Lens choice?? WA vs. zoom?

[RLXFXR]

I apologize in advance if this subject has been covered in the past, but I'm new to this...

I'm going to purchase the Ikelite housing for my Canon Rebel XT and am unsure about what lens to get. I was using an Olympus point n' shoot digital and enjoyed being able to zoom in and out. I don't think at this point that I'd be interested in macro. Now I'm reading in various posts either shooting wide angle or macro?

What about using the standard 18-55mm zoom lens with a flat port? Would I be disappointed with this setup? Would it be better to go with a 10-22 WA lens and the specific 6" dome port? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Happy diving.

 

[alcina]

It totally depends on what type of shots you like.

You might like to start with the 18-55 and see what you like and what you feel is missing. Then add that later.

I can't imagine not shooting macro, myself, so went with two different macro lenses. I also picked up the Sigma 10-20 WA. I have a love/hate with WA so don't use it much yet

 

[ssra30]

There is no dSLR lens that will cover wide angle as well as macro so you pretty much will have to choose what you want to do during that particular dive. Basically the medium range zoom such as 18-55 does not really focus close enough for it to be considered a macro lens. I am not all that familiar with Canon line of lens but the closest medium range lens that can almost do macro is the Nikkor 17-55mm which can focus down to 14 inches.

Most people will either do wide angle with 10-22, use the 17-40 ro 18-55 for fish portrait type shot and 100mm macro or 60mm macro for macro shots.

 

[justin-branam]

There is no dSLR lens that will cover wide angle as well as macro so you pretty much will have to choose what you want to do during that particular dive.

...but on the contrary, if you want to plop down the cash, you could always go with the "Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens". id say that would get you the most amount of coverage. of course you are looking at $1200 for the lens. you could also look at the 24-70L for $1100, which i know i will be adding it to my collection shortly.

and i understand the 24 may not be the widest angle of view, it is still considered a wide angle lens, and could get you a nice amount of reef in a picture.

 

[Warren_L]

...but on the contrary, if you want to plop down the cash, you could always go with the "Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens". id say that would get you the most amount of coverage. of course you are looking at $1200 for the lens. you could also look at the 24-70L for $1100, which i know i will be adding it to my collection shortly.

and i understand the 24 may not be the widest angle of view, it is still considered a wide angle lens, and could get you a nice amount of reef in a picture.

A 24mm-105mm would give you lots of flexibility, but for me, I would still want to be able to go much wider than 24mm.

 

[dbh]

whichever lens(es) you decide on, make sure a port is available from the manufacturer that plan on housing your camera with. Not all lenses are support by all mfgs.


Dave

 

[ssra30]

...but on the contrary, if you want to plop down the cash, you could always go with the "Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens". of reef

This lens is not really sufficient for wide angle or macro photography at all.
It is going to be used on a cropped sensor camera so 24mm is going to be more like 36mm (sorry, can't remeber if Rebel XT is 1.5 or 1.6x cropped sensor but whatever it is, 36mm is close enough).
The lens minimum focusing distance is about 16 inches, it certainly would not be my preferred lens for macro. So this is going to be another one of those in between lens, not really wide enough for good wide angle shot and not focus close enough for real macro work but should be a pretty good lens for fish portrait type picture.

 

[Warren_L]

I believe the Rebel XT is a 1.6 crop factor, so a 24mm would have about an equivalent viewing angle of a 38mm lens on a 35mm SLR. Definitely would want something wider.

 

[f3nikon]

I apologize in advance if this subject has been covered in the past, but I'm new to this...

I'm going to purchase the Ikelite housing for my Canon Rebel XT and am unsure about what lens to get. I was using an Olympus point n' shoot digital and enjoyed being able to zoom in and out. I don't think at this point that I'd be interested in macro. Now I'm reading in various posts either shooting wide angle or macro?

What about using the standard 18-55mm zoom lens with a flat port? Would I be disappointed with this setup? Would it be better to go with a 10-22 WA lens and the specific 6" dome port? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Happy diving.

Check this first:

http://www.digitaldiver.net/yabbse/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=17137;start=15

I would buy just one lens for starters and that would be a Canon 50mm marco "prime" lens meaning no zoom and in a flatport. I see some problems already because a 6" dome is used on 28mm lenses or narrower, you will need a 8" dome for lenses wider than a 28mm. The edges in the image become fuzzy in a 6" dome with the wrong lens setup, that is why Aquatica has been making 8" domes all along. Next lens would be a Canon version of the Nikon 10mm fisheye in an 8" dome.

ssra30 is correct, 16" is too far a distance, thats a lot of water.

 

[RonFrank]

.. always go with the "Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens".

and i understand the 24 may not be the widest angle of view, it is still considered a wide angle lens, and could get you a nice amount of reef in a picture.

Unless one is shooting a 1DsMarkII, the 24mm lens is not wide at all. At 36mm or narrower, it's not ideal for UW photogaphy IMO.