Can anyone recommend a lens please?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hello:

I understand that underwater photography can be a very lens-specific thing but I am starting into DSLR photography, and was wondering what is the first lens that I should I get? I am torn between a wide angle for natural light photography or a lens more specific for macro. I am interested in buying a Canon Rebel t23 with Ikelite housing so any entry level lens recommendations would be greaty appreciated.

 

[Jax]

I'm listening.

 

[decidedlyodd]

With a Canon cropped-sensor DSLR setup (I.e., T2i/T3i/60D/7D), you'll want to start with either the Tokina 10-17 fisheye probably with a mini dome for wide angle or the Canon 60mm macro with a flat port.

In my experience, macro is easier to start with because you only have to worry typically about exposing the subject (not both background with natural light and foreground with strobe), composition is usually simpler, and you can get most any shot with a single strobe instead of needing two. I found I started getting a few great shots with macro right away whereas with wide angle it took more time to get decent shots. Also, if you dive somewhere with uneven conditions like temperate waters with regularly poor vis, you're typically still able to take great macro shots on bad vis days.

 

[PatW]

It depends on what your objectives are. I shoot Nikon so I will talk about Nikon options. That being said, Canon has very similar and excellent lenses in their line up. We photographers are blessed to have these two companies bidding for our support, it pushes both of them to greater excellence. But generally, the first lenses recommended are a 60 mm macro. The 60 mm macro allows closeups, true macro (1:1) and not really big fish. The lens is pretty fast (2.8), very sharp, fast focusing and has great optics. That being said, you are not going to get a shot of your dive buddy (unless you want to shoot their thumb nail or something). The 60 mm macro is a bit specialized.

Now the other thing is wide angle. If you want to have good shots of big critters (like your dive buddy), you have to get close and that means wide angle. There are a variety of wide angle lenses. The Tokina 10-17 is a fisheye and allows very close focus which makes it pretty cool. Or you could go with a rectilinear wide angle like a 12-24.

The other thing you can do is go for a mid range lens. I think you may have noticed that the 60 mm macro and the 10-17 leaves a pretty big gap in focal length. Some people use a kit lens like the 18-55 with a dome and dipters or the Sigma 17-70 macro. I have seen some nice shots taken with an 18-55.

But what are you trying to do? If you want macro and close ups, I would go for the 60 mm lens. If you want landscape kinds of shots a wide angle might be the way to go. If you are interested in shooting fish of moderate size and larger (but not gigantic), you might want a mid range lens. No lens is going to do everything.

The usual starter set is a wide angle of some sort and a 60 mm macro.

 

[azscubadude]

With a Canon cropped-sensor DSLR setup (I.e., T2i/T3i/60D/7D), you'll want to start with either the Tokina 10-17 fisheye probably with a mini dome for wide angle or the Canon 60mm macro with a flat port.

Totally agree, it just depends on what you are after as to which one of the above you get first. Or, if you can afford them, get both as you will surely own both in the not to distant future.

 

[BluewaterPhoto]

In general, you'll have more subjects to shoot with the 60mm lens, they will be easier to light, and the initial setup will be less expensive. Of course, ideally you'd get both! Good luck! - Scott

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Thanks a lot everyone. All this advice is very helpful. Being in DC area, I dont get to dive as much as I would like to. So my plan is to dedicate one year to just one particular type of photography. This also ensures that every year I will be buying one lens and working with it through out the year. So over a period of three to four years, the kit would have grown and it would also enable my skill to grow with the investment. This year, my first year into DSLR photography I plan to do a lot of shark photography in North Carolina. This is only because being 5 hours away from NC it is the cheapest and the easiest available option. After that I can choose subjects that are similar. I would also like to work with natural light. For these two purposes I was thinking 10 - 24 focal length dome? Or Tokina 10 17.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[decidedlyodd]

If you're going to just be shooting sharks, you're probably better off going wide-angle. The 10-17 can be pretty wide and requires getting close to whatever you're shooting. I'm not sure how you feel about that with sharks. The 10-22 rectilinear gives you less width but bear in mind that it will require a larger ($$$$) dome and possibly diopters to get everything in focus.

As for using natural light only, I find this really only works well for silhouettes. Without a strobe, things get blue/green, but also it can be difficult to stop motion with the slow shutter speeds required in low light.

 

[maiker]

you can get most any shot with a single strobe instead of needing two.​