Nikon 16-35mm alternatives for underwater?

I got my Nikon D610 and about to get a Ikelite housing for it. Looking for some good alternatives to the Nikon 16-35mm for unerwater(that will fit in a ikelite port)..

Been searching google tons about specific lenses I have seen but haven't really found any solid adivce..

After the camera, housing, ports, strobes and 3 other lenses I have purchased, I'm on tighter budget for a wide angle lens that will work good below water.

I was thinking the Nikon 18-35, Tamron 17-35, maybe a Tokina 12-28.. Any suggestions for lenses in the $600 or less price range?

In my perfect world i would be able to find a f2.8 wide angle zoom lens close to that price range that works great underwater , but I don't think that's happening.

How about the Sigma 15mm f2.8 fisheye?

I moved to a D600, primarily to get back to using my 16 and 20mm primes. If you can find a used 16mm Nikon, it is really sweet. Love my 20 as well. I never liked the Tokina 10-17 when I used it with my D90 and have been very happy with both of the wide angle primes on the D600. If you can't afford the 16, try finding a used 20.

BTW, I think WA zooms are highly overrated for use UW. Primes allow close focus and are typically a lower aperture.

We have had more and more customers leaning towards the primes with the Nikon full frame.
I would strongly recommend checking out the Sigma 15mm and Nikon 16mm. As WetLens mentioned, the zoom function is overrated with wide angles since you usually shoot anyway with the widest setting and perhaps crop a bit in post, so you might as well enjoy the quality of a prime.
You can check out some recommendations and samples of various lenses here: Choosing the best lens for DSLR underwater

The Sigma 15FE focuses very close and is f/2.8 so it's quite a bit faster than the 16-35. It's a basic staring place.

I have shot the 16-35 and 17-35 on my D800 and gave up on the 16-35 because it is f/4. Just would not catch focus in dimmer conditions that we seem to have here in the Pacific. I've been quite happy with the 17-35 f/2/8, even though it's older. Look around and you can pick up a used copy at a reasonable price.

Here's a link to our lists of recommended lenses and why some are better than others: Guide: Recommended Lenses for Underwater Photography

I have lots of examples of the Sigma 15FE and 17-35. Here's a couple. These were shot behind a Zen 170mm dome, which I like as it's smaller and shoots quite well.

Nikon 17-35:


Turtle by Optical Ocean, on Flickr


Jellyfish in the Sky by Optical Ocean, on Flickr

Sigma 15FE

Soft Coral at Surface.2 by Optical Ocean, on Flickr


Manta by Optical Ocean, on Flickr