Wide Angle Options for the 10bar LX3 housing

[Nemrod]

Just to add to the pot...

There was this thread back at the end of 2009 for the Dyron WAL15, which was claimed to be custom made for the 10Bar LX3 housing (no zoom necessary to lose the vignetting). Though the pics in the thread show severe (at least to me) blur at the corners. Without seeing any other (better) examples with this lens, I've been hesitant to even seek out US distributors.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-photography/314236-lx3-dyron-wa15.html


Looks like you're already on wetpixel as well. There's a thread there for the housing in general that have some examples of dry shots taken with Ikelite WA20 and INON UFL165AD. Both obviously requiring lots of zooming to lose the vignetting. Haven't seen any wet shots with either of these two lenses with the 10Bar. There also appear to be options to use the wide-angle lens made by Panasonic with 10Bar's dome too.

10Bar LX3 Housing - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums


I already have a WAL-100 Type 2 that I'm planning on using to start with. Though you do have to zoom to 35mm, the lens doesn't retract much from the port (camera lens retracts when zooming out, it's at its longest when at 24mm)... so it should stay pretty close. May bite the bullet and get the dome port eventually, since I already have the WAL-100. If I could get images half as good as Edvin I'd be happy.

Mr. Mofongo, if you could post a pic showing the vignetting at 24mm and at 35mm zoom with your WAL100 it might be very useful to Flounderer and I would not mind seeing it also. That way he can compare what he is seeing with what you actually see. He is in quite a quandary.

Please?

N

 

[mofongo_max]

OK, when I get home from work later today I'll take some test shots.

 

[flounderer]

I tested the lens out and I'm pretty happy with the results. Earlier I wanted to go with a dome port installed on the housing but that lacked some flexibilty. You have to disassemble the dome to remove the camera and WA lens from the housing. I like that this one can be removed for normal non-WA topside pics.

I tested this out in a big fish tank, not the best conditions, low light, lots of particulate matter and bubbles. The protective plastic is still on the dome for these pics so there are some funky lines on some. It gets the overall point across.

Here is a picture of some flounder about 3.5 ft away, no lens, stock port.

UWL-04 installed to flat port, 3.5 ft away, zoomed in a bit to get rid of vignetting. I tried to position the camera the same as above. What looks like vignetting on the top of the pic is really the tank/lighting.

No lense, flat port, about 2.5 ft off bottom of tank. (really bad pic, lots of bubbles in water)

UWL-04 installed, no zoom, full vignetting from same position as above.

 

[Nemrod]

Looks like you got a useful increase in FOV, good job.

Where you sure the area between the lens and port was flooded, it needs ot be to work properly.

How may inches long were the flounder?

N

 

[mofongo_max]

Sorry for the quality of the first two. They were taken with my iPhone. Last three taken at 400 ISO in Av at 2.8. No easy access to a pool. Once I take it diving I'll perform a similar test. Considering how close the lens sits to the port at 24mm, it would be nice to have a WAL option at 24mm. Too bad about the Dyron's soft corners. At least the WAL-100's glass is practically right up against the glass in the port.

Distance of lens from end of port when at 24mm. It's right up on the glass of the port.

Distance of lens from end of port when at 35mm. Can't really tell from the pic, but it's probably 1/2" away.

24mm in housing.

35mm in housing w/ WAL-100.

24mm in housing w/ WAL-100.

 

[Nemrod]

Thank you Mofongo. I tell you this, the 24mm flat port pic would be reduced by 25% in the water and if you were to install the dome kit on the 100WAL the FOV would not be reduced but the slightest bit. You might look into the (expensive) dome kit for your 100WAL. That would be a huge difference underwater.

I seriously doubt that Flounderer would gain very much, if any, by sending the UL-04 back and getting a 100WAL plus dome kit, looks like a wash to me, just from the pics from Mofongo, the vignetting looks about the same (remember the 100WAL without the dome does not have the large petals thus the round vignetting and not the "square" outline). I believe, from this, that the Inon 100WAL with dome would be similar, perhaps a little wider than the UL-04 only due to less tendency to vignette.

Looks good.

N

 

[flounderer]

Looks like you got a useful increase in FOV, good job.

Where you sure the area between the lens and port was flooded, it needs ot be to work properly.

How may inches long were the flounder?

N

Sorry Nemrod I must have missed this post. I'm pretty sure it was flooded in this shot. The flounder are (were, they are sushi now) in a 6ft diameter tank and the minimum size is 16".

 

[shaker]

Hi

I was following this thread and this is my first post in this forum.
I had the chance to test the LX3 with a WA converter (Sony VCL-DO746) and the 10Bar domeport. The WA converter gives a 18mm equiv. underwater.