Looking for lens reccommendation for my Canon 70D.

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Carl Brooke

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I just don't log dives
I am considering a Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 AF DX Fisheye Lens for my Canon 70D in an Ikelite Housing. Any thoughts on better options for close up work? Also thoughts on a all around lens for underwater video?
 
I use a 70D for non-water videographic work.

The Canon 10-22mm 1:3.5-4.5 works very well as a setup with the body in terms of decent speed/accuracy AF - for this, it *may* work well as an all-round lens..... I have not tried the Tonkina lens you've mentioned to know if it is any better.

It seems though that in low-light, the footage would be a bit average due to the f/3.5-4.5 - but I assume you will be using lighting.
 
For wide angle, the Tokina 10-17 mm fisheye is a very popular lens. (I used one on a Canon XT-i for a while.)

As for a close up or a macro lens, there are a few good options.
Canon makes a relatively economical 60mm f2.8 Macro that is popular for underwater. This lens is the equivalent of a 96mm lens.
For a couple hundred bucks more, both Sigma and Canon make Macro lenses in the 100mm range.

If Ikelite makes a housing for any of these lenses, I think that they would meet your needs.
 
The Tokina 10-17 lens is a great little lens. It has a really close focus of something like 3". You can get a photo of a large macro subject in a sort of landscape shot. Also, it shoots fine with a 4 inch dome. If you get close, it is good for large subjects like sharks, turtles, schooling fish and so on.

It has a funky vibe with it distortion. I found that it takes great after dive shots of other divers. The photos have a weird and zany that works really nicely.

For close ups, a 60 macro is a nice lens and it is especially nice with a wet lens diopter like the sea and sea for small subjects. The 60 macro has really good optics.

Sigma makes a versatile 17-70 macro lens. It needs a 6 or 8 inch dome. It really is not macro but it does focus pretty close. It is good for photos of bug fish, medium fish and even divers.

All three of these lenses have their place.
 
I have the Tokina 10-17 and the 60mm Macro. I've not used the Macro yet underwater. I have the port for my Ikelite housing just haven't got around to playing with it. The Tokina is a great closeup lens. I have had issues with auto focusing however on larger objects. It actually is much easier to use as a macro. For large objects the 18-55 kit lens works very well.
The tokina is sharp as a tack, focuses fast (in it's preferred range) and is just a nice lens. I've uploaded some photos from the surface and underwater I took diving Erie last year with the lens. These are right off the card. No post processing.
Canon SL1, Tokina 10-17, Dual DS 51 strobes for the underwater shots. Camera set on Auto
 

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