I don't have any filters on the lenses I use underwater so cannot comment, but I am interested in using an internal diopter and then adding more magnification with an external one, especially with tiny critters.
New to DSLR - Close Focusing Issues w/ 40mm Nikon on D5000?
- Thread starter Shinythings
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I don't have any filters on the lenses I use underwater so cannot comment, but I am interested in using an internal diopter and then adding more magnification with an external one, especially with tiny critters.
WetLens
Contributor
If you are looking for an all-around lens, the best I found for a crop sensor Nikon is their 16-85 behind a dome port. I have the large modular dome and the 16-85 worked great while using my D90. I could shoot fairly wide (effective 24mm) and could zoom very close. The lens requires a +4 diopter.
Still don't understand why the 40mm lens won't focus close while UW. Never used the lens, but lots of experience with 60 and 105 says it should focus nearly the same in the housing as it does on land.
On a crop sensor camera, I prefer the 60 to the 105 as there is an appreciable difference in depth of field. The shorter distance to subject also helps when vis is not crystal clear. When shooting really tiny stuff, the 105 is the right tool, but for most fish photos and even nudibranch photos, the 60 is the clear winner for me.
Now that I'm shooting full frame, the 105 has become my primary lens. I have not found a comparable "all-around" lens like the 16-85 that works FF.
Still don't understand why the 40mm lens won't focus close while UW. Never used the lens, but lots of experience with 60 and 105 says it should focus nearly the same in the housing as it does on land.
On a crop sensor camera, I prefer the 60 to the 105 as there is an appreciable difference in depth of field. The shorter distance to subject also helps when vis is not crystal clear. When shooting really tiny stuff, the 105 is the right tool, but for most fish photos and even nudibranch photos, the 60 is the clear winner for me.
Now that I'm shooting full frame, the 105 has become my primary lens. I have not found a comparable "all-around" lens like the 16-85 that works FF.
Stoo
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I can't agree that the 40 is a great Lens for macro. As others have suggested I would go to at least a 60 or 85, and maybe even the 105. I recently added a +5 wet diopter which is turning out to be a fun little tool. The 105 can be tricky to focus on a cropped sensor (I shoot with a D7000). I find the best way to ensure sharp focus with that lens especially, is to use the single point focus, let the lens focus where it wants to, then use the focus lock button, while you manually fine-tune the thing. This works best when you're lying on the bottom!
One other thing that I might suggest… if you are shooting manual anyway. If you are shooting with a much smaller f-stop/larger aperature in the water then the depth field will be much less of course. This might give you the "illusion" that your focus isn't quite what it should be. I was shooting with my 105 and the +5 diopter a couple of weeks ago in Tobermoryy, and with both Ikelite 161s at full power and only 6 inches from my subject I was shooting at F 40 to get a nice depth of field...
Also check on the side lens... There will be a switch that limits the range of focus which is designed to minimize the amount of hunting and save battery poower. Depending on how you have it set it may not want to focus down as close as you want.
This is the gobie shot...
One other thing that I might suggest… if you are shooting manual anyway. If you are shooting with a much smaller f-stop/larger aperature in the water then the depth field will be much less of course. This might give you the "illusion" that your focus isn't quite what it should be. I was shooting with my 105 and the +5 diopter a couple of weeks ago in Tobermoryy, and with both Ikelite 161s at full power and only 6 inches from my subject I was shooting at F 40 to get a nice depth of field...
Also check on the side lens... There will be a switch that limits the range of focus which is designed to minimize the amount of hunting and save battery poower. Depending on how you have it set it may not want to focus down as close as you want.
This is the gobie shot...
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AZTinman
Contributor
Your switch to single point focus should help. If your D5000 works like my D7100, you should be able to shift your focus point around to compose your photo. I've found that attempting to use multiple focus points for macro doesn't work well for me; it doesn't work well for me on wide angle stuff either. Reducing your aperture for macro stuff should help too.
I use a Nikkor 10-24 as my main lens. The DX crop factor bumps it up a bit and if I'm hard pressed to shoot something small, I can switch my D7100 to increase focal length by another 1.3. This bumps the lens up to the neighborhood of 67mm. Of course, the downside is that switching is that this photo captures are 12 megs instead of 24 megs. It's not true macro, but it's come in handy a few times. I'm not familiar with the D5000 so I don't know if your camera has this capability.
I have no experience with the Nikkor 40mm micro. My macro has always been the Nikkor 60mm. The only time I've had focusing issues is when the auto focus switch got bumped in a camera tank and I missed several photo opportunities before I figured out why the camera wasn't focusing.
-AZTinman
I use a Nikkor 10-24 as my main lens. The DX crop factor bumps it up a bit and if I'm hard pressed to shoot something small, I can switch my D7100 to increase focal length by another 1.3. This bumps the lens up to the neighborhood of 67mm. Of course, the downside is that switching is that this photo captures are 12 megs instead of 24 megs. It's not true macro, but it's come in handy a few times. I'm not familiar with the D5000 so I don't know if your camera has this capability.
I have no experience with the Nikkor 40mm micro. My macro has always been the Nikkor 60mm. The only time I've had focusing issues is when the auto focus switch got bumped in a camera tank and I missed several photo opportunities before I figured out why the camera wasn't focusing.
-AZTinman
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