New a6xxx housing from Meikon

[lulazz]

Hi,
I have a sony a6000 and I am using the meikon "normal case" at the moment.
I have a sigma 60mm but it doesn't fit jb the case
i am thinking about buying the salted line case (it seems that the 60mm fits inside the standard port)
I also have an st-100 (that I didn't bring in the water yet)
I am really interested in the tray with trigger is it available yet?
I usually take pictures of fish freediving from 0 to 10 meters

 

[Barmaglot]

Sigma 60mm has a minimum focus distance of 50cm; don't bother taking it underwater.

The tray trigger doesn't seem to be available yet - hopefully soon.

 

[lulazz]

can you suggest a lens for fish photos (I do underwater safari competition where you have to take picture of as many different species of fish as possible)

 

[Barmaglot]

The kit zoom (16-50mm) is a perfectly serviceable lens, and should be compatible with your existing housing. If you don't have it, you can pick one up used for $100-120 or so. Without a diopter, it doesn't focus close enough to fill the frame with small creatures (nudibranchs, shrimps, gobies, that sort of thing), but if your main aim is just critter identification, 24mp gives you quite a bit of room to crop.

 

[lulazz]

I already have a meikon case but I am thinking of getting the new one because I dislike the zoom knob on the right side
I also have a CMC2 to focus close for macro
for fish shooting many other diver use lens like the nikon 105mm macro

 

[Barmaglot]

In that case, you have a number of options, but unfortunately each of them represents some sort of compromise:

1. You can get the older SeaFrogs A6xxx series housing, the one with the fixed port, for ~$250. This will give you the improved control layout, and allow you to use the 16-50mm with CMC-2, but the fixed port precludes future lens upgrades.
2. You can get the Salted Line housing basic bundle with the wide flat port for $327, but this port does not have accessory threading, so unless you hack together some sort of tray-based mount solution, you won't be able to use the CMC-2.
3. You can get the Salted Line housing plus the additional short macro port ($99), which can fit the 16-50mm and does have 67mm threading, but it will vignette with that lens at focal lengths shorter than 30mm or so.
4. You can go whole-hog and get the Salted Line housing, dome port, macro port, Sony 10-18mm and Sony FE 90mm, but it will cost you well north of $2000, and you'll have to decide before each dive whether to shoot wide-angle or macro.
5. Meikon has mentioned in comments on their Instagram page that they're working on a dedicated port for 16-50mm lens for their Salted Line housing, which will avoid vignetting at all focal lengths and allow mounting 67mm accessories, but no one outside Meikon knows when, or if, this port will be released. They promised the compact dome for 7Artisans 7.5mm fisheye by 'mid-May', and there's still no sign of it.

"Edit: The dedicated port I referred to in item 5 is now available for $99 + shipping, so the 16-50mm kit lens can be used with 67mm attachments throughout its focal range without vignetting."

 

[lulazz]

Well for now I just ordered the salted line
The meikon case is too arkward even for the internal flash position

 

[Barmaglot]

Enjoy

In other news, I got a response from Meikon regarding accessory release dates - 16-50mm port is coming June 5th, compact dome and vacuum pump - June 15th.

 

[West Indiaman]

REALLY depends on what else you have attached... tray, grips, arms, lights, strobes... all affects buoyancy. You really just have to play with it until you get it where you want it. Take some weights and zipties to the pool and start experimenting.

Thanks Dan, I do have a tray which has a dry weight of 600g, but I'm currently not planning to add anything else. I'll be mainly filming shipwrecks in fairly poor visibility and any camera-attached light will just illuminate particles right in front of the camera. My dive buddy will be handling the video light and I'm hoping that the a6300 will be able to capture any natural light there is.

 

[lulazz]

I tried the case, it seems quite nice, very positive
unfortunately the water was foggy and I didn't take great photos
I also used the st-100 strobe for the first time...
anybody using this strobe?