Fish Eye

I want to buy one, have never used one, so where do you think I should look and are there a lot of used ones "out there". I have the D-100 and also wonder if my dome port (Ike) will work or if I need another port?

Any little "cliff notes" or tips anybody has time to share? Aloha.

I just got a Sigma 15mm FE off Ebay for $341 including shipping. It is new and has a 4 year warranty. It was from Cametaauctions (I believe) and they have more listed. I know alot of people who use & recommend this lens.

Ike recommends the #5503 dome with this lens (you didn't say which one you have).

Dave

Have the D100 in a Aquatica housing. Use the Nikon 10.5mm. With the 8" Aquatica dome you don't need any extension rings. Still learning how to use it. You have to get really close to the subject and anything smaller than a 6' shark will look really small. Plus make sure your strobes are well behind the plane of the dome.

I second the Nikkor 10.5mm DX. Sigma 15mm FE when used with cropped sensor will give you about the same coverage as 12mm end of Nikkor 12-24mm DX however 15mm is probably an easier wide angle lens to use initially but given a right circumstance, 10,5mm can give an amazing result. I still am experimenting with 10.5mm and only have a few dives with it so far but I rally like it. Here are some pictures:

The jellyfish is pretty much right on top of the domeport when I took the picture.

Good posts! Thanks for taking the time to help me. I will check your source. The images were so fun to see. Anybody got some more? One question, I already have the 12-24 mm so .....could you run that past me again?

Also I have the dome port for that lense (12-24 mm). Ikelite. I would love to play with some splits. The one posted was exposed nicely, I know that the hard part, right?

I am hoping to learn to use it at the Bali workshop and want to show up with some idea of a place to start.

Again, I could look at the pictures you all posted all day...

Sigma 15mm fisheye will give you 180 degree diagonal view on full frame camera. However, on cropped sensor like D100, you will only get around 100 degree view. I can't remember the exact number.
Also, since you are using only the middle portion of the lens, the fisheye distortion will be much less noticeable than using it with fullframe camera. Your 12-24mm at 12mm end will give you very similar coverage to the Sigma 15mm so if you want something significantly wider, you will need the 10.5mm.
You can look at my website gallery, the most recent trip to the Similans in November, all the wide angle shots were taken with 10.5mm and last June trip to Koh Tao wide angle shots were all taken with 12-24mm. I don't have the Sigma 15mm however.

thanks, great explanation. Beautiful pictures.

Hey Catherine, yep the 10.5 is the one you want. I bought mine at Adorama, also check B&H www.adorama.com www.bhphotovideo.com

I think ikelite should have a list of port/lens compatibility on their website....

You have quicker internet than me so i will let you find it!

YAAAAY, JB just gave me the 10.5 last night and we dive in two hours. Be back with some shots if I have the right port. Soooo happy.

Cath: My thoughts

I'm a newbie at UW SLR. Been shooting the D70 for nearly two years now dry - just housed it up in December.

I have the 12-24, the 60 and the 10.5 so far. Without question, I like the 10.5 the best. I use the shorter Ike dome for it - the body tube on the 12-24 dome is too long.

Its a tiny lens. I've had what I would consider success on land and in the water. I love it so much. The only time I wished I had put on the 12-24 was for the Turtle Pinnacle dive in Kona - the 10.5 required me to get too close. The 12-24 would have been a much better choice... oh well.

I have two 6" arms I use most of the time for my DS125 strobes, and I add a 9" arm to each side when I shoot the 10.5 - its really helped.

Like I said, still new with the rig, but its my fav lens. Its easy to use, it focuses on the dome so I can get right up to the subject and get the shot I want, and on land it does some really cool stuff too.

No regrets. I don't use photoshop or anything, and I still shoot in JPG. I'm moving to RAW next week, and will likely pick up CS then, too.

I only have about 10 dives on it so far - and unless I'm shooting Nudi's its the first lens I grab.

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Ken