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Editor's Note: This is the second day in DPG's coverage of OWU 2012. Make sure to check out our coverage of the first day as well. 

Ah, day two of Our World Underwater. The smell of neoprene suits, convention grub and excitement filled the air at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago this morning as thousands filled through the aisles.

After an exciting reveal of the winning images for the 2012 OWU imaging contest at the DPG gallery and the Friday night film festival, DPG hit the show floor to see what was new and exciting in the underwater imaging world. 

Backscatter booth was packed from show opening to the final bell, as underwater photogs checked out some of the hottest UW products. 

One of the most anticipated items at the Backscatter booth is the company’s redesigned flat ports for their GoPro housings. In addition to the optional add on of a “magic filter” for underwater use, the 55mm thread allows the addition of polarized and other filters.

Backscatter also had Olympus’ EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) PEN camera and housing- the E-PM1.

The housing for this 12.3 MP camera comes in two varieties- one with port lights ($799) and one without ($599). The 67mm thread on from allows a variety of wet lens options including an Inon wide-angle port that provides 100 degree field of view.

At the Ultralight booth, Dave Reid showed us all of the latest accessories for their GoPro line of products. One of their latest releases is the pole cam system for the GoPro cameras. The poles are constructed from wood to be positively buoyant (just in case the shark you’re filming decides to take the camera with him) and are available by the 24” segments for around $11.

Dave also gave us a look at  company's cage for GoPro housings, designed to keep the camera secure even in the harshest conditions. "We sell those cages to television and motion picture companies,” said Reid, who just finished sending a batch of cages for a truck TV commercial and for the show “Glee.”

The XTC 300 sells as a package for $249 and comes with a ton of accessories, including 3 separate battery chargers and a housing depth rated to 100 ft., which has an underwater corrective lens to maximize image sharpness.

Equinox also unveiled a hot-off-the-machine prototype HD5 housing, which will likely fit all 2012 models of Sony Handycams and Panasonic handheld cameras. Weighing in at 9.5 lbs out of water, the HD 5 comes standard with five controls, but as with all Equinox housings, can be customized to the individual customer. It is expected to retail around $1299.

More equipment and floor happenings to come tomorrow, as well as the behind the scenes look at the 42 annual OWU film festival. Until then....

-Joe Tepper and Matt Weiss