Nauticam D90 with Nikon 18-70mm Lens

CoralKisser · Mar 25, 2011

Has anyone used/tried/seen the Nauticam D90 housing with the Nikon 18-70mm lens?
If so what port, extension ring etc did you use?

Im thinking of using the Nauticam 6 inch dome with this housing but Nauticam tells me they dont know if this lens has been tried with this port.

AussieByron · Mar 26, 2011

Is there any reason why your using the 18-70mm Nikon underwater??

The reason why I ask is that its isnt the best lens to use underwater. The Sigma 17-70mm Macro is a far better lens in this focal range zoom.

Bear in mind that extension rings and zoom gears just for this lens will cost you more than this lens is worth. I dont see the point in spending the money on the zoom gears and extension for this lens....

Have a look at the Sigma 17-70 macro or using a 1.4x TC with the Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye.

Personally I would get the Tokina 10-17 and 1.4x TC and spend the money on gears and extensions for that.

Regards Mark

AussieByron · Mar 26, 2011

Also Nauticam has the mini domes well suited for the Tokina with or without TC which makes it excellent for travel and CFWA.

Regards Mark

CoralKisser · Mar 28, 2011

Im planning to pick up a Tokina 11-16mm but everyone is currently out of stock.
The focus rings arent that much (45 bux more), I've already asked Nauticam about them. They tell me the 6.5 inch port will work for this lens and the Tokina when I can pick one up so there really isnt much difference in cost.

AussieByron · Mar 28, 2011

Personally I think your wasting your time trying to house the Nikon 18-70mm. Its not wide enough for wide angle and it isnt a macro lens either. By all means keep it for land use but I wouldnt bother with it underwater.

Is there a reason why your going with the 11-16mm Tokina??.....I suggest you go for the Tokina 10-17mm. Its the most popular wide angle lens out there for both Nikon and Canon. I had a few mates which bought the 11-16mm first instead of the 10-17mm and they all wish that they didnt.

Regards Mark

Chuck Tribolet · Mar 28, 2011

What AussieByron said about. I've been doing my
homework on wide-angle, and the 10-17 is by far the most popular.
And I know from past experience that 27 mm on a full-frame sensor isn't
near wide enough, so 18 mm on a crop sensor isn't.

jarhed · Mar 31, 2011

The 18-70 is a fine lens to use underwater, I used it with the D200 and and sea & sea setup with great success. Try about a 40mm ext ring and a +2 diopter. I'm not sure if a 6" dome will be quite big enough though, you'll still need to stop it down a bit to get the corners in focus. a larger dome (8-9") will preform much better.

I think the Sigma 17-70 is probably a better choice for a mid-range because it can focus quite a bit closer. It will probably work better with a 6" dome.

The Tokina 10-17 FE is a much better choice for wide angle, but sometimes mid range is just the thing to fill the frame with shy critters like sharks. The Tokina FE is not a substitute for a mid range zoom lens, even with a 1.4x teleconverter; it's a different tool for a different photograph.

From the Nikon 18-70mm:

As others have alluded to, the 18-70 might not be the best lens to take underwater, but it will work and can yield some great results. Don't be afraid to try it out.

John

Cp111 · Mar 31, 2011

Nice shot jarhed....

A hammerhead is a great example of a shot that a mid-range will do well with.

18-70 might not be the first choice of a lot of people, but as jarhed says, it can yield some nice images. I've shot with the kit 18-55 on Canon behind a flat port and was pleasantly surprised. Nothing wrong with starting with this lens, and then adding to the quiver as time goes on. With some more experience he can decide which direction to go lens-wise. I think sometimes we forget that it's more about f/8 and being there than the fine points of different lenses.

The 6" dome will work, though it will need a longer extension ring than it would with the 8.5". I was leaning toward 8.5" because it will give you more options down the road than the 6" and the longer extension somewhat negates the advantage of the smaller dome. Just my $0.02.

Cheers,
Cp

AussieByron · Apr 1, 2011

Jarhead have you the colour version of the hammerhead shot?

Regards Mark

Bubble_Boy · Apr 1, 2011

I'm a photographer (on land) but never underwater, didn't get a housing yet.
My question is in regard to lens brand and price:

On Land - It's very understandable when someone chooses a lens like a tokina or a sigma, or any third party lens because you get almost the same benefit for a fraction of the price. Usually you sacrifice some quality although for most people it's good enough.

For scuba - When you dish out 2500$ on a housing, why would you cheap out on the lens and spend 600$ instead of 900$ ???? Why not get a proper nikon lens and have a proper system? After all, you have spent 4k on your system (housing, camera, lens) , do you really want to save that 300$ and get a sigma?? Maybe I'm missing something....

Nauticam D90 with Nikon 18-70mm Lens

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