After an extended summer break, which saw the
Cameras Underwater crew working their little cotton socks off to bring
you a summer of happy underwater photographic fun, we're back with the
Autumn Newsletter.
Just around the corner now is DIVE '09 followed
very shortly by the Canon Pro Solutions Show and then the illustrious
Vision in the Sea. Throw into the mix DEMA and the Scottish Dive
Conference and you've got a busy few weeks. Phew! Cameras Underwater
will be attending all of these events (not exhibiting at DEMA).
DIVE 2009, 24/25 th October: The Cameras
Underwater team are looking forward to welcoming you to DIVE '09. This
year we have an even greater selection of the best underwater
photographic equipment to show you. Check out products from Canon,
Olympus, Fuji, Sony, Gates, Ikelite, Sea & Sea, SeaLife, Ewa Marine
and many more! This year you'll be able to take advantage of our show
offers as we'll be selling again from the stand, just like the good old
days.
Do your underwater photos cut the mustard? If you
want to really find out how to get the very best of your camera
underwater, don't forget to catch our new seminar with Duxy and Adam,
Simple Solutions for Stunning Results.
Canon Pro Photo Solutions, 27/28 October:
Something new and very interesting indeed. Cameras Underwater are proud
to announce that we will be exhibiting at Canon Pro Photo Solutions,
see us on stand 48. With many years underwater experience and access to
a whole world of specialist equipment we can cater for pretty much any
requirement. With a range of products tailored to work with and
compliment Canon's extensive range of equipment we can show you how to
produce stunning underwater footage and stills. Canon Pro Photo
Solutions is an unmissable event targeted specifically at professional
photographers. Designed by Canon to demonstrate the total workflow
process from input through to output, the show will feature a number of
specifically chosen partners. This event will not only offer advice
from industry experts, hands on demonstrations, informative seminars
and portfolio reviews, but will also provide professionals with
techniques on how to maximise profit in the current climate.
Visions in the Sea, November 7/8th: Don't miss
this one! Years ago Steve Warren of Ocean Optics started a yearly
festival of underwater photography. It soon became so popular it
attracted the very best photographers from all around the world.
Speakers included names such as Doubilet, Aw and Duxfield (what?).
Anyway, this year it's bigger. How can this be I hear you ask? Ocean
Optics have teamed up with the irrepressible, unstoppable and
enormously fun Nick and Caroline from Orca Divers to make Visions an
event to rival anything else in the world of underwater photography.
ScotSAC Conference 14th November: This year’s
conference is being organised by an elite team led by Sandy McPherson
and looks all set to be a real cracker. Sandy has something for
everyone so whether you’re a brand new novice snorkeller or a crusty
old NDC/Board member there’s no excuse for being anywhere else that
weekend.
The main event is all day Saturday 14th November
starting at the unholy hour of 9am and running right through to 5pm
with a very full agenda and a free lunch thrown in. The venue is the
excellent new Eyemouth High School which will give great space for the
big lectures and the breakout workshops. Tickets are a crazy cheap £10
on the door or an absolutely give-away price of £8 if purchased on-line
through the web-site (from 1st October). As is now customary there
will be a FREE photographic competition with various categories so no
excuses - start preparing your prints right away.
The Shark Trust marks European Shark Week 2009
by heralding a UK decision to lead in the battle against shark
“finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea)
with a complete ban on removal of shark fins at sea. The Shark Trust,
a founding member of the Shark Alliance, has campaigned against finning
and for this groundbreaking policy for years.
“The UK Ministers’ decision represents a pivotal
action in the battle against the wasteful practice of shark finning,”
said Ali Hood, Shark Trust Director of Conservation. “The new ban on
removal of shark fins at sea is essential for enforcing one of our
region’s most fundamental shark fisheries policies and adds
significantly to the UK’s solid shark conservation record.”
The EU banned finning and removal of shark fins at
sea in 2003, but loopholes in the regulation limit its effectiveness.
For instance, under a derogation, EU Member States can grant special
permits that allow their fishing vessels to remove shark fins at sea as
long as the amount of fins on aboard is kept under five percent of the
weight of shark bodies. The EU’s allowable fin to carcass ratio is the
highest in the world and widely criticized for hampering enforcement
and data collection while providing room for finning to occur
undetected and unpunished. Hundreds of tonnes of shark fin have been
landed by the UK fleet under these permits since the EU shark finning
regulation was adopted.
Following persistent lobbying by the Shark Trust
and their supporters, UK Fisheries Ministers announced their decision
to end the provision of these permits, thereby ensuring the UK fleet
complies with the original intent of the finning ban – that sharks are
landed with their fins naturally attached.
Shark fins can sell for more than £200 per kilo
for use in the Asian delicacy shark fin soup. The high value of fins in
relation to shark meat creates an economic incentive for “finning.”
The shark fin trade is a primary threat to shark populations with tens
of millions of sharks killed each year for their fins alone. Shortfin
Mako, Blue, Silky, Smooth Hammerheads and Thresher Sharks along with
deepwater species such as Portuguese Dogfish and Gulper sharks have all
been targeted by the UK fleet. Requiring that sharks are landed with
their fins attached removes any opportunity to fin, eases the
enforcement burden, and facilitates species-specific data collection.
The UK public and Members of Parliament have
enthusiastically supported the Shark Trust’s campaign, adding
significant voice to the cause. An Early Day Motion, presented to
Parliament in early 2009, was endorsed by all parties.
Shadow Environment Minister for the Liberal
democrats and sponsor of the Early Day Motion, Martin Horwood commented
to the Shark Trust: “When I appreciated that the UK was one of just a
handful of EU Member States that still allowed the removal of shark
fins at sea I was appalled. The shark finning Early Day Motion
demonstrated the strength of support across all political parties.
Parliament was calling for the UK to support sound shark conservation
measures. I am pleased that Mr Irranca-Davies and Mr Lochhead have
ceased the provision of these permits.”
With more than 250 permits between them, Spain and
Portugal are now the primary obstacles to an effective EU finning ban
and represent the focus of public activities for European Shark Week
2009. UK Ministers are writing to Commissioner Borg to request an
urgent review of the Shark Finning Regulation.
Editors notes:The Shark Trust
Established in 1997, the Shark Trust is the UK
registered charity which works to advance the worldwide conservation of
sharks through science, education, influence and action. The Trust is
led by a board of Trustees who oversee a small dedicated team, who are
further supported by a voluntary Scientific Committee, and a growing
number of supporters and volunteers.
The Trust is: an effective and well respected
advocate for sound shark management and protection; a founder member of
the Shark Alliance; the Secretariat of the European Elasmobranch
Association; and a membership organisation which provides a link
between the public and the science community.
Shark Finning defined: Removing a shark’s fins at
sea and discarding the carcass overboard.
Removal of Shark fins at sea defined: The removal
of a sharks fins at sea and the retention of the carcass, on EU vessels
in accordance with the 5% fin:carcass ratio.
EU Shark Finning Regulation: Council Regulation
(EC) No: 1185/2003
Article 3 (1) states: it shall be prohibited to
remove shark fins on board vessels, and to retain on board tranship or
land sharks fins.
Article 4 (1) states: by way of derogation from
Article 3 (1) and subject to paragraphs 2,3,4 and 5 of this Article
(see attached), it may be allowed to remove shark fins from dead sharks
on board and to retain on board, tranship or land sharks with regards
to vessels which hold a special fishing permit.
Special Fishing Permits: Since the adoption of
the EU Finning regulation the UK has issued between 10 and 20 permits
per year to UK registered vessels fishing in the North and South
Atlantic and the Indian Ocean as far east as the Indonesian archipelago
and Western Australian. Fins and carcasses were landed into numerous
overseas ports including: Canary Islands , Brazil , Senegal, Namibia,
Mauritius, Indonesia, South Africa as well as a number of UK ports.
Sharks landed include: Blue, Mako, Thresher, Silky, Smooth Hammerhead,
Birdbeak Dogfish, Gulper, Kitefin, Knifetooth, Leafscale Gulper,
Longnose velvet, Porbeagle, Portuguese Dogfish, Spurdog plus generic
dogfish/sharks.
EDM No: 1195 on Shark Finning:
That this House notes that over 70% of UK sharks,
skates and rays are categorised by IUCN as Threatened or Near
Threatened with extinction, and the recent publication of the European
Community Plan of Action for Sharks, and the context of EU legislation
prohibiting the removal of shark fins at sea ((EC) No:1185/2003);
believes the UK Government should build on the foundation of previous
shark conservation actions and lead the way in Europe as a champion of
shark conservation, promptly implementing effective shark conservation
and management measures; further believes that, on no occasion should
the UK government approve any derogation from the shark finning
legislation in order to allow UK-registered vessels to remove shark
fins at sea; further urges the Government to lead the way in Europe by
ceasing provision of special permits to remove shark fins at sea, thus
enforcing the original intention of the shark finning legislation, and
supporting improved shark fisheries monitoring, management and
conservation measures.
European Shark Week
10th-18th October 2009: Predator turned Prey –
turning the tide for shark conservation.
An opportunity for Europeans to demonstrate
support for shark conservation. www.sharktrust.org/esw
European Shark Week is supported by Shark Alliance member groups and
sponsored in 2009 by the Save our Seas Foundation.
The Boy Wonder, Adam Green, went kayaking this
summer and now brings you this...
Whitewater Kayaking in the French Alps with the
new Canon Powershot D10 waterproof camera - July 2009
I've just got back from fantastic trip white water
kayaking in the French Alps and I thought I'd tell you something about
it. As always, my friends all had a good laugh at me regarding the
stupidly large amount of camera equipment that I turned up with, but
hey, considering where I work, what else am I supposed to do?
I've always found choosing the right equipment for
kayaking to be a bit tricky. If it's going to be used on a river then
it needs to be small enough to fit inside your buoyancy aid.
This year I was lucky enough to try out a new
waterproof camera from Canon called the Powershot D10. Immediately I
found it small enough to fit inside my buoyancy aid. It also has an
accessory pack available which comes with a selection of straps. One of
which was perfect for attaching the camera to a hook inside my buoyancy
aid, leaving me with a very safe setup to use. Safety is always a big
concern with white water activities, it's very important that any
equipment you use doesn't have any loops which can get snagged on a
tree or any man made debris, which unfortunately is commonly found in
rivers which are good for kayaking.
The Ixus 100 IS + WP-DC31 waterproof
housing can record HD video which looks amazing on a large HD plasma
screen
This Canon Powershot D10 is a fantatsic
little waterproof camera to use for kayaking and other similar sports.
As soon as I got on the river and started taking
pictures with the D10 I immediately noticed that it had one big
advantage over previous similar products that I've used in the past. It
can focus on fast moving water with no problems at all with no
noticeable lag from when you push the shutter button to it taking the
picture. This took a bit of getting used to after years of having to
push the shutter button a little before when I wanted the shot, which
is a little frustrating.
The image quality produced from the D10 is as good
as the rest of the Canon compact camera range, which is superb. It
takes very sharp high resolution pictures with great colour which
really did the beautiful scenery around me justice.
Taking pictures on a white water river when the
action really kicks off is pretty hard. It can be quite scary to take a
hand off your paddle to play with a camera. The sturdy and safe strap I
was using on the camera definitely encouraged me to try this type of
shot more often and I ended up with better pictures because of it.
I also took two other Canon compacts with me, the
Ixus 100 & the Ixus 110, both fitted inside waterproof housings. I
used these mainly for video and both did the job very well. These are
the first two models of Canon compacts which record in "HD"
resolutions. The quality they can both produce is truly astounding and
makes the video that came from the hugely more expensive DV video
cameras of a few years back look quite dated.
At certain times all three cameras were used to
take stills and this led to some issues later on which I thought I
would mention to you. If you use several similar cameras then they are
likely to produce images with the same file name. This can be very
problematic later when organising your pictures on a computer, as I
found. I actually lost several of my pictures before I realised what
was happening. Many cameras have the facility to change the
name/numbering of the images it will produce which can help stop you
from getting duplicate file names.
Make sure that you set the correct date and time
on each of the cameras. This allows you to sort your pictures by the
time they were taken, which means you might find that you have shots
from different angles of the same moment. Just what you want after
you've paddled off a small waterfall a need to prove you bravery
(stupidity) to your friends back home.
Cameras Underwater goes to
Lundy island with the Canon Ixus 100
The
Canon Ixus 100 is currently our best selling camera. It's a very
small, well performing compact that combines stylish good looks with
high tech performance. The Ixus 100 has caused
quite a storm in the photographic world, mainly because of it's HD
video
capabilities! So while Cameras Underwater were at Lundy Island's first
ever Splash In competition earlier this year, we decided to give it a
good run for it's money; could this little compact cope with rigours of
UK diving? To learn more about the Ixus 100 go here:
While we didn't have the best of
weather conditions, the camera itself did perform really well and we
had some fantastically close encounters with the island's most famous
residents, the seals! For the most part we only used the camera in a
housing but we did also use wide angle and macro lenses to get some
of the better shots. For more info about add on lenses go here:
All the footage was shot in one day
(our day off from helping with the competition) and then edited in
the pub that evening. Midnight was the deadline, as all the
electricity goes off across the island then!
A few days later, we also took it on a
night dive (seemingly Lundy's first night dive in over 3yrs) we
wanted to see how it would perform with such low levels of light and
again it performed superbly well. We used a couple of video lights
including the Ikelite Pro V8.
More recently the island has been in
the news for it's recent job opportunities, if you are interested in
the island for diving, birdwatching, climbing or just need more
information before a visit please contact info@lundyisland.co.uk
Cameras Underwater London
Inside Ocean Leisure
11-14 Northumberland Ave.
London
WC2N 5AQ
+44 (0)20 7839 1991 london@camerasunderwater.co.uk
Cameras Underwater Devon
Slade Road
Ottery St. Mary
Devon
EX11 1QH
+44 (0)1404 812 277 sales@camerasunderwater.co.uk
