anyone with a 20D or 30D

[Aaagogo]

Hi guys,

i'm getting a case for my 30d and have a few qns with regards to the 17-85 and 60mm lens port...

anyone has the case for this camera, either ikelite or aquatica and is using the lens port for either lens?

Denis

 

[alcina]

I have the 20D and the 60mm macro, though I use Subal.

I believe that the 17-85 has a bump on the lens where the switch is that may cause problems when trying to use it underwater. I am pretty sure Gudge, a member here, has this lens but couldn't really house it. He also uses Subal, so it may not be relevant to the other brands.

Maybe if you give us some specific questions we can help more...

 

[Aaagogo]

ok, so this post is gonna be a tad long, and hopefully i won't loose u guys somewhere in the middle...

ok, so the casing i'm looking at is the Aquatica, 1 reason is because of depth rating to 300ft and i will be diving to that depth in one of the very famous cave systems in the future, so that's the underwater casing choice that i'll have to go with cause the rest are rated till 200ft.

now the lens option...

wide angel 10-22... that i know has a fixed port and that will be one of my future lens to buy when i have enough money as well..

then we have the macro choice of 100mm.... still no idea why i would need a macro in the cave system, but i guess for the ocean....

then there's the choice of the 17-85 and 28-135, however, there are no ports made for the 28-135...

and i'm stuck between buying the 28-135 or 17-85, on land, i will prefer that slightly extra zoom.... and it's a 3.5 fstop on the 28-135 vs a 4 on the 17-85

also, the zoom factor of the lens and port while underwater.... would the ports still allow the zoom factor, with the 17-85 lens?

or would it be, you either jump in with 2 cameras, one set up with 10-22 and the other with the 100mm... and be filthy rich to own 2 cameras and 2 underwater cases...

the standard zoom lens will naturally allow a slightly more free play for pictures... but i'm wondering about the zoom capabilities of the ports.

thanx.

 

[mikerault]

I have the Canon EF-S 18-55 macro and with the Digital Concepts 0.5X Wide Angle with the Macro element I can get all the Macro I need. The Macro element on the wide angle is the same size as a filter so it fits instide my port no problem. I am using the Ikelite housing and port though not the Aquatica. The port I have allows full range of motion for the 18-55. The port data should tell you the maximum length of lens that it accomodates, just fully extend the lens and measure it, the specs for the lens should also have its length.

Mike

 

[Aaagogo]

thanks mike,

how do you work the zoom feature on the ports? is it like a knob?

 

[Gudge]

I believe that the 17-85 has a bump on the lens where the switch is that may cause problems when trying to use it underwater. I am pretty sure Gudge, a member here, has this lens but couldn't really house it. He also uses Subal, so it may not be relevant to the other brands

Correct, the IS switch the 17-85 sticks out a long way and interferes with the zoom gear built into the Subal housing making it impossible to use this lens with Subal housings. I don't think this is a problem with Ikelite or Aquatica housings, but I'd check first before buying the lens.

Have you considered the Sigma 17-70 macro lens? This is what I use instead of the 17-85.

 

[alcina]

Are you mainly thinking of shooting caves? I would assume you would want as wide as possible for that...and two strobes unless you are doing natural light (if any!) In that case, the 10-22 no contest.

If you want something with less wide range and more versatility, the Sigma 17-70.

 

[Aaagogo]

well... good qn... i will be shooting both ocean and caves... yeah, i would think that for the caves, i would be using the 10-22 for wide angle shots. and i think i will only be shooting wide angle in cave systems, and yupe, definitely 2 strobes, huge asssss strobes too

i think my main concern is salt water, cause unlike on land, u can switch between wide angle and macro by switching out the lens. can't do that underwater, and i would want as big of a flexibility as possible with my lens...

i'm thinking of either the 17-85 and the 28-135, however, aquatica doesn't make a port for the 28-135 lens...

so i'm lost...

 

[alcina]

Well, if there's no port then it's no use even considering that lens for underwater stuff.

I'd still take the 17-70 over the 17-85...the extra reach isn't going to help much but the close focus of the 17-70 and the extra magnification are really hard to beat.

 

[Mike Veitch]

i would also suggest the 10-22 for what you want to do.

with the 17-85 the close focus is, how to say gently... "CRAP"

you will need a +4 dioptre on it to focus on anything closer than about 2.5 feet..

Truly it is not a great do everything lens. The 17-70 lens they are suggesting is a much better option as it has a macro feature as well. I really would avoid the 17-85, one of my recent students had it and got really frustrated with it.

As for the Aquatica, they have the largest port opening of any housing and will fit pretty much any lens. The zoom is a dial on the top left of the housing, it works via teeth on the dial meshing with teeth on a sleeve you put over the lens.