Wow, where is 2010 going? We've been so busy at work this year that I've barely been able to get out and actually dive. By April I couldn't stop thinking about sun and saltwater so I snuck away to the Bahamas to board the liveaboard dive yacht Aqua Cat.

After getting past the initial excitement over hot showers on the dive deck and the abundance of drawer space in my cabin , I was ready to get in the water. I took the latest in the line of hot new DSLR-video camera hybrids, the Canon Rebel T2i. This camera was fairly intuitive even to a Nikon shooter. Practice achieving focus in the movie mode (there's no continuous autofocus as with a camcorder) and you'll be all set!

The camera's large sensor requires a lot of light for good HD results, so if you're shooting video be mindful of the importance of steady source lighting. Whether using DS161 Movie Substrobes or a dedicated video light, position your lights as close to the subject as possible while keeping yourself and your equipment OFF the coral!

A couple of divers on the boat were shooting the JVC Picsio camcorder and housing package with great results. This system is so attractive that even the "I'm-not-interested-in-photography" diver can't resist. The quality is amazing for the size and it's way fun to come home and host your own "Shark Week" for your friends!

Back home in Indianapolis, we're growing the Ikelite family in response to increased demands for new products and housings for all of the latest camera models. Our engineers are working hard on a new housing body for the latest mirror-less interchangeable lens cameras. We intend to put it through the paces, add the finishing touches, and have it ready for release later this year. There are also some exciting new developments in video, still and personal lighting that will be announced in the near future.

In the meantime all of the ladies in the office are excited about the newest addition to our line of logo apparel. A new violet colored rashguard is a really beautiful shade of light purple and available in both long-sleeve and short-sleeve versions. Mine is already in the dive bag and has been begging to get in the water!

A million thanks to Peggy, Bruce, Capt. Mark and the entire crew of Aqua Cat Cruises—they treated me royally and I hope to enjoy their services again in the near future!

The Aqua Cat offers luxurious accommodations and a wide variety of Caribbean diving from blue holes to walls; shark dives to drift dives. The crew goes out of their way to meet your every comfort and ensure an enjoyable vacation. Check out the Aqua Cat Cruises website for more information:

Armed with my Canon S90IS camera and ULTRAcompact housing I headed to the island of Bonaire, Netherland Antilles. To properly light the beautiful reefs and creatures and cover the field of view of my W-20 lens I added a pair of AF35 AutoFlash units. Housing, camera, lens and strobes were carried on board with weight and room to spare—talk about ease of travel!

The AF35's automatic sensor built into the handle reads the camera's pre- and main flash and mimics the output for great exposures. For cameras without a hotshoe for hard-wired strobe connection this is as automatic as it gets! As an added bonus there's no maintenance of cord connectors or fiber-optic cabling. The battery compartment o-ring is the only thing I need to worry about, and a clear door on the compartment makes it easy to see that it's properly sealed.

Shooting with TWO strobes allowed me to add more or less flash from one side for visual dimension or evenly light my subject for all-over coverage. One extra trick I've learned: When shooting macro try backing up slightly to about 2 feet from your subject and zooming in a couple of steps. This allows the camera to receive more accurate light information for great exposure and also typically closes down the aperture when shooting in an automatic mode. I even did some close-up by zooming through the W-20 lens with super sharp results!

Presetting my camera ISO at 100 for the best details in underwater tropical conditions I simply set the sensor's side dial to a number, shot a photo, then fine tuned it for the distance I was shooting. Once I knew the best number for certain framing it was easy to concentrate on composition without having to worry about correct exposure.

Shore dive entries over the stark Bonaire coral rubble were no problem with my lightweight and compact set-up. This system is a great choice for diving travel and produces great photos. Although I also still shoot a digital SLR system for professional work, this is one fun package to travel with and shoot underwater.

David Haas has been a passionate diver and underwater photographer for over 30 years. He shoots and sells Ikelite equipment with tremendous enthusiasm and a commitment to helping customers get great results. Check out the Haas Images website for more information on David's photography, upcoming photo trips and equipment sales: