Hey guys,

I've been taking dry pictures with the Canon 5D using a Sigma 28-300mm lens and am pretty happy with the results. I feel ready to take the plunge and start to outfit the camera for UW photos!

I'd like to ask your opinion about lens choices for wide angle, work-horse and macro shots for this camera in particular.

I really enjoy shooting macro, but also see myself shooting reef scenes and medium-sized fish. My first trip with this camera underwater will be in Bunaken National park (combo of beautiful coral / pelagics / macro) and the Lembeh Strait (full macro) in North Sulawesi!

After a bit of reading in the forum, I think I've narrowed the lens list down to these 3 lenses, given that I will be shooting a wide spectrum of subjects / dive sites:

1. Sigma 15mm Fisheye (purely wide angle dives)

2. Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG macro lens (to be used as my work-horse lens but also capable of doubling up as a macro lens if a suitable subject arises!)

3. Canon 100mm USM macro lens (for purely macro dives)

I will be getting the Ikelite housing for this camera but still have to figure out if I can get away with only getting 2 ports for these 3 lenses.

I would get the "Canon specific" flat port for the 100mm Canon USM lens and the 8" domed port for the 15mm fisheye lens. However, I am not sure if I will be able to use either the 8" domed port OR the Canon-specific flat port for the Sigma 50mm macro lens (according to the specs, the 50mm would fit in the domed port but I am not sure if the images would be distorted...). Also, I am not sure about exactly how brand/lens-specific the Canon-specific flat port really is.....

Any thoughts on these lens choices and whether I would need 2 or 3 ports?

THANKS!

J.

It looks like you've done your home work. The three lenses you are looking at are excellent choices.

There is no reason you can not use the 50mm in the 8" dome. A properly placed dome port is allways optically superior to a flat port. You just have to be more carefull not to scratch it.

I do not have the Sigma 50mm macro so I can not be 100% posative but I it should physically fit in the 100mm port. The lens is a smaller diameter than the 100mm so the (100mm macro port's) non-removable focus gear should not get in the way. Though there could be issues with vignetting due to the port being a bit too long. You can allways start off with the two ports, test it in a pool and then add a 2nd flat port if things do not work out.

You should at least consider one of canon's ~50mm lenses in place of the sigma 50. Yes the sigma can focus all the way down to 1:1 but you allready have a macro lens (in the 100mm) and the the closer a lens can focus, the slower its AF will be.

It is a trade off, more flexability or better AF performance. Especially if you are going to house the 50mm in the dome port, 1:1 ability of a 50mm lens is not going to be particularly usefull as it is difficult to get the subject 1" from the front of the dome. While the improved AF speed is a definate plus when chasing down fish.

I have used both the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and Canon 85mm f/1.8 underwater and found both of them to be excellent "fish" lenses. Fish rarely sit still and pose for you so super fast AF is nice.

Though I will admit, that the one time I found a ghost pipefish, I had the 50/1.4 on and would have really appreciated the ability to focus a bit closer. Though all was not lost, situations like that is the reason photoshop comes with a crop tool.

I use a 5D and can confirm the 50mm Sigma and the 100mm Canon work very well indeed - good choices. I use the 50mm mainly for macro but also for fish portrait/ small shoal type pictures so it will definitely do what you want. Focussing in AF is a bit noisy but this is a well known factor and has no effect on performance. Bear in mind focussing with this lens is not internal and it size increases to about 102mm excluding the mount at 1:1. The Canon 100mm does not extend and AF is superbly quick.
Never used the 15mm

Thanks guys for your replies and advice!

One more question, I am pretty set on the 15mm Sigma Fisheye and the 100mm macro Canon. However, if I were to skip the 50mm Sigma for now, which lens would you recommend that I get as a lens for "everyday" shooting?

Alcina over at Scubaboard likes to use the Sigma 17-70mm for days when she "doesn't know what she is going to encounter." Any recommendation / opinions?

THANKS!

J.

Hi,

The Sigma 17-70 is not compatible with the 5D. It's made for cropped sensor cameras.

Yes, you can use the 50mm macro in the 100mm port - my wife did that in Bali. It will add a bit more port than you need and you MIGHT see the port in the photos - but if I recall, you don't. The Sigma 50mm is really a great little CHEAP lens.

A mid-range zoom for the 5D would be anything in the 24-70 range.

Cheers
James

Thanks James!

I am glad to hear I would be able to use the 50mm sigma in the 100mm Canon macro port.

What are your views on the 50mm sigma vs the 24-70mm zoom for the 5D as a work-horse lens, if you had to choose one?

Also, when you are using a zoom lens in the housing, you have to choose which zoom to set it to ahead of time and lock it, right?

Thanks!

J.

No, with some lenses, (the ones that are not too fat) you can attach a zoom gear and zoom them inside the housing.

The 24-70 may be too fat, I used to have it and it was a fat one, but may work. I would recommend you get the 50mm

Cheers
James

The 24-70 is physically too large to fit in an Ikelite port.

Both Canon and Sigma?

Cheers
James

Yes, according to the specs on b&h, the sigma 24-70 is even larger (3.5" dia) than the canon (3.3" dia).

I use a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 as my walk around lens. It's about the same size as the 100mm macro.

Have a look at the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 macro if you like close focus wide angle shots. It'll focus right down to the surface of my 8" Aquatica dome. I posted a few shots here:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...05&hl=sigma

Thanks guys! Never thought switching to an SLR would be so complicated...and I haven't even bought the housing / strobes / ports yet!

I think for now I'll go ahead and get the 15mm fisheye, the 50mm sigma macro and the 100mm canon macro.

Still on the fence about whether or not to get a zoom lens, in which case I would probably get the Canon 24-85mm USM (this one should fit!).

Herb, the CFWA shots look awesome, but I'll stick to the FE to start!

Again, thanks!

J.