Nifty Top-Down Box from AVAST Marine Works

Most top-down photo boxes used in aquariums are square, somewhat cumbersome, and prevent you from easily zooming in on the livestock you are trying to photograph. The bottom of these top-down boxes usually consist of a piece of acrylic, which is awfully prone to scratching, thereby ruining any future shots with that top-down box. Sure, you could buff out any scratches, but this will create some distortions in the image. AVAST Marine Works, who sent us a Davy Jones’ Skimmate Locker for a product review, has recently teamed up with reef aquarium expert Tony Vargas to create a very nifty top-down porthole. With this Top-Down Porthole, AVAST has completely abandoned tradition. They have ditched the typical acrylic box, going instead with a ring that mounts directly to the lens of the camera. With this setup, you will still be able to zoom in or out by rotating the entire top-down device. There is an acrylic shield on the end of the device, but it is located within the tube, prevents scratches and keeps water away from the lens. And better yet, the price on these top-down camera aids is a mere $30.