wide angle lens

[monko_83]

Hi everyone

I am new to this website and would welcome some advice.

I am trying to get into underwater photography.

I currently have the olympus tough 8010 camera (purchased as I had previously flooded an intova housing); i have the PT 048 housing for this and have a sea and sea strobe. I also have the intova macro lens for the housing and with practice starting to get some decent results. I am keen to get a wide angle lens for this housing. I have been told that there would be too much vignetting with the inon wide angle lens and i am now considering my options. I am currently not keen to up grade my camera and housing due to the cost and fact i had only had the olympus for a short time. Can anyone recommend me a decent alternative wide angle lens for my housing? I have been looking at the dyron range and also fantasea fwal-01 wide angle lens.

Would welcome your thoughts

thanks

mark

 

[ozziworld]

If you have the OEM housing, I would check into the Inon products as they are very much designed to work with the OEM housings. Look for the right adaptor base for your housing and select the lenses accordingly.

INON Products Information Lineup

I am very happy with the Inon UFL165AD and UCL165AD lenses I have.

 

[monko_83]

thanks for that but i have looked up my housing on inon website and nothing compatible with the PT O48 housing. I also spoke to my local photography dive shop and they said there is too much vignetting with the inon wide angle lens and my housing.

are u aware of what fantasea or dyron lens are like any thoughts or anymore else?

please help, thanks

 

[ozziworld]

Inon is the manufacturer that caters to the widest range of housings. Try to contact backscatter or reef photo. Maybe they have updated the list of housings Inon's current system serves.

Is it a 67mm thread mount? It might be tough to find a 67mm wide angle lens that will work with the 28mm equivalent lens on your olympus.

 

[flareside]

You might post the question over in the Dyron section of the forum where a Dyron representative might find it more easily and address it Dyron - ScubaBoard

According to the flyer http://artwork.olympusimaging.com.au/Underwater Housing/UWhousingflyer.pdf the Olympus PTWC-01 also works with that housing (with adapter).

Beyond that, your only option may be the Fantasea lenses. Commentary I ran across on the M67 Inon UWL100 says it will work but you have to stay in a perpetual state of zoomed in which kind of defeats the purpose. Finding a Wide Angle lens for a 28mm equivent camera - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums That comment also suggests the Fantasea Bigeye 67mm lens.

 

[ozziworld]

Actually, when you zoom in to eliminate vignetting, you just have to check if the lens is zoomed in beyond it design parameters.

I zoom in to 35mm when I use my UFL165AD because the native lens on the s90 is 28mm (wider than the UFL165AD is designed for).

If the Wide Angle lens was designed for 35mm (which most of the Inon wide angles lenses are) then you zoom in to 35mm from the native 28mm that the newer cameras come in. - there is no corresponding loss of field of view. It was just restored to its intended design requirements and parameters.

On my FIX S90 and UFL165AD - Zoomed in to 35mm eliminates vignetting and is exactly the same as my older IXUS 80is No Zoom (Native 35mm). If the lens / port distances are such that it requires zooming in beyond 35mm, then I would assume field of view would be compromised.

Anyway, I hope you find a wide angle lens to your liking.

 

[monko_83]

thanks for all the posts so far

i am now looking at fisheye fix uwl-04 wide angle lens. it fits to my housing, no vignetting and 150 degrees. what i do wonder if there is a lens caddy for it and also it is mounted to my housing would it interfere with my fibre optic cable. my fibre optic cable attachs at front of the lens window on housing.

please help

mark

 

[ozziworld]

That lens has had very good reviews. I know Inon makes a 67mm lens holder. I guess you can place an adapter on it. The uwl-04 I think has a 67/52 setp down ring that comes with it?

I don't know if anyone makes a 52mm lens holder.

 

[mozaik]

Fantasea makes the Acryllic big eye lenses which are great and not expensive, here is what you'll need:
Underwater Wide-Angle BigEye Lens M67

And these 2 adapters:
(#4721) EyeDaptor F67-M55 & (#4727) EyeDaptor F55-M52

I would also recommend a getting a Red filter and a Lens holder.

Check Fantasea's compatibility chart here:
http://www.fantasea.com/Dealer Packages/CompatibilityChart.html

Good Luck.

 

[monko_83]

thanks for that

i have tried the fantasea big eye and its sits tight on front of the housing so there is no room to attach my fibre optic cable to front of the lens window; it sits too tight. Thats why i am wondering if same would happen with fix uwl-04 lens or does it sit more forward on front of housing so i have room so fibre optic makes a nice connection on lens window?