Which lense to start DSLR underwater photography?

jimbolaya · Mar 30, 2013

Hi,

I'm a beginner in DSLR underwater photography and I need an advice for my DSLR setup for underwater photography. I've used my old Casio Exilim S600 with an underwater housing for over 8 years. Now I would instead like to take my Nikon D5100 DSLR (yes, "only" an entry level DSLR) underwater and I consider buying an underwater housing for my upcoming diving holiday (Panama, starting mid April).

Currently my only lense which would fit into the underwater housing's lense port, is the Nikkor 35mm 1.8G (my Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 OS HSM wouldn't fit into the lense port). Would the Nikkor 35mm be an ideal solution to start DSLR underater photography? Or would I regret that and should rather buy another new lense (which one)?

Any hints are highly appreciated!

Regards, Jan

P.s. I like to shoot close-ups of fishes and macros of smaller things (nudibranches etc.) and short videos. I don't yet favour shooting wide angles - maybe on my next diving holiday...

rusti999 · Mar 30, 2013

I would recommend you get a 60mm macro lens, maybe also a 1.4x teleconverter. That should be good to start with.

jimbolaya · Mar 30, 2013

rusti999:
I would recommend you get a 60mm macro lens, maybe also a 1.4x teleconverter. That should be good to start with.

Thanks! May I ask you: what kind of photos can I take with such a 60mm macro that I cannot take with my 35mm?
With my 35mm I can take sharp macro photos of fairly small obstacles (e.g. cent coins) from 25cm distance. What would be the main advantages of the 60mm?

And: what are the disadvantages of such a 60mm lense compared to a 35mm?

Sorry for my newbie questions ;-)

Best regards, Jan

Chuck Tribolet · Mar 31, 2013

You may not be able to find a port for the 35 mm that won't either vignette, or have the closest focus inside the port.

And the working distance with the 35mm will be real short, which will scare some critters, and maybe make the port shade the
subject from the strobes.

I'd go with the 60mm.

Don't knock entry-level DSLRs. We're off to Fiji soon, and Adm. Linda won her trip with a picture taken with her D60.

But mid-April is a short time to get a system put together and working.

Chuck

Warren_L · Mar 31, 2013

I would say get the Nikkor 60mm micro as well (micro is just Nikon's name for macro). If you're new to UW photography, this would be a good lens to start with if you want to get into macro shooting. It will allow for some portraiture shots as well (nothing too big though). It is the lens I shoot about 99% of my macro shots with. Check out my philippines shots from a couple of years ago. All the macro shots were with the 60mm.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150392740800440.640491.800055439&type=1&l=2a10f61a75

BUDMANOK · Mar 31, 2013

shooting macro requires some real skills IMO. I prefer a good w/a lens and get as close to subject as possible

jimbolaya · Mar 31, 2013

happy easter everybody and thank you very much for your replys!

Chuck, I've got a question about the working distance of the 60mm lense: If I want to shoot a 2cm small shrimp, how near will the lense have to get to the shrimp? The minimum distance I can get to the subject with my 35mm is about 25cm. Can I get very close to the subject with a 60mm lense?

Warren, the photos in your above facebook album from the Philippines are AWESOME! I would like to figure out which photos are taken with the 60mm lense. Are the other non-macro shots (turtle, red lobster, self portrait, giant clamps) also taken with the 60mm? Which Nikon DSLR and which strobes did you use? Assuming that I aquire the required macro skills - you think I could achieve similar results with this lense on my D5100?

Budmanok, I understand that you would use a w/a lense to shoot macros as well as w/a photos. Which w/a would you use and do you also have some sample photos?

Regards, Jan

Darnold9999 · Mar 31, 2013

I will chime in here as well.

60mm is the lens I use for 90% of my dives and was the first one I purchased. Strongly recommended. Can't comment on the difference between that and a 35mm lens.

A wide angle lens is next thing to useless for macro shots. It is usefull for close-ups of interesting smallish creatures where you want to include a lot of the background for context, contrast or colour, but for true macro shots of small critters a wide angle lens will not work nearly as well. I recall finding a juvenile boxfish about the size of a pea on one dive - with my wide angle lens on. Managed to get a picture, but to actually show what I found I had to crop the image severely. You could tell what was there, but it was not particularly clear.

Searcaigh · Mar 31, 2013

+1 on the 60mm macro lens although recently I have been shooting mainly my 85mm macro with a +10 wet diopter with great 2:1 results not that I am suggesting you go there as a new SLR user just yet.

Personally I think you will achieve better results quicker with macro than with wide angle unless you are diving in superb visibility all the time. Wide Angle is, to me at any rate, not so easy.

jimbolaya · Mar 31, 2013

just to be sure: when you talk about 60mm macro, are you talking about a DX or FX?

---------- Post added March 31st, 2013 at 05:53 PM ----------

on Ken Rockwell's Website Nikon 60mm AF-D Micro I found this:

I measure only 2-7/8" (73mm) from the subject to the front of the lens at the closest focus distance. This is how close the front of the lens is to the subject at the closest focusing distance, and why I don't suggest 60mm micro lenses. A 105mm gives you enough room to work and not block your light.

You've mentioned that the 60mm provides a longer working distance underwater. What do you mean by "longer working distance"? I mean: how close do you have to bee to take a macro of a small critter (e.g. a 2cm nudibranch)? If I understand Ken Rockwell right, then I always have to be 7cm close to the subject... But that cant be true..?

Which lense to start DSLR underwater photography?

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