TESTCENTRE
In the water
Rear of the housing
The camera slots into its housing seamlessly and seals with a nice chunky O-ring , visible through the transparent rear door . Rather than the more usual snap-lock system , the ReefMaster utilises a thumb lock screw . I initially found this a little fiddly , but soon got the hang of it ; truth be told , it ’ s far more secure .
There ’ s also a cleverlyincorporated cylinder to the right of the screen , which accommodates a silica gel ‘ moisture muncher ’ to combat any condensation . This doubles as a nice thumb grip too . Two top-mounted buttons control power / mode functions ( left ) and shutter / set ( right ).
Another pair of recessed ( to avoid accidental activation ) buttons on the right side operate the display and Wi-Fi functions . The menu is pretty standard fare , so selecting preferred settings for video and stills is straightforward .
More and more photographers seem to be making use of constant lighting as an alternative to the rapid bursts of light generated by strobes . Constant light works particularly well for close-up subjects , and the Pro2000F ’ s three intensity settings ( 100 %, 50 % and 25 %) are ideal for this purpose .
I was also very impressed with the tilt and rotate light head . As a proponent of hand-held , off-camera lighting as a means to reduce backscatter , I also found the two quickrelease buttons ( located on the top and bottom of the arm ) ideal for the task .
Although there ’ s no manual white balance mode , the camera has an Auto setting which worked well in conjunction with artificial light , while the Underwater Shallow ( 0-8m ) and Underwater Deep ( 8m-plus ) were pretty effective without . There are also settings for cloudy / sunlight .
Switching between stills and video modes underwater was both quick and easy . The ability to select from three lens angles ( 156 , 140 and 100-degrees ) is also available .
It ’ s never going to compete with ‘ prosumer ’ kit costing in the thousands rather than the hundreds , but that ’ s not the point of the Reefmaster . This is a setup for divers on the move who don ’ t want to be encumbered with equipment that needs constant attention .
Weighing only 800kg – I ’ ve owned heavier torches – it can be carried in one hand or clipped to a BCD when it ’ s not needed . For travelling , it takes up so little room it can easily fit in a handbag . If you ’ re a diver first and a photographer second , its simplicity and compact size definitely won ’ t cramp your style .
The detachable light head
Expect around two hours battery duration from the 40m depth-rated camera / housing and an hour at full power ( or two at half power ) from the 100m rated Sea Dragon light .
The overall specifications compare favourably with other top-end action cameras and it can be configured with a variety of video and stills definitions to suit your needs . Image quality is also on a par with its peers , but what really makes it stand out from the crowd is how well the camera and light combine seamlessly .
While I ’ ll not be giving up on my considerably bulkier and somewhat heavier
DLSR camera setup just yet ,
I had a lot of fun using this system and found the SeaLife combo ’ s compact form very liberating . If in the future you decide you ’ d like to take your photography to the next stage there ’ s also a choice of + 10 close-up or a Super- Macro conversion lenses , which attach via a screwthread to the housing itself .
Neil Hope
SCUBA SAYS
SeaLife ’ s ReefMaster RM-4K Pro 2000 Set is a perfectly paired camera and light combination that is lightweight , compact and great fun to use .
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