
- 2004-03-23: James Wiseman publishes lens selection guide for new DSLR shooters transitioning to underwater use. ([29])
- 2004-03-26: Beneath the Sea 2004 expo: Aquatica I.C.U. demoed, multiple housing manufacturers present. ([30])
- 2004-03-28: Wetpixel reaches 2,000 registered forum members, less than one year after hitting 1,000. ([31])
April
- 2004-04-05: Tiger shark “Spot” grabs housed Nikon D100 from diver and takes a perfectly exposed photo. Jim Abernethy’s expedition; Manu San Felix later interviewed about the incident. ([32], [33])
- 2004-04-07: Sea & Sea issues voluntary recall/upgrade for DX-3100 Aquapix camera. ([34])
- 2004-04-26: Coral bleaching reported across Great Barrier Reef after water temperatures exceeding 30C — fourth time in six years. ([35])
- 2004-04-26: Craig Jones and James Wiseman publish tutorials on using Adobe Camera RAW for underwater image processing. ([36])
- 2004-04-27: EPIC 2004 contest results: Wetpixel members win across categories — Jim Abernethy (1st Sharks, 1st Video), James Wiseman (3rd Digital). ([37])
May
- 2004-05-01: Asian Dive Expo (ADEX) celebrates 10th anniversary in Singapore. ([38])
- 2004-05-07: Digital Shootout Fiji 2004 begins at Garden Island Resort, Taveuni — 50 participants, sponsored by Backscatter, Light & Motion, Optiquatics, and Wetpixel. Eric Cheng and James Wiseman webcast live from Fiji. Berkley White, Jim Watt, Julieanne Kost lead seminars. ([39])
- 2004-05-27: Eric Cheng publishes “The Mystery of RAW Converters” — comparative analysis showing significant differences between converters in sunball rendering and shadow detail. ([40])
- 2004-05-27: Nexus D70 production housing shown at Long Beach Show ($2,552). ([41])
- 2004-05-31: Douglas David Seifert’s digital UW whale shark images appear in New York Times Science section — significant milestone for digital UW photography in mainstream press. ([42])
June
- 2004-06-05: Seaspace 2004 in Houston. James Wiseman and Eric Cheng give digital workshop. ([43])
- 2004-06-15: Nikon considers exiting compact film camera business, citing irreversible demand decline. ([44])
- 2004-06-21: First Wetpixel official photo contest winners announced: Dave Harasti (1st), lidde (2nd), Dany Weinberg (3rd). ([45])
- 2004-06-23: James Wiseman publishes comprehensive comparison of digital media cards (CF vs Microdrive vs SD), addressing reliability concerns for dive trip storage. ([46])
July
- 2004-07-05: Michael Aw and Mathew Muir publish “The Essential Guide to Digital Underwater Photography.” ([47])
- 2004-07-10: Rich Todd reviews Sea & Sea DX-D70 housing for Nikon D70, tested in Galapagos. ([48])
- 2004-07-14: Aquatica reveals prototype castings for Kodak ProSLRn housing — first underwater housing for a full-frame Nikon F-mount camera. ([49])
- 2004-07-22: Subal announces new GS Viewfinder (180-degree style, $960). ([50])
- 2004-07-29: Herb Ko reviews Aquatica A300 housing for Canon Digital Rebel, his first DSLR experience, tested in Similan Islands, Thailand. ([51])
- 2004-07-29: Gates announces GL2/XM2/XV2 video housing for Canon camcorders. ([52])
August
- 2004-08-07: James Wiseman publishes tutorial on correcting chromatic aberration using Adobe Camera RAW — addressing a common issue with wide-angle underwater lenses. ([53])
- 2004-08-13: Monterey Shootout 2004 (10th annual) with 150+ photographers; presenters include Norbert Wu, Jim Watt, Berkley White. ([54])
- 2004-08-18: Canon announces EOS 20D (8.2MP, 5fps) and two new EF-S lenses (10-22mm, 17-85mm). ([55])
- 2004-08-20: Alex Mustard reviews Subal ND70 housing for Nikon D70, designed by Arnold Stepanek. ([56])
- 2004-08-30: Herb Ko publishes tutorial on converting old Nikon SB-105 film strobes for digital use via Subaquatic Camera fiber optic retrofit (~$130) — helping film shooters reduce digital transition costs. ([57])
September
- 2004-09-03: Sea & Sea introduces DX-5000G, 5.13MP compact UW camera system with world’s fastest 0.12s shutter lag. ([58])
- 2004-09-06: Ikelite announces eTTL-to-TTL bridge for Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel. ([59])
- 2004-09-08: Subtronic announces mini EOS 300D E-TTL strobe — purpose-built for Canon Digital Rebel underwater systems. ([60])
- 2004-09-09: Monterey Shootout 2004 results posted — impressive shots in both film and digital categories. ([61])
- 2004-09-14: Light & Motion announces Bluefin VX2100 video housing for Sony 3-chip camcorders. ([62])
- 2004-09-16: Nikon announces D2X (12.4MP CMOS pro DSLR) and Coolpix 8400 (8MP compact with 24-85mm equivalent). ([63])
- 2004-09-22: Canon announces 1Ds Mk II with 16.7MP full-frame sensor. ([64])
- 2004-09-23: Aquatica A70 housing for Nikon D70 nearing shipment at $1,689 retail. ([65])
October
- 2004-10-03: Julian Scheunemann publishes dome theory article, explaining optical principles behind dome port design for wide-angle underwater photography. Colin Gans reviews Sealux CD70 housing for Nikon D70. ([66])
- 2004-10-04: James Watt wins 1st at Celebrate the Sea/Wetpixel digital portfolio contest; Alex Mustard receives honorable mention. ([67])
- 2004-10-08: Sea & Sea introduces YS-55TTL/E, first E-TTL compatible YS-series strobe for Canon digital SLRs. ([68])
- 2004-10-13: DEMA 2004 in Houston — film products nearly absent; digital dominates entirely. Eric Cheng, Craig Jones, James Wiseman cover show for Wetpixel with ~300 photos over four days. Major exhibitors include 10Bar, Aquatica, Backscatter, Gates, Ikelite, INON, Light & Motion, Nexus, Sea & Sea, Seacam, Subal. ([69], [70])
- 2004-10-25: Doug Perrine wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year with digital UW photos shot on Canon D60 in UK-Germany housing — first year digital entries were allowed. Douglas David Seifert and Charles Hood also win categories with digital UW shots. ([71])
November
- 2004-11: Antibes Festival 2004: Laurent Ballesta wins slide portfolio (3rd time in 5 years); Nikon D70 most popular DSLR at the festival; Subal and Seacam show D2X housing prototypes. Alex Mustard provides detailed report. ([72])
- 2004-11-02: INON announces D-2000 strobe, replacing D-180. GN 20, S-TTL/External Auto/Manual/Nikonos TTL modes. ([73])
- 2004-11-13: David Haas reviews Ikelite 300D housing with eTTL converter, tested aboard Deep Blue in Galapagos. ([74])
- 2004-11-17: Mauricio Handler shoots sample photos with Aquatica prototype housing for 14MP Kodak 14n/ProSLRn — first full-frame Nikon-mount camera to go underwater. ([75])
- 2004-11-20: Gates organizes humpback whale expedition to Tonga with legendary filmmaker Stan Waterman (age 83) aboard NAI’A liveaboard, featuring high-definition video. ([76])
- 2004-11-21: NCUPS SEA 2004 contest results: Todd Mintz sweeps entire novice category and wins Best of Digital; Kasey Canton wins Best of Prints and Bob Comer Award. Eric Cheng serves as judge. 57 entrants from 5 states, 8 countries submit 456 entries. ([77])
- 2004-11-29: Hugyfot announces Nikon D70 housing forthcoming. ([78])
December
- 2004-12-07: James Wiseman reviews Fisheye FIX LIGHT HG20DX spotting light. ([79])
- 2004-12-29: Eric Cheng posts about 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief, linking to donation pages for the devastating December 26 earthquake and tsunami. ([80])
Also this year
- First GoPro camera sold (35mm film, waterproof to ~15 feet)
- Alex Mustard leaves marine biology academia to pursue underwater photography full time
- E-TTL underwater strobe control cracked by Aquatica (I.C.U.) and Ikelite, solving Canon’s proprietary flash protocol for underwater use
- 241 articles published on Wetpixel — double the 117 of 2003
- Nikon D70 becomes the “people’s DSLR” underwater, with housings from Sea & Sea (DX-D70), Subal (ND70), Nexus, Aquatica (A70), Ikelite, Sealux (CD70), Hugyfot
- Digital image processing tutorials (RAW conversion, chromatic aberration correction, green water correction, lens selection) become a major Wetpixel content category
- Dome port theory formally explained, helping photographers understand virtual image formation underwater
- Film-to-digital migration essentially complete in the UW photography community
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Jan 6, 2004: Olympus Pt 020 Available ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 11, 2004: Seacam Fuji S2 Pro Housing Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 13, 2004: Aquatica A300 Canon Digital Rebel Housing Ttl ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 23, 2004: Wetpixel V30 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 23, 2004: Inon X2 Canon 10d Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 26, 2004: Ikelite Olympus Ttl Beta Test ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 27, 2004: Upgrading To A Dslr ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 28, 2004: Wetpixel Unveils Classifieds Section ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 29, 2004: Sea Sea Dx D70 Housing Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 29, 2004: Using The Channel Mixer To Correct Green Water ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 4, 2004: Fuji Finepix S3 Pro Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 5, 2004: Wetpixel Members Sweep Beneath The Sea Competition ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 7, 2004: Seacam 1d1ds Housing Field Journaloperators Manual ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 9, 2004: Nexus Nikon D70 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 10, 2004: Celebrate The Seawetpixel Digital Portfolio 2004 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 12, 2004: Kodak Announces New Pro Dslr ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 12, 2004: Pma 2004 Coverage ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2004: Aquatica D100 Wnikon 105mm ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2004: Tauchen And Shark Diver Digital Covers ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 21, 2004: Raw Vs Jpeg ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 27, 2004: Alex Mustard Joins Wetpixel ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 2, 2004: Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2004 Goes Digital ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 4, 2004: Inon Ufl 165ad Underwater Fisheye Conversion Lens ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2004: Boston Sea Rovers 50th Anniversary Clinic1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 10, 2004: Aquaticas Icu Release ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2004: Aquatica D70 Housing Prototype ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 18, 2004: Kodak Accounces Dcs Pro Slrc ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 21, 2004: Wetpixel Announces Bi Monthly Photo Contest ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 23, 2004: Selecting Lenses For Your New Digital Slr ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 26, 2004: Beneath The Sea 2004 Expo Report ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2004: Wetpixels 2000th Forum Member ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 5, 2004: Tiger Shark Takes A Picture With A Housed D100 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 4, 2004: Interview With Manu San Felix ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 7, 2004: Sea Sea Dx 3100 Aquapix Upgradefix ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 26, 2004: Summer Weather Impacts Australias Great Barrier Reef ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 26, 2004: Tips For Using Adobe Camera Raw ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 27, 2004: Epic 2004 Photo Contest Winners Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 1, 2004: Asian Dive Expo ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 7, 2004: Digital Shootout Fiji Webcast 2004 ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 27, 2004: The Mystery Of Raw Converters ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 27, 2004: Nexus D70 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 31, 2004: New York Times Digital Underwater ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 5, 2004: Seaspace 2004 Houston Tx ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 15, 2004: Nikon Exit From Compact Film Cameras ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 21, 2004: Wetpixel Marchapril Contest Winners ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 23, 2004: Digital Media Cards Compared ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 5, 2004: Michael Aws Essential Guide To Digital Uw Photo ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2004: Sea And Sea Dx D70 A Review By Rich Todd ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2004: Photos Of The Kodak Proslrn Housing By Aquatica ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 22, 2004: Subals New Gs Viewfinder ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2004: Aquatica A300 Housing Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2004: Gates Announces New Canon Gl2 Xm2 Xv2 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 7, 2004: Correcting Chromatic Abberation Using Adobe Photoshop Cs ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 17, 2004: Monterey Shootout 2004 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 18, 2004: Canon Announces Eos20d And 2 New Lenses ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 20, 2004: Subal Subal D70 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 30, 2004: New Digital Life For An Old Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 3, 2004: Sea Sea 5000g 51 Megapixel Uw Camera ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 6, 2004: Ikelite Does Canon Ettl ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 8, 2004: Subtronic Announces Mini Eos 300d Ettl Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2004: Monterey Shootout 2004 Results ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 14, 2004: Light And Motion Announces Bluefin Vx2100 Video Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 16, 2004: Nikon Announces The D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 22, 2004: Canon 1ds Mk Ii 167 Megapixels ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 23, 2004: Aquaticas A70 Housing Shipping Soon ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 3, 2004: Dome Theory ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 4, 2004: Celebrate The Seawetpixel Contest Winners ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 8, 2004: Sea Sea Ys 55ttle Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 15, 2004: Dema Show 2004 Report ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 16, 2004: Dema 2004 Show Report ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 25, 2004: Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Doug Perrine ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2004: Antibes Festival 2004 Report1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 2, 2004: Inon D 2000 Ultra Multimode Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 13, 2004: Ikelite 300d Housing With Ettl Converter ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 17, 2004: Aquatica Kodak 14nproslr Sample Photos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 20, 2004: Humpbacks In Tonga Wstan Waterman ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 21, 2004: Ncups Sea 2004 Winners ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 29, 2004: Hugyfot Nikon D70 Housing ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 7, 2004: Fisheye Fix Light Hg20dx Spotting Light ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 29, 2004: Asia Earthquake Donations ↩
- DEMA 2004 show report (article) ↩
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year (article) ↩
- Aquatica E-TTL breakthrough (article) ↩
- Aquatica I.C.U. release (article) ↩
- INON D-2000 strobe (article) ↩
- Wetpixel v3.0 launch (article) ↩
- Alex Mustard joins Wetpixel (article) ↩
- RAW vs JPEG (article) ↩
- Dome theory (article) ↩
- Subal ND70 review (article) ↩
- Antibes Festival 2004 (article) ↩
- Digital Shootout Fiji 2004 (article) ↩
- NCUPS SEA 2004 results (article) ↩
- Monterey Shootout 2004 (article) ↩
- Indian Ocean tsunami (article) ↩