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In our quest for ways to best define certain kinds of marine subjects, one of the more interesting tools available to us is backlighting. This is never going to be the most common approach to take photos, but with the right kind of subject, it is possible to achieve unique and striking results.
Image Shen Collazo
You can certainly backlight with your existing strobes as long as you have arms that are long enough to get the strobe behind the subject. This is going to mean you are pretty close and utilizing a close focusing macro lens.
The other option is to disconnect one strobe entirely and place it still connected (usually with fiber optic as it is easier) behind your subject.
One of our favorite ways to achieve backlighting is just to carry a small Inon S-2000 around in our BC pocket. Not only is the S-2000 diminutive in size and weight; it also has an extremely sensitive 360 degree optical pick up to trigger the strobe. This means no cables are required at all offering maximum flexibility with placement. Of course the other Inons offer this flexibility as well in a larger form factor.
Sea & Sea strobes have traditionally only worked with a fiber optic or electrical sync connection attached. That may have changed with the new YS-D3 Lightning strobe that offers an optional slave trigger accessory that can be used for this, but we haven't had a chance to test how well this will work yet.
Another excellent tool for triggering a strobe behind a subject it the latest version of the Anglerfish Remote Trigger. This clever slave triggering device allows triggering of one or two strobes by fiber optic or electrical sync in a remote location; so compatible with just about any strobe.
A strong constant light source like a powerful focus or video light can also be an option for backlighting. While not as powerful a light source as a strobe, you have the advantage of "seeing what you get" which allows you to tweak the look you want more easily. This can work quite well for macro subjects if you have enough exposure latitude. Some of these lights can also provide red,green or blue LED lighting or utilize filter gels for special effects. The new Kraken Hydra 3500 S+ RGB WSRU offers several color options for special lighting effects.
So what kind of shots are you likely to be successful with? Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.
This hairy shrimp looks solid when lit from the front. Image Kevin Palmer
When lit from the back, the hairy shrimp looks transparent and "glows" Image Kevin Palmer
Image Chris Parsons
Image Tanya Burnett
Another example of the same subject with front lighting and back lighting can be found below.
Front lighting Image Lee Burghard
Backlighting close up. Image Lee Burghard
Lastly; think outside the box with backlighting - sometimes just a little light can go a long way as below.
Image: Chris Parsons]]>
Your night dives will never be the same.
Taken with Sola Nightsea/Jeff Honda
Even if you never had black light posters on your wall as a kid, it is hard not to be spellbound by your first fluorescent imaging dive. If done on a healthy reef with lots of hard coral, the glowing universe that is revealed is simply jaw dropping. The equipment that it requires is not very extensive and the tools have improved considerably from the early days when this was primarily a past time of researchers and scientist. So lets dive into the current options for this special niche of underwater imaging.
Photo Kevin Palmer
The first thing to understand is what happens when these underwater animals go all psychedelic in front of your camera when hit by certain spectrums of light. Bio-florescence has been discovered in more marine animals around the world than anyone would have guessed a couple of decades ago. The cells on the surface of the creature absorb a high frequency spectrum like deep blue or UV and then convert that to a new, lower frequency light that is emitted by the animal - often green, yellow, orange or red. So the animals are actually producing their own light after being stimulated by the barely visible blue wavelength or ultra-violet lighting.
Tools to unveil a new world
As with many imaging techniques, there are different roads to achieve similarly excellent results, so we will cover a number of options along with some essentials.
One of the first solutions to be experimented with, and still one of the most powerful, is to use a special excitation filter on a conventional strobe. This set up will produce a lot of light, but there are some compromises that come with this arrangement. Because the strobes are not producing blue light all the time, the photographer must have a another blue wave length constant light to be able to find the subjects to shoot. The aiming light of the strobe is generally too weak to produce usable light through the dark blue filter. The other factor is that all strobes have different light temperature and spectrum output, so combined with the excitation filter you won't necessarily get the ideal spectrums. But if you already have a good strong strobe, these filters can be the least expensive way to start playing with fluoro.
Photo Kevin Palmer
When you use a blue light source like this, you will get the best results by using a Reference Filter on your camera lens. These are strong yellow filters designed to filter out blue light. So all that blue light that is hitting things that do not Fluoresce can be seen slightly, so the yellow filter cleans that up and makes the fluoro subject pop from the dark. There are yellow filters that fit directly on the camera lens and filters that fit the front port of your underwater housing. They work equally well.
Fluoro with constant lighting:
This is perhaps the easiest style of shooting fluoro. Primarily because "what you see is what you get". With blue or UV fluoro light, a glowing realm is spread in front of you and you can head towards interesting creatures that seem to stand out. If looking in live view, you only need to make basic adjustments until it looks "good" and take the shot. To get an even better view of the potential subjects available; Light and Motion, Ikelite and Fix make yellow mask filters that slip over your diving mask so you experience what the camera will see with its reference filter.
Some of the best Fluoro Lights available today:
Light & Motion Sola Nightsea
The Sola Nightsea is the only Fluoro light that has been directly endorsed by Nightsea that has done considerable pioneering work in the realm of fluorescence imaging. So it is no surprise that it produces excellent results. It is also small, light and simple which is a plus when engaging in a dazzling new environment. A phosphor filter is included which turns the light back to "white" for general light use. The price has come down considerably in the last couple of years making the light a bargain.
Fix Neo 1200 DX Blue Light
Fix makes a fine series of underwater imaging lights with a lot of flexibility - up to 100 power settings, interchangeable heads for multiple uses and real time remaining read out. Existing Fix light owners may be able to just purchase the blue head with phosphor filter which makes it a bargain or purchase the blue light complete. This light is a little more powerful than the Nightsea, but uses blue wave length LEDs instead of a special filter as L&M does on the Nightsea. Both produce Fluorescence, but with slightly different effects.
Kraken Hydra 3500S+ WSRU
This Kraken is a jack-of-all-trades kind of light, so while it may not be the best fluoro performer, it can do a lot of things pretty well and represents a good deal for someone wanting a focus light that can occasionally shoot fluoro. It is worth noting that Kraken calls this a UV LED light mode - not a high frequency blue like the other lights mentioned. UV will work best on some animals and blue will work better on others. It is not better or worse on its own merits. UV lights typically do not require a reference filter on the camera lens as UV is nearly invisible. There is also a Kraken 5000 lumen version of this light, but the UV mode is the same.
Keldan F1 Fluorescence Filter for 4X & 8X Lights
If you already own any of Keldan's extremely popular 4X or 8X video lights, these very affordable 450NM filters are a great addition to your imaging toolbox. Pop them on anytime you want to experiment with fluoro. While they don't quite match the performance of Keldan's dedicated fluorescence lights, it is still a great option.
Keldan 4X Blue Fluorescence Video Light
This Keldan is one of the most powerful Fluoro lights available and can produce spectacular effects. If you plan on shooting fluoro a great deal, or intend to shoot fluoro video, the Keldan is well worth considering. The wave length used is one that performs best with a yellow reference filter. The light is still fairly compact and light weight in the water.
Courtesy NSF
Keldan LED Module Blue 450NM 95W & LED Module UV 400NM 55W
For professional shooters lucky enough to own a Keldan 8M video light with interchangeable modules, Keldan makes extremely powerful fluoro light heads for special applications. These include both a Blue and UV option. These are great for larger animal florescence like large eels and sharks.
Photo Kevin Palmer
A few tips for shooting Fluoro:
Since fluoro is always shot on a night dive and our eyes tend to adjust to the amount of light around us, you may be surprised at how sensitive you need to make your camera in order to capture what you are seeing. When you first go down and fire up your fluoro light it seems amazingly bright on a busy hard coral reef. But your camera needs help to "see" this subtle form of light. Yellow and green are the easiest for the camera to register, but orange and red are pretty tough. You will definitely need to raise your ISO, probably in the 400 neighborhood, but sometimes higher. Shoot as open an aperature as you can get away with and still have some depth of field. Try f8 to f11 depending on the camera. Remember you are hand holding your exposure and creating ambient light emitted from the animal. Too slow a shutter speed and your images will be soft. An absolute minimum would be 1/60 of a second, but try for a little higher. Most people will find a forgiving close focus lens like a 60mm macro on DSLRs or 30mm-45mm macro lenses on M4/3 and APS-C mirrorless systems will work well. If you shoot a compact with a fairly close focusing lens like an Olympus TG, you are all set. With compact cameras that don't focus closely, you might want to use a weak close focus wet lens. The reason you want to focus fairly close is that you lose light with every inch of water you shoot through and this is not very strong light!
Shooting coral polyps is a great first subject as they are easy, don't move much and are usually pretty bright. Anemones and tube worms are also great subjects and if you are lucky enough to find a Nembrotha nudibranch or a florescent cephalopod, you are in for some spectacular images. Keep an eye out for scorpion fish as they are often a very deep red.
Those who are use to using histograms to review your exposures on your camera can turn that off. Histograms are largely useless because of the nature of the light and will always show images as underexposed. To that end, if you can clearly see your image when reviewing underwater (remember to slide your mask filter up so that you are not filtering your image), then you are probably exposed well. What to set your camera white balance to? Good question. You may have to experiment a bit with your particular camera. On some cameras Auto seems to work fine, otherwise I would probably try it on daylight. By definition, your colors should appear day-glow and over-the-top, so this is one case where you are not trying to get the image to look "natural".
Photo Kevin Palmer
By Kevin Palmer
Soft snoot light can make a subject more dream-like. Image by Shen Collazo
First a little history: Snoots have not been around that long. About 10-12 years ago, it was Keri Wilks of Reefnet working with Home Depot parts right here in the Reef Photo & Video Service Department who did a lot of the initial development for what would become the first experimental snoots. The early snoots were pretty much PVC funnels to channel light, but evolved quickly into utilizing fiber optic as a more efficient light focusing method and these designs are still frequently used today. Once snoots showed up at a few macro photo competitions, it didn't take long for them to catch on and a number of different manufacturers have evolved different styles over the years.
So what defines a snoot? Technically, all a snoot does is take a wide light source; generally a strobe, and limit its coverage to a small defined area. This small area may be round or other shape of outline with either a hard defined edge or a soft one. Almost all snoots require getting fairly close to your subject with the snoot and will put out considerably less intense light than the strobe would normally generate.
So what are people snooting with in 2020?
Here are some of the most popular snoots and some of their features.
Reefnet Micro Snoot
Based on Keri Wilk's original Fiber Optic Snoot design, this snoot is still one of the most popular with some features not found on other snoots. This snoot is ordered in two components: A Micro Snoot Mount that would come specific to the strobe you are shooting with and a Micro Snoot Fiber Optic Arm that is universal to all the mounts and just screws in place.
Pros and Cons of the Reefnet Micro Snoot
Inon Snoot Sets
Inon makes simple snoots for their S-2000/Z-240/Z-330/D-200 strobes. These are very well made and adhere to the simple "funnel" design concept: larger at the strobe mounting location and narrow at the aiming end with two diameter tips included. With these, you will move and aim the entire strobe at the subject and adjust the strobe forward and back to get the desired circle.
Pros and Cons of the Inon Snoot Set
With a difficult subject, sometimes it is easier to pull the snoot back a bit to widen the throw, while still getting some isolation benefit from using the snoot
Retra LSD Ultimate Snoot Light Shaping Device
Yes, that is a mouthful, but Retra really put themselves on the map with this sophisticated and elegantly machined aluminum snoot. Retra chose to snoot by using light focusing lenses instead of funneling or fiber optics. The theoretical advantage of using lenses is that you should be able to harness more of the light and discharge it in a compact powerful fashion. It is definitely brighter than the Inon snoot on the same strobe and about the equivalent to the Reefnet fiber optic snoot in our testing. Retra calls this a light shaping device and it is hard to argue when they provide interchangeable shape templates providing numerous shapes and sizes of light patterns to work with.
Pros and Cons:
Retra LSD in action
Backscatter Optical Snoot OS-1
This newcomer to the scene has made quite a splash in the snooting world with a compact optical snoot for under $150. The caveat here is that it only works with the Backscatter Mini-Flash 1 Underwater Strobe. That is not exactly a bad thing as the compact strobe can be added as an extra strobe on your rig without being too encumbered. The snoot is very much like mini version of the Retra design with optical concentration of the light.
Pros and cons:
Not every image needs a black background - there are no formal rules in snooting. Image: Shen Collazo
Snoot-Like Alternatives
The other option that is gaining in popularity is the use of a constant light that has a spot mode. This technique has the advantage of the shooter seeing exactly what you are going to get while making the ability to aim and hit your subject much easier. Not all lights with a spot mode throw a good snoot-like light, but some of the good ones are here. All these lights tend to pack smaller than a strobe snoot.
Inon LF800-N 5 Degree Dive Light
This Inon has one of the tightest beams available for snooting and as long as you are working close to your subject it provides strong enough lighting for good exposures. The Inon lights are very well made and quite rugged and reliable.
Light and Motion Sola Video 2500 S/F
The spot mode on the this Sola is not quite as tight as the Inon at about 12 degrees, but it is quite powerful and offers a lot of latitude with your exposures. Sola has been around a long time and these are some of the smallest and easiest lights to use.
Kraken Sports Hydra 1200+ WSR
This is an inexpensive light with an 800 Lumen spot mode. It is not quite as crispy as the other two lights, but as a light with multiple modes for a focus light and snoot, it is a lot of value.
Close focus wide angle is very snoot worthy. Image: Shen Collazo
The obvious challenge of snooting is trying to line up a little critter with a pencil beam of light - while you are trying to compose and focus on the shot. This can be especially difficult with the nature of diffraction in water that effects our ability to judge distance and alignment. So it goes without saying that some practice will be in order!
Make things easy on yourself; select a subject that is not going to move or disappear on you like a christmas tree worm. If you have an aiming light that works on your snoot - use it. This is where constant lighting has an advantage as you can see the spot of light on your subject. Make sure you have your light or strobe mounted on an arm that is easily articulated, but doesn't jiggle or droop.
You may prefer the snoot mounted directly on the camera housing with just one long clamp to adjust with. This makes for a solid, no jiggle mount, but again, if you move the camera, you have to readjust the snoot. It can take a little while, but you will find a system that suits your style of shooting.
If you are serious about snooting, you might consider a small portable underwater tripod for your snoot strobe or light. That way it is completely independent of your camera rig. This can be extremely helpful in fixing your snoot-light exactly on your subject while allowing you some freedom to adjust your composition and position of your camera. Good options for a small tripod set up can be made with the ULCS Tripod Clamp . There are many ways to configure this, so if you would like some help, write or call us.
Remember when snooting, if you want a black background, to use the highest shutter speed possible. This will help darken the area not hit by the light. For more on blue and black backgrounds, go here. Don't expect your first shots to come out with your lighting right on-target. This is a process of getting familiar with your gear: shoot, adjust, shoot, adjust and shoot some more. Did I mention this takes some patience and practice? But the results can be rewarding if you keep at it.
If you want to get hands on with the different snoots in the shop; set up an appointment, and we will be happy to help!
Image: Shen Collazo
Or how to finally give your dive buddy a job.
Text, Images & Modeling by Kevin Palmer and Tanya Burnett
If you want to publish photos in a magazine, you will likely need to get used to working with a model. If you want to please friends and family, it helps to get used to shooting divers underwater and if you want to give a sense of size and perspective - nothing works better than a model.
All this seems pretty natural, but it can be surprisingly difficult to get a shot that flatters the subject, enhances the impact of the environment and engages the viewer in some fashion. This only comes with practice; both on the part of the photographer and the model. A willing teammate in your imaging effort makes a huge difference in your success rate. Trying to capture a disengaged random diver at just the right moment and right position can be a long shot at best. So here are some guidelines to help increase your success.
1) The first thing to consider the kind of shot you want to take. The vast majority of underwater photography utilizing a model is wide angle - this is not always the case, but we will look at alternatives later. For now, lets assume you will be shooting wide angle, and often, the wider, the better. That means you want something that will provide either a fisheye angle of coverage or an extremely wide rectilinear field of view. This can be achieved by either using the appropriate wide lens behind a port, or a wet wide angle conversion lens in conjunction with an appropriate focal length behind a port. Both options can produce excellent results depending on your camera set up.
You may be thinking, "Why would someone want to shoot a model using a fisheye lens with all of its distortion"? Well, this is likely the most common lens used for all those diver-on-the-reef shots you see in dive magazines every month. The main reason for this is that unless you are shooting models in a pool, water conditions and clarity are rarely optimal and by getting as close as possible to your subject (a few feet away), the water will look clearer than it really is and you will be able to light your subject bringing out pleasing color and contrast. You will need to be mindful of distortion and we will cover tips for handling this.
If you are just going to use your model as a background silhouette, you still need that wide angle of coverage to get close to the reef and mange to keep the model in the frame when they are up in the water column.
2) Unless you are shooting ambient light, you need good strong strobes. Lighting up your model - including inside the mask - is easier with two powerful strobes.
3) Some people will see this as a cliche, but having the model hold an underwater light, or if holding a camera, turning on the strobe modeling light on the camera rig can help make your model more dynamic and draw the viewers eye. It is important that the light not be too powerful or aimed directly at the camera - it should only be a compliment.
The job of a photographer and model is a challenge that needs to be respected by both parties. If you are working with a spouse or significant other, make sure the relationship can handle it! I am only slightly joking here. Communication above water can often be misunderstood, but communication underwater is almost always misunderstood to one degree or another - usually associated with great frustration, lots of eye rolling and wild hand gestures. A lot of this can be mitigated by going over hand signals in advance. At least the basics: "Hold Position", "Go Up, Go Down", "Forward, Back", "Watch Your Fin Position", "Direction to be Looking", "Go Horizontal, Go Vertical".
In a perfect world, your model buddy will learn to see the shot like you do and start to do some things before you even ask... but don't count on it and don't be afraid to give polite and understanding guidance. Otherwise you might not have a model in the future.
One trick to explain to your model is that if you are using a good size dome and you are trying to silhouette the model against the sun for instance; the model should be able to see themselves reflected in the dome in relation to where the sun is. That way they can adjust their position accordingly.
Before you go on your dive, check out your model's gear. Are there loose straps and hoses that can be tidied up? Pressure gauge clipped off? Does their tank look decent or is it better to swap to another one?
Your job as a photographer is to find the most appealing location possible for your model and guide them (Patiently) into it. Appealing to you, should mean flattering to them, so some guidelines should apply.
If you can get two divers to model - extra points!
You didn't hear this from me, but there may be times when you or your buddy may need to hold your breath. Often times exhales will trigger a rain of calcium flakes and debris from an overhang that will ruin a shot and possibly damage animals. Another is shooting steeply upwards toward your silhouetted model where a chain of bubbles heading for them will do no good at all for the image. Always practice common sense and be aware of your surroundings. Safety first, protect your environment and if that is doable, then go for the shot.
There can be times when we break many traditional rules intentionally - nothing is ever absolute!
Can you use a model when shooting macro? Sure - not always easy, but it can be done!
Can you work with a model while shooting ambient light? Absolutely!
Sometimes your model doesn't even need to be in the water!
...And sometimes shooting down towards a model works. Especially when it tells a story.
In this article we will cover various lenses for Canon EF-S mount cameras. These APS-C format sensors are approximately 24×16 mm. Its dimensions are about 2/3 those of the 35mm film format (29mm vs 43mm diagonal, approx.).
Super Wide Rectilinear
Mid-range Zoom
Specialty Lenses
For those starting out in underwater DSLR photography, we have no higher recommendation than to start with a Canon 60mm.
This is usually the first lens I'll recommend to new photographers. With its fast accurate autofocus, this lens will deliver results right away with little frustration. It will be rewarding right out of the box.
The EF-S 60 can attain 1:1 macro, but does so basically at the end of your macro port. If a subject can run away, it probably won't let you get that close. This is a great lens for fish portraits, macros of stationary subjects, and for close-up shooting in dirty water. More...
100mm, 1/125th, f/16
100mm, 1/125th, f/20
I have used this lens on 9 out of 10 macro dives. The main advantage of this lens is the added standoff distance gained over the shorter macros. The 100mm attains 1:1 reproduction about 6" in front of your port, giving you some breathing room between the underwater housing and skittish subjects. Conversly, you may find that you sometimes have to back up too much on larger subjects in dirty water.
The longer minimum focus distance also allows the use of water contact close up lenses or housed close up lenses for super macro shooting. I'll often use a +6-+10 diopter or SMC wet lens on the end of the port, which brings the minimum focus distance in to about 3" in front of the port, but allows 2:1 macro reproduction.
Being a longer macro, its autofocus can sometimes hunt, so a good focus light is very important. The AF motor is fast, but low contrast subjects can be tricky. A focus gear isn't absolutely critical with this lens, if your underwater housing offers convenient access to the AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON controls from the right handle. Assuming you can access these buttons easily, you can "lock & rock" with this lens, allowing you to let auto focus get close, lock af, then rock in and out for fine focus. The original 2.8 version of this lens is still available and is generally a good value. It doesn't have the Image Stabilization of the 2.8L series, though that is not critical when using a strobe. That being said, the L series lens has come down in price a lot and is a great lens for the money.
The curved aperture blades on this lens yield a very smooth out of focus area, and this lens is very sharp. More...
This lens gets top honors as the sharpest, nicest fisheye available for Canon whether fixed focal or zoom. The only downside to this lens compared to the Tokina 10-17mm listed below is that it is about double the cost and doesn't zoom all the way to 17mm so it has a little less "reach". But if you want best in class glass; this is it. The dome works great with Large domes and small 100mm-140mm for exceptional close-focus wide angle.
Canon 8-15mm at 10mm, 1/250 second, f/8
No, it isn't made by Canon, but Tokina started a revolution with this first fisheye zoom. This is a very good optic at a great price, which perfectly suits what I want in a fisheye lens for underwater photography.
This close focusing fisheye lens works extremely well behind nearly every dome port, even allowing specialty ports like the Zen Underwater DP-100 Fisheye Macro port to be used.
Lionfish on Reef; Close Focus Wide Angle
Tokina 10-17 at 10mm, 1/250 second, f/8
This is an extremely wide lens that focuses very close. At 10mm, its field of view is nearly 180 degrees. When zoomed to 17mm, it has a 110 degree field of view. I use this lens at 10mm for close focus wide angle shooting, and will zoom in on occasion to crop to a more pleasing composition, or frame a more skittish subject tightly. This versatility makes 10-17 my go to lens on DX or EF-S Camera. More...
Tokina 10-17mm at 10mm
1/200th, f/7.1
Tokina 10-17mm at 13mm
1/250th, f/8
This too is a very good lens, and used to be my first choice in the days prior to Tokina 10-17. Sigma 15 has a 120 degree field of view on a DX sensor, and just a touch of barrel distortion, but not enough to be distracting. More...
Sigma 15mm 1/200th, f/6.3
Canon 15mm f/2.8
This is a good lens, but a pretty old design. The Sigma 15mm was always my first choice due to its better close focus ability. More...
Wait you are thinking: that is a kit lens and not wide angle at all! Yes that is true, but it is also a contemporary, fast focusing lens with excellent optics that happens to work superbly well with Nauticam's amazing WACP-1. This is our favorite way to shoot wide angle on a crop sensor Canon. You get excellent sharp corners and near fisheye 130 degree FOV with focus to the glass CFWA capability AND incredible zoom range for isolating sharks in the blue or fish portraits. For more information on this ground breaking lens combination, go here. Nothing else produces this versatility. For those that want the fastest lens possible and are will to give up some zoom range, the Sigma 18-35 does a beautiful job.
There are situations where a fisheye lens is just too wide, and if I don't have a WACP as mentioned above, I'll reach for a superwide rectilinear lens like the 10-24. Subjects like scalloped hammerheads, eagle rays, and pelagic fish often won't let you get close enough to give these magnificent subjects the prominence they deserve with a fisheye lens, and you'll need something with more reach. There are lots of options, and most of them are decent, but 10-24 has become my choice because it has slightly sharper corners with most dome ports.
Of all the superwide rectilinear lenses I've tested, this one has the best corner sharpness behind common 8" domes. Even with large domes, you'll still see some corner softness, and it will be more apparent at closer focusing distances and open apertures. In most cases a single element close-up lens (commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as a diopter) improves corner sharpness, but this isn't without consequence. The close-up lens will also reduce the field of view, increase pincushion distortion, and increase purple fringing. In general I'll use a close-up lens in situations where soft corners are distracting (wrecks, reefs), but won't when shooting sharks & pelagics in blue water.
You probably aren't going to be happy with the corner sharpness you'll get using this lens behind a 6 or 7" dome port. The 8 or 9" options are much better. More...
Again, most all of these corner sharpness issues are corrected when using a WACP, which is why it makes for such a powerful option.
This is a great EF lens and will do a nice job, but the price, size and weight may discourage its use for EF-S mount
I have to admit, I love to shoot this lens topside. The short focal length (which I can hand hold even after a few cups of coffee) and /2.8 aperture make this one of my favorites in low light conditions. Its relatively limited range and slightly softer corners in most dome ports have led me to prefer Nikon's 10-24. This is a very good option, though. More...
This is another good choice, especially if you already own it. Less expensive than a Canon 10-22. More...
This is another usable option, but it has the weakest corner sharpness of all of the lenses listed here. More...
There have been four versions of this lens (original, HSM, OS HSM and current OS HSM C), and all four have been popular choices for underwater shooting. The HSM and OS HSM lenses are dramatically fatter than the original, but the newest is mid size , fast focusing and the best of the bunch. We do have solutions for most major housing brands. This is a favorite lens of many EF-S shooters and offers more flexibility than any other mid-range lens.
17-70mm at 26mm, 1/160th, f/9
A midrange zoom like this is not my first choice for underwater shooting, but there are situations where a lens that is almost wide angle, and almost macro, is appropriate. This range works well for fish id shots, skittish big fish, and "almost" shooting. These strengths can be useful on an exploratory dive, night dives, or dives when you just need a change of pace.
17-70mm at 38mm, 1/60th, f/4
The real key to choosing a midrange zoom is to pay attention to the lens' maximum reproduction ratio. This Sigma zoom gets the nod here purely because it can shoot 1:2 macro (a subject about 4cm across on APS-C). Most of the Canon options are limited to 1:4 or worse macro shooting, which doesn't give me the versatility I need in this lens. This close focusing ability also means this lens can be shot behind most dome ports without a close-up lens.
17mm, 1/160th, f/16
A lens of this range can be shot behind either a dome port or a flat port. Which is better depends on your goals… If you want to use the midrange zoom for bigger stuff that is skittish, or for fish portraits, I think a dome is the best choice. If closeup shooting with a bit of versatility is your preference, a flat port is a good choice (but there might be a bit of vignetting at 17mm, depending upon the diameter of the flat port front). I almost always use this lens behind a dome, as I'm looking for a change of pace from the other macros in my bag when I mount this lens. If I didn't travel with a 60mm macro, I might think about adding a flat port for this lens.
This is a good choice, capable of shooting 1:3 macro, and fast. This is a fat lens, which can complicate zoom gear availability though.
These lenses certainly aren't the best choice, but they are packaged in kits with lots of digital slr cameras, so we encounter them frequently. They don't have the macro ability of 17-70, but are decent for fish portraits and almost wide angle shooting behind a dome with a +2 or +4 close up lens. More...
35mm on EF-S has the same field of view as a 52.5mm lens on full frame, so this is a very familiar lens to a photographer coming from a full frame system. Personally I'm after a longer focal length here. More...
Good optically, but slow focusing.
This is a way to shoot super macro with a 40% bump in magnification over the standard 100mm with the same minimal focus distance. You are committed though for the whole dive.
This lens is very good optically, and combined with a close-up lens it is an excellent super macro tool. Personally I find it a bit too long on a APS-C sensor for close quarters macro work, but it can excel with shy subjects that can only be shot at a distance of 18" - 24+" The autofocus can be a bit challenging on older EF-S cameras compared to the newest camera bodies on the market. More...
Text and Photos by Kevin Palmer
I am from the Pleistocene era, so I remember the joys of shooting with 35mm film and getting the most wonderful burst of sun rays in the background of the image with only modest adjustments to exposure. Film just handled these over exposed plays of light against a blue background really well.
With the digital revolution, almost everything about taking pictures underwater improved enormously. But there was this one disappointing aspect: that sunburst in the background was now an amorphous mushy blob with weird color banding around it. Many of us just quit having direct sunlight in the shot as it wasn't worth it.
Digital has come a long way and dynamic range (the ability to maintain digital information and detail over a broad range of exposure in an image) has improved greatly as well as the software that interprets the light information that is being received by the camera sensor. So things have gotten good enough to take advantage this background composition tool, but there are a number of guidelines that will bring out the best of what your digital camera is capable of.
Get shallow, stop it down, turn up those strobes.
Late day sun is easy on the sensor
Close to the surface and high shutter speed!
Deeper, but you can just see the ripples on the surface.
Use the structure you have!
Shooting the rays in a cave follows exactly the same principles.]]>
And a little easier
By Kevin Palmer
So what is the difference between macro - already pretty small - and "Super Macro"?
Macro Wet Lenses are one of the most popular ways to increase magnification and they offer the flexibility to be removed during the dive, but they also Reduce Minimum Focus. This means getting closer than you think. If a quality optic is chosen and matched to the lens, this option offers the highest potential image quality.
A tele-extender (also called a tele-converter) can increase magnification from 40-100% without reducing minimum focus – which is cool, but you give up some image quality in the process and you can't take it off underwater.
Could you go crazy and use both tools at once? Absolutely - but realistically, there are so many lens combinations and high quality water contact optic options, that probably won't be necessary for amazing super macro. Lets look at the options more closely.
Since macro wet lenses have become so popular and produced by so many manufacturers, it pays to understand all the nomenclature around them.
+5 +10 +15 +25 - what does it mean?
This known as a diopter rating. Just like the diopter rating of your reading glasses if you use them. Many macro wet lenses are rated this way from +5 to +25. There is a formula to calculate your exact minimum focus distance depending on your lens when using wet lenses rated in diopter strength, but knowing that really doesn't make our photos better. Suffice it to say that the higher the diopter rating, the closer you will have to get to your subject to achieve sharp focus. It also means, the closer you get, the more magnified your subject will be.
These standard diopter rated lenses have been made for underwater imaging for years and there has been a range of quality. People sometimes ask if they can use there inexpensive terrestrial close up lenses in the water, but because the lens is curved for use in air, the minute you put it underwater, most of the magnification goes away - again, not useful.
The way manufacturers got around this problem was by taking inexpensive diopter rated lenses meant for use in air, then sandwiching them between two pieces of flat glass that are sealed - and voila', in-air performance. The downside to this set up is that every time water hits flat glass, there is some diffraction that causes chromatic aberrations ("CA" for short), which means colors don't quite line up right. So on a flat port for your lens, you get a little bit, but add a diopter rated close up lens and it is at least tripled. And you have to get really close to your subject. So it works, but there are newer, better solutions.
The Nauticam SMC-1
The introduction of this lens about five years ago changed everything with super macro. Nauticam re-thought the problem and after hundreds of hours of computer algorithm time, came up with a design that had no flat glass and all the elements were designed to function in water as a combination of traditional close up lens and tele-converter. So more magnification, less CA and less reduction in minimum focus distance. When we first tried the lens on a dive next to a traditional +10 rated close up lens, the difference was astounding. Not only did the SMC provide more magnification and working room, it was easier to see through and easier to focus through. The image quality was also vastly improved. The lens immediately became the standard of the industry. Since that time, Nauticam has introduced the SMC-2, the CMC-1 and the CMC-2. These are all macro wet lenses uniquely designed for different applications, but with the same philosophy of purpose. You will notice that none of these lenses are diopter rated, because they are not made with diopter rated off-the-shelf glass, they use different custom lens technology. These lenses are generally a bit more expensive than standard diopter rated wet lenses, so each shooter needs to asses what will best suit their needs and we are happy to help if it all seems confusing! Remember, the more magnification, the more challenging the shot will be!
Focus, Focus, Focus
The difference between a knock-your-socks-off shot and an "oh that's pleasant" shot is often just a few millimetres of focus variation. With today's high resolution cameras and super macro's shallow depth of field, you need all the help you can get to dial in the shot.
So why all the fuss with stopping the auto-focus? Take a look at the shot below, this critter is commonly called a Ladybug and it is only 2-3mm long. What are the odds your AF is going to lock on to its little eyeballs by itself?
By locking focus or using manual focus we can make slight adjustments in composition and movement forward and backward without the camera hunting for new focus. Equally important, we can take several shots in a row without having to catch focus each time. This can make a big difference in our success rate! Of course, this also requires being able to see your subject clearly - so good viewfinder function is also important.
Composition and Plane of Focus
Isn't it hard enough to just get the shot rather than have to also worry about composition? Well it is true that it is challenging, but any of us who have attempted shots of things like hairy shrimp, or skeleton shrimp, know that 9 out of 10 shots of these things are unrecognizable. Photograph the back end of a hairy shrimp and you pretty much have a fuzz ball - not pretty. Have you ever noticed the pygmy sea horses hate looking at the camera? Yes, we have all been there.
So, as a rule, when possible, try to find a background or open water that allows the outline of the subject to show clearly. Not always possible, but try. Next, we have to get an eye, our what passes as an eye on some animals (rhinophores?) - this will usually be the primary point of focus if it is a critter. Abstracts (often a great place to start and practice) can be a lot more forgiving!
Look - no eyes to keep in focus
Even, with this kind of shot, pick the right eyes to focus on!
Eyes and background!
OK, can you see why this shot isn't as good as it could be? This is a 4mm nudie - so it is challenging and very shallow depth of field. There is no eye, so the rhinophore should be the target. But I got the back one instead of the front one - that is why we lock focus and take several shots!
Aperture Settings
Because Super Macro by definition is shallow depth of field (all things being equal, the greater the subject magnification, the less depth of field), there is a tendancy to shoot images with the smallest aperture possible. On a DSLR camera, this can be as small as f64! In the old days of digital and older days of film, there was a definite limit to the detail that could be captured and we didn't notice a problem with stopping down our aperture. With modern digital cameras, the resolution is so fine, we now notice the impact of diffraction. Diffraction is what happens when the opening of the aperture is so small that the light rays have to spread at a very steep angle to hit the sensor. This makes the image look softer and you loose detail.
In this series of crops done by Alex Mustard, you can clearly see the effects of diffraction.
This doesn't mean you can't stop down your aperture for Super Macro, just try to use this tool in moderation and realize there is no "free lunch" when you do so. A good compromise for full frame cameras might be to use nothing smaller than f22, but each situation is unique and over time, good judgement will produce good images.
The more tools you have and the more practice you engage in, the more impressive your results will be. Super Macro can be found on every reef in the ocean - and it opens a whole new world.
We cover many of these techniques in our workshops - check them out and let us know if you have questions!]]>
By Kevin Palmer
Many photographers like jet black backgrounds in their macro images because the subject seems to "pop" in dramatic relief. Additionally, it often removes distracting or ugly backgrounds and if composed well, images can be down right artsy. But on the other hand, a black background rarely tells a story about the subjects environment and in the case of a darker subject, perhaps the dark background doesn't do it justice. Regardless of the reasoning, sometimes it just pays to experiment and shooting differently exposed backgrounds can be easy with a cooperative subject.
Light, Shutter, Aperture, ISO
Unlike cooking a gourmet meal, there are only four ingredients that go into exposing foregrounds and backgrounds. It is how you mix them that makes the difference. When shooting macro or very close focus wide angle, you will generally have more latitude with your settings because you are close to your subject. At close proximity, it is easy to have enough strobe power to light your subject even when you have chosen light restricting settings - this makes black backgrounds easy.
It is also worth noting that to create the preferred effects with your backgrounds, it will always be easier shooting in full manual. It doesn't mean you can't make it work with some auto-exposure settings, but it is easier in manual. Popular cameras like the Olympus TG-6 that don't have full manual and only a few aperture settings and shutter sync speed options will have more difficulty than a camera with more flexibility.
Copyright DYIPhotography
Here is a quick analysis of what each of our four ingredients does:
Unless you are shooting at night, you are usually working with two sources of light. One is coming from your strobes or constant lighting device, the other is ambient light usually coming from the sun. Ambient light can be very subtle if you are deep, the sky is cloudy, its early or late in the day or you are diving in an overhead environment. But ambient light can be quite bright if it is shallow mid-day conditions or if you you are angling your shot towards the sun.
Shutter Speed
The range of shutter sync speeds (the shutter speeds that the camera allows you to successfully fire a strobe with) that are available to you will vary from camera to camera. The default slowest sync speed for most cameras is usually 1/60th of a second, though this can be adjusted. The fastest sync speed varies widely - usually from 1/160th of a second to 1/320th of a second. You sometimes have to raise or lower the allowable sync speed in the menu based on your needs.
The most important rule of shutter speed is that it has no effect on strobe lit foreground subjects. Most strobes fire for a shorter time than the shutter sync speed, so the exposure is entirely controlled by your strobes on your primary subject. Conversely, shutter speed has a significant impact on the exposure of ambient lit backgrounds.
Unlike shutter speed, aperture influences the amount of all light that enters the camera lens; both foreground and background. While this is true, since we are working very close to our subject, we can largely compensate the apertures effect on the subject by adjusting our strobe power.
ISO increases or decreases the sensitivity of the camera to all light, so when it comes to light, it functions in much same way as aperture, although the influence on dynamics other than light are different between the two.
OK, that is a lot of preamble for a fairly simple set of rules for back ground exposure, so lets get started.
Rules for Black Background Close Focus Photography
Easy right? Just a few things to remember as you experiment. Remember that if you change your ISO, it will effect every aspect of your exposure. If you change your aperture it will also effect every aspect of your exposure. If you change your shutter speed, it will only effect your background exposure and finally, your strobe power should only effect your foreground exposure (if aimed correctly).
Remember that one of the reasons we choose NOT to make a black background is to complement the subject color and give a sense of environment. This dark Rhinopius below, would have been as interesting with a black background.
Rules for a Lighter blue or Green Background In Close Focus Photography
Blue backgrounds are slightly more complicated to shoot only because you are trying to fine tune the right exposure to create a pleasing tone in the water that compliments your subject. For a black background, you can't really can't overdo it just make it black and you are good.
Photo Shen Collazo
The more you play with these simple concepts, the more you will discover in your experimentation. Don't get stuck in a rut - you can transform the look of your work with the spin of a camera dial! If you have more questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us here at Reef Photo. We are happy to help. We also cover many of these techniques in our workshops.
By Kevin Palmer
Sony has made huge impact on the mirrorless camera world with its full frame A7/A7II/A7III/ A7IV / A9 series that have sought to claw away some of the full frame still and video shooters from Canon and Nikon as well as provide an upgrade path to existing mirrorless camera shooters. Sony has also not held back on the introduction of high quality lenses in addition to the existing options of Canon mount lenses on a Metabones adapter. Add in some of Nauticam's superb water contact optic options and it can be enough to make the choices a bit dizzying.
We here at Reef Photo have spent a lot of time with these cameras and wanted to lay out some of our favorite options and why. These are not every option out there and they may not be the best options for everyone, but if you have questions about anything you don't see listed here, contact us and we will be happy to discuss all the possibilities.
Fisheye and other Super Wide Options (From widest to less wide)
Mounted on a Metabones adapter, this lens offers 180 degree diagonal FOV on full frame and provides great close focus wide angle capability with a small dome. In Super 35 crop mode on the A7/A9, it offers 10-15mm zoom capability. Auto Focus is very good with this combination. The less expensive Tokina 10-17 for Canon offers a similar FOV zoom range, but gives up a little quality on full frame. Important: Sigma 15mm fisheye for Canon does not auto-focus on the Metabones adapter at this time.
This super compact 130 degree FOV water contact lens set up is great for general wide angle and close focus wide angle – very good edge to edge sharpness at an "almost fisheye" angle of coverage.
This combination (along with the excellent Tamron 28-75 2.8Di III RXD with the WACP-1) is easily the most versatile overall zoom combination while giving up some of the compactness of the 28mm WWL-1 combination mentioned above. Excellent quality 130 degree FOV at 28mm down to about 70 degree FOV on the narrow end covers most shooters needs most of the time. Close focus down to the glass throughout the zoom range. For more information on the WACP take a look at at review article and our video article, both covering this lens.
Canon's excellent super wide angle rectilinear lens can also be shot with a Metabones adapter. Considering it is less coverage and lower image quality (underwater) than the 28-70 and WACP mentioned about, this probably only makes sense for people who already own the lens.
This has been the most popular 16-35 lens option for full frame Sonys thanks to how well it performs behind a smaller dome (by full frame standards) – a 170mm to 180mm dome is plenty for good image quality in a reasonable size package. The newer Sony 16-35 f.2.8 GM lens as well as contemporary Canon 16-35 f2.8 and Sigma wide Angle lenses for Canon all work well, but require a full 230mm dome to compete with Sony's 16-35 f4 in a 180mm.
Mid-Range Lens Options
This "kit" lens is really Sony's most useful mid-range lens. It can be shot with Nauticam's WACP as is mentioned above offering an extremely wide coverage down to mid-range portrait capability. The 28-70 can also be shot in a compact flat port in combination with a flip and Super Macro Converter, SMC, making for a narrow portrait to macro lens combination.
These Sony mid-range lenses, while of excellent quality, require a fairly large dome and may not have the versatility of other options unless you already own the lens and shoot this focal length range a lot.
Macro Lens Options
The Sony 90mm macro lens has fantastic image quality and a focus style best described as "cinematic" – slow and smooth. It works well with macro wet lenses, but anyone shooting Super macro or macro video will definitely want a manual focus gear on this lens.
Canon's full frame macro lens works well with a Metabones adapter and offers a different "feel" than the Sony 90mm, but the necessary adapter and N120 macro port will be a bit bulkier than the 90mm N100 port.
Have another lens or specialty need you are wondering about? Let us know! We love talking underwater imaging.]]>
By now, a lot of people have heard about, and seen images taken with, Nauticam's impressive WACP on full frame cameras. The water contact optic has been a game changer for sharp wide angle performance offering corner to corner image quality and aperture flexibility. Less has been seen with APS-C sensors, though videographers have made excellent use of the WACP with S-35 sensors that are similarly proportioned. This article hopes to demonstrate that the WACP should certainly be on the list for consideration if you are wide angle enthusiast shooting crop sensor DSLR cameras.
WACP: What is it?
For those that haven't gotten familiar with this Nauticam product, the name stands for Wide Angle Conversion Port. This is not a wet lens in the traditional sense of the word; where water is in contact with both the front and rear of the optics. But it IS a water contact optic, designed to only be used underwater. It is also a port in that it takes the place of a dome or flat port and mounts directly to the housing over a compatible camera lens. These optical lens elements built into the port actually correct many of problems associated with shooting wide angle lenses behind a dome. It is a conversion port, because it converts the angle of coverage of the lens that is being used behind it – making it wider. A ballpark rule of thumb is that it approximately doubles the field of view of whatever focal length you are zooming to, while reducing minimum focus.
Lens options:
One of the most versatile options for Nikon and Canon crop sensor Shooters are the trusty old 18-55 lenses sometimes disparagingly referred to as "kit lenses". Perhaps that is their origin, but for an underwater image maker this provides a huge zoom range utilizing a fairly modern lens. If you want to go even more state of the art, then the Sigma 18-35 f1.8 Art series offers a fast lens and superb results, albeit with a bit less zoom range.
The answer to this will vary from person to person. Those used to shooting fisheye zooms like the Tokina 10-17, maybe perfectly happy with that lens which is great. Others find that it just doesn't have enough "reach" for a lot of applications – particularly at destinations like Galapagos, Socorro, Sea of Cortez and Cocos. These places have lots of big animals, but without baiting, they are not usually right in front of your face. Even with Whales and dolphins, the fisheye is sometimes too much and provides a lot of distortion near the surface.
This is where the WACP really shines. It does provide super-wide angle at about 130 degrees, (roughly 15mm on a 10-17 fisheye zoom), but with a bit less distortion. From there, you have a huge zoom range with a lens like an 18-55 that will offer quite a bit narrower angle of coverage and provides a minimum focus of less than an inch throughout the zoom range. Once you get used to this enormous flexibility, it is hard to prefer any other option in this zoom range.
So, what can the combination deliver on a dive trip?
Tack sharp shark photos for certain.
Zoom in for great close ups as well.
Intimate reef behavior shots with a wide angle lens behind a dome are almost impossible unless you have the zoom range and close focus ability offered by the WACP.
Then turn around and shoot the big dudes on the same dive.
Beyond the zoom range, the real beauty of shooting wide angle with the WACP is just how sharp the wide angle is – from center to edge and corners. Look at the soft corals in the upper right corner.
In darker situations, you can shoot your lens at F7 or even F5.6 and still get sharp results.
It is amazing the variety of shots you can capture once freed from conventional wide angle limitations.
Amazingly detailed close-focus wide angle.
But if all you want to do grab great shots of pelagics - the WACP is pretty hard to beat.
Still confused? Then just know that there are always techniques for photographing or videoing stuff tinier than we ever imagined if you have the right tools.
So let's look at the tools available to us in 2018.
It can mean different things for different shooters, but as a rule of thumb, regular macro goes to approximately 1:1 reproduction ratio. What the heck is that? That means that a subject the size of your sensor would fill your image frame. So on a 35mm sensor (full frame), a 35mm (1.32 inches) long nudibranch would fill image frame. Smaller sensors mean that a smaller subject would fill the frame at 1:1 reproduction. So is one way to shoot super macro a smaller sensor? Well, yes, but everything has its trade off as we will see.
So one description for Super Macro would be any magnification technique that provides greater than 1:1 reproduction, which would mean a subject smaller than the sensor would fill the frame.
Still confused? Then just know that there are always techniques for photographing or videoing stuff tinier than we ever imagined if you have the right tools.
So let's look at the tools available to us in 2018.
How do we get big magnification without sacrificing quality?
This has long been a tug of war of sorts. Most traditional techniques of going beyond the capabilities of a high quality macro lens (on an interchangeable lens camera) usually meant giving up some sharpness, adding some chromatic aberration (color fringing), losing depth of field and working distance and often times a little distortion is added to the mix. But hey, we were shooting stuff that had never been seen with the naked eye and we were happy just to get the shot!
Options and techniques have increased markedly over the years – with mostly improved results, but there is not going to be one size-fits-all best case scenario for most people – both because of equipment differences and also because of different goals for different shooters. But there are pros and cons to most options and they are worth covering so each individual can make an informed decision. So let's look at the big, I mean small, picture.
Traditional tools for increasing magnification underwater:
One of the more common techniques of the past – for interchangeable lens cameras - was and is Tele-Converters (Usually 1.4X, 1.7X, 2.0X) that are installed between the camera body and the lens. This definitely has an advantage over things like extension tubes in that tele-converters are "smart", meaning they maintain auto-focus and other electronic functions of the lens while changing the effective focal length of the macro lens. Another advantage of T-Cs is that while the subject is "magnified" by the narrowing of the field view (40% with 1.4X, 70% with 1.7X, 100% with 2.0X), the minimal focus distance stays exactly the same as with original macro lens.
The down side? Once installed, it is on the whole dive. It might be too narrow to go from shooting anemone fish eggs to actually shooting the whole anemone fish. The other issue is image quality. You rarely get something for nothing and as the tele converter gets more powerful, image detail will start to suffer making anything stronger than a high quality 1.7X probably a poor choice. A T-C requires an additional extension for your macro port equivalent to the size of your tele-converter.
Traditional "Dry" Diopters
An inexpensive trick people have tried is using traditional lens diopters, +2/+4/etc., on the front of their macro lens inside the port. All diopters increase magnification by reducing minimum focus, but you also lose distance focus. So on a 60mm, 100mm or 105mm macro lens you will lose working distance and options when shooting a subject a little further away. On a longer macro lens in the 150-200mm range, this is not as problematic as the minimum focus distance is generally farther away than shorter focal length macro lens. Ultimately these diopters are limited in strength, reduce flexibility and often require an additional extension ring. So generally not a great Super Macro option.
Please note that using a "dry" diopter on the wet side of your port will produce very little magnification as the water on both sides will negate the effect of the diopter strength.
Close Focus Macro Wet Lenses
In the last 5-6 years, underwater close focus lenses have become very popular both for "regular" macro utilizing "normal" non-macro lenses of longer focal lengths and also for Super Macro when combined with good quality 1/1 macro lenses.
The vast majority of these lenses are made by combining two or more "dry" diopter lenses of different strengths and sealing them in between flat glass so that they maintain their strength. This definitely improves magnification and combining the lens with a quick release bayonet or flip mechanism made for a convenient system that allowed full use of the lens, plus extreme magnification (depending on strength) when desired.
Some of the problems with this technique are again that all diopters increase magnification by reducing minimum focus and therefor put you closer to your subject. This means that lenses that are already very close focusing like a 60mm macro on a DSLR or a 30mm macro on a Sony or Micro 4/3 camera won't benefit much – if at all. And the stronger the diopter rating, the less room you have to light your subject as it gets ever closer to the port, even on a longer macro lens.
One other problem can be image quality. Close focus lenses do follow the "you get what you pay for" adage. Many manufacturers are using off-the-shelf diopters to make close focus wet lenses and the quality varies a lot. Beyond that is the problem of diffraction that happens every time water hits a flat piece of glass with air on the other side of it – the side effects include what many of us have seen, whether we know what it is called or not: Chromatic Aberration or "CA" for short. Anyone who has ever taken a picture of a purple anemone with a macro lens has probably noticed blue fringing around the tentacles. That is CA and every time water hits flat glass, a little CA is imparted. So if your close focus lens is just diopters between flat glass, then that means two more surfaces lowering image quality. This will partly explain why you will generally get better results with one stronger macro wet lens, then stacking two or three weaker ones as some people will do in their quest for ever smaller subjects.
On the other hand, the best water contact macro optics have no flat glass surfaces and are computer designed to enhance in-water image quality and help with working distance as well. This makes for a more expensive super macro lens, but the image quality improvement can be striking. Some can even make your super macro image sharper than the macro lens shooting through a flat port on its own.
It should also be noted that as a general rule, you will usually get greater useable magnification with a macro wet lens on a longer focal length macro camera lens than on a shorter focal length macro lens or conventional non macro lens.
An Unusual Option for Canon DSLR and EOSR
Canon makes a unique lens called an MP-E65mm F2.8 1-5X. This lens is NOT for everyone. It does not autofocus, it is useless for taking pictures of things far away. But it can offer impressive reproduction of a subject at up to 5 to 1 magnification. You can essentially select the amount of reproduction ration you want and then move the camera in until you are in focus. The more magnification you want, the closer you have to get.
Because this lens has such a limited scope of capability – it isn't a recommended lens for most people, but it is super macro capable with no additional optics.
Making Super Macro Easy Enough to Try Often
In reviewing the options, most people will find that using high quality macro wet lenses are probably the most flexible and versatile option in more situations. But screwing and unscrewing lenses on your macro port underwater is a guaranteed way to discourage you from shooting super macro. It is just too inconvenient. We strongly recommend using a quick release bayonet mount or a well made "flip" mount. There are pros and cons to each option, but either one will make your effort easy enough to have fun with super macro any time you reach the limits of the lens you are shooting. You will probably never go in the water without one mounted on your macro lens – we certainly wouldn't!
Other options to seriously consider are a good focus light, manual focus gears and an enhanced viewer to see the details – either an enhanced viewfinder or LCD magnifier if working with a compact.
Below are links to some of our favorite options. If you aren't sure what will work best with your equipment and your goals, just let us know, we are here to help!
Every underwater imaging enthusiast is unique and we all have a different picture of a "dream trip" or what an ideal learning situation is. That is why we try to offer a variety of options for different kinds of individuals. We keep things organized, make it easy and always focus on supporting your goals while having a good time. We love seeing our customers progress as much as you do!
Let's start with the obvious stuff first:
Have you recently purchased a bunch of new gear and it is just a little, well – overwhelming?
Are you starting from scratch as a first time underwater photographer? Maybe you have experience, but you switched camera brands? Went from DSLR to mirrorless camera or vice versa? Every change that involves new menus or shooting style can be a little intimidating, but there are lots of shortcuts to help out and we can shorten your learning curve.
I used to take really nice photos and now they just don't look as good – Why?
Sometimes we hear this after long awaited gear upgrade. This can be selective nostalgia, but often times new technology and improved resolution means you can "see" more imperfections in your shooting, but with a little tweaking, your photography can look better than ever.
A Different Twist: My photos are pretty good – but they look about the same as five years ago.
Sometimes we hit a plateau – and don't even notice. We just aren't improving any more. Sometimes it might require just "seeing with new eyes" shooting from a different perspective and getting into experimentation again. When you do a group workshop, not only do you get to experience what instructors have to offer, but you get to see how a lot of other people are shooting similar subjects. Composition, lighting technique, lens selection, super macro technique – count on getting a better understanding of all elements of photography and videography. And most importantly: how they apply to what YOU want to be able to do.
No matter how many years we have been shooting, we all get inspired by other people's work when it comes out well – the trick is applying it!
I just want to dive in the most image productive places possible with likeminded people.
Great! You will have a blast. Our workshops are not a forced march and there will be no cracking of figurative whips. We are there to help out as much as you need and offer support. But if your goal is dive, dive, dive and just want someone to help if you get a camera issue, then you can do that as well. If your goals are modest, no one will push – this about you and what you want to accomplish.
Want to try out cool new gear before you buy it?
We always try to make available some of the latest gadgets and new equipment for people to try. Even if you want to rent a whole new camera system for the workshop, we can usually arrange it. Want to try out something specific? Let us know and we will do our best to arrange it. This is your chance to test drive what you have been thinking about!
Workshops do not have to be like going back to school – These events are actually fun!
Sure you will learn a lot, but no one is grading you (OK, you can have a critique if you want it), and everyone is there to do what they love and share the experience. And yes, you will likely meet some new faces and perhaps run into some old friends as well. We have had attendees from the age of 12 all the way up to near 80. Everyone progresses at their own pace and the most important part is getting under the water to practice and try things out.
High ratio of guides!
Have you ever been on a dive trip and you ended up dragging behind a line of 12 people with a guide up front? Not with our workshops – we know how we like to be treated on a dive trip and think you deserve the same. You can count on a guide for every 3-5 people in the water as a minimum – someone is always looking for critters for you!
I am going on my trip of a lifetime and I don't want to spend the first week getting myself in in the underwater photography mindset and working out the kinks in my system.
Consider jumping into one of our three and a half day Blue Heron Bridge Workshops. This is a highly focused workshop to ramp up your underwater photography skillset while diving the best critter location in South Florida.
If you have more questions about any of our events – please get in touch. We are happy to answer questions!
One of the first things you learn about photographing tiny transparent creatures in the dark of night while bouncing around in the open ocean is that if you take your eye off your subject for more than a fraction of a second, it's gone. Even the act of moving your eye from direct observation to the camera viewfinder can result in the most amazing photo op you've ever seen vanishing into the ether like an ephemeral hallucination. Did I really see that? No matter if I did, it's just one spec among the billions now – one space rock lost among the vastness of the cosmos. So any camera adjustment that requires looking at your rig is lethal. You have to be able to work by touch, and what's in the viewfinder. Use only the controls for which you have a solid muscle memory.
One of the features that's been highly touted in the ground-breaking focus system of the D5 /D500 is what Nikon calls 3D tracking – where you set a focus point on the part of your subject that you want to keep in focus, set the focus, and keep the shutter halfway pressed. The camera should be able to follow your subject around while keeping the eye, for example, in focus. While this works fine for humans moving at human speed, it remains to be seen how well it would work for transparent alien life forms moving at what is a relatively much higher speed across the field of view, and much more erratically as well. As I say, it remains to be seen. I haven't tried it because every time I think I have a subject where it just might possibly work, I remember that changing the focus mode requires me to take my attention off the subject and move it to the LCD screen of the camera and the housing controls for way more time than it will take that subject to vanish. It would probably be possible to memorize all the steps to do that entirely by feel, but I'm not there yet.
What I did experiment with is changing my lighting setup. One of the many difficulties in lighting blackwater subjects is that some are transparent and let all light just pass through them, while others are highly reflective and bounce the light back into the lens, and a very small number are "just right," reflecting light back like a "normal" subject. For the transparent subjects you ideally want to have the light entering their bodies from the side or even a little behind them so that it bounces around on the translucent parts with some of it scattering back toward the lens. For normal subjects, you want the strobes beside the camera, pointed forward, and cheated outward enough that only the edge of the light beam touches the subject. And for reflective subjects you want your lights somewhere in between so that the light is hitting at enough of an angle that it doesn't come straight back into the lens, but is still lighting the subject from the front.
For normal macro shooting, I have two short sections in each strobe arm, so it can be contorted into almost any position that the lighting requirements demand. For example, shooting into a coral crevice where the subject is hiding. For blacro, you are dealing with subjects that are at different distances and have different opacities, but not with the very complex lighting situations that can occur on a reef. At the same time, you have to be able to adjust your strobe arms very quickly because otherwise the subject has either moved or disappeared. Readjusting two strobe arms frequently took my attention away from the subject long enough to lose it. So I went to a single arm on each side, and set my strobes so I could swing them forward and back in an arc without taking my eye away from the viewfinder. Result: fewer missed opportunities and the lighting is just as good as it was with an infinite number of possible strobe positions.
Nikon has began delivery of the new D850 camera, with twice the resolution of the D500, and Nauticam already has the housing available. Why would anyone need a 46 MP camera sensor? For one thing, some of the most interesting critters in the open ocean are too tiny to fill more than a fraction of the frame at the 1:1 magnification limit of most macro lenses. I recently purchased the Nauticam SMC-1 wet close-up lens that can bring you closer, but my initial experiments with it lead me to conclude that it's great for stationary subjects on a reef, but following focus on a moving object at that magnification is too challenging for a blackwater situation, let alone the likelihood of losing the subject while flipping the lens into place. It also requires getting the lens closer to the subject than most of them will allow. I'd rather have enough resolution that I can do an extreme crop and still have plenty of pixels for a good reproduction. According to Nikon, the D850 has the same amazing focusing system as the D5 and D500, but some reviewers have claimed it doesn't match the performance of the D5 when it comes to tracking moving subjects. How will it do in black water? Watch this space!
After all the hyperbole in this blog about the difficulties of focusing on blackwater subjects, you may be forgiven if you have assumed that once you have mastered the "focus part" that perfect photo files will be swarming onto your hard drive like June bugs on a summer evening in Texas. AuContraire! (as we like to say in Lubbock). The second bugaboo, named Exposure, is about to bite your hiney like a Texas swamp mosquito swarm. OK, forgive me, I just returned from my old stomping grounds in the Lone Star State and the influence is obvious.
Again, the problem is that most of the things you are trying to record are mostly transparent. Light doesn't reflect off them to allow you to focus, and it doesn't reflect off them to expose an image on your sensor. The first part of the solution is more light. For this I use dual Ikelite DS161 strobes at point blank range, and it is barely enough. The second part is aiming. The old school solution to transparency is "backlighting." True backlighting doesn't work unless you have a way of blocking the light from shining directly into your lens, which is virtually impossible to arrange for scuba diving. So for underwater photography, by "backlighting" we mean pushing the strobes forward and turning them inward so that they light the subject from both sides, without shining into the lens. I use this method, and it works.
My dive buddies, Skinny and Chubby, both masters of blacro, use a completely different technique. They keep their strobes very close to the camera housing and pitch them outwards (bowlegged vs. my pigeon-toed), so that only the edge of the strobe beam lights the subject. That also works. Their results are similar to mine, with possibly less backscatter. The similarity is a function of the fact that we are both, in fact, finding ways to reflect light off the parts of the subject that will reflect it, while avoiding, as much as possible, lighting the particles between the lens and subject. True backlighting, in the sense of shining a light through a transparent subject into the lens, is just not practically achievable in most underwater photography applications.
To achieve a decent exposure, it is not enough to use powerful strobes. I also crank the ISO up as high as I can without getting unmanageable noise. In a modern Nikon camera, like the D500, this means ISO 800-1000. This allows me to use an aperture of f22 for most subjects, which hits the sweet spot of Nikon's 60mm macro lens, with reasonable depth of field. At f25 and above diffraction compromises the resolution of the photo.
Chubby, who uses an older DSLR, with more noise per ISO, opts for lower ISO and a wider aperture. He sacrifices depth of field, but claims he likes the artistic effect of having only one part of the subject in focus. I have to admit, his pictures are pretty darn impressive.
A major challenge comes from the fact that the occasional nonconformist subject wanders in front of your lens. While all of their neighbors are sucking strobe light into a black vortex at the far end of the marine universe, these lanternfish, flying fish, and what-have-you reflect light back at the camera like a 1980s disco mirror ball. So you need a practical way to switch instantaneously from full strobe power to 1/32 or 1/64th power. Until recently, unless you were shooting Ikelite strobes with an Ikelite housing, this was a real problem. As a devotee of aluminum housings, and Nauticam housings in particular, I was left out of the TTL strobe auto exposure loop and was faced with a choice of reaching out to each of my dual strobes to turn the power down, or finding the ISO button on the housing and pressing it with one hand, while looking at the viewfinder display and turning a dial with the other hand. In either scenario, the subject was long gone by the time I had my exposure ready for it.
Ikelite came out with an external TTL controller that worked pretty well, but not with the original strobe circuitry in the D500 housing. The guys at Nauticam USA are always tinkering, and within months they came out with a new circuit board. That one did great TTL with my Inon strobes, but my Ikelite strobes didn't work at all. In short order, however, they developed a circuit board that supports TTL with a variety of strobe makes including Ikelite. After two blacro dives with the new board I can truly say it is a game changer.
When I started doing blackwater photography with a Canon 5D MKII (a great camera for its time), I was really happy to get one "keeper" photo out of a dive. With the Nikon D800E, I was getting more like 5-10 keepers. I crossed a barrier with the D500, and went up to 20 or more keepers on some dives. But by combining the incredible low-light focusing ability of the D500 with powerful strobes and accurate TTL exposure I've jumped up to more than 50 photos jamming my hard drives after the last couple of dives. With a broad range of reflective to non-reflective subjects, the great majority of photos were perfectly exposed. Having said that, I should add the caveat that the TTL with Nauticam's circuit board, just as with Ikelite's external controller, seems to fall down a bit with subjects requiring full power. The circuitry seems to not want to do a full dump, often opting for a light under-exposure instead. By keeping the aperture dialed open enough that no more than 90% or so of the strobes' power is required, pretty consistent results can be obtained, even when the subject covers most of the frame in one shot, and a tiny fraction of the frame in the next.
Marvels of modern electronics like the D500's low-light focusing system and Nauticam's TTL board can't take a great picture by themselves. But by freeing us to compose an image without needing 5 extra hands and an extra brain to follow focus and change exposure on the fly, these tools make it a whole lot easier to get good results in one of the most challenging realms of photography.]]>
|The WWL-1 opens up a great, wide world
of underwater imaging possibilities...
...compatible with an array of lenses,
you'll be able to cover everything from fish portraits
to expansive reef scenes without compromising
optical quality, all in one dive.
WWL-1 is the highest quality wet changeable underwater wide angle conversion ever made, featuring unmatched contrast, overall sharpness, corner sharpness, and clarity. The design is truly full zoom-through, allowing zoom to be used as a tool for framing, and removable in water for close-up and macro shots.
Breakthrough Lens Design
|Every Nauticam lens is a "clean slate" design. These optical systems are engineered entirely as underwater corrective and conversion optics, and not adaptations of in-air designs. The process isn't an easy one, but the images captured by WWL-1 and previous Nauticam optical designs prove the effort is well spent.
Uncompromised Optical Quality
WWL-1 is constructed of 6 precisely ground elements of highly refractive optical glass. All internal elements are coated with a broadband anti-reflective coating to keep flare and internal reflections to an absolute minimum.
Wet lenses have traditionally been an accessory geared toward compact cameras, but Nauticam set out from the very beginning to support a wider range of systems, with larger sensor sizes.
Most impressive is the outstanding performance available with the full frame Sony A7 series cameras using the Sony 28mm F/2 Prime lens. In our tests, this combo out-performed all of the Sony wide angle lenses behind dome ports, and is especially well-matched to the demanding 42 megapixel sensor in Sony A7R II.
Micro Four Thirds systems used with power zoom lenses are another compelling combination. 130 degrees on the wide end, with a 3x zoom range, and close-focus on the front of the dome. This combination is wider, sharper, and has less distortion than the Panasonic 7-14mm F/4 and Olympus 7-14mm F/2.8 lenses behind a dome port. Twist off the lens, and snap on a CMC for high powered macro photography, capturing an image area 22mm (just under 1") wide!
Easy Bayonet Mounting
A new bayonet mounting system has been designed to accompany the WWL-1 release, and maximize ease of use. Lenses snap into place, and are securely locked. A red locking tab releases the lens for removal, and lens holders provide storage for lenses on a strobe arm when not in use.
The bayonet mount system has been designed to incorporate vents that quickly flood the space between lens and camera, washing away air bubbles.
Both 67mm and bayonet mounting rings are included with the lens as standard equipment, and Bayonet Mount Converters are available separately (providing the attachment point on a housing or port).
Accessory Parts
|Included with WWL-1
|Part Number
Neoprene Cover
Rear Lens Cap for WWL-1
M67 Mounting Ring
Bayonet Mounting Ring
Carrying Case
Cleaning Cloth
|Optional Accessories
|Part Number
M67 to Bayonet Mount Converter
Bayonet Mount Adaptor Ring for SMC / CMC
Model Number
|WWL-1 "Wide Wet Lens"
|130mm Outer Diameter x 97mm
Weight (air/underwater)
|1.24 kg / .62 kg
Body Construction
|Hard Anodized Aluminum Alloy
Lens Construction
|6 Elements in 5 Groups
Lens Coating
|Anti-Reflective Coating
Minimum Object Distance
|Front Lens Element to Infinity
Field of View (diagonal)
|130˚ (with 28mm Primary Lens)
Mount System
|M67 Thread or NA Bayonet
Depth Rating
You can call it blackwater, blacro, or Pelagic Magic. I call it foto-frustration for the masochist-at-heart. You get onto a boat at a time when you would normally be relaxing and preparing for bed after a nice meal and drive several miles straight out to sea, then jump into the pitch black bottomless ocean in the middle of the night. The goal is to try and take pictures of tiny animals that you can barely see because they are transparent. Do you think any of these near-invisible creatures will sit still for you to train a light on them and try to focus? Of course not! They rise to the surface only at night because they avoid lights. They may not be swimming at a speed to impress a sailfish, but on a scale compared to the paper thin depth of field of your macro lens racked at 1:1 they might as well be going 100 mph. And they are not alone. There are millions of planktonic organisms clouding the water. After all, it is a whole ecosystem, known as the "deep scattering layer," that rises from the deep ocean to the surface waters at night. Not all of these organisms flee lights. Some of them (the ones you don't want to photograph) are attracted to lights and will swarm your focus lights like a cloud of insects around a porch light on a warm Southern summer evening. Only worse.
Yes, trying to pick an interesting subject out of this mess and get a sharp photo of it is quite a challenge. But it can be worth persisting because some of those critters are just so darn cute, weird, dramatic, or beautiful. The odds are fairly good of photographing something nobody has ever photographed before. Or maybe that no one has ever even seen before. Some day the novelty may perhaps wear off, but right now, blacro photos are winning underwater photo competitions right and left.
Fortunately the equipment is improving to make the challenge a little less daunting. When I started, I used manual focus exclusively and got very few keepers. As cameras improved and my own vision deteriorated I had to switch to autofocus, and was still getting very few keepers. The higher the light level, the better autofocus works, so I started piling on the video lights.
More light certainly helps, but there's still the problem of how much light can you get to reflect off of an organism that's entirely transparent? After a certain point, you are only lighting up the cloudiness in the water and attracting more sea lice into your frame. So the ability of the camera to focus quickly and accurately in low light becomes critical.
Nikon pretty much nuked the competition in this regard when they brought out the D5 (which is in nose-bleed price territory) followed by the D500 (at a more reasonable price). You can read all the technical details about these cameras on any number of photo websites, but for me the proof was when my blacro bro Jeff Molder, aka Capt. Buff, told me that he had vastly increased his keeper rate by upgrading to the D500.
Still I hesitated. For me, shooting the 36MP D800E, it would not exactly be an upgrade to switch to the 21MP D500. Losing nearly half my resolution would be a bitter pill to swallow. Still, it doesn't matter how many pixels you have if they are all out of focus. I was losing a lot of rare opportunities on the blackwater dives, so I decided to bite the bullet.
On my first blackwater dive with the D500 in my new Nauticam housing, I significantly upped my keeper rate. Still, as with any new piece of equipment, there was a learning curve. With the D800 I usually kept the drive set on slow continuous. That way, if I held the shutter down after taking a picture, it would fire off a second, after a short delay which allowed the strobes to partially recycle. If the first shot was blown out by too much strobe, the second exposure might be better. With the D500, slow continuous is faster than high speed continuous on the D800. The camera is so fast that there is no time for the strobes to cycle up at all. So I had to switch the motor drive to single shooting.
Another of the touted features of the D500 is the large number of focus points. In all of Nikon's previous models, including my D800, the focus points are clustered in the center region of the frame. In the cropped-sensor D500 they cover the entire frame. Nikon offers a selection of different focus modes utilizing varying numbers of focus points. With the D800, I favored modes that utilized a fairly large number of points. It's hard to keep a single focus point on that small part of a transparent subject which might actually offer enough contrast to allow autofocus, so having a fairly wide focus area seemed to serve me well, as my subjects went zipping about in the water column. On my first dive with the D500, I figured, why not use all the focus points? If the subject goes anywhere in the frame, the autofocus system should be able to find it. The problem with that strategy was that there is a lot more than the subject in each frame. Some nights are worse than others, and that night was a nightmare due to the phototropic sea lice, which not only caused a blizzard of backscatter, but also threw my focus off the subject repeatedly.
After some consultation with Capt. Buff, for my second D500 blacro I decided to go with Nikon's "group focus" option, which appears in the viewfinder as a cluster of four points around the chosen focus point. That worked much better. You have to track the subject with your focus point, but the group area is much more forgiving than a single point, while objects elsewhere in the frame don't throw off your focus. I have yet to test the much ballyhooed 3-D focus capabilities of the D500, in which you initially focus on your subject, and the camera remembers what the subject is, and keeps tracking it as it moves. Stay tuned.
A critical part of the focusing strategy is to go into the "AF activation" section of the "autofocus" menu and select "AF button only" so that the menu shows "AF activation" as "off." This means that autofocus is only activated by the "back button" on the camera, for which Nauticam has a convenient large thumb-activated lever on the housing. This way if the focus point is not on a high contrast area at the moment the shutter is released, it will not throw the focus off. And if it is impossible to achieve autofocus on the subject, you can focus on your hand or similar object at about the right distance, and lean into and out of the subject, tripping the shutter when it comes into focus.
However, after a few blacro dives with the D500 I noticed I had hardly any photos of my hand, whereas I usually come home with lots of those. The D500 was able to autofocus on most of the subjects I found, eliminating the necessity of focusing on my hand frequently throughout the dive (and usually accidentally taking a picture of it). I also used to be pretty religious about engaging the manual focus gear on my 60mm macro lens, so that, when necessary, I could manually follow focus on the subject while keeping my eye to the viewfinder. I got home from a D500 blacro dive and discovered that I hadn't even remembered to engage the gear. The autofocus was so adept that I hadn't felt the need to manually focus at any time during the dive. That was a true milestone!
With the D800, I didn't find much of a difference between single and continuous autofocus on blacro dives, as the continuous was never able to keep up with the subject for long. With the D500, however, continuous is much more useful, as it is often able to keep a subject into focus as it moves toward or away from the lens, or as you lean into the subject. Set on continuous group focus with AF activation off I was able to approximately double my ratio of in-focus shots on my second blacro dive with the D500, as compared with my average using the D800. I actually got a few in-focus shots of little larval fish less than ½inch long that zip around so fast that I wouldn't even try with the D800.
Another consideration with the D500 is that in front of its cropped sensor the 60mm macro lens becomes roughly equivalent to a 90mm lens on a full-frame camera such as the D800. To keep my working distance and frame ratio roughly the same,I switched from a flat port on the D800 to a small dome port on the D500. Being that most of the subjects are quite small, and timid enough that it's hard to get the port right up next to them, I decided to try a flat port to see if I could get some of the tiny critters a little larger in the frame. That worked as expected, but I did find that the focus was searching more, and my keeper rate dropped. The next dive I went back to a dome port and found that the focus was grabbing better. That could be due to the lens focusing on a virtual image when it's behind a dome port, and requiring less throw of the focus barrel to follow a subject, or it could be due to the fact that you have to get closer when using a dome port, so you have more light on your subject and less dirty water between the port and the subject. One of my blacro buddies uses a flat port, and the other uses a dome, and they both get great photos, so it's probably more a matter of skill than equipment in that regard.
Skill largely comes from practice, and I can definitely say that results with blacro are directly proportional to how often you do it. Still, a fantastic piece of equipment like the D500 is a huge help, especially for old-timers like myself, who are handicapped with myopia and cataracts.
Stay tuned for more updates soon as renowned nature photographer Doug Perrine explores black water photography...]]>
This is an incredible lens, both in terms of wide angle field of view, and in how amazingly well the distortion is controlled at focal lengths this wide. Canon has seriously upped their lens design game, and some of my favorite optics from any manufacturer (including Zeiss and Leica) are the 24-70 /2.8L II, 100mm /2.8L IS, and 8-15 /4. Is 11-24 good enough to make that list?
Nauticam was able to spin up a custom extension ring to support the very large diameter of this lens, as well as an updated version of the 230mm Glass Dome Port with a larger port opening, within just a few days of this lens hitting store shelves. I got in the pool as soon as I could, and am happy to share some results here.
The lens is extremely large, and requires a new extension ring and dome port system that has a larger internal diameter. The current system can accept lenses up to 98mm in diameter, and the new design used in 18812 and 21271 enables lenses up to 109.5mm to be used. This is very exciting, as it also accommodates the previously incompatible, but fantastic Zeiss ZE and ZF.2 15mm /2.8 lenses!
It is really important to have a frame of reference in mind when evaluating a lens this wide… Corner softness is going to be a fact of life, and it can be controlled by stopping down, and keeping detail out of the corners. You can also crop in post, or even better crop in camera by zooming in a bit in situations where you think soft corners might be distracting. This is just an inevitable compromise associated with getting this wide without fisheye distortion.
My methodology here is to compare the lens to known quantities that are popular for underwater imaging, and simply determine if 11-24 is better or worse. I'll only compare like focal lengths, it just isn't fair to compare 11-24 at full wide with a narrower lens. This means that 11-24 wins by default at 11mm, as there is no other currently available non-fisheye lens that is this wide. Our test chart has been upgraded to a new, stiffer material that stays pretty flat in the water. Occasionally water movement would flex the chart, and cause what appear to be uncharacteristic distortions. This could influence some of the sharpness judgements as well, but in all the test shots I see that the corner performance is about equal on all four corners, which is acceptably accurate for me.
Corner softness is the easiest defect that pops up behind a dome to detect, and you'll see examples here. The tests are done at f/5.6, which is actually a pretty stressy aperture. The results are dramatically improved by stopping down a bit.
This is a lens I have always really wanted to like, but could never find the kind of in water corner performance I was after.
This isn't the greatest example, as there was clearly some flex in the chart that makes it appear that there is distortion that doesn't actually exist. Both shots exhibit some softness, even at this more distant reproduction.
Here are corner crops (well, zoomed in Lightroom actually, then screen grabbed).
And here is the same chart, from about a foot away.
with corner crops:
I think it is pretty safe to say that 11-24 is better, and better by a significant margin in the closer focusing situations.
This is probably the most popular wide angle lens commonly used with Canon full frame cameras, and is used in many stunning wide angle images. Performance isn't perfect, but the wide field of view and overall good image quality has made it very popular on full frame.
And the corner crop:
And now the same lenses, but closer to the chart:
And corner crops:
This one really surprised me… Neither lens has a Lightroom Lens Correction or CA adjustment applied, so these are straight out of the camera. I can't believe how much purple fringing is apparent in all of the 16-35 /2.8L II tests, and how well controlled it is in 11-24. I don't see a tremendous difference in corner sharpness in either test. Maybe 11-24 is a bit better?
And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. There is nothing to compare 11-24 to at 11mm, so it will have to stand here on its own.
Corner Crop
Close focus:
and Close Focus Corner Crop:
Corner softness certainly exists, but I've seen a lot worse! In situations where it is possible to stop down, or subjects are in blue water, I think the entire lens zoom range is usable.
I'm very encouraged by these results. I see that 11-24 is clearly better than Canon 14mm /2.8L II at 14mm, and as good or better at 16mm than 16-35 /2.8L II. At 11mm, the angle of coverage is over 10 degrees wider than 14mm, and the ability to zoom out to 24mm is nice to have with skittish subjects or to crop out distracting backgrounds in camera. There isn't any distracting fisheye distortion, causing curved water surfaces or overly bulbous centered subjects.
The results are good, but what are some potential issues?
Lens flare is also a reality with any optic this wide, and is something to be aware of in real world use. The lens is big, heavy, and expensive. 24mm might not be long enough for skittish critters.
Is this a good choice for RED Dragon?
Yes, and I don't know of a better wide angle optic for this camera in its 6k mode (slightly smaller than Full Frame 35). 16-35 and 8-15 /4L have been my favorites for this format in the past, but 8-15 induces fisheye distortion that needs to be managed in framing, and 16-35 just isn't wide enough for a lot of wide shots. 11-24 is perfect! Much of the corner smushiness in these shots won't be apparent, falling outside of the recorded frame when shooting 6K.
Should I sell my 16-35 if I buy 11-24?
I'm not sure I'd run off and do that… That range from 24-35mm is a pretty useful one, especially with skittish big animals. 16-35 also has a front filter thread, making it more useful for use with polarizers and neutral density filters for topside shooting. It is also a lot smaller… 11-24 will handle well in the water, but I can see a lot of situations where I wouldn't want to carry it around topside.
I'm an APS-C, user, is this lens for me?
I'd say probably not for most… It is probably a bit sharper overall than the Canon lenses like 10-22 /3.5-4.5 or 10-18 STM that are designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, but my feeling is that it is only slightly sharper. Those lenses are a fraction the weight, and something like 1/6 the price of 11-24.]]>
Camera classes have gotten very blurry recently... DSLR cameras do HD video incredibly well, and are now reaching 4K UHD resolutions with a "look" unmatched by any camcorder. "Pocket" cameras are getting better lenses and bigger sensors, and they are no longer in the pockets of most. That space has been occupied by smart phones. Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras have taken the camera world by storm, seeking to merge the image quality of larger dslr systems with a small form factor.
Fixed lens compact cameras are certainly improving, and some real enthusiast features are showing up in higher end models like Sony's RX100 MIII, but the larger sensors are making it harder and harder to get great wet mate lens compatibility. The ability to change lenses underwater has long been a hallmark of this segment, but that functionality is diminished in many of the higher end models. When examining the issue more closely, the entry level mirrorless systems begin to look pretty attractive.
As the photo above illustrates, this very capable entry level mirrorless system is only a bit bigger than the leading compacts. This matters if you want to stick the camera in your pocket, but who does that anymore? When you build an underwater system around the camera any size difference is negligible, and the price points are a lot closer than you'd think…
A5000 is built around a big 20 Megapixel APS-C sensor. This is the same sensor size used by some of the most popular DSLR cameras over the past few years (Canon 7D, Nikon D7100 anyone?), and images from these sensors have graced the covers of dive mags the world over. This is an interchangeable lens camera, allowing use of the right lens for the job, both topside and underwater.
Pardon the technical digression, but it is typically accepted that bigger pixels yield better image quality. While you can find an exception to every rule, here is a relative example of the photosite sizes in some common systems:
This photosite size in a $500 camera is pretty incredible!
The A5000 ships with a 16-50 power zoom. This lens on the A5000 is just like the mid-range zoom lens built in to every compact camera. When using the comparative focal length formula, the 16-50mm is like a 24-75mm on full frame - slightly better coverage than the RX100III's 24-70mm. This is a very useful midrange zoom for fish portraits, closeups, and skittish big animals that won't let you approach close enough for a wide angle lens. And the best part… you can take it off! The interchangeable lens mount allows for a dedicated wide angle or macro lens to be used. If chosen well, each lens option can outperform the wet lens alternatives that are found for a fixed lens compact.
When using compact cameras, many people have come to expect the "fish tail syndrome." Traditionally, compact camera users have learned to deal with a certain amount "shutter lag" that is actually a combination of focus acquisition and shutter response. This characteristic has been greatly improved on compacts in recent years, but this delay between finger action and actual picture taken does still lead to many perfectly sharp fish tail photographs as the fish moves out of the frame. Almost any modern mirrorless interchangeable lens camera will generally have a more immediate response when focusing and releasing the shutter than any current compact camera. Several mirrorless cameras claim to have the fastest autofocus in the world and the A5000 would certainly be in the hunt.
Those of us who take our cameras underwater love to be able to get through two dives without opening the housing. But few compact camera batteries, when required to fire a flash, will last for two dives. The Sony A5000 battery, by virtue of having more storage capacity, will easily last for two dives.
The Nauticam NA-A5000 housing requires no zoom gear to operate the 16-50 zoom, so the user can operate it from a lever on top of the housing - just like a compact camera housing.
Compact cameras with built in zoom lenses pack an awful lot of electronics, motors and moving pieces into the smallest possible package. Thanks to the engineering that allows for all this miniaturization, it is pretty difficult to make a compact system like this as rugged and long lasting as a mirrorless system like the A5000 that has the luxury of more room and a detachable lens. But the good news is that everything is still easy to pack in carry-on luggage!
One of the things we have often observed over the years here at Reef Photo & Video is that some people are intrigued about moving into a new category of camera systems (ie; compact, mirroless interchangeable lens, DSLR, etc), but often reluctant to move beyond their comfort zone. The most common concern is "more complexity." But there is a secret that most people quickly learn: the more sophisticated the type of camera system you progress to, the easier your underwater photography becomes. So what is the most common complaint from customers advancing into a mirrorless system or DSLR? Just six words - "Why did I wait so long!"
An A5000 will give a better user experience than a compact in almost every regard - even if you just shoot it like a compact camera. But when you are ready, it can do so much more.
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 is one of those gems. It is the sharpest super wide rectilinear lens behind a dome port we have ever tested on any format. Corner sharpness here outperforms the best Nikon and Canon glass on professional full frame bodies at equivalent coverage angles. It also compares favorably to the best APS-C DSLR cameras, and the best that the Olympus / Panasonic Micro Four Thirds system has to offer. Amazing stuff!
I'll concede that there is a lot more to a lens than corner sharpness, and Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 really excels in some of these more subjective areas. The lens has incredible contrast, to the point that it is noticeable on the camera's tiny little LCD while still in the water, and really jumps out at you on a nice monitor. Color is warm, which nicely complements the underwater scenics that this lens is appropriate for.
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 is compatible with the Sony E Mount systems (NEX, Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R, and the new Alpha 5000). It covers APS-C sensors, which means that the Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R will need to be used in their cropped sensor modes. The lens has a 99 degree diagonal field of view, making it just a bit wider than the old Nikonos 15mm lens, and about the same coverage found on a full frame dslr with an 18mm lens. There is no noticeable distortion when used in water, meaning that straight lines are straight, and big animals at the center of the frame don't have that unnatural fisheye bulge. The lens focuses at 7 inches, making it great for close focus wide angle shooting.
The construction methods employed in this lens are a pretty dramatic departure from the Zeiss standard. The Touit series are the first autofocus lenses ever produced by Zeiss. To better match the tiny Sony NEX and Alpha E Mount Camera bodies, the lens body is plastic, and the focus ring is a smooth rubberized band. The lens is surprisingly light, and I can find the focus ring easily by feel. I won't say that manually focusing this system is as satisfying as the ZE, ZF2, and ZM lenses with their hard focus stops and well dampened feel, but I don't see that as such a big deal on a mirrorless system. Using only LCD screens and electronic viewfinders, I'm more likely to trust autofocus than to try to focus manually, especially with a lens this wide.
The lens is paired with the Zen DP-170-SS dome port for underwater shooting. DP-170 is an optically coated glass dome port. Glass domes are hard to scratch, and don't have that annoying backward roll associated with the buoyancy of plastic ports. The specialized optical coatings used here knock out reflections caused when shooting into the sun, and increase imaging performance.
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 is a pretty chubby lens, and can't actually fit through the back of the Nauticam NEX port mount. To support this lens underwater we use a step up port adapter (Zen PA-NM-SS60) that is mounted on the housing after installing the camera, and before installing the lens. The dome attaches to the front of this with a traditional Sea & Sea style bayonet.
Competition Compared:
Coming soon:
The third installment in the Zeiss Touit series will be a 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens that reaches 1:1 reproduction ratio. This fills another void in underwater utility range of the Sony E Mount cameras, and I'm really excited to see what this lens can do when it becomes available, and see if we can squeeze it into a port.
Extra credit:
Our focus is underwater photography, but it is hard for me to hide my enthusiasm for great glass. I see the lens choices for Sony's E mount systems criticized in online communities, and I don't think that is fair. Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 would be my topside walk around lens of choice, replicating the field of views found on "nifty fifty" full frame lenses, with a fast aperture, great color, and contrast. This lens has a really appealing look that is warmer and dreamier than the Sony branded offerings at the same focal length. Sony's Sonnar E 24mm /1.8 (designed by Zeiss, made by Sony) is very sharp, and very fast at a focal length that can be hand held even in low light indoor situations without motion blur. I'm still getting to know the new Sonnar T* FE 55mm /1.8, but I think it has a lot of potential as a long portrait lens on the APS-C E Mount cameras.
versatile |ˈvərsətl|
1 able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities: a versatile sewing machine | he was versatile enough to play either position.
2 archaic: changeable; inconstant.
3 embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills; also :turning with ease from one thing to another: the Nauticam Housing for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera
Ok, we modified that last entry just a bit... but the Nauticam NA-EM5 Housing + 12-50mm Port/Gear + Flip Diopter really should be the dictionary standard as the ultimate example of versatility, at least for underwater shooters. There really is no other system that provides this much versatility with excellent image quality and good shooting performance, plus won't break the bank and will fit in carry on luggage. There is a lot of buzz out on the web about this (one of the longest threads on Wetpixel.com ever); let's break it down and delve into what makes it so compelling.
|The Olympus OM-D E-M5 is a cool camera. First, it just looks cool, borrowing design elements from the OM camera series of old. More than just good looks though, this camera is very capable, with excellent image quality and surprisingly fast shooting and focus performance. Belonging to the m4/3 family, the proud owner of this camera enjoys the riches of lens selections available from both Olympus and Panasonic, including the Panasonic 8mm, the Olympus 9-18mm, Pansonic 45mm macro, Olympus 60mm macro, Olympus 12mm and many more.
|The lens we are focusing on here (sorry, not intending to pun), is the Olympus 12-50mm. This is no ordinary kit lens. The range is excellent (think 24-100mm on full frame) for all kinds of shooting both terrestrial and underwater. Unlike many other lenses in its range, the lens does not extend while zooming or focusing, which is an advantage for those who want to wrap an aluminum and glass box around it. Speaking of zooming, this is a power zoom lens, meaning nice smooth zooming for video shooting. The 12-50mm has one more trick up its sleeve though, and it is ideal for underwater shooters: with a flick of the switch, the lens changes into a 43mm macro lens, capable of serious macro magnification.
|The Nauticam NA-EM5 housing is the best selling housing for the EM-5, worldwide. There simply is not a better housing made for the camera. Every control is well thought out; every move the shooter might make is considered in the ergonomic design. This rugged housing is milled from solid aluminum, and rated to 100m (330 feet). Changing ports is a snap with Nauticam's patented port locking system, and the housing inherits much from the rest of Nauticam's award winning designs. Nauticam even offers an optional upgrade to take advantage of the camera's built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) - unmatched by any other housing.
|The 12-50mm lens presents a challenge to anyone designing a way to control it underwater, being first a power zoom and second, having the macro switch. The Nauticam design team came up with a port and gear set that is unmatched by any other manufacturer - not even the Olympus housing can operate the macro switch on this lens. What this means to the underwater shooter is the ability to shoot at 12mm one minute, shoot mid-range the next, and then quickly switch to macro mode. What this means, more simply, is that when the pod of dolphins swims by as you are shooting pygmy seahorses, you'll get both shots. Try that with any other system.
When the macro from the 12-50mm isn't quite close enough - you can still get even closer. With the Nauticam flip diopter, you can simply flip your closeup lens (also called a diopter lens) into place and get into the world of super macro.
As an underwater photographer, what aspects of camera performance are important to you? If versatility is a high priority, along with image quality and shooting performance, the Nauticam NA-EM5 with 12-50 port/gear kit and flip diopter may be just what you are looking for.
The photos for this article are from Phil Rudin who took the NA-EM5 and 12-50mm to Philippines in December 2012. All of these shots are from that trip. Thank you Phil.
Canon EF 8-15 f/4L and Tokina 10-17 f/3.4-f/4.5
Canon's announcement of a new fisheye zoom lens last August (2010) actually didn't excite me too much at the time. After using the Tokina 10-17 for the past four years I didn't see significant room for improvement for cropped sensors, but we felt obligated to get the lens in a pool as soon as possible to evaluate image quality behind some of the Zen domes.
Thanks to quick service from the fine folks at Campus Camera, our lens arrived on Thursday. The wizards in our workshop were able to cacluate the new extension ring length required, make a zoom gear, and crank out a dive-able prototype of the Zen DP-100 by lunch time on Friday. Pretty cool!
Canon EF 8-15 f/4 uses Canon's pro level L series optics, and is built with both full frame and cropped sensor cameras in mind. Utility with both full frame and APS-C imagers is attractive for Canon enthusiasts that own both mounts. The lens has oustanding build quality, including weather sealing that makes me feel much more comfortable when changing lenses on a dive boat.
Slow focus isn't really a problem with super wide lenses, but its USM motor is extremely fast, and focus lock is very accurate with the 7D and 60D bodies we've tested.
with Full Frame Cameras
At 8mm it projects a perfectly round 180 degree image circle on a full frame sensor, which is known as a circular fisheye effect. This basically gives a full frame user an 8mm circular fisheye and a 15mm 'full fame' fisheye with no vignetting in one lens. The circular fisheye perspective is pretty cool, but would require removing the shade from your dome port. We are going to have to do some testing to see whether or not a version of the small dome is appopriate for this lens on full frame, which will largely depend upon how succeptible the lens is to flare. Both DP-200 and DP-230 have removable shades, and can support the 8mm focal length without increasing vignetting.
with APS-H Cameras
While certainly not the most popular systems for underwater photography, the 1D Mk IV is one of the most capable systems I've ever used. 8-15/4 at 12mm becomes the first ever full frame fisheye for this system, and the ability to zoom out to 15mm gives the underwater photographer a touch of reach with more distance subjects.
with APS-C Cropped Sensor Cameras
Canon 8-15/4 offers similar utility to Tokina 10-17, but pro lens build and optical quality. 8-15 at 15mm is about 10 degrees wider than 10-17 at 17mm, but both lenses focus on the front of the dome port, so their close focus wide angle ability will be very similar. The lens has a limit switch locking in the 10-15mm zoom range appropriate for APS-C sensors.
Canon 8-15/4 offers similar utility to Tokina 10-17, but pro lens build and optical quality. 8-15 at 15mm is about 10 degrees wider than 10-17 at 17mm, but both lenses focus on the front of the dome port, so their close focus wide angle ability will be very similar. The lens has a limit switch locking in the 10-15mm zoom range appropriate for APS-C sensors.
|Reference Marks Designating Full Frame Fisheye Focal Lengths for APS -C and APS-H Sensors
|Limit Switch Locking in the 10-15mm Zoom Range for APS-C Sensors
While not quite as mind numbing as debating Nikon v. Canon, I wish I had the years of my life back that I've spent trying to convince someone that bigger isn't always better in the world of dome ports. There are definitely tradeoffs, and it is ultimately up to the individual to decide which fits best in their gear arsenal.
Big domes are best with super wide rectilinear lenses, no question about it. And bigger is usually better in this case. Zen DP-230 is a great match for full frame cameras with Nikon 16-35 f/4 or Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II, or cropped sensor cameras with Nikon 10-24 f/3.5-f/4.5 or Canon 10-22 f/3.5-f/4.5. Off topic, but these are the best lenses we've tested in each category, a topic for another article. Big domes are also best for split shots, making it easy to place the location of the water line, and keeping the water line thin in the frame. If you want to use a non-fisheye wide angle lens, or you want to do splits, and your budget only allows one dome, then you need a big dome.
A little dome only works with fisheye lenses (ok, you could also use a short macro too, but another a topic for another article). The small size allows you to photograph small subjects that you couldn't shoot with a big dome with equal impact. This is because the larger dome simply forces you to be further away, yielding smaller foreground reproduction. The corners will probably be a touch softer in the small dome, but see for yourself below whether or not that matters. I can pack a full system set up for macro and wide angle with a mini dome in a small wheeled carry on like the Think Tank Airport International with ease. In this age of clamped down travel restrictions that is a pretty big deal.
|For this test, we hung a grid chart on the wall of a pool, and placed a weighted tripod to keep the camera position as cosistent as possible. The image sensor is about 2' from the grid in all of these tests. The lower corners of the grid chart did curl back toward the camera a bit due to the slope of the pool, which could make them appear worse than they would be if the chart was completely perpendicular to the lens axis. Oh well!
Our goal was primarily to determine whether or not we had the port placement for 8-15 in DP-100 correct. Since we had the gear all together, it made sense to do a couple of quick comparision shots. We wanted to see how the lens stacked up against the Tokina 10-17, and how the lens looked in DP-100 (4' diameter) compared to DP-230 (9' diameter). We used a Canon 7D in Nauticam NA-7D housing for the test, and limited the lens at 10-15mm (its range for APS-C cameras like 7D). We'll set up the 5D Mk II when we have a version of the dome sans shade in the future.
The test results are pretty impressive, and definitely illustrate that 8-15 /4L is a serious option for underwater photographers. While the corners are a bit sharper in a big dome, the image quality is perfectly acceptable for me in DP-100.
|Canon 8-15 at 10mm in Zen DP-100 at f4
|Tokina 10-17 at 10mm in Zen DP-100 at f4
|Canon 8-15 at 10mm in Zen DP-100 at f8
|Tokina 10-17 at 10mm in Zen DP-100 at f8
Okay, I'm admitting it publicly. I was an idiot when it comes to switching to DSLR. I know, I know, all my knowledgeable friends here and offline have been trying to convince me to switch, but I resisted. I had a whole list of reasons why I was waiting, but I was wrong on each and every one of them.
This past week in Lembeh, Richard finally got a DSLR into my hands (he's been trying for more than a year now, but it never felt like I was ready). But after a frustrating day missing shots I knew I should have had (and thought I'd gotten, but couldn't tell well enough in-camera with my Fuji F810), I finally said it was time to try. In anticipation, he had brought an extra Canon Rebel Xti and SeaTool housing for me to try. I'll just say this is one schweeet setup.
To help others in the same position as I, looking to make the jump from compact to DSLR and evaluating the perceived objections to doing so, let me cover what I believed to be issues one by one. The first three objections are in no particular order, but I'll start with
Boy was I wrong. There's a world of difference between the MX-10 viewfinder and a good DSLR. What I found is I could actually see more detail through the viewfinder than with an LCD screen (even without magnification add-ons), but more surprisingly, discovered that having the weight of the camera close in to my body helped my buoyancy for fine macro work. Less up and down. More control than when I had the weight of the camera held out. Less floaty feet. Had I really thought about the psychics of it, that would make sense, but as I said before, I was an idiot and held on to the notion I wanted live view.
From my first dive with the camera, there was no problem adjusting. And let me tell you, even if offered a camera with live view now, that fit my other specs, I'd likely not use that feature underwater often if at all.
2. Size and weight. Okay, the rig definitely weighs more than my lovely little "Itty Bitty" Fuji F810, at least topside. But underwater, it's so well balanced, it's probably about the same relative offset weight. And functionally easier on me to use and trigger the shutter. Ergonomically it just works better. This is a tiny, close-fit housing to the camera, with very little air space (the fit is extremely tight – be sure to trigger a test shot off, not just turn on and off, once you have everything set in the camera. Trust me on this one.) I have extremely small hands. For reference, Scubapro XS reef gloves are too long in the fingers for me. So grip size and reaching the shutter release from the handle (or getting my hand between the handle and the camera to do so) was of prime concern. This housing solved my concern. I could trigger the shutter either way, but found I preferred to hold the handle and move the camera closer to the right handle, as when I held the camera directly for a shot, I sometimes accidentally "adjusted" the shutter speed/aperture control. Oops!
Yes, the rig is heavier than my old setup. It will require adjusting some of my packing habits, as I'll likely not pack it in a camera bag inside my dive bag as I've done in the past, but with an efficient roller bag which can also take my laptop and all the accessories, the difference will just move what I carry around, not necessarily put me over weight. Camera bag out of the dive bag, regulator back in. Weight to spare.
3. Flexibility. I'd hung on to the crutch of being able to switch between lenses, carrying wet-mounted double stacked Inon macros and a WAL on every dive. Truth is, I rarely changed between lenses most of the time. Oh, sometimes, but in general I knew what I'd use before I hit the water. But I liked knowing I could. I'll admit, I envied the potential of greater working distance with some lenses (like the 100 or 105mm lenses) when working with macro. And using the double-stacked macro lenses, I did gain good skills at getting REALLY close and working with paper-thin DOF. But the truth is, there are a number of good, flexible lenses out there I can use. 60mm gives excellent macro results (though getting the lighting right with it was a bit of a challenge that took a bit of adjustment). There are lenses like the 17-70 Sigma which give a huge range in middle range shots to moderate macro. In the end, I shot just one lens with this camera and only occasionally wish I had something a bit wider. And knowing me, I might not have stopped with my Fuji to take the time to unmount the macro stack and put on the WAL. While I'm sure I will someday experience a situation like a whale shark swimming by when I have on a macro lens, for all practical purposes, another objection bites the dust.
4. Results. While there were times I was frustrated with missing a shot (especially when I thought I'd gotten it), overall I'd still been pretty satisfied with my results from the F810. Definitely, it was a great camera for refining my camera knowledge and skills in shooting manual and editing (especially editing). And there are truly phenomenal results which have come out of the camera when in the right hands (not necessarily mine, though it's served me quite well). But let me tell you, shooting with the Seatool I got far more keepers and results which made me excited again. For example, to test my skills at the beginning of the trip last week, I was trying to shoot juvenile silver sided sweetlips (tiny little flitting fish – highly frustrating to shoot). With the F810, it took me 8 shots, but I finally got one in focus (mostly) and body positioned well that I was happy to get. First day, first dive, first attempt at the sweetlips with the Canon… boom. Got it. And boom again next shot and next one. While there were still shots I missed, I got a whole lot more of the toughies at least at the level of most of my "acceptable" Fuji shots and many that I know I'd not have gotten at all with the compact.
5. Task loading. Would the DSLR be more than I could handle? Friends had experienced some relearning curve when they moved to DSLRs. Some took to it immediately, while others told me they felt they had to re-learn photography. I was honestly frightened I wasn't a good enough photographer and a DSLR was "too much camera" for me. Whether it was the fact that I had to be more adept with the Fuji to make up for its shortcomings, or just that I shot a true manual camera for 3 years, my main issue wasn't with the camera itself, only in aiming strobes. And I'd just started using dual strobes (first trip with them focusing on macro), so it was a good time to relearn that anyway.
6. Okay, this final one would still be an objection, regardless of how the first 5 "issues" turned out. Price. There's no getting around this one. It's going to cost more. But I'd actually prepared for this, putting aside funds here and there knowing eventually I was going to do it, if not because of need/desire underwater, then at least when I finally schedule an African safari in the next couple-three years. My old rig I never even insured for f***d, only for loss, as the premiums over a couple years would cost more than the rig was worth. Especially since, with a second camera, there was nothing in the housing which couldn't be dried out, and to insure a $300 camera just seemed silly. When I was ready, I knew this wouldn't be a true objection, merely a bit of gulping while I listened to my credit card whimper a touch.
In this article we will cover various lenses for Nikon DX cameras. DX refers to the size of the digital image sensor. DX is also known as the APS-C format which is approximately 24×16 mm. Its dimensions are about 2/3 those of the 35mm film format (29mm vs 43mm diagonal, approx.).
Super Wide Rectilinear
Mid-range Zoom
Specialty Lenses
For those starting out in underwater DSLR photography, we have no higher recommendation than to start with a Nikon AF 60mm.
The older D version of the 60mm macro didn't focus as fast as its replacement, and had an inconvenient AF-MF switch on the lens barrel that had to be actuated mechanically. That being said, the lens is sharp enough, and even though it focuses slowly, it focuses accurately. The new AF-S 60 is a better lens, but if you already own a 60m /2.8D it might not make sense to upgrade it.
Looking to improve on the popular 60mm 2.8D, Nikon came along and added some very worthwhile upgrades to this lens, and it wound up back in my bag. The new lens focuses very quickly and accurately, and images have a very smooth out of focus area.
This is usually the first lens I'll recommend to new photographers. With its fast accurate autofocus, this lens will deliver results right away with little frustration.
The AF-S 60 can attain 1:1 macro, but does so basically at the end of your macro port. If a subject can run away, it probably won't let you get that close. This is a great lens for fish portraits, macros of stationary subjects, and for close-up shooting in dirty water. More...
Nikon AF-S DX 85mm /3.5G
I have been using this lens more and more and love it. It is the fastest, best focusing Nikon macro lens made and great for super macro as well. Its only drawback is it won't work with your FX camera, if that matters. See more on this great lens here: Nikon AF-S DX 85mm /3.5G
105mm, 1/125th, f/16
105mm, 1/125th, f/20
This is a similar situation to the one mentioned above with AF-S 60. The new AF-S VR 105mm /2.8G is much sharper, and has a significantly more pleasing out of focus area. Many beautiful underwater photographs have been taken with the 105 D, so if you already own this lens it might make more sense to put the price difference toward a good focus light.
I have used this lens on 9 out of 10 macro dives. Now the 85mm is cutting into that some. There are almost too may reasons to list why this lens works so well.
The main advantage of this lens is the added standoff distance gained over the shorter macros. The 105 VR attains 1:1 reproduction about 6" in front of your port, giving you some breathing room between the underwater housing and skittish subjects. Conversly, you may find that you sometimes have to back up too much on larger subjects in dirty water.
The longer minimum focus distance also allows the use of water contact close up lenses or housed close up lenses for super macro shooting. I'll often use a +6-+10 diopter or SMC wet lens on the end of the port, which brings the minimum focus distance in to about 3" in front of the port, but allows 2:1 macro reproduction.
Being a longer macro, its autofocus can sometimes hunt, so a good focus light is very important. The AF motor is very fast, but low contrast subjects can be tricky. A focus gear isn't absolutely critical with this lens, if your underwater housing offers convenient access to the AE-L/AF-L or AF-ON controls from the right handle. Assuming you can access these buttons easily, you can "lock & rock" with this lens, allowing you to let auto focus get close, lock af, then rock in and out for fine focus.
The curved aperture blades on this lens yield a very smooth out of focus area, and this lens is very sharp. More...
This lens gets top honors as the sharpest, nicest fisheye available for Nikon whether fixed focal or zoom. The only downside to this lens compared to the Tokina 10-17mm listed below is that it is about double the cost and doesn't zoom all the way to 17mm so it has a little less "reach". But if you want best in class glass; this is it. The dome works great with Large domes and small 100mm-140mm for exceptional close-focus wide angle.
Nikon 8-15mm at 10mm, 1/250 second, f/8
No, it isn't made by Nikon, but Tokina started a revolution with this first fisheye zoom. This is a very good optic at a great price, which perfectly suits what I want in a fisheye lens for underwater photography.
This close focusing fisheye lens works extremely well behind nearly every dome port, even allowing specialty ports like the Zen Underwater DP-100 Fisheye Macro port to be used.
Lionfish on Reef; Close Focus Wide Angle
Tokina 10-17 at 10mm, 1/250 second, f/8
This is an extremely wide lens that focuses very close. At 10mm, its field of view is nearly 180 degrees. When zoomed to 17mm, it has a 110 degree field of view. I use this lens at 10mm for close focus wide angle shooting, and will zoom in on occasion to crop to a more pleasing composition, or frame a more skittish subject tightly. This versatility makes 10-17 my go to lens on DX or EF-S Camera. More...
Tokina 10-17mm at 10mm
1/200th, f/7.1
Tokina 10-17mm at 13mm
1/250th, f/8
This is a superb lens optically, but in the end, it isn't versatile enough. The focal length is perfect for close focus wide angle shooting, but when a great hammerhead swims by at about 6 feet away you'll wish you had some zoom. Barrel distortion is apparent, but this isn't too big of an issue if you keep your primary subject centered in the frame. More...
10.5mm, 1/200th, f/6.3
This too is a very good lens, and used to be my first choice in the days prior to Tokina 10-17. Sigma 15 has a 120 degree field of view on a DX sensor, and just a touch of barrel distortion, but not enough to be distracting. More...
This is a good lens, but Sigma 15mm was always my first choice due to its better close focus ability. More...
Wait you are thinking: that is a kit lens and not wide angle at all! Yes that is true, but it is also a contemporary, fast focusing lens with excellent optics that happens to work superbly well with Nauticam's amazing WACP-1. This is our favorite way to shoot wide angle on a crop sensor Nikon. You get excellent sharp cornered near fisheye 130 degree FOV with focus to the glass CFWA capability AND incredible zoom range for isolating sharks in the blue or fish portraits. For more information on this ground breaking lens combination on a Nikon, go here. Nothing else produces this versatility.
There are situations where a fisheye lens is just too wide, and if I don't have a WACP as mentioned above, I'll reach for a superwide rectilinear lens like the 10-24. Subjects like scalloped hammerheads, eagle rays, and pelagic fish often won't let you get close enough to give these magnificent subjects the prominence they deserve with a fisheye lens, and you'll need something with more reach. There are lots of options, and most of them are decent, but 10-24 has become my choice because it has slightly sharper corners with most dome ports.
Of all the superwide rectilinear lenses I've tested, this one has the best corner sharpness behind common 8" domes. Even with large domes, you'll still see some corner softness, and it will be more apparent at closer focusing distances and open apertures. In most cases a single element close-up lens (commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as a diopter) improves corner sharpness, but this isn't without consequence. The close-up lens will also reduce the field of view, increase pincushion distortion, and increase purple fringing. In general I'll use a close-up lens in situations where soft corners are distracting (wrecks, reefs), but won't when shooting sharks & pelagics in blue water.
You probably aren't going to be happy with the corner sharpness you'll get using this lens behind a 6 or 7" dome port. The 8 or 9" options are much better. More...
Again, most all of these corner sharpness issues are corrected when using a WACP, which is why it makes for such a powerful option.
This is a nice lens for topside shooting, but I've always struggled to attain good corner sharpness with this lens underwater. For some reason, 10-24 is better. This is still a good option if you already own it, I'd just use a +2 close-up lens and an 8" dome to improve corner sharpness. More...
I have to admit, I love to shoot this lens topside. The short focal length (which I can hand hold even after a few cups of coffee) and /2.8 aperture make this one of my favorites in low light conditions. Its relatively limited range and slightly softer corners in most dome ports have led me to prefer Nikon's 10-24. This is a very good option, though. More...
This is another good choice, especially if you already own it. Lots of reviews have stated this lens is as sharp as the Nikon 12-24/4, but has slightly more CA. More...
This is another usable option, but it has the weakest corner sharpness of all of the lenses listed here. More...
There have been four versions of this lens (original, HSM, OS HSM and current OS HSM C), and all four have been popular choices for underwater shooting. The HSM and OS HSM lenses are dramatically fatter than the original, but the newest is mid size , fast focusing and the best of the bunch. We do have solutions for most major housing brands. This is a favorite lens of many DX shooters and offers more flexibility than any other mid-range lens.
17-70mm at 26mm, 1/160th, f/9
A midrange zoom like this is not my first choice for underwater shooting, but there are situations where a lens that is almost wide angle, and almost macro, is appropriate. This range works well for fish id shots, skittish big fish, and "almost" shooting. These strengths can be useful on an exploratory dive, night dives, or dives when you just need a change of pace.
17-70mm at 38mm, 1/60th, f/4
The real key to choosing a midrange zoom is to pay attention to the lens' maximum reproduction ratio. This Sigma zoom gets the nod here purely because it can shoot 1:2 macro (a subject about 4cm across on DX). Most of the Nikon options are limited to 1:4 or worse macro shooting, which doesn't give me the versatility I need in this lens. This close focusing ability also means this lens can be shot behind most dome ports without a close-up lens.
17mm, 1/160th, f/16
A lens of this range can be shot behind either a dome port or a flat port. Which is better depends on your goals… If you want to use the midrange zoom for bigger stuff that is skittish, or for fish portraits, I think a dome is the best choice. If closeup shooting with a bit of versatility is your preference, a flat port is a good choice (but there might be a bit of vignetting at 17mm, depending upon the diameter of the flat port front). I almost always use this lens behind a dome, as I'm looking for a change of pace from the other macros in my bag when I mount this lens. If I didn't travel with a 60mm macro, I might think about adding a flat port for this lens.
17-55 is a joy to use topside, but it's more weak 1:XXXX reproduction ratio have kept it from becoming one of my favorite lenses underwater. It is very sharp, focuses very quickly, and can be a fine mid-range and almost wide angle option behind a dome with a +2 or +4 close-up lens. More...
This is a good choice, capable of shooting 1:3 macro, and fast. This is a fat lens, which can complicate zoom gear availability though.
These lenses certainly aren't the best choices, but they are packaged in kits with lots of digital slr cameras, so we encounter them frequently. They don't have the macro ability of 17-70, but are decent for fish portraits and almost wide angle shooting behind a dome with a +2 or +4 close up lens. More...
35mm on DX has the same field of view as a 52.5mm lens on full frame, so this is a very familiar lens to a photographer coming from a full frame system. Personally I'm after a longer focal length here. More...
Good optically, but slow focusing.
This is a cool newer lens built for the DX format. 85mm focuses extremely quickly, and accurately. The focal length sits nicely between 60 and 105, and could serve as a replacement for both lenses for someone on a budget that was willing to sacrifice FX compatibility and some working distance. More...
This is a way to shoot super macro with a 40% bump in magnification over the standard 105mm with the same minimal focus distance. You are committed though for the whole dive.
This lens is very good optically, and combined with a close-up lens it is an excellent super macro tool. Personally I find it a bit too long on a DX sensor for close quarters macro work, but it can excel with shy subjects that can only be shot at a distance of 18" - 24+" The autofocus can be a bit challenging on older DX cameras compared to the newest camera bodies on the market. More...
We'd like to share just a few tips about 'muck diving' that may help you and your fellow divers. These tips, and many more, are basic subject matter during Reef Photo & Video's three day macro photography workshops.
When swimming past other underwater photographers, try to swim past them on the down-current side. This way, if you do stir up silt, it is less likely to be bothersome.
Bright focus lights and strobes can be stressful to marine life; many species do not have eyelids and will not show signs of stress.
Try not to 'hog' the subject. You might get that perfect photograph in a minute or two, or perhaps this isn't your day and spending an hour trying to get the picture only prevents others from enjoying that marine animal.
Test shots are part of any photographic endeavour. A few well-executed test shots may eliminate dozens of 'hope I get lucky this time' shutter releases that are accompanied by those intense flashes of strobe light.
As Martin Edge states in his book "The Underwater Photographer," sometimes a subject happens to be in a place where you can not compose a good shot without harming some marine life. Then it is time to move on and find another opportunity.
Consider using a 'muck stick.' When properly used, a 'muck stick' can help you reduce your impact on marine life.
Not familiar with the dive site? Consider hiring a local guide for your first dive or two. You will likely find that it is money well spent. Many divers recommend that you not bring your camera equipment on the first dive in an unfamiliar area.
Being a good underwater photographer requires more than practicing photographic technique; we also need to understand how we can affect the underwater life that we so much admire. We would like to share this excellent five minute video with you, produced by Lembeh Resort in Indonesia. Learn more about Lembeh Resort at www.LembehResort.com.
And remember; above all, the most important part of underwater photography is to monitor your gas supply!]]>
About the Author: Doug Perrine is internationally recognized as one of world's most productive and well respected marine wildlife photographers. His award winning photography has appeared in hundreds of formats around the globe and as the founder of the stock imagery company Seapics, he has facilitated countless other photographers in selling their work. Doug has authored seven marine wildlife books and been a primary photographer on several more. Fortunately, he has also always been generous with sharing his expertise with other photographers and here provides interesting insight on shooting the Nikon D800E in the Nauticam NA-D800 housing.
On my first day out with my new Nikon D800E in a Nauticam housing we went looking for the rare and elusive male Whitley's boxfish. The male is more flamboyantly colored than the more common female. The one we found swam persistently across the reef from right to left. In order to get the eye in sharp focus, I tried to switch the focus point from the center point to one on the left side of the frame. But no amount of pushing on the multi selector wheel would get the focus point to move. Later on I realized that this was because I was pushing on the wheel while image playback was occurring, and I was rotating through the various playback modes, rather than moving the selected focus point. It takes so long to render the giant files produced by the D800 that playback continues for quite a while after shooting a few frames. This was when I finally understood why turning on image playback is a custom option. I never understood why you would NOT want an instant review of your images. Now I have Image Review turned off so I can control the focus point selection while I am shooting. When I'm ready to look at some images, the giant thumb lever on the left side of the Nauticam housing makes it really easy & quick to call up the playback. Another revelation on this shoot, using Nikon's 105mm micro lens, is that, with the phenomenal resolution of the D800, depth of field at f22 is no longer enough. When I got the eye in focus, the skin was no longer in focus. With older cameras you just wouldn't have been able to tell. So I'm considering f25 to be my new minimum (widest) aperture with the 105mm lens, unless I am deliberately going for selective focus.
This tight crop to a small section of the frame would not have been possible with a camera with lower resolution. The image would just have fallen apart at this magnification. Incidentally, while the D800E produces a marginally sharper image than the standard D800, the drawback is that there is a higher risk of moire patterns, especially where there are recurring fine patterns in the image, such as on fabrics. To date I have not seen any evidence of moire in my D800E images, although the high resolution of this camera makes color fringing and other chromatic aberrations more obvious than ever before.
The incredible resolution of the D800 brings a whole new level of joy to taking even simple pictures, like this longnose butterflyfish portrait, shot with the micro-Nikkor 105mm. Looking at the photograph I can examine fine details of the fish's anatomy that are not visible to the naked eye.
This free-swimming sailfish was photographed with the Tokina 10-17mm lens. A lot of people don't realize that you can use a DX lens on an FX camera, such as the D800. The lens will vignette at the widest part of the zoom range, so it can only be used on FX from about 13mm to 17mm. At any focal length the lens has a wider angle of view on FX than on DX, but otherwise, it is the same lens and just as sharp. For this series, I set the image area on the camera to 1.2X crop in order to give me a faster frame rate (due to the smaller files). Even with the cropped image area, then cropping again in post-production, I ended up with an image that, at 300 dpi, is larger than a double-page spread in a magazine! Shooting at 1.2X crop, you can also get up to 1/400 sec. strobe sync, although I didn't use strobes on this shot. If you set the image area to DX on the D800, you can get 1/500 sec. sync, which is a minimal shutter speed for sailfish, reputed to be the fastest fish in the ocean (this image was shot at 1/640 sec). The high sync speeds are only available with electronic sync, however. Fiber optic sync using the camera's built in strobe limits you to 1/250 of a second. Fortunately the Nauticam housing has both electronic and fiber optic sync ports. Nauticam is rumored to be coming out soon with hot shoe fiber optic strobe trigger, which will not require popping up the flash, and will allow higher sync speeds.
One of the under-appreciated advantages to shooting with a high ISO, low noise FX (full frame 35mm sensor) camera such as the D800 is the ability to leave a smaller "footprint" on your photo subjects. This turtle was resting inside a dark cavern, so the exposure was by strobe only. I could have set the ISO to 100 and blasted the turtle with the strobes set at full power and gotten essentially the same picture, but would have blinded the turtle and possibly have caused it to panic and bolt. Instead I set the ISO to 1000 and the strobes to 1/16 power and put a flicker of light across the turtle that was not much brighter than the ambient light the turtle was looking at outside the cavern. You would have to blow the image up to billboard size to be able to see the noise at ISO 1000 – a setting I use without hesitation.
As with the previous picture, this one was taken with a Nikkor 17-35mm lens (with no diopter) behind an 8-inch dome port, with appropriate extension. I've experimented with +2, +3, and +4 diopters on this lens, and found that the corners of the frame are horrible regardless, so I just leave the close-up filter off, unless I'm planning to get real close to something. The most important factor to bring the parts of the image outside of the center into reasonable focus is the depth of field afforded by using a smaller aperture (larger number). This is another advantage of shooting with a high ISO / low noise camera. You can crank up the ISO and stop down the aperture to get better corners. After f11, there is a trade off with loss of sharpness due to diffraction. You probably get more benefit from the increased depth of field up to f13 or f14, but from f16 on, you are losing sharpness even in the center of the image. The ideal situation when using a wide-angle zoom is one like this, where there is nothing in the corners of the frame to show the limitations of using a zoom behind a dome port.
A reef scene shot with the 17-35mm lens set at 35mm, 1/320 sec. at f11. This is a worst-case scenario for a wide-angle zoom underwater. The subjects in the corners of the frame are at considerably different distances from the lens than the subjects at the center of the frame. Even with worst parts cropped out, the lower corner looks pretty bad, and only the very center is really sharp, although you might not be able to appreciate this in this very small screen-resolution file.
This is a better situation for the 17-35mm lens, with no subject matter in the corners. Exposed with ambient light only, with the sun above and slightly behind the dolphins we can see the advantage gained from the high dynamic range of the D800. The image looks fine even though most of the side of the dolphins facing the camera is actually in shadow. I doubt very much that any of my previous cameras would have been able to pull this off.
An interesting symbiotic relationship between the native whitemouth moray, and the peacock grouper, which is an introduced species in Hawaii. They swim together while hunting. When the moray goes into a hole in the reef to root out small fish, the grouper waits outside to catch any fish that try to flee the trap. For this shoot I used the 17-35mm lens behind a 9" dome port, which is reputed to give better results with wide-angle zooms, but I only saw a marginal improvement in the corners of the frame. I set the aperture at f11, which I consider to be a minimum to get decent performance out of a zoom. At ISO 640, this gave me a shutter speed of only 1/100 second, which was enough to freeze the grouper, but blurred the faster-swimming eel, although this may not be obvious in the small file onscreen. I should have trusted the D800's superb sensor and jacked the ISO up to 1000 or higher, which would have allowed me a shutter speed of 1/160 or better and made the eel a lot sharper.
I don't usually think of the micro Nikkor 60mm as the go-to lens for large schooling fish, but in this case it turned out to be the right lens for these shy schooling Heller's barracudas. The sharpness of the lens, and the resolution of the D800's sensor produced a very sharp image of the fish in the center of the frame, where I had the auto-focus point set, even with a considerable amount of not-so-clear water between the lens and subject. The D800 is the first camera I've used with an autofocus system capable enough that I have had the confidence to set the autofocus to the shutter button underwater, and to put it on continuous focus. In the past, I've always set the autofocus to the "focus on" or similar button on the back of the camera (operated by a thumb lever on the housing), and to single shot focus, and then pre-focused for every shot. I still do that for some subjects, but for reef fish, using continuous focus on the shutter release worked fine in most cases. However the fine resolution of the D800's sensor shows up every defect, which includes considerable chromatic aberration produced by both the 60mm and 105mm micro lenses behind flat ports. Even the near-miraculous color correction feature available in Adobe's latest Camera Raw modules cannot remove all the chromatic aberration from these images. We can only hope that the major lens manufacturers will come out with higher-performance lenses to match the resolution of their new cameras. However, there will certainly be a high price to pay for improved optics, and the underwater photography market isn't large enough to drive improvements to problems that are mostly apparent with the lens is dealing with either a virtual image from a dome port, or refracted light coming through a flat port.
At f8, with the 17-35mm lens at 35mm, and a 9-inch dome port, this image is tack sharp in the center, but loses focus going out toward the edges. The 1/125 second shutter speed was enough to stop most of the action, but left the closest flipper blurred as it sweeps upward. In this image, it all works, as the peripheral softness helps draw the viewer's eye in toward the turtle's head, which holds more detail than I ever imagined possible before the D800 entered my world. This camera has truly set a new bar, and will likely leave a large part of my photo collection obsolete.
Although I was using a micro Nikkor 60mm lens, I was not able to get close enough to my subject to frame the shot I wanted. The turtles are not that shy, but the fish that clean them can be very spooky. So, in spite of the poor visibility on this day, I framed this image taking in nearly the whole body of the turtle, then cropped it from horizontal to vertical to come in tight on the yellow tangs. In the past, doing such a radical crop has cost me so much resolution that the resulting frame was not suitable for a magazine cover or full page. If I wanted a cover, I had to shoot the image as a vertical. Starting out with 36 MP on the D800, however, even after I crop to vertical, the image at 300 dpi (printing press resolution) is still larger than a magazine cover, and the fish are tack sharp and full of detail. When shooting large mobile subjects with a wide-angle lens, I usually use the standard viewfinder to reduce bulk, and count on autofocus and depth of field to produce an acceptable image. When I switch to a macro lens though, as I did for this shoot, I pop on the big magnifying viewfinder to give me better control over composition and focus. One of the things I love about the Nauticam housing is that the viewfinders can be switched out in about 30 seconds.]]>
Have you heard or read about Roy G. Biv and what he has to teach you about underwater photography? If you are new to underwater photography, Roy G. Biv explains why some of your underwater photographs have all shades of light blue, dark blue, or very dark blue, and not much else.
Though Roy is not a real person, you may want to learn and remember how he was given his name. Roy G. Biv is an acronym for Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet - the colors of the rainbow. It's not just the colors we underwater photographers want to remember, it is the order in which they make up Mr. Biv's name. At the beginning of that list is red, and red is affected more than any other color through water. Next is orange; orange is not affected as much as red, but it is affected more than all of the other colors. Next is yellow and so on.
We will explain the relative effects of color change of light travelling through water based upon an article published by Texas A&M's Department of Oceanography.
From this article we learn that after travelling through 1 meter (3 feet) of "coastal ocean water," blue light will have 90% of its intensity, but red light will have only 60% of its intensity. The blue light, relative to red light, is approximately 1+1/2 times 'too strong.' You should be easily able to adjust for that differene in the camera with 'white balance' adjustment.
Studying the charts further, let's look at the relative strengths of light after travelling 10 meter (33 feet) through the same pure ocean water. Blue light will have 35% of its intensity remaining, but red light will only have 0.6% of its intensity remaining. After travelling 10 meter through 'coastal ocean water' the blue light will now be relatively 58 times more intense than red light!
Your glass of water just is not big enough to have enough effect that you can readily see it. No matter how clean your water is, if you have enough of it, it will appear blue. All water absorbs light according to the rules of Roy G. Biv.
Have you ever noticed that swimming pools are always painted blue? They are painted blue so that the homeowner will expect the pool to look blue. If the pool was painted white and then filled with water, the homeowner, expecting the pool to look white, would be very upset to see that his just-filled-up-today-with-clean-water-pool appears... you guessed it... blue!
During our open water scuba diving course, most of us are taught that 'the deeper you go, the more color is lost.' That is true, but it is not complete. Us divers know that the deeper we go, the darker it is. So we like to take a dive light with us. Not only will it help us see better, it will help us see the beautiful colors of all that underwater life.
The farther the light travels the more the color of the light is changed. This is why deep water looks deep blue and shallow water looks clear.
Roy G Biv explains why a coral at 90 feet deep will have much less red, orange, yellow, than the same coral 10 feet deep. Now think about this situation; how would the colors of that coral look if it were 90 feet deep and you were 90 feet deep and 10 feet away? What if the coral were 10 feet deep and you were 10 feet deep but 90 feet away?
The colors will be identical in both of these situations. Yes, at 90 feet deep, the coral will be much darker than at 10 feet. If you set your camera exposure perfectly for the coral in each case, you will see the colors of the coral looks identical in both images (the background water will of course look much different).
Regardless of what depth you and that coral are at, the farther away you are, the more the color is changed. That's Roy G Biv and you can not change physics.
The main point here is to always think of water's effect on color as an effect of distance, rather than just an effect of depth.
When you think of water's effect on color as being caused by distance, not depth, you can understand why, when at depth, the 'far end' of the wreck will look different than the 'close end' of the wreck. When you hover 100 feet above the wreck, looking straight down, both ends of the wreck will look the same.
It is distance that affects color, not depth! Because of this effect of physics, it is not possible to have any type of filter or camera white balance that can simultaneously compensate perfectly for both near subjects ('this end' of the wreck) and distant subjects (the 'far end' of the wreck).
Granted, it is a lot easier to talk and write about filters by using the term 'depth,' which we will do here. But you know the whole truth.
There are several options to improve the color of our images.
This article is about color correcting filters, not artificial light, so we will only cover options 2, 3, and 4.
By reducing the amount of blue light (and green, indigo, violet light) so that it is more equal to the amount of available red light (and orange and yellow). This means that your camera will have less light to use for focusing and will have less light for exposure. This is why color correcting filters are only recommended for daylight dives and reasonably shallow.
We will rephrase that; color correcting filters work by reducing the amount of light of BIV colors They do not 'restore' the ROY colors. Color filters reduce the amount of light getting to your camera. To compensate you will need slower shutter speed, or larger aperture, or both. When overall light is low, a color correcting filter will make photography extra difficult. For all cameras, there is some 'depth' at which the camera will not detect any red light at all; none, zero, zilch. At that 'depth' and below, no correcting filter can help.
But you can make up for the focus problem with a video light or strobe, correct? No. The filter will also filter light from your light which will result in the artificially lit area looking like a bright red light on your subject. Keep in mind what we said earlier; do not use any artificial light when using any color correcting filter.
While there are multiple manufacturers of color correcting filters for underwater photography, we would like to recommend this article by the manufacturer of Magic Filters; Photographing with Filters Underwater is short, easy to understand, and has plenty of example photographs (and some video also).
The second and third 'rules' for using color correcting filters are 2) sun at your back and 3) shoot down at a 45 degree angle. For those of you that have read this far, 'rule' #1 is watch the Shooting Magic DVD.
Join underwater photographer and inventor of the Magic Filter, Alex Mustard, in the Red Sea as he personally guides you through the techniques of filter photography underwater, with both digital SLR and compact cameras. This DVD demonstrates and explains the best methods for using the Magic Filter color correcting filters.
Shooting Magic DVD
Once you understand the purpose, function, and limitations of color correcting filters, you will be able to decide for yourself if a filter is likely to help you attain the shot you desire. In very shallow water you may be satisfied with the results obtained by adjusting the camera's white balance or your adjustment in post processing.
One bit of advice that is always true; do not use a color correcting filter in combination with artificial light (strobe or video light).
The most important factor in choosing the correct color filter is not its color, but its method of mounting. Because if you can not mount the filter, it does not matter if it is the optimum color response.
The Basic Types of Color Filter Mounting Underwater are:
1In the context of this article, "internal" means internal to the underwater housing.
Wet mate threaded filters screw onto the front of a housing's lens port. This can only be done for flat ports which restricts the filter use to macro and medium wide lenses. Wet mate filters can also be mounted into 67mm flip holders permitting underwater selection of filters. Note that most filters are meant to be mounted on the lens and can not be used in water.
|A Threaded Filter for Use In Water (External Mounting)
|An Ikelite Push-On Wet Mate Filter
Threaded filters which mount on the front of the lens are easy to install but can not be removed underwater. You will need to make the decision whether to use a filter before installation of the lens port. In rare instances, you may find that there is not enough clearance between the lens and the flat port to install a filter.
Ikelite push-on filters are available to fit the port of all Ikelite Ultra-Compact and Compact underwater housings. They also manufacture filters which can fit onto Ikelite W-20 and W-30 wide-angle wet-mate lenses. Recent Fantasea BigEye ports for compact cameras are designed so that the filter is mounted to the back of the wet mate dome port. This enables the photographer to install or remove the filter while underwater.
There are also wet mate filters that snap on to the housing. This is common for compact camera housings like Canon housings for the S or G series cameras.
|Wet Mate Filter for Canon Underwater
Housings for S Series Cameras
|Wet Mate Filter for Canon Underwater
Housings for G Series Cameras
Internal flip filters are often seen in underwater video camera and camcorder housings. The manufacturer provides a control on the outside of the housing which places the filter between the lens and the lens port or moves it out of the way when not needed.
Threaded filters which mount on the front of the lens (internal filter) are easy to install but can not be removed underwater. You will need to make the decision whether to use a filter before installation of the lens port. In rare instances, you may find that there is not enough clearance between the lens and the flat port to install a filter.
'Gel filter' describes a filter that is similar to a sheet of colored plastic. They are available for many purposes in many sizes, in sheets, and in rolls. Some gel filters will be rugged, thick, and rated to handle high temperatures of studio lights. Gel filters for lenses, however, will be thinner, a bit more delicate, and available with very precise color transmission properties. Some gel filters can be damaged if mounted to the outside of the housing during underwater use.
Canon, Panasonic, Fuji, and other camera-branded housings for compact cameras typically have ports specifically designed for that one camera. Unfortunately, this means that without an additional adapter it is not possible to mount any standard wet mate filter such as a 67mm or a push-on. One solution is to add an Inon 'mount base' for the housings that will allow mounting of standard AD, LD, or 67mm lenses and filters.
If you choose not to add a housing specific mount adapter, you may still use a gel filter. You can cut the gel filter to either mount on the inside of the housing port, or tape it to the front of the camera lens.
"Gel" filters are the only valid choice for fish-eye lenses and very wide angle lenses. Because the glass of these lenses protrudes beyone the 'frame' of the lens it is not possible to use a threaded mount filter on the front of the lens. Additionally, because fish-eye and very wide angle lenses require a dome port for the housing, usually no filter can be wet mate mounted.
For these lenses, gel filters mount on the back of the lens (the end that is mounted to your camera body). Some lenses have a filter mount built in. Some lenses do not, which will require that the filter be taped to the back of the lens.
Filters are available pre-cut to perfectly fit in the filter holders of many lenses, but not all. For these lenses, you will cut the filter to size.
Unless you are sure what type of filter should be used with your lens, please contact us. We will research your lens so you get the correct filter type the first time.
A wide selection of wet mate color correcting filters are available for GoPro Hero video cameras. Though the lens itself is prominently curved, the dive housing has a flat port. The flat port reduces the angle of view significantly, but does allow installation and removal of filters while underwater.
Use the red filter for videography in clear blue ocean water at depths of 15 to 70 feet. Use the magenta filter for videography in 'green water'.
GoPro™ Red Glass Filter on GoPro® Dive Housing
For Use in Clear Blue Water
GoPro™ Magenta Glass Filter on GoPro® Dive Housing
For Use in Green Water
To keep this article simple, this section will explain choice of filters by three basic filters offered by Magic Filters. The concepts apply regardless of brand or style. However, most suppliers of color correcting filters for underwater use do not offer more than two choices.
Let us clarify what we mean by point-and-shoot cameras. Point-and-shoot cameras are those that do not provide any means for the user to adjust shutter speed, aperture, or white balance. When we refer to compact cameras, we are describing cameras that do not have interchangeable lenses, may be as small as a point-and-shoot, but do allow the photographer to adjust shutter speed, aperture, and white balance.
Point-and-shoot cameras typically have very small sensors. Small sensors mean that they do not gather much light. While this is not a factor in most topside photography, it can mean that when underwater as little as 10 feet that the camera sensor may not detect any red light at all. Other point-and-shoot cameras will perform well with a color correcting filter as deep as 45 feet.
The engineers designing point-and-shoot cameras have programmed the computer in the point-and-shoot camera to make all of these adjustments automatically for you. While this works very well in air, it can result in mediocre to terrible colors underwater. The Auto-Magic filter color transmission characteristics have been designed with this in mind. They can make very dramatic improvements in your underwater photography. The color characteristics of Auto-Magic Filters give the best all-around performance.
The Original Magic Filter has color characteristics designed to give the best possible image results when the camera has been properly white balanced. This may be done with a white-balance card or port, and should be re-adjusted with every change in depth or distance. It is also recommended that white balance be adjusted when changing the direction of photography relative to the sun. Magic Filters states that the best use of these filters is shooting down at a 45 degree angle with the sun to your back.
Can you use the Auto Magic filter with a DSLR, mirrorless, or compact? Yes. Why would you? If you are not going to be post-processing your images the Auto Magic filter will give you better all around results, though none of the images will be the best possible. If you are diving with constant moving subjects, you will not have time to repeatedly adjust white balance as your depth or distance to subject changes, and especially as you change direction relative to the sunlight.]]>
That lens, the INON UCL-165AD and their elder sibling, the INON UCL-165 M67, are each an excellent option for extreme macro photography using compact digital cameras. They also work very well with long focal length macro lenses on SLR cameras (Canon 100mm or Nikon 105mm) with the requisite threaded port or port adapter, allowing greater than 1:1 reproduction.
Each has a 165mm focal length and makes high magnification close-up photography possible by shortening the close focus distance of the camera/lens, allowing the photographer to get closer to the subject.
Also, these lenses are designed to work effectively both above and below water, allowing the photographer to capture macro subjects above water, and in wet or splash type environments.
For even more magnification, multiple UCL-165 lenses can be 'stacked' using the female mount machined into the face of the lens barrel: for the 'LD' and 'M67' versions, female 67mm threads or for the 'AD' version, female AD mount.
Photographer J.D. Suss provided us with these examples shot using multiple UCL-165 M67 lenses.
|First, a blenny shot without an add-on lens. ©2007 J.D. Suss
|Same blenny shot using a single INON UCL-165 lens. ©2007 J.D. Suss
|And the same Blenny shot with two 'stacked' INON UCL-165 lenses. ©2007 J.D. Suss
If using the UCL-165AD lens with a "28AD Mount Base DC40" for Canon WP-DC40 housing, or a "28AD Port PT-027/020" for Olympus PT-027 & PT-020 housings, a UCL-165AD 28AD Mount Converter part is necessary. This mount converter part fits between the 28AD base/port and UCL-165AD close-up lens, enabling attachment.
Thanks for the images Duncan!]]>
This article will:
investigate the macro-photography capability of a micro-four-thirds format digital camera.
demonstrate the difference in a 'regular' lens and a 'macro' lens.
explain the importance of minimum focus distance.
photograph the smallest possible subject using a 14-42mm zoom lens with and without a +10 diopter.
photograph the smallest possible subject using a 45mm macro lens.
explain reproduction ratio.
demonstrate the importance of reproduction ratio.
demonstrate how cropping reduces resolution.
Reproduction Ratio
Reproduction ratio is a method of comparing apples to apples amongst differing camera formats. It is defined as the ratio of the size of the subject photographed to the size of the image of that is projected onto the image sensor (or film).
When photographers refer to reproduction ratio, neither the size of the camera display, nor the computer screen, nor the size of the print, is considered. Reproduction ratio, by itself, will tell you nothing about image resolution; a 4:1 reproduction ratio with a 36 megapixel sensor will not have the same resolution as a 1:1 reproduction ratio image on a 10 megapixel sensor.
Reproduction ratio is a statement of information that tells you about the optical system, from the subject you photograph, through all lenses, to the image sensor or film.
Comparing apples to apples?
A 1:1 reproduction ratio
Large Format Camera 4 x 5 inch; a subject 5 inches wide will result in an image 5 inches wide on the film.
Medium Format Camera 6cm x 6 cm; a subject 6cm wide will result in an image 6cm wide on the film.
FX Format Digital Camera or 35mm Film Camera 24mm x 35mm; a subject 35 mm wide will result in an image 35mm wide on the film (or sensor).
DX Format Digital Camera 23.7mm x 15.5mm; a subject 23.7mm wide will result in an image 23.7mm wide on the image sensor.
If you know the focal length of the lens and the physical size of the camera sensor (or film), can you calculate reproduction ratio? No! You also need to know the distance from the lens to the subject being photographed.
Reproduction ratio is determined by the focal length of the lens and the distance to the subject.
What do all these different camera formats have in common when using a 1:1 reproduction ratio? A 10 mm subject will make a 10 mm image on the film, or the digital sensor, regardless of the film or sensor size, regardless of the focal length of the lens! Cropping the image does not change the reproduction ratio.
Minimum Focus Distance
You might think that a 14-42mm lens, when zoomed to 42mm will be "almost as good" as a 45mm lens. Is this true? Definitely "maybe". A very important factor which we have not yet discussed is minimum focus distance. Why? Because the distance from the lens to the subject will determine the size of the image of that subject. Therefore, simply moving closer to the subject, will get your reproduction ratio closer to 1:1. So it is possible that two lenses with the same focal length could have different reproduction ratios.
Pixels and Resolution
It is the relationship of reproduction ratio to sensor pixels that will determine the maximum possible resolution of an image (for the purposes of this article, we will not be interested in interpolation, aliasing, etc.). The Panasonic GF2 uses a 12 megapixel sensor. It is arranged with 4,000 pixels horizontally and 3,000 pixels vertically. Knowing that the sensor width is 17.3 mm, we can calculate the size of each pixel. 17.3mm / 4,000 = 0.004325 mm, which is equal to 4.325mm. That is 0.0000043 meter (or 0.0002.1 inch).
Lens Tests
For these tests we compared the Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm lens to the Leica 45mm lens. Each lens was also tested with the Subsee +10 diopter. The camera was a Panasonic GH-2 in a Nauticam NA-GH2 underwater housing. The camera was handheld in a utility sink filled with potable water.
To speed up these tests, we installed the Reefnet SubSee +10 diopter onto a Saga Dive Flip Lens Holder for 67mm lenses. Using the Saga Dive Flip Holder we can change the diopter in and out in less than a second.
First, let's see how the Olympus 14-42mm lens does. Looking at the shot below, we see that the frame is filled by the marks on the scale at 226mm through 305mm. The size of the subject appearing on the 17.3mm wide sensor is 79mm wide (8+7/8 inch through 12 inch = 3+1/8 inch wide). The reproduction ratio is then calculated as 17.3 / 79 = 1 : 4.6
1 : 4.6 Reproduction Ratio
Olympus 14-42mm at 42mm
For the next test we flipped the Reefnet Subsee +10 diopter into position, and again, moved the camera as close as we could get focus lock. The resulting image is shown below. In this image we see from 233.5mm through 268.5mm on the scale, which tells us that a 35mm wide subject will fill the 17.3mm wide sensor. In the 35mm film world, this would be called a 1:1 reproduction ratio. To get the true reproduction ratio we calculate the 17.3 / 35= 1 : 2.
1 : 2 Reproduction Ratio
Olympus 14-42mm at 42mm With SubSee +10
Now let's look at the Leica 45mm lens.
1 : 1 Reproduction Ratio
Leica 45mm Lens
We can see the marks on the scale from 230mm to 247mm; a distance of 17mm. In this case the reproduction ratio is 17 / 17 = 1:1. You may also see that getting closer means it is more difficult to light the subject.
But can't I just crop my photograph?
Computers and some really nice software make it very easy to crop your photos. So why spend the money on a good macro lens when you can just crop the photo? Here is the same 1 : 4.6 photo we showed above, but cropped to show only 17mm across, to fool ourselves that this could be a 1 : 1 photograph.
1 : 4.6 Photograph Cropped to 1 : 1 Dimensions
In the cropped "1:1" photograph we see that chromatic abberation is more obvious (it should be, we 'magnified' the image 20x larger [4.6 times in each direction]). Also when you compare this image to the uncropped photograph, it seems as if most of the dust on the ruler has somehow disappeared in the cropped image. The reproduction ratio was not good enough to make an image of the dust.]]>
I shot my first Nikonos camera in 1973, but it wasn't until 1992 that I started shooting an SLR camera in a housing. The improvement in my photography was instantly evident and while I continued to enjoy shooting the superb Nikonos 15mm lens, every other focal length was the province of my housed camera. It was no accident that I started publishing my first photos two years later. One of the most exciting things about shooting a housed camera was the chance to enjoy a long macro lens like the Nikon 105mm underwater. The Nikon lens (like the Canon 100) was (and is) fantastically sharp and even with early autofocus, it worked light years better than other options. It was not uncommon to see fellow photographers spend an entire dive trip using that one lens. Then came the digital revolution and cropped sensor cameras made these lenses really impressive as we gained relative depth of field and greater reproduction capability. For some, the thought of giving up the crop sensor benefits on their macro lenses is unthinkable. As a long time shooter of cropped sensor digital cameras for macro, I was curious as to what the transition to the D4's full frame sensor would offer.
Utilizing the D4 in Nauticam housing makes the transition fairly seamless. The NA-D4 housing controls are placed so naturally that adjustments are second nature within a couple of dives. The AF-On control that is often critical in macro shooting is easily reached while maintaining access to the shutter release. Even the bulk of the professional rig is quickly forgotten once the proper buoyancy is achieved and I found myself frequently shooting single handed while using my pointer as a stand-off.
In terms of shooting full frame macro, the most obvious thing that occurs is the apparent change in focal length and field of view at a given distance. What that really equates to is a little redefining of a lens's use in addition to some pleasant discoveries. Most notable is that almost anything you shoot on the D4 works well – really well. The autofocus which is shared with the D800 is just stunningly good. The Nikon 105 VR that has always been fast focusing (and sometimes fast hunting) is now just fast and rock solid – almost no hunting. That focus light that was nearly essential for a lot of macro shooting becomes more optional with the D4 until things get really dark. The improved low light AF ability is not just on paper – it is an improvement you can use.
Relative reproduction of a bumble bee shrimp with a Nikon 105 lens on an FX sensor (left) and DX sensor (right)
For those with crop sensor experience, the 105mm takes on much of the role the 60mm macro used to, only better. Yes there is some depth of field loss at a given aperture, but maximum reproduction ratio is further from the lens than the 60mm and on a full frame camera, the 105 becomes a superb portrait lens as well as a macro critter lens. And yes, to equal the maximum reproduction ratio of a cropped sensor camera, a close up wet lens needs to be employed more often. Fortunately there are excellent flip mount lens holders now (Nauticam, Saga, Reefnet) that make this easier than ever.
The combination of the D4 and the 105 VR is ideal to catch smaller fast moving fish like this blacklip butterflyfish. The speed of autofocus of this combination is impressive and with minimal background interference focus tracking works beautifully. F14 1/160 ISO 100
Classic 60mm crop sensor perspective shot with 105mm on the D4. F22 1/200 ISO 100
Frogfish are easy subjects for almost any macro lens, but this fellow was sitting on a rubble strewn sea floor. In spite of the Nauticam D4's apparent size, a reasonably long lens allows composing for a near level appearance.
Another typical 105mm anemone fish subject demonstrates how the dynamic range of the new D4 sensor allows for very subtle lighting exposures.
The 105mm lens allows plenty of working room to capture behavior shots such as these nudibranchs. Purple can be a challenging color for many digital cameras, but the D4 handles these tones nicely with little color correction.
A macro lens is rarely thought of for sharks, but a 105mm on a full frame sensor camera can work well with a small white tip swimming in a predictable pattern. The D4 allowed me to rapidly shoot over 20 portrait shots with strobes set to low power. F4 1/100 ISO 100
A rare moment in tight quarters where a 60mm lens would have offered more composing options, but it is still easy to find portrait crops.
Two different approaches to using the 105mm as a portrait lens for colorful examples of ornate ghost pipefish. F22 1/200 ISO 100
This urchin cling fish is a difficult subject because of its constant motion and the ever present spines that can distract the auto focus. Choosing a single focus point and tracking the subject proved fairly easy and provides a great opportunity to play with interesting bokeh effects (the out-of-focus urchin highlights) thanks to the shallow depth of field.
This transparent shrimp in a rare neon orange carpet anemone is an example of 105mm lens and a Subsee +10 wet lens. The shrimp is approximately 10mm in length and the depth of field is so shallow that one claw is in focus and the other is not, but the Nauticam D4 rig is quite capable of producing high quality super macro.. F25 1/320 ISO 100
Trying to replicate the effective focal length of the 105mm on a crop sensor camera (approximately 155mm) requires another approach. The easiest solution for many is to employ a 1.4X or 1.5X tele-extender to the 105mm to achieve a similar focal length. A slight loss in image quality can be expected, but it makes an easy travel friendly option. Another is to utilize a longer lens like the Sigma 150mm macro lens. The Sigma lens has a minimum focus distance (MFD) of 15" in front of the lens which can be a bit long for in-water use. Using a high quality dry close up lens on the front of the 150mm reduces this MFD closer to about what the 105mm MFD is and closely replicates what the maximum reproduction ratio of the 105 on a cropped sensor camera would be. Thanks to the D4's powerful AF function the lens is surprisingly easy to use and proved an exceptional tool for shy subjects, but sometimes a bit of a handful for super macro work.
Few fish look more intricate than the Ornate Ghost Pipefish which only really shows its detail against an open water dark background created by the high shutter speed and small aperture. The D4 rendering is just fantastic. Notice the detail on the crinoid arm on the left that indicates this pipefish is about 1.5" long. F/25 1/250 ISO 100
One of the most challenging subjects to photograph well is the Orange Banded Pipefish which in this case is carrying eggs. This can be an exercise in aggravation as the skinny subject zooms back and forth in front of a busy background. Using a single focal point of the D4 locked on the eye of the pipefish as much as possible eventually yielded success – much easier than I would have expected. The shallow DOF of the 150 is obvious and one can expect plenty of reject shots on a tough subject. F/22 1/320 ISO 100
The ubiquitous Coral grouper can be found on many tropical reefs and always makes a dramatic impression. In this case, the sigma 150mm makes a very nice portrait lens allowing a chance to shoot the shy subject at a distance and shows spectacular color and detail. F/25 1/320 ISO 100
Another example of a long lens facilitating the capture of a shy subject – the beautiful square spot anthias - with an up close perspective. F18 1/200 ISO 100
The otherworldly Xeno Crab on a wire coral is one of my favorite macro critters. The surreal porcelain-like quality of the carapace is captured by the D4 and Sigma 150mm in lovely detail utilizing the Subsee +5 close up lens. I was pleasantly surprised how easy the Nauticam D4 housing was to use for this level of macro work. F25 1/320 ISO100
This cardinal fish with eggs is where the D4 and a long macro are truly in their element. A skittish subject caught with rapid exposures and perfect auto focus. F14 1/320 ISO 100
This 1" anemone fish is again amazingly easy subject matter for the D4 auto focus – almost every shot of this fast moving subject was sharp. F25 1/320 ISO 100
"Who is the black sheep in this family?" One of the pleasures of shooting a Nauticam housing in general and the NA D4 in specific is that the controls and operation are so user friendly that more time can be spent finding and composing shots that tell a story about behavior. F36 1/320 ISo 100
This emperor shrimp on a sea cucumber is perhaps the most challenging kind of shot for the 150mm lens. A constantly moving subject, less than a 1/2" long while utilizing a +5 Subsee wet lens. Still, the Nauticam D4 housing can be shot steady with one hand when necessary and tracks amazingly well.
One of the most difficult conditions for any auto focus is a small transparent subject free swimming in low visibility (under 10'). The D4 with 150mm was excellent with about 60 percent of shots of the 1" shrimp in focus, though backscatter was a problem in the low viability. A high shutter speed was used to eliminate the green water background – no cropping. F22 1/320 ISO 100
The sequence that follows is a demonstration of the relative reproduction capability of the Sigma 150mm lens on the D4 with a dry close up lens (Canon 500D) mounted directly on the Sigma. The second and third shot are examples of adding a +5 wet lens and finally a +10 wet lens. The shots are of Saddleback Anemone Fish eggs and they are extremely tiny – roughly the size of a pencil point. In the first shot, only the eggs in the foreground are in focus and that is where the additional examples are shot to allow room for the very doting parents who watched my every move. No images are cropped.
Sigma 150 w/ Canon 500D close up lens. F29 1/320 ISO 100
Sigma 150 w/ canon 500D Close up lens and Subsee +5 Diopter. F29 1/320 ISO 100
Sigma 150 w/ canon 500D Close up lens and Subsee +10 Diopter. F29 1/320 ISO 100
Notice the extremely shallow depth of field and some distortion towards the edges – this is a pretty tricky combination and generally easier on the shorter macro lenses. None the less, pretty fun stuff!