Canon G16 wide angle lens suggestions - Meikon housing

[007wilk]

I am building a low budget u/w camera system based on Canon G16, which I purchased cheaply as an open box item.
I consider getting a Chinese Meikon housing (see below), which may look very similar to the Canon housing, but has a 67mm lens thread in the center and you can get it for $200, or even less.

I am now looking at trying to find an inexpensive, and by that I mean $300 or less, wide angle lens that will physically fit this housing and be otherwise a good match for the camera. I am a relatively inexperienced photographer and do not know what to expect from a fish eye lens with certain parameters.

I was thinking perhaps one of these Dyron lenses would work: Wide Angle Lenses | DyronStore | Underwater accessories
Or something like this: Fantasea Line Water Sports Photo Products & Accessories- BigEye Lens M67 Mark II

 

[Interceptor121]

Those aren't wide angle lenses but air domes that will just cancel the water magnifying effect
The only working solution for the g16 are the inon zoom wide angle lenses

 

[007wilk]

So... does it mean that with any of these I will never exceed the "dry land" angle of the camera?

Some of them say:

• Magnification (angle of coverage recovery): 0.75X (100%)

But one of the Dyron ones says:

· Coef: 0.3x
· Field of view: 140° 13mm for a 24mm camera

There is also a Fantasea Bigeye lens, which says:

• Field of view recovery (magnification): 105% (X0.7)

• Angle of coverage: 80 degrees

But I am not sure how to interpret the above....

 

[Interceptor121]

Due to the zoom of the G series traditional wet lenses don't work
So you either get an air dome like the fantasea (that restores the air field of view) or you need the inon lenses to get to 100+ degrees
Note that the inon lens require two strobes to work properly
So your set up is cheap now but will soon ramp up in cost when you get to wide angle
It is a limitation of the G series other cameras with less zoom would have taken any wide angle lens

 

[007wilk]

To put things in perspective... what would you guess the viewing angle of the G16 is:
(1) Above water
(2) Under water - uncorrected?

What would be the minimum desirable angle to have, if i am interested in shooting ship wrecks?

 

[007wilk]

Those aren't wide angle lenses but air domes that will just cancel the water magnifying effect
The only working solution for the g16 are the inon zoom wide angle lenses

OK, but if I go with, say, the UWL-100 lens, either on the Meikon housing or the Fantasea housing equipped with a 67mm adaptor, will it work?

 

[Interceptor121]

Nope you need the zoom lenses as per my previous and the fantasea housing hasn't even got an m67 adapter

 

[007wilk]

I thougth that is what this one was?


Interceptor121: I know you are a big fan of the RX100 And I do believe it is a better camera than the G16, especially for what I need t for. I have been even considering selling the G16 and getting an RX100 But...

(1) I hate the hassle of selling things
(2) I love the G16 above water. I absolutely love it. Also, when it comes to controls, I am a Canon fan I have not played with the RX100, but fewer wheels and programmable buttons typically means more reliance on the menus. Somebody commented setting custom white balance takes a few extra steps, compared to G16. Also, G16 seems capable of some decent close-up shots even without a macro lens. Again, I have read comments about this not necessarily being true for the RX100. I would rather not buy a macro lens right away...
(3) I want this camera mainly for some occasional the Great Lakes diving, say 10-20 times/year. Especially wrecks: pictures and movies. Once a year we go south on vacation and my son may be interested in shooting some fish, coral, etc.
(4) I do not plan on making a career out of the UW photography or spending a month's worth of earnings (or more) on the system. Cost control is important for me.
(5) My biggest problem is, I have no experience to know what to expect exactly. Who knows, perhaps the dome will be enough for me ..

In the above context... do you think the G16 + Fantasea + BigEye lens (dome) will suffice for me ?

PS. It also seems very easy to add a red filter to the above Fantasea setup. I am not sure if it is equally easy with the RX100.

 

[Interceptor121]

That piece of plastic won't hold a heavy lens safely. You should consider a canon housing or something with a native m67 thread
The traditional wet lenses don't work with the g series so no ambient light wide angle am afraid

Addition if you like wrecks the G series are definitely a bad choice because of the lack of ambient light ultra wide options

If you want to stay with canon I would look at the S series

 

[007wilk]

Would Canons S110, S120 not have the same vignetting problem as G16? They both have a 5.2-26 mm lens vs a 6.1-30.5 lens on the G15/G16... Is that enough of a difference?