parabolic
Contributor
aboalreem:What is the main difference in taking pictures UW between 12-24mm and 10.5mm?
what is better to invest in?
It's primarily just the width. The 10.5mm is a 180 degree fisheye and the 12-24mm is a rectilinearly corrected lens (angle of acceptance 91-66 degrees at 12mm and 24mm respectively), but that doesn't make much difference underwater where there are very few straight lines. Personally I don't think there is much value to a zoom lens underwater. I bought the RS 20-35mm zoom, thinking it would be a good lens for shooting big animals, particularly sharks. But after an initial love affair with it I found that I rarely used it. With sharks and other big animals I found the action was just too fast to use a zoom lens effectively. For me it was better to use a fixed focal length lens (28mm or 13mm) and just wait for the frame to develop. But that's just me. There may well be some good application for the zoom in more fixed wideangle shots like reef scenics that don't move. Also, IMHO, I love the 10.5mm, if it's a choice between the 10.5mm and 12-24mm underwater, go with the 10.5mm (I have both lenses and have used both underwater).