18-105?

[scuba e]

Got the D90 recently. Great camera for the money.
It will be replacing a sea and sea 8000g point and shoot. Not sure which housing to go with yet. Looks like more options are coming.
From what i have read it looks like I will be going after the 105 macro and a 12-24 wide. Until that time.....
Has anyone used the kit 18-105 underwater? Getting sharp images topside with it.
Ikelite has a port for the 105 and the 18-105. i dont really know their nomenclature but the port number are close (differnt decimal). SO if I am going to end up with the 105 could use the 18-105 in the 105 port?
Or is there a dome that would allow the 18-105 and the 12-24?
I'd love to buy the whole set upfront but then it would just sit on the shelf until I could afford to dive again!

one last concern. should I hold off all together, seeing how i am jsut getting started with dslr, and set up for full frame? should I start buying fx glass if I am just starting out? maybe pick up a used 700 next year?

thanks

 

[mjh]

Wow quite a few issues there and hopefully some of the more technically inclined will chime in. First Full Frame vs. Crop. IMHO Crop sensor cameras will always be out there as there are just too many of us that have the lenses that go with. But there are those who feel the trend is to FF. That said IMHO it is 50/50 the advantage of FF underwater. Sooooooo the question is what is your priority land shooting or underwater? Plus if I could make my current camera do what it is capable of I would be on the cover of National Geographic so how much is the latest tech really going to do for you?

Used vs. New: I have never had a problem buying used equipment, depending on the source, of course. My first DSLR D100 system cost me the same as a G9 point and shoot as soon as the D200 was rumored. Same with lenses.

Lenses: Forget the 18-105mm underwater. The 105mm is a great lens, I have owned 2, but it is not as versatile as the 60mm. If you are shooting shy creatures, dive crystal clear water, like to shoot Super macro the 105 is great. But the 60mm is faster and has a wider range. Many love the 12-24mm but I dumped it for the Tokina 10-17mm. My current lens line up is: Wide Angel Tokina 10-17mm, Not sure what you will see Sigma 17-70mm, Macro Nikon 60mm and the 105mm.

I was just on the PNG Star Dancer and the Captain just took a 3rd place in the BBC's Wildlife Photos of the Yr contest (underwater) and he is shooting the D90.

 

[Larry C]

Problem with the 18-105 is, though close focus is 1.5 feet throughout the zoom range, that means you can't get close enough for 1:1 on a macro shot (1:5) so your subject will only take up 20% of your picture, and you can't get close enough on the full wide angle to fit your whole subject in the picture with subject to infinity focus. Also, at full zoom, your widest aperture is f5.6, though with adequate strobes a lot of shooters are closed up all the way to f22 or more for macro so that isn't too big a deal. The Sigma 17-70 starts at f2.8 and is f4.5 at full zoom, and because it is designed as a macro lens focuses down to about 8" and will give you a 1:2.3 macro, so your subject takes up almost half the picture. At 17mm and .2 meters, f2.8, you should be able to shoot a non-strobe shot with subject to surface focus. If you go with the 60mm macro lens, you can focus right down to the port and get 1:1 or go wide enough for a fish portrait, all at f2.8.

 

[scuba e]

Great advise from you both. Thank you very much.

 

[cim72lando]

The lenses I most commonly use underwater are the nikon 105 mm and the tokina 10-17 mm and I have been very satisfied with them. I encounter enough shy critters to make the 105 more useful than the 60 mm. The tokina 10-17 will save you a bundle over the nikon 12-24. I have used nikon kit lenses underwater but gave up on them early as picture quality is not good enough.

 

[scottfiji]

hey Scuba-E - I see you live in so-cal. a bunch of us underwater photographers dive together quite often, you should join us on a boat some time.

You can also check out my underwater lens guide for some lens recommendations. It looks like everyone is sending you in the right direction already.

Scott

 

[CaptSaaz]

I have to agree with the above. I just came back from my first trip with my D90. I set up with the Tokina 11-17mm for wide angle and the Nikkor 60mm for macro. This is the way to go. I have some great pics but some are going into competition so I won't post them online until judging is done.

 

[davelew]

Got the D90 recently. Great camera for the money.
Or is there a dome that would allow the 18-105 and the 12-24?

I would expect problems using a dome with the 18-105. On my 18-105, the lens gets about 45mm longer physical length when zoomed to 105mm than when zoomed to 18mm. A dome port need to be centered aroudn the front nodal point of the lens, and I would guess that the FNP moves somewhere around that much. In practice, this means that your pictures will have blurry corners at some zoom ranges.

 

[cim72lando]

scottfiji's Underwater Photography Guide should be a required reading for all underwater photographers. This unselfish diver/photographer is offering this guide free at Underwater Photography Guide as indicated in his post above and he gives updates regularly. THANK YOU, Scott.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

Scuba e,
i have the port for the original lens the D90 comes with, the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR AF-S DX

You can use the lens under water, but expect some vigneting on 18mm and the tele is mostly useless underwater.
Unfortunately using the Nikon 105mm Micro lens, this port is a few mm to short to extend to full macro (but it fit the lens), so i had do buy another port for the 105mm Micro.
For doing the first steps you can use it, but i recommend to buy (a) more useful lens(es) like the Tokina 12-24 or 11-17 and a 60/100 mm macro lens. There are recently new zooms in the 18-30/50 mm range and they may be interesting too. If the have IF (Internal Focusing) they should work with a dome port, maybe the modular system from Ikelite where you can vary the lenght of the dome port to find the right focal point.

Best regards

Chris