FujiFilm F200EXR lens options...which one?!?!

[divertimmy]

Okay, so I recently bought the FujiFilm Finepix F200EXR and correlating housing (decided on it instead of others because I can't afford lights for now, but if I made the wrong decision you can try and convince me otherwise, lol).

I am looking at the Fantasea lenses. I noticed that they have a BigEye lens made for the housing specifically, or they have a 67mm thread that will enable me to use other lenses (their BigEye M67 for instance, or a macro lens). My question is do I lose any quality by going with an adapter instead of the dedicated lens.

All I have used up to this point is a Canon Powershot 630 and housing with no lights or lenses...and it needs replaced.

Any advice appreciated!

 

[RAWalker]

Nice choice of camera.
I shoot the F50fd myself and am very happy with it. I have seen some very positve results posted from the F200.
The thing is if you go with the adapter and look at other lenses you'll find the price of the lens goes up significantly.
It's advantage is many choices of equipment. Wide angle, Macro, color filters
The Bigeye is designed to be a corrective lens it isn't a true wide angle. It just corrects for shooting in water.

 

[divertimmy]

Thanks RAWalker. My worry about using the adapter is getting any distortion. I imagine the adapter brings the lens out further from the camera lens. Is there anyone with experience with both the lens designed for the housing as well as the adapter and the 67mm lens?

 

[divertimmy]

Sorry to be posting again, but in case anyone else is curious later on I discovered the answer...

Fantasea designed the 67mm adapter in order to use their 67mm macro lens, not the BigEye corrective lens. With either lens some vignetteing is apparent, but with the macro lens you can zoom the camera just a bit and eliminate any vignette. To do so on the BigEye would, of course, eliminate the enlarge field of view that you were looking for.

So essentially, with my housing I have to get the BigEye lens that is customized for this camera/housing and then get an adapter and macro lens as well if I want to head in that direction...all made by Fantasea of course. Good business model!

Now to look at lighting...though I'll probably have to wait a bit till I can afford it.

 

[RAWalker]

I'd go with the lighting first.