I am trying to get ever closer, more detailed pictures of increasingly smaller critters. Right now I use a D80 with 60mm macro lens in an Ikelite housing with the recommended flat port. What I am considering is purchasing something like a Woodys Diopter as opposed to the 105mm lens/port. Is there a Woodys made in the correct size to fit over the Ikelite port (or some other wet lens)? Is this what a wet lens is designed to do, make closer shots possible? Or, am I better off just buying the 105mm with matching port?

According to Nexus the #NCL-100 fits the Ikelite Macro Ports.
Another option you can consider is converter, X2 will give you 1:1 ratio at equivalent 120 mm or 2:1 at 60 mm, of course with two stops lose, I use this it with 105 Ike's port and really like it.

A Diopter will allow you to increase magnification by letting you focus closer. However the 60mm macro focuses so close allready that getting closer is not particularly usefull as not many subjects will pose 1" away from your port.

As Arnon suggested, you can and add a teleconveter to your 60mm. This will increase your magnification while not changeing the working distance. In most cases this is a better way to increase your magnification for a 60mm lens.

A 100mm lens will not give you any greater magnification than what you can get with your 60mm, but it gives you the same magnification at 2x the distance. With the 100mm lens though, you can add a diopter to increase the magnification and still have enough working distance.

Thanks for the simplified definition Acroporas, I am the first to admit I am very much in the dark about the terms and equipment of photography.

If I were to use the same 60mm lens I have, then I should buy a 2X convertor and this will fit inside the longer 105mm port from Ikelite? The downside to this if I understand what I have read is the convertor requires more light with the upside being I get 2 times the magnification? Will the 60mm still be able to focus at longer distances or will it be stuck on closeup shots only?

With 2X teleconverter you'll get X2 magnification but loose X4 light (two stops).
From my own experience (in tropical waters only for now) the 60mm lens with teleconverter can still focus with the AF, of course not so good as without it but seems to me that still better than the 105, I use modeling light also on day time and its help a lot in crannies and darks points.
This combination focus at longer distances up to infinity also, of course its be less appropriate for regular fish portrait since you'll need more distance from the fish to get it all in the frame.

Arnon

I do have two strobes so for macro I would think the light is manageable? Do you use the 105mm port with the 60mm + 2x teleconvertor?

The modeling light is not instead of the strobes, For the shooting itself the light from your strobes will be good, the problem can be before the shooting when you want to focus on the object, then in some condition: night of course & also on the day somtimes you'll need modeling light to help the AF of the camera to work.
I use the 60mm + Kenko X2 converter inside the the Ike's 105 port with no problems, till now I been using a friend's 105 port with the manual focus controller but I'm going to buy one without it since the AF work good enough for me.

Is anyone using the non-VR 105 lens and if so, how does it work? I can get one for less than half the VR cost and am seriously thinking about buying it.

Anyone, non-VR 105mm lens...?

The old 105mm was good enough for many years for people.

I see no compelling reason to upgrade from the old lens even if the new one is a bit faster to focus and gives better bokeh - these things are all relative.

I enjoyed your pictures Mark, that last grouper photo has some nasty looking teeth!

Interesting thread.

I have an Ikelite/D70 system and I have been playing with a Tamron 2x TC lately. I should be clear that I prefer MF on all macro so AF was never a consideration for me. At first, I was using the 60mm w/TC with the Ikelite 105mm (non VR) focus port. This worked well and I was able to use the MF knob. The gear for changing the focus from MF to AF won't work with this combo so you would have to decide before diving.

I loved the high magnification of this combo but to get full mag you have to get so close, it becomes hard to light the subject - especially if it's not in the open. Then I added a Woody's and it helped some. Here is my fav example with that combination:



Of course I don't always get results that good but it shows the potential.

Next, I had Ikelite make me a special port: The 105mm (nonVR) focus port with 1 1/2" added to the length. This allowed me to use my 105mm (non-VR) lens - again, in MF only. This gives me more working distance.

I'm still learning this combo and my eyes aren't good enuf to find the critters that do this setup justice, but it's fun!

This is the best shot with this system so far. I can't remember if I used the Woody's on this shot - I wish the exif could show this. But this barred whip coral shrimp was less than 1/4" long and this is full frame.

Mike,

Those are some damn good photos! I really think that is the best photo of a whip coral goby that I have ever seen. I didn't know they had those teeth!

James

Do you put some X-ray equipment on this combo also?
Great image, I used this combination also but I see I have a lot to improve.

Tuga, how did adding the Woodys help some? Do you mean with the lighting distance?

Hey James, how you been?

I didn't know they had teeth either until this was on the computer. I talked to a freind that knows these things - a marine biologist - and she said she has seen them ambush little things that swim by. Now that's little.

Yeah, I wish I could replicate that shot.




IB, yes, I meant I could back off a little with the Woody's and the 60mm.

Cracking photo, Mike, congratulations!

I'm no marine biologist, but are they really teeth? It seems to me that critter is giving you the time-honoured Anglo-Saxon gesture indicating that he would welcome it if you gave careful consideration to taking your camera and strobes and, errr, moving off to some other stretch of reef If this is the case, you might want to claim a world first!

Arnon,

Is that the Kenko Teleplus MC7? And just to confirm that is with the Nikkor Micro 60mm 2.8D and AF works fine? My eyes are not good enough and the viewfinder on my D70 is too small for me to use MF.

I bought the Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 DG X2 for Nikon, I understood that the MC7 is an older version.
You can find it in eBay at ~110-120$.