2010

Key events

The Canon 7D dominated the underwater DSLR market as every major housing manufacturer raced to support it, while Nauticam cemented its explosive entry into the industry with a rapid stream of innovative housings. The mirrorless camera revolution began taking shape underwater with the Sony NEX-5 and Olympus E-PL1 receiving their first housings. A 3D video craze swept underwater filmmaking, with Eric Cheng pioneering consumer underwater stereoscopic rigs. The Deepwater Horizon disaster dominated conservation news, while the underwater photography community mourned the death of cave diver and cinematographer Wes Skiles. Kodachrome film was officially discontinued on December 31, closing a chapter in photographic history.

January

• 2010-01-06: CES 2010 opens with Canon, Panasonic, and Sony announcing new camcorders and 45 new compact cameras, with 3D a dominant theme. (^[1])
• 2010-01-10: Nauticam announces underwater housing for Canon EOS 7D at $2,800, entering the DSLR housing market with innovative ergonomic design and competitive pricing. (^[2])
• 2010-01-15: Alex Mustard interviews Kurt Amsler, covering 50 years of underwater photography history and the philosophy of mixing ambient and strobe light. (^[3])
• 2010-01-15: Aquatica Canon 7D housing reviewed by Berkley White; the Canon 7D paired with Tokina 10-17mm declared “best of both worlds” for underwater photo/video. (^[4])

February

• 2010-02-08: Canon announces Rebel T2i/550D with 18MP and 1080p video at a consumer price point, creating excitement for affordable underwater housing possibilities. (^[5])
• 2010-02-13: Randall Benton wins Wetpixel Picture of the Year 2009 with a manta ray image from Kona. (^[6])
• 2010-02-13: Howard Hall returns from the Maldives with Gates DEEP RED 4K system, posting frame grabs from the expedition. (^[7])
• 2010-02-20: Our World Underwater 2010 contest winners announced; 5th annual competition co-hosted by DPG and Wetpixel. (^[8])

March

• 2010-03-14: DEEP Indonesia 2010 winners announced; 4th annual competition judged by Eric Cheng, Tony Wu, and others; Best of Show by Magnus Lundgren. (^[9])
• 2010-03-15: Canon releases firmware 2.0.3 for the 5D Mark II, adding 24p/25p video, manual audio levels, and live histogram during video — a major upgrade for underwater videographers. (^[10])
• 2010-03-17: Alex Mustard publishes field review of the Nauticam D700 housing, validating Nauticam’s build quality and competitive pricing against established brands. (^[11])
• 2010-03-24: Aquatica announces Mini Dome 100 (4-inch) for $699, joining Zen and Seacam in the compact dome port market. (^[12])
• 2010-03-26: Beneath the Sea 2010 opens in Secaucus, NJ, with gear launches including Sea & Sea YS-01 strobe, Nauticam T2i preview, Light & Motion SOLA 600, and Olympus PEN E-PL1 housing. (^[13])

April

• 2010-04-03: Eric Cheng speaks at TEDxBerkeley about bioluminescent flashlight fish and sperm whales. (^[14])
• 2010-04-12: NAB Show 2010 in Las Vegas; 3D is the dominant theme; GoPro shows prototype 3D housing; Eric Cheng reports on implications for underwater imaging. (^[15])
• 2010-04-17: Shark Savers/WildAid anti shark-finning billboards featuring Yao Ming deployed in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, funded partly by Wetpixel community donations. (^[16])
• 2010-04-20: Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico begins the worst oil spill in US history, becoming a major conservation story throughout the year. (^[17])

May

• 2010-05-03: Nature’s Best Ocean Views 2010 winners announced from 10,000+ entries; Bryce Flynn takes first place. (^[18])
• 2010-05-22: Light & Motion releases SOLA 600 compact imaging light: 679 lumens, sealed design, 0.54 lbs — a breakthrough in compact underwater lighting. (^[19])

June

• 2010-06-01: Panasonic announces 8mm fisheye for Micro Four Thirds, giving new relevance to MFT for underwater photography. (^[20])
• 2010-06-02: Nauticam announces NA-550D for Canon Rebel T2i at $2,500; smallest Nauticam housing with new latch system. (^[21])
• 2010-06-11: Jacques Cousteau centennial marked; recognized as the father of scuba diving and underwater filmmaking. (^[22])
• 2010-06-11: Aquatica announces Canon T2i/550D housing at $1,999, the most affordable aluminum DSLR housing in its class. (^[23])
• 2010-06-12: Drew Wong publishes Canon 5D Mark II housing shootout comparing Sea & Sea MDX-Pro, Aquatica A5D MkII, and Seacam. (^[24])
• 2010-06-14: Valerie Taylor appointed Member of the Order of Australia for marine conservation service. (^[25])
• 2010-06-15: Howard Hall posts 4K RED ONE footage from Cocos Island expedition using Undersea Hunter submersible Deep See. (^[26])
• 2010-06-27: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes discuss their Elysium Antarctic expedition following Shackleton’s 1914 route, working in challenging -3 C conditions. (^[27])
• 2010-06-30: Brian Skerry presents at TED on ocean conservation through photography. (^[28])

July

• 2010-07-06: Eric Cheng and Tony Wu speak at the Thailand Travel & Dive Expo (TDEX) in Bangkok. (^[29])
• 2010-07-16: DRT Show 2010 opens in Hong Kong; Shark Savers launches “Say No to shark fin soup” campaign with Yao Ming. Nauticam and INON exhibit. (^[30])
• 2010-07-18: Wetpixel Bahamas sharks and dolphins expedition begins, led by Alex Mustard with Jim Abernethy on M/V Shear Water. (^[31])
• 2010-07-22: Eric Cheng unboxes custom BS Kinetics DuoDive 3D stereoscopic underwater housing with dual Sony CX550V camcorders, pioneering consumer underwater 3D video. (^[32])
• 2010-07-23: Renowned cave diver and underwater cinematographer Wes Skiles dies while diving off Boynton Beach, Florida. His photography appeared in the current issue of National Geographic. (^[33])
• 2010-07-28: Eric Cheng takes 3D rig to Mexico cenotes and whale shark aggregation at Isla Mujeres. (^[34])

August

• 2010-08-19: Canon releases PowerShot S95 compact. Nikon releases D3100 entry-level DSLR (first Nikon with 1080p video) and new 85mm f/1.4G and 24-120mm f/4 VR lenses. (^[35])
• 2010-08-24: Blue Ocean Film Festival 2010 opens in Monterey; David Doubilet exhibition “Below” launches the festival. 3D technology showcase with Gates/Panasonic AG-3DA1 housing. (^[36])
• 2010-08-26: Canon announces EF 8-15mm f/4L fisheye zoom and EOS 60D, both significant for underwater photographers. (^[37])
• 2010-08-31: Alex Mustard publishes glowing review of Light & Motion SOLA 600 focus light on Wetpixel. (^[38])

September

• 2010-09-01: Nauticam responds to NA-550D housing screw loosening issue, releasing redesigned parts — an early test of the young company’s customer service reputation. (^[39])
• 2010-09-08: Eric Cheng reviews Keldan Luna 8 LA-V LED video light from Maldives testing. (^[40])
• 2010-09-14: Canon introduces PowerShot G12. Olympus announces E-5 flagship DSLR. Panasonic details AG-AF100 Micro 4/3 camcorder. (^[41])
• 2010-09-15: Nikon introduces D7000 DSLR: 16MP, 39-point AF, 1080p video — a major new mid-range model that would dominate underwater photography for years. (^[42])
• 2010-09-18: Nauticam NA-NEX5 housing enables use of vintage Nikonos 15mm wide-angle lens on Sony NEX-5, recycling classic underwater optics for mirrorless cameras. (^[43])

October

• 2010-10-04: RED’s Jim Jannard announces Scarlet repositioned to professional market only, abandoning the prosumer segment. (^[44])
• 2010-10-06: Nauticam releases NA-645DF housing for PhaseOne 645DF with P65+ 60.5MP back, bringing medium format underwater photography to new levels. (^[45])
• 2010-10-27: 37th Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine held in Marseille with Jean-Michel Cousteau as honorary president, celebrating the centenary of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s birth. (^[46])

November

• 2010-11-01: Howard Hall releases “The Blue Ocean in Red” footage shot entirely on RED One camera with Nikon lenses from the Maldives, Alaska, California, Cocos Island, and Mexico. (^[47])
• 2010-11-02: Commercial fishing around the Chagos Islands officially ends, creating the world’s largest no-take marine protected area. (^[48])
• 2010-11-06: Martin Edge and Alex Mustard present to 240+ underwater photographers at Imperial College London, organized by Cameras Underwater — possibly the largest single-event UW photography gathering ever. (^[49])
• 2010-11-07: Wetpixel Ambon Night Safari begins; Eric Cheng and Tony Wu co-lead; innovative use of INON insect eye lenses to capture macro-wide perspectives. (^[50])
• 2010-11-08: Drew Wong reports from RED Epic prototype demo in Singapore; 5K resolution, MX sensor with HDRx promising 18-stop dynamic range. (^[51])
• 2010-11-17: Raja Ampat, Indonesia creates a shark sanctuary, a major conservation victory championed by the diving community. (^[52])
• 2010-11-18: DEMA Show 2010 in Las Vegas; successful shark fin soup protest at Las Vegas Hilton leads to the restaurant removing shark fin products. Wetpixel/DivePhotoGuide cocktail party. (^[53])

December

• 2010-12-01: Three shark attacks (oceanic whitetip) on tourists at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt lead to a two-day diving ban across the resort. (^[54])
• 2010-12-02: Alex Mustard publishes field review of Nikon D7000 and Nauticam NA-D7000, one of the first comprehensive underwater reviews of the camera. (^[55])
• 2010-12-09: Light & Motion expands SOLA light line to include Dive, Photo, and Video models; SOLA Photo 600 features adjustable 3-level red light. SOLA 4000V prototype announced for April 2011. (^[56])
• 2010-12-10: Wetpixel publisher Eric Cheng and Pam get married at San Francisco City Hall. (^[57])
• 2010-12-14: Keri Wilk wins Best of Show at the inaugural Ocean Art competition ($67,000 in prizes). (^[58])
• 2010-12-31: Kodachrome film officially discontinued by Kodak, marking the end of an era in photography. (^[59])