G7X Mk ii -- UWL-09F or BigEye M67?

[fab208]

Hi all, I am very much a beginner with underwater photography but am ready to grow my set-up. I have a G7X Mk ii in the Fantasea housing, & have recently purchased a used Sea & Sea YS-01 strobe with a Sea & Sea plate. I want to get a wide angle lens, but mannnn are they pricey!! I've read loads of reviews & know that vignetting is an issue with this camera/housing set-up so was looking at the UWL-09F, but it is so expensive.... So I'm thinking of just getting the BigEye M67 instead as it's SO much cheaper. Can anyone advise on whether I should just suck it up & pay the extra for the UWL-09F or whether the BigEye M67 is good enough? As I say, I am very much a beginner, & can only dive once a year when we go on holiday so it isn't like I'm doing it regularly. I just want to be able to take decent photos of sharks, turtles, sea lions etc.... Some of my previous photos here to show you the kind of thing I like to photograph (all taken on the G7X Mk ii without any additional accessories).
Thanks for the tips!

 

[SteveMT]

I had the exact same question and google search brought me here but unfortunately no answer; would be great if someone with experience using those two lenses could comment on their pros / cons.

thanks

 

[missionmtb]

I went through this same quandary with my g7x mkiii and ended up buying something like a bigeye first, then getting a nicer INON setup later. If I had to do it over again, I would skip to the nicer wet lens and save the money because I think everyone outgrows the cheaper ones v. quickly.

Pictures are sharper further toward the edge, build quality is better so you're not fiddling with it and when you outgrow it you can get some money for it. FYI I had a sea frogs-type wet wide and ended up with an s100-zm80 with dome cuz I like the distortion. Here's one with the latter and pretty sharp focus all the way out.

All of this is just a stop on your way to getting a full frame with giant dome port and ridiculous flashes, it's a sickness. Happy shooting.