News

Ooh, heaven is a place on earth. And for underwater photographers, that place was Roatan for Backscatter’s 2018 Digital Shootout. For a week, divers gathered to learn about underwater imaging, test out the latest gear, and compete for some awesome prizes. 

The annual bonanza attracted 55 guests to Coco View Resort in Roatan, Honduras and 16 staff—comprised of leading imaging educators and the industry experts from Backscatter. While the event is labeled as a shootout, the main goal is for participants to vastly improve their underwater imaging in one week alone. Well, there was also a “warm-up” week for those who needed to dust off their housings. 

Taking full advantage of the reefs and critters of Roatan, the Backscatter staff also squeezes in the time to test out the newest underwater photo and video gear. Check out their reviews of the following items:

• Nikon D850
• Olympus TG-5
• Backscatter M52 Lens
• Canon 5D Mk IV
• Canon 1D X Mk II
• Panasonic Lumix GH5
• Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II
• GoPro Hero 6 Black
• Flip6 Filters for GoPro
• Pegasus Thruster 
• LMI Sola Nightsea

Amidst all the learning and gear testing, there’s also a competition—with some pretty attractive prizes to be won. For the first time, the shootout’s top prize —the Jim Watt Award— went to a short video shot by Alex Seys. Check out the other category winners below or the full list, here.

Winner: Jim Watt Award – Alex Seys
 

Winner: Wide Angle Traditional – Philip Seys
 

Winner: Wide Angle Unrestricted – James Peddle
 

Winner: Macro Traditional – Yann Herrera
 

Winner: Macro Unrestricted – Philip Seys
 

Winner: Point & Shoot – Todd Steitle
 

Winner: Nightsea – James Peddle
 

Winner: Sharks – Jake Stout
 

Backscatter’s comprehensive coverage of the Digital Shootout (gear tests, shootout life, and contest results) might make you a bit envious. That’s all the more reason to get a head start on registering for the 2019 Digital Shootout, which is set to take place June 22-29th in Little Cayman.