Sony FE 90mm F/2.8 macro shot with A7II in a Nauticam housing Images

[PHIL RUDIN]

This is the new Nauticam port for the 90mm macro lens in the NA-A7II. Place to mount a focus light on the top front.

 

[alien]

Wow thanks Phil. Is it front heavy? Is the lens itself heavy? cheers

---------- Post added August 18th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ----------

Hi Phil Thoughts on A7II versus A7RII underwater? thanks. Worth price difference?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Wow thanks Phil. Is it front heavy? Is the lens itself heavy? cheers
The lens is very well made with weather sealing and yes it weights as much as a FF DSLR lens. The port is made to hold a good bit of air making the system very well balanced with the float arms pictured.
---------- Post addtheed August 18th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ----------

Hi Phil Thoughts on A7II versus A7RII underwater? thanks. Worth price difference?

first impressions I would say yes to the A7r II being worth the difference if you can afford it. All else, ports, housing, lenses will be the same. I just got the A7r II so I will need some time to evaluate the up sides v cost. But excellent AF in a new legue for mirrorless cameras.

 

[tino]

Any informations when the Nauticam housing for the A7rII is coming? Phil did you using the LED-Trigger in your housing? Can you set the flash on and off when it is in the housing for ambient light shots and flash-shots during the same dive?Thanks for your answer!

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I was using the A7II housings for both the A7 II and A7r II (only one dive with the later) A7r II requires you to pre set the mode you wish to use in current A7 II housings which in my case was manual. A $60.00 housing upgrade for the NA-A7II housing will resolve this issue and an newer housing with the mode dial lock feature included should be announced soon, fingers crossed.

The LED-trigger needs to be turned on prior to closing the housing, no on/off feature in current housings using the flash trigger so you need to turn the strobes off.

 

[Marshmellow]

Hi Phil,

Did you try any close-up diopters when using the S90? I bought a S90 for my NEX7 rig for it's longer reach and hopefully faster auto-focus than what my Canon 60 set-up provides, only to discover the S90 would not focus lock with a close-up diopter (a FIT +5, and more so, a Aquatica +10). The NEX7 and S90 focused quickly and accurately by themselves, but with the close-up lenses on, the auto-focus barely functioned at all to the point of being unusable. The Canon 60 with a Metabones adapter actually focused accurately and faster….hard to beleive. The S90 just kept passing the focal point and hunting back and forth no matter what setting I put the lens or the camera on.

Needless to say, I was disappointed. Reef said my Aquatica +10 and FIT +5 weren't up to snuff and an SMC-1 would work better. I just received an SMC-1, but have not run any tests yet, nor can I test it underwater without a port. Personally, I'm getting the feeling the S90's optics doesn't play well with closeup lens or the contrast focus on the NEX7 doesn't work well with the lens + diopter, even though without the diopter it's fast and rock solid, so I think it's the optics.

I'm sticking with my Canon 60/NEX set-up for the time being because I can use auto or manual focus. Hope to surface test the SMC-1 on the S90 shortly. I'm not all that hopeful it will work better, since it's designed to be used underwater.

Until the Nauticam Sony APS-C housings get a manual focus port for the S90, I would be careful buying such a set-up for NEX, as auto focusing can be quite a challenge. Maybe I just got a bad lens? I'm curious if anyone else has had success or problems with auto-focus using a close-up lens on the Sony 90 macro on FF or APS-C?

Marshall

 

[Megan Alvarez]

Hi Phil,
I have the 90mm macro for the A7 and I am curious what focus mode and focus point setting you used? I have two Sea and Sea strobes I use in manual and curious to what power you set them at. Awesome photos btw!

 

[Marshmellow]

Anyone have any success using the S90 on APS-C? It works fine with my NEX7 by itself, focusing fairly fast and accurately on the surface, but not with a close-up diopter, as reported previously in this thread, even using the SMC-1 Fortunately, Nauticam has now come out with a port with manual focus for APS-C, so manual focus for APS-C is now possible.

Given that most dive locations have some level of current, I "carefully" use a reef rod to stabilize myself, as the NEX7 rig works beautifully single handed. In manual focus it's much harder to compose/focus a super-macro shot while drifting away from the target. Autofocus is too slow on my Canon 60 in regular or super-macro mode and doesn't help much either, but at least, it gets me into the "lock and rock" range where peak focusing helps. Still, I would love to have a working autofocus option using the long135mm macro (S90 on APS-C).

I'm considering getting the new Nauticam manual focus S-90 port, hoping for good autofocus when using the lens without a diopter and using manual if need be for super-macro. Anyone have any success with the S90 on NEX7 in either standard macro mode or super-macro mode using a diopter?

I'd like to see how things are working for others on the APS-C before investing in the new port, lens focus ring and adapters. I have heard from dealers though, that the S90 isn't working well with diopters for others either. Be great to hear from some users. I'm wondering if I just have a bad copy of the lens?

Thanks,

Marshall

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Phil,
I have the 90mm macro for the A7 and I am curious what focus mode and focus point setting you used? I have two Sea and Sea strobes I use in manual and curious to what power you set them at. Awesome photos btw!

I use single AF and center focus point most often. I shoot all manual both camera and strobes using INON-Z240 strobes.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Phil,

Did you try any close-up diopters when using the S90? I bought a S90 for my NEX7 rig for it's longer reach and hopefully faster auto-focus than what my Canon 60 set-up provides, only to discover the S90 would not focus lock with a close-up diopter (a FIT +5, and more so, a Aquatica +10). The NEX7 and S90 focused quickly and accurately by themselves, but with the close-up lenses on, the auto-focus barely functioned at all to the point of being unusable. The Canon 60 with a Metabones adapter actually focused accurately and faster….hard to beleive. The S90 just kept passing the focal point and hunting back and forth no matter what setting I put the lens or the camera on.

Needless to say, I was disappointed. Reef said my Aquatica +10 and FIT +5 weren't up to snuff and an SMC-1 would work better. I just received an SMC-1, but have not run any tests yet, nor can I test it underwater without a port. Personally, I'm getting the feeling the S90's optics doesn't play well with closeup lens or the contrast focus on the NEX7 doesn't work well with the lens + diopter, even though without the diopter it's fast and rock solid, so I think it's the optics.

I'm sticking with my Canon 60/NEX set-up for the time being because I can use auto or manual focus. Hope to surface test the SMC-1 on the S90 shortly. I'm not all that hopeful it will work better, since it's designed to be used underwater.

Until the Nauticam Sony APS-C housings get a manual focus port for the S90, I would be careful buying such a set-up for NEX, as auto focusing can be quite a challenge. Maybe I just got a bad lens? I'm curious if anyone else has had success or problems with auto-focus using a close-up lens on the Sony 90 macro on FF or APS-C?

Marshall

I use the SMC-1 with my 90mm macro but on full frame. I own the new A6300 and at some point hope to test it with the 90 macro and SMC-1 but not sure when that will be.

For more inside into the settings and shooting style I use you can read my current review for the Sony A7R II and Ikelite housing at uwpmag.com, this is a FREE PDF download which contained information and images from the 16-35 zoom, 90 macro and Rokinon 12mm Fisheye for Sony E-full frame.