HugoMartin
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Sony A7III, A7RIII or A7RIV, which one will be best for underwater video & photos? I need to purchase a housing but not sure which camera will be best for underwater.
Sony A7III, A7RIII or A7RIV for underwater video & photos?
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I had the A7iii in Sea and Sea housing and liked it. Traded the camera for the A7Riii. Both cameras fit in the same housing. I was happy with the iii but made the switch for extra resolution ( 42mp in the Riii) more solid construction, the price difference was only about$500 and I could use the same housing. I shoot macro with Sony’s 90 mm lens and am very happy with the results. I don’t shoot video. I don’t expect to change this setup anytime soon. That being said, if I were buying new, I would probably go for the A7Riv. The reviews sound great. Increased mp, improved ergonomics etc. AF might be improved, but I find the AF to be great on the earlier models, especially the iii. Possible concerns are price of the newest model versus great camera that’s been out for a few years, processing the very large files and price of the housing and ports, etc.
These are all great cameras. You can’t make a wrong decision on any of them.
These are all great cameras. You can’t make a wrong decision on any of them.
I went with the r4. More MP, so I can do more cropping, when needed. Improved AF performance over the r3. My main dive buddy went from an r3 to an r4 and has been quite happy with the step up.
LiteWeight
Contributor
Stuart, I purchased the A7R IV and Nauticam housing, but have yet to buy lens/ports. If budget were not to be considered, what would you recommend for the A7R IV and Nauticam housing? A zoom lens and WACP? Can you get macro (even if cropped) with the WACP? I like the appeal of only one lens, and one port for travel and flexibility underwater.
@LiteWeight
If money is no object, I think the Sony 28-70 kit lens, with the WACP for rectilinear Wide Angle. And then a Sony 90mm Macro lens for macro. And also possibly a Canon Fisheye with Sony E-mount adapter for super wide angle.
I don't think you can really shoot true macro with the WACP. At full zoom, you're still only at 70mm, and the WACP is making that wider. I think (with an a7r4) you can shoot pretty small stuff, though, and then crop to achieve photos that are still printable resolution while also being pretty small. Sort of "near macro". I have never shot with a WACP myself, and my one buddy that has one doesn't even try to shoot macro. So, I don't have useful experience to answer that part of your question.
BUT, after "budget not to be considered", you threw in "one port for travel and flexibility". I think that puts you into the exact same camp that I am in. And, for that, here is what I am currently settled on for my own Ultimate Rig:
a7rIV
Sony 28-60 lens (the new kit lens, not the older 28-70)
Nauticam flat port for the 28-60
Nauticam WWL-1 wet wide angle dome
Wet close-up lens (or possibly 2)
The WWL-1 is like the WACP in giving up to approximately 130 degree Field of View. So, it IS wide angle, but it's definitely not anywhere close to the (approximately) 180 degrees you can get with a proper fisheye setup. For me and where I am in my progression as an u/w photographer, 130 meets my needs. But, some people would not be happy with that as their widest option.
The advantages of the WWL-1 (over the WACP) are: It is much less expensive, it is much lighter and more compact, you can remove it while underwater. The WACP is a big, heavy beast. Not very travel friendly. And it is an actual port, rather than a wet lens you add onto a port. So, if you get out on a boat with your WACP setup and decide you want to shoot macro instead, you have to actually unseal and open your camera housing.
For a wet close-up lens, I haven't bought one yet, but I've been looking at the Nauticam CMC-1 and CMC-2 and the Inon UCL-67 and UCL-90. I *think* I'm going to get a CMC-2. It is not as much magnification as the CMC-1, but it is supposed to be easier to shoot. I think that, combined with the number of MP I get with the a7rIV will be adequate for me. At least, for my first real foray into shooting macro. The CMC lenses are pretty compact, so I could always add a CMC-1 later, if I need it, and not increase my travel kit size very much.
So, that will mean I have just one lens and port (which happen to be pretty compact), and then the WWL-1 and a CMC-2. I won't have either extreme of FOV. Nothing wider than 130 degrees and maybe macro (or very close), but not super macro. But, all in what I think is the most travel friendly kit you can have for a Full Frame camera.
The newer Sony a7c would be an even more compact, travel-friendly kit. But, the lower resolution sensor of the a7c means you end up with substantially less flexibility on the macro side. The a7r4 in Crop mode gives 1.5X more focal length and still has more resolution to work with.
If money is no object, I think the Sony 28-70 kit lens, with the WACP for rectilinear Wide Angle. And then a Sony 90mm Macro lens for macro. And also possibly a Canon Fisheye with Sony E-mount adapter for super wide angle.
I don't think you can really shoot true macro with the WACP. At full zoom, you're still only at 70mm, and the WACP is making that wider. I think (with an a7r4) you can shoot pretty small stuff, though, and then crop to achieve photos that are still printable resolution while also being pretty small. Sort of "near macro". I have never shot with a WACP myself, and my one buddy that has one doesn't even try to shoot macro. So, I don't have useful experience to answer that part of your question.
BUT, after "budget not to be considered", you threw in "one port for travel and flexibility". I think that puts you into the exact same camp that I am in. And, for that, here is what I am currently settled on for my own Ultimate Rig:
a7rIV
Sony 28-60 lens (the new kit lens, not the older 28-70)
Nauticam flat port for the 28-60
Nauticam WWL-1 wet wide angle dome
Wet close-up lens (or possibly 2)
The WWL-1 is like the WACP in giving up to approximately 130 degree Field of View. So, it IS wide angle, but it's definitely not anywhere close to the (approximately) 180 degrees you can get with a proper fisheye setup. For me and where I am in my progression as an u/w photographer, 130 meets my needs. But, some people would not be happy with that as their widest option.
The advantages of the WWL-1 (over the WACP) are: It is much less expensive, it is much lighter and more compact, you can remove it while underwater. The WACP is a big, heavy beast. Not very travel friendly. And it is an actual port, rather than a wet lens you add onto a port. So, if you get out on a boat with your WACP setup and decide you want to shoot macro instead, you have to actually unseal and open your camera housing.
For a wet close-up lens, I haven't bought one yet, but I've been looking at the Nauticam CMC-1 and CMC-2 and the Inon UCL-67 and UCL-90. I *think* I'm going to get a CMC-2. It is not as much magnification as the CMC-1, but it is supposed to be easier to shoot. I think that, combined with the number of MP I get with the a7rIV will be adequate for me. At least, for my first real foray into shooting macro. The CMC lenses are pretty compact, so I could always add a CMC-1 later, if I need it, and not increase my travel kit size very much.
So, that will mean I have just one lens and port (which happen to be pretty compact), and then the WWL-1 and a CMC-2. I won't have either extreme of FOV. Nothing wider than 130 degrees and maybe macro (or very close), but not super macro. But, all in what I think is the most travel friendly kit you can have for a Full Frame camera.
The newer Sony a7c would be an even more compact, travel-friendly kit. But, the lower resolution sensor of the a7c means you end up with substantially less flexibility on the macro side. The a7r4 in Crop mode gives 1.5X more focal length and still has more resolution to work with.
LiteWeight
Contributor
@LiteWeight I have read some about the MWL-1.
It seems like it might be a good option for you - if there were a 60mm macro lens available for the Sony cameras. I think the MWL-1 is designed to work only with a 60mm macro lens. Sony has 90 and 50mm. Somebody else (Samyang?) has a 60, but it's manual focus-only.
The MWL-1 is only listed on the Nauticam port compatibility chart as working with the Sony 28-70, and then only in the 60-70mm zoom range. With that lens not being a macro lens, I wonder how well it would work for shooting small stuff.
N100 Sony A7RII/A7SII/A7RIII/A7RIV/A9/A7SIII Systems Port Chart
For that kind of question, I think the best option is to call Reef Photo (or email them) and talk to one of their guys. They have awesome customer service and they really know their stuff when it comes to questions like "WWL-1 vs MWL-1?" They are very much Nauticam experts. I think they are in the same physical building as the Nauticam USA importer, which definitely seems to help when it comes to parts availability and things like getting your Nauticam gear serviced.
Reef Photo & Video | The Underwater Photo Pros
It seems like it might be a good option for you - if there were a 60mm macro lens available for the Sony cameras. I think the MWL-1 is designed to work only with a 60mm macro lens. Sony has 90 and 50mm. Somebody else (Samyang?) has a 60, but it's manual focus-only.
The MWL-1 is only listed on the Nauticam port compatibility chart as working with the Sony 28-70, and then only in the 60-70mm zoom range. With that lens not being a macro lens, I wonder how well it would work for shooting small stuff.
N100 Sony A7RII/A7SII/A7RIII/A7RIV/A9/A7SIII Systems Port Chart
For that kind of question, I think the best option is to call Reef Photo (or email them) and talk to one of their guys. They have awesome customer service and they really know their stuff when it comes to questions like "WWL-1 vs MWL-1?" They are very much Nauticam experts. I think they are in the same physical building as the Nauticam USA importer, which definitely seems to help when it comes to parts availability and things like getting your Nauticam gear serviced.
Reef Photo & Video | The Underwater Photo Pros
One more thing that should be obvious, but I know I can get buried in the weeds on this stuff sometimes and forget about the forest...
With the MWL, you won't have any significant ability to adjust your zoom level. You'll be forced to use 60-70mm, and you'll have 150 degree FOV. If you want a narrower FOV, you'd have to remove the MWL-1 and then dial your zoom back to 28mm to have around 60-something degrees FOV (I *THINK*). If you want wide angle between (call it) 60-something and 150 degrees, you won't have a way to get that.
With the WWL, you get 130 degrees, with the lens set to 28mm. Then you can dial up the zoom all the way up to 60mm, if you want, to have anything from 60-something to 130 degrees. If you want tighter than 60-something, then you remove the WWL and use your zoom from 28 - 60 through the flat port. I *think* that gives you roughly 30-something degrees to 60-something.
But, again, Reef Photo are who I would ask about this to be SURE.
With the MWL, you won't have any significant ability to adjust your zoom level. You'll be forced to use 60-70mm, and you'll have 150 degree FOV. If you want a narrower FOV, you'd have to remove the MWL-1 and then dial your zoom back to 28mm to have around 60-something degrees FOV (I *THINK*). If you want wide angle between (call it) 60-something and 150 degrees, you won't have a way to get that.
With the WWL, you get 130 degrees, with the lens set to 28mm. Then you can dial up the zoom all the way up to 60mm, if you want, to have anything from 60-something to 130 degrees. If you want tighter than 60-something, then you remove the WWL and use your zoom from 28 - 60 through the flat port. I *think* that gives you roughly 30-something degrees to 60-something.
But, again, Reef Photo are who I would ask about this to be SURE.
LiteWeight
Contributor
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