DSLR Lens Suggestions ???

[kaes]

I just upgraded to an Ikelite housing & DS125 strobe for my Canon 30D DSLR. The port is the 5503 which accepts Canon 15mm, 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 18-55 kit lens, 20-35mm, 35-80mm, and also the Sigma 24-70mm.

I'm tryng to avoid buying another port (atleast initially) and wanted to get some suggestions. My initial thoughts are the 20mm f/2.8, 24mm f/2.8, or 28mm f/1.8 prime lenses.

 

[bvanant]

For wide angle, if it will fit get the Tokina 10-17 it rocks.
Bill

 

[maged_mmh]

17-40mmL is a superb lens if it fits your port.

 

[jdcpa]

The 18-55 you refer to is the non IS lens, the old kit lens, which was consistently reviewed as a pretty poor lens. Avoid that one.

Some of those others are old lenses.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

All purpose 17-40mm
Wide angle Tokina 10-17 -- AWESOME!!!!!!
Macro 60mm and/or 100mm

 

[Osseous]

Tamron 17-50 2.8 is a sharp lens and somewhat of a bargain compared to the Canon offerings. Lots of fans of this lens out there.

 

[kaes]

Several people have recommended the Tokina 10-17 wide angle. I know this is a fisheye lens and am curious how the fisheye effect works underwater. Do the images need to be "straightened" in post processing to correct the fisheye effect?

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

No you do not need to do any "straightening" post-processing with the Tokina 10-17. It is a great lens and used by many professional underwater photographers. I'm clearly not a professional but here is a sampling from my most recent shots with the lens

 

[scottfiji]

Several people have recommended the Tokina 10-17 wide angle. I know this is a fisheye lens and am curious how the fisheye effect works underwater. Do the images need to be "straightened" in post processing to correct the fisheye effect?

hey Kaes, you're getting great advice from everyone so far. In case you want to do more reading here's a couple links

Best canon lenses for underwater photography
Fisheye lenses versus regular lenses

good luck,
Scott

 

[newmanl]

Hi kaes,

I also shoot with a 30D in an Ikelite housing and started with the 5503 port - selected because of the 28/1.8 I already had, but also because of the other options as you have listed.

I started off shooting with available light only (did not have a strobe yet) and found the 28/1.8 almost wide enough for modest reef scenes as well as bigger subjects like large individual fishes or schools. Having a large aperature made it bright in the VF and it's performance behind the 6" dome is very good as far a corner sharpness goes (given the 1.6 crop factor of the 30D). Here's a sample image:

The other lens I decided on was the Sigma 15/2.8 fisheye. It has a great minimum close focus distance for some creative options and works great behind the 5503 dome. Because of the crop factor of the 30D I've never had to "de-fish" an image and because it is a fisheye lens it does even better in the corners than a rectilinear lens which are designed to focus on a flat plane of focus rather than a curved - which the dome port produces. Here's a sample from the 15mm:

I also have a Canon 17-40 and it does not work with the 5503 - I used it behind a 6" dome and really did not like the lack of corner sharpness. It probably needs an 8" dome and maybe even a diopter to get sharp enough in the corners for my eye.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your lens selection!

Lee