Need Help selecting port for Canon T5i

[OutsideDylan]

My job requires me to take photos of people in a wide variety of wet situations such as whitewater rafting, surfing, ocean kayaking, diving, etc. I have a Canon T5i that I am looking to get a housing for and am pretty confused when it comes to ports (this would be my first underwater camera purchase that isn't a gopro). I am ideally looking to get a port that would look good for basic underwater photos without taking distorted pictures above water.

I have a couple of lenses, but we would be looking to house our Tamron18-270mm lens.

Can anybody help steer me in the right direction? I have absolutely no experience with these lenses or housings, so don't assume I know anything...

Thanks in advance

 

[scagrotto]

I think you're looking at a major challenge if you want to use that lens in a housing. If you don't already know, one of the cardinal rules for good UW photos is to get close and have as little water as possible between you and your subject. That means there's pretty much no reason an UW photographer would be using a lens that long, and that means there's no reason for anyone to make a port that accommodates it. If a port will fit it when it's zoomed out it's probably by stacking port extensions. Then as you zoom back more and more of your picture will be of the inside of the port and extensions. You could work around that by switching ports, but that kind of makes it pointless to have a zoom lens. You could have two separate cameras for wide angle and telephoto, but that's a much bigger cost and more gear to haul around. If you look at the Ikelite page for the T5i (or any other camera) you'll find a link to port compatibility with different lenses:
Ikelite | Underwater Housing for Canon EOS 700D Rebel T5i, 650D Rebel T4i DSLR

You've probably noticed while rafting that most paddlers just keep their camera gear in a Pelican box or Watershed bag, and mostly don't use it where there's much risk of dunking it. More risk for ocean kayaking, since you can't hop out to take pictures. The most versatility will come with an unhoused camera, and if you go that route you can swap lenses and have the full zoom range, but you'll really hate it if you flood your camera. No getting around a housing for diving and surfing, but for diving the only time you should want anything close to long is a probably a 90 to 150 mm macro lens. I can certainly see using the long telephoto for surfing shots, but I think the best shots are with shorter lenses from fairly close. UW a dome gets you the wide angle shots, and above water it's just another piece of glass in front of the lens.