Flat port or dome port?

[pallajoe]

I am just moving to a D70 system in a ikelite housing. I have been shooting a nikon coolpix 5000 for a long time, so I'm not new to U/W photography just new to SLR U/W. I have a nikon 60mm and the kit 18-70mm. From what I can tell, If i bought the 6" dome (5503.50) I could use both lenses in it. But I read the 60mm does a lot better in a flat port. Unfortunately funds are limited, at least for the upcoming trip to Bonaire. So I will probably only be able to purchase one port. Is the flat port's performance that much better than the dome? Opinions and suggestions welcome.

thanks,

Joe

 

[beautybelow]

Hi Joe,
I would definitely choose the dome port myself. Your only reason I can see for even changing lenses would be that possibly the fixed lens would be a little sharper than the zoom lens at 60mm. I would take the zoom with a dome on all my dives. It is a great way to start collecting shots...having options for different subjects.

 

[AussieByron]

I am just moving to a D70 system in a ikelite housing. I have been shooting a nikon coolpix 5000 for a long time, so I'm not new to U/W photography just new to SLR U/W. I have a nikon 60mm and the kit 18-70mm. From what I can tell, If i bought the 6" dome (5503.50) I could use both lenses in it. But I read the 60mm does a lot better in a flat port. Unfortunately funds are limited, at least for the upcoming trip to Bonaire. So I will probably only be able to purchase one port. Is the flat port's performance that much better than the dome? Opinions and suggestions welcome.

thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe.

I would recommend that you look at the modular port setup for Ikelite. I suggest that you get the Modular flat port #5510.35 with the Port body #5510.24 and house the 60mm first.

Ikelite recommend that you use a flat port for the 60mm Macro but can use the #5503.50 6 inch dome. Ikelite list the port for the 18-70mm as #5503.55. I think that you might have issues with using the 60mm behind the slightly longer #5503.55.

I like the Modular ports/bodies for a number of reasons.

1. The flat port is made out of glass
2. port bodies can be used towards other lenses when using the 8 inch dome and or the flat port.

If you bought the #5510.24 port body you can use that with the modular flat port for the 60mm macro and also use the #5510.24 port body with the 8 inch dome with your 18-70mm.

Go with the 60mm Macro first as you can use that anywhere. The 18-70mm is more of a general purpose lens which after you buy a nice wide angle you will put away in your camera bag to gather dust.


Regards Mark

 

[pallajoe]

Hello Mark,
My plan was to use both lenses in the 5503.50 which is half an inch shorter than the 5503.55 which I presume would not let the 18-70 zoom out to the last bit of its range. That's ok to me since I would be using that lense more for its wide angle range. I will definitely look into the modular system and see if I have the funds for it.
Thanks,
Joe

 

[xcelratr]

I'm not expert enough to advise you, but I suggest you look into whether you're likely to use the kit lens u/w in the long term.

I have a D80 that came with an 18-135 kit lens. It worked fine for a walkaround lens for the first year or so I had the camera.

I was gifted the Ikelite housing and the port for the 18-135. I found out on the first trip (as the websites had warned me) that the 18-135 was not a great lens u/w.

So I made some changes to my lens inventory (including selling the 18-135), and now don't need the port that fit the 18-135. Since it doesn't fit a wide range of lenses, I haven't found a buyer for it.

I tell you all this (not only as a shameless plug to sell my port), but mostly because I encourage you to think through your short- and medium-term lens plans before you buy ports.

Especially if funds are tight, I don't want you to buy a port that you end up not using once you change/expand lenses. If you have the time, do the research to figure out if you're going to use your kit lens u/w enough (others on this very forum can probably help advise about that) to justify buying the port for it. If not, make sure the port that fits your kit lens will also fit a wide-enough range of other lenses that it won't be useless if you replace the kit lens.

Best of luck. You're going to love shooting u/w with an SLR.


FWIW, I ended up with:
Nikkor 105 macro and flat port 5505.46
Tokina 10-17 fisheye w/a and modular dome port 5510.45/5510.11
Nikkor 18-200 that never goes underwater, but is on the camera the rest of the time and I love it.

 

[smellzlikefish]

If it were me going to Bonaire, I'd leave the 60 mm at home. It might be good for macro shots, but your kit lens has that range covered. Then when that whale shark swims by you can open it up to 18 mm. In that way the dome port would just be more versatile.

 

[davelew]

If it were me going to Bonaire, I'd leave the 60 mm at home. It might be good for macro shots, but your kit lens has that range covered. Then when that whale shark swims by you can open it up to 18 mm. In that way the dome port would just be more versatile.

My opinion is the opposite of this.

The 60mm lens behind a flat port is the best combo for certain situations (fish portraits, macro of non-shy creatures). There are professionals with tens of thousands of dollars for equipment who will use the 60mm behind a flat port. You will never outgrow this combination. The 60mm is not only sharper than the 18-70, it can also focus much closer in order to fill the frame with small critters.

The 18-70 is an OK lens underwater, but not great. I haven't seen many photo contest winners shot with the 18-70. And if a whale shark swims by, 27mm effective focal length is not going to be wide enough to photograph the whale shark anyway, so you won't have lost anything by not getting a port for the 18-70.

Bonaire is a great place for macro, so I would take the 60mm and a flat port, and enjoy the macro life. There aren't many dives in Bonaire where I would bring a wide-angle lens anyway; Hilma Hooker and Salt Pier are the only two wide angle sites that spring to mind, while there are probably 40+ sites where I would bring the macro.

 

[AussieByron]

Hello Mark,
My plan was to use both lenses in the 5503.50 which is half an inch shorter than the 5503.55 which I presume would not let the 18-70 zoom out to the last bit of its range. That's ok to me since I would be using that lense more for its wide angle range. I will definitely look into the modular system and see if I have the funds for it.
Thanks,
Joe

Hi Joe.

Honeslty I think your trying to cover all your options but with not the best equipment.

I think if you bought the #5503.50 or #5503.55 that you will use it maybe a few times and then have to go out and buy a flatport for your 60mm.

The 60mm with modular glass flat port will be your primary macro setup for many years to come and you will be using this setup alot. You might as well buy it now and starting shooting with it.

The 18-70mm isnt exactly a great lens underwater. I have the popular Sigma 17-70mm Macro and honestly I never use it as it doesnt shoot as well as the 60mm or 105mm for macro and the 17-18mm isnt wide enough forthe big stuff. Everytime i use it i always thought why did I bother as i should have decided one way or the other (Macro or Wideangle).

But if you go the modular system you can use the port body off the 60mm macro (#5510.24) and use with the 8 inch dome port and you can use the 18-70mm behind that if you want. Think you might need a +4 dioptre also. Then when you sick of the 18-70mm sell it and buy something like a 10-17mm Tokina fisheye and use that behind the 8 inch dome. Honeslty you wish you have bought one of these lenses sooner than later.

As for Whale sharks.....the 18-70 would simply be not wide enough fo a decent shot...

Regards Mark

 

[pallajoe]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'm going to get a flat port for my 60mm and not worry about a wide angle for this trip. I really enjoy macro more anyway, but every now and then you see a good wide angle shot.
That's one thing I'm going to have to get used to with SLR is making that decision on the surface. With my Coolpix 5000 I had a wide angle wet lense that screwed on to the front of the housing, so I could switch back and forth during a dive. I'm sure all the advantages of the SLR will out weigh that one disadvantage.

Thanks again everyone!

Joe

 

[bvanant]

I think that is a good choice. We just got back from Bonaire, did 22 dives in 4 days. The only time I took the wide angle was to get some close up shots of a young kid on his first dive to give to his father. The rest was shooting only the 60. Look at
BlueViews | Home Page for the bonaire gallery.
Here are a couple of shots