Should I get a Wide Angle Lens for DC800?

[ks18]

I am not an experienced UW photographer. I have the DC800 without strobes. Does it make a big difference if I get the Wide Angle lens or not? On a forum it said not too. Just wondering why.
I have attached a couple of my photos to show what type of pictures I like to take.

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

[mike_s]

yes... yes... yes...

remember that the farther underwater distance you go, the more light you loose into your lens.

having a wide angle lens allows you to get an object in your lens w/o having to back up and loose light. (or at least that's my opinion......)


I've found that having the wide angle lens on mine has allowed me to get some better shots in some cases.... (maybe not all, but in some it's great).

 

[Gombessa]

If, for instance, you wanted to get more of the manatee in the frame, a wide angle lens could definitely help. I think it does make a big difference overall, especially if you're shooting with an 35mm equivalent or greater focal length.

A couple things to keep in mind, some of the wet lenses available (such as the Ikelite W-20 and Inon UWL-100) are pretty big and heavy (like 2-3lb) and can change the balance/feel of the camera, especially the smaller units. Also, unless you buy them used, they're pretty expensive (~$250-300), at which point you may ask yourself whether it may be worth making the leap to a new camera and housing with a 24mm lens instead.

 

[mike_s]

If, for instance, you wanted to get more of the manatee in the frame, a wide angle lens could definitely help. I think it does make a big difference overall, especially if you're shooting with an 35mm equivalent or greater focal length.

A couple things to keep in mind, some of the wet lenses available (such as the Ikelite W-20 and Inon UWL-100) are pretty big and heavy (like 2-3lb) and can change the balance/feel of the camera, especially the smaller units. Also, unless you buy them used, they're pretty expensive (~$250-300), at which point you may ask yourself whether it may be worth making the leap to a new camera and housing with a 24mm lens instead.

I'm pretty sure he's just wanting the pop on (external mount) lens from SeaLife. yo just snap it over your housing. works great for an entry level camera.

 

[Gombessa]

I'm pretty sure he's just wanting the pop on (external mount) lens from SeaLife. yo just snap it over your housing. works great for an entry level camera.

Sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the Sealife specific stuff (that's what I get for browsing with "New Posts"). However, it looks like this lens is incompatible with the DC800 in the first place?

"The SL970 Wide Angle Lens fits all SeaLife camera BUT the DC800(SL180) , ReefMaster Mini (SL320) and ECOshot (SL321) cameras. The DC800 has a built in wide angle lens (28mm film equivalent). Although the Wide Angle Lens will fit onto the DC800, the pictures will vignette."

I guess if the camera is already 28mm, going with a new camera isn't going to help get any wider. Oh well.

 

[ks18]

I did see that on Sealife's webpage. But the guy at a scuba shop said they work fine. So I have no idea if I should buy one or not.

Thanks for all of your quick responses.

 

[Gombessa]

I did see that on Sealife's webpage. But the guy at a scuba shop said they work fine. So I have no idea if I should buy one or not.

Thanks for all of your quick responses.

My limited experience with vignetting is as follows:

1. If you're at 28mm zoom, it'll vignette.
2. If you zoom in marginally, the vignetting will disappear, and it'll still be wider than what you can get at 28mm.

If that's the case, then IMO it is worth it. More often than not, I wish I had more wide instead of less. But I would test it first.

 

[flyingfrawg]

I think you'll be safe. Came with my DC1000 kit. It does not fit absolutely snug, but it seems to work fine in air.

My limited experience with vignetting is as follows:

1. If you're at 28mm zoom, it'll vignette.
2. If you zoom in marginally, the vignetting will disappear, and it'll still be wider than what you can get at 28mm.

If that's the case, then IMO it is worth it. More often than not, I wish I had more wide instead of less. But I would test it first.

Gombessa is exactly right on this. This issue dates back a long way in digicamera-dom. Hanging extra glass on the front of these often does not work without vignette on widest settings of the internal lens system.

Based on my on-land experience with a now very ancient Coolpix 990, you can nicely compensate and get a good result if you use a moderately lighted scene for test shots. Take a series of pix starting with the camera in widest mode then zoom in stepwise in small increments until the vignette just disappears. Note that point, then continue to zoom in small increments and note the position where there is no sign at all in the pictures.

I usually pick a spot in between. Usually the degree of corner vignetting is not objectional and you definitely get significantly wider angle than you would with the camera built-in.

I'll follow-up post on how the DC-1000 behaves underwater with the SL970 in a few days from OZ.

 

[parrothead600]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I need to ask; What is ment by "vignette"?

 

[flyingfrawg]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I need to ask; What is ment by "vignette"?

It means there is a circular dark fade around the edges of the photograph. No problem...