Should I get a Wide Angle Lens for DC800?

[SeahorseDeb]

Gombessa, You are exactly right! SeaLife did not make a wide angle lens for the DC800. While the wide angle lens will fit onto the housing, the photos do indeed vignette. I have been in direct phone contact with SeaLife. Their customer service is outstanding!! They could have said "yes" and sold it to me, but they didn't. Even if you pop the lens onto your camera, and don't care about the vingnetting, you won't end up with a wide angle photo, at all. I experimented on land with one I borrowed and got some cool photos with vignetting and that's about all!! Take care!

 

[parrothead600]

Gombessa, You are exactly right! SeaLife did not make a wide angle lens for the DC800. While the wide angle lens will fit onto the housing, the photos do indeed vignette. I have been in direct phone contact with SeaLife. Their customer service is outstanding!! They could have said "yes" and sold it to me, but they didn't. Even if you pop the lens onto your camera, and don't care about the vingnetting, you won't end up with a wide angle photo, at all. I experimented on land with one I borrowed and got some cool photos with vignetting and that's about all!! Take care!

Deb, (or anyone else)
How does the built in wide angle on the DC800 measure up against a camera such as a DC500 (or 600 or 1000) with the wide angle lense? Is there as much of a field of view on the DC800?
I am typicaly in low-vis water and I can't get very much distance between me & the subject, so a wide angle lense is a big benefit. But I would rather not have the additional weight & bother of the wide angle lense if I can get good results w/a DC800.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[SeahorseDeb]

parrothead, sorry for the delay in replying to you. I have no excuses!! Surface temp is about 22 here in the Pacific Northwest, so too cold for me above waterto dive. In answer to your question, I have not used the 500 or 600 model, so can't comment on wide angle. Since I am in the Pacific NW, vis here is about 10' in freshwater. A real thrill is 30-35 ft!!! So, I seem to shoot same stuff you do. For me, I have no use for a wide angle. I prefer the macro type photography, but the DC800 doesn't give us good macro here unless we are about 12 inches from subject, but that is only my experience. Go to the sealife images site here on this board and take a look at what other members are getting from their DC800's. I'd be glad to email you a few shots I'm proud of on my 800 just let me know.

 

[parrothead600]

parrothead, sorry for the delay in replying to you. I have no excuses!! Surface temp is about 22 here in the Pacific Northwest, so too cold for me above waterto dive. In answer to your question, I have not used the 500 or 600 model, so can't comment on wide angle. Since I am in the Pacific NW, vis here is about 10' in freshwater. A real thrill is 30-35 ft!!! So, I seem to shoot same stuff you do. For me, I have no use for a wide angle. I prefer the macro type photography, but the DC800 doesn't give us good macro here unless we are about 12 inches from subject, but that is only my experience. Go to the sealife images site here on this board and take a look at what other members are getting from their DC800's. I'd be glad to email you a few shots I'm proud of on my 800 just let me know.

You mean it's possible to see more than 10' underwater:shocked2:. Just kidding, but I have to agree that it is a real treat to have 30'-35' of vis. Although I have seen 50+' of vis @ 40' under the ice. I also saw 200' of vis, but that was @ Disney World
Do you have a link to the sealife images site that you mentioned? I tried a search but I lost my patience (!#^*!# dial-up!). I sent you a PM w/my email. If you have any pics w/ the wide angle lens & vigenetting, I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of them too.
Thanks

 

[SeahorseDeb]

To find the SeaLife images, go to the pictures forum, then in the search box, type in SeaLife and anyone who has posted photos and put SeaLife in their image description will come up for you. enjoy!