Sony E Mount Lenses

[Scubadoo_]

Hi! I'm a bit new to the world of underwater photography. I currently have a Sony A6000 and have been using the kit lens (16-50mm) with a +2 diopter. I've had some good experience with it as I began. But I think Im ready to upgrade to a better lens that won't kill my budget. Any Sony users that have a recommendation?

Open to Sony or third party lenses. Macro and/or all-around type of lens.

Also using a Meikon Salted Line A6XXX housing.

Thanks!

 

[Barmaglot]

Are you using the bundled flat port? The main options are:

Wide-angle: Big dome port ($205 for six inch dome, $275 for eight inch dome) + SEL1018 ($848 new, ~$500 used)
Very wide-angle (fisheye): Small dome port ($169) + SEL16F28 ($248) + VCL-ECF ($178)
Macro/supermacro: Long macro port ($130) + SEL90M28G ($1098 new, $800-900 used)
Flexible: Short macro port ($100) + wet lenses such as Nauticam WWL-1 for wide-angle ($1150 new, $800-900 used) and CMC-2 for macro ($290 new)

FWIW, I use a 10-18mm in an 8" dome and 90mm in the long port; planning to get a Nauticam SMC-1 for supermacro.

Also, if you're shooting in ambient light, a pair of strobes will provide a much better RoI in terms of image quality than any lens.

 

[Scubadoo_]

Thanks for the info! I'll look into this. How's your experience on the 90mm? Based on reviews, autofocus seems to be slow. Same with the 50mm OSS I was leaning towards the 50mm due to the price. Just worried about AF. Especially MF isnt really
an option with this focus-by-wire system.

Also, I've never used wet conversion lenses before. I'll email Meikon and see if they have any suggestions about compatibility. But do you have any suggestions regarding that? I looked into Nauticam, but of course they recommended Nauticam housings.

I currently have a single strobe, Sea and Sea YS-01. Planning to get the cheaper YS-03 for my second. On a side note, where do you mount a focus light with 2 strobes? Especially for night dives.

Thanks!

 

[Barmaglot]

Autofocus on 90mm is nearly instant on larger subjects (fish portraits from 50-100cm away); takes a few seconds on the small stuff, but nothing major. Moving all that heavy glass does eat battery though - I can reliably get three dives out of a battery with 10-18mm, but never more than two with 90mm.

I don't have a dedicated focus light, but I do have a pair of Archon D36V video lights which I used as primary lights before I got strobes; on night dives, I mount them alongside strobes on triple clamps, like this:

 

[Scubadoo_]

I love your set up! I might get a triple clamp. Didn't know that thing existed. Learned a lot! Never thought about wet lenses too. I just started my research on it. Budget-wise, I might end up doing a 50mm OSS (SEL50F18) and looking for a good wet lens (might get the UCL-01 +8 from Backscatter to start with and upgrade from there depending on my experience).

With the price of the SEL90M28G, that may have to wait (or Black Friday? lol) thing for me.

I emailed Meikon too, about my parts compatibility. I love how responsive they are.

Thanks for your help! I'll post my set up once I get it going.