wide angle/dome or macro/closeup lens : which one do you use the most ?

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have a P&S Panasonic Zs3, and was thinking about getting a wide angle dome

Seems that some answerers do not seem to have taken this information into account when answering.

 

[Darnold9999]

Or answered the general question in the title figuring that it might be useful to the OP.

 

[Doc Harry]

Depends on what kind of dive I am doing.

Daytime O/W or cave dives: I used the WA/dome almost always

Night time O/W: I use the maco lens almost always

 

[AussieByron]

Honestly with a compact setup you can dive with both sets of equipment. Its often simply you removing your wide angle wet lens and screw on a macro lens for close ups. So you can dive around knowing you have it all covered. This is hard for DSLR users as we have dedicated lenses for macro and WA.

More often than not its where your diving which dictates how your shooting. If your local spot has alot of Macro stuff than larger animals it makes sense to have your setup for macro with the option of adding a WA wetlens if something turns up out of the blue.

I am lucky to dive a spot where we have alot of larger animals which makes me shoot WA mostly. I am also blessed that we have excellent Macro so you can go either way on a dive and be successful.

Regards Mark

 

[stargost]

Seems that some answerers do not seem to have taken this information into account when answering.

no worries, i got basically the confirmation of original idea of the WA.
I was thinking about the macro, but all the comments here and more thinking confirmed that it's the best way to go. We'll see later if it worth getting a macro for the PS.

thanks to all.

 

[joebubbles]

Sorry to complicate matters a little bit. But have you actually seen pictures with a dome port on the ZS3/TZ7? It's true that Dyron is selling a solution, but I have yet to see any pictures that it will deliver the goods. Just an FYI, INON emphatically states that the ZS3 will not take their wide angle lens because of the distortion it creates. Please let me know if the Dyron actually provides a distortion free--that is, no blurry/soft corners or vignetting.

Dyron Wide Port For Panasonic DMW-MCTZ7 + TZ10 - Best Price at Bristol Cameras

 

[slowhands]

I was wondering what uw photographers are ..using: wide angle with dome or macro.

I have a P&S Panasonic Zs3, and was thinking about getting a wide angle dome .. DYRON : Dyron)

But ... I went back to consider a macro set-up instead, as there are 67mm adapter rings and decent lens like the Inon:
INON Close-up Lens Line up

But ... I ran into a ...report here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ca...eye-uwl04-macro-dyron-ucl67ii-inon-d2000.html
With lots of outstanding pictures, and most of them shot with the dome/wide angle …

Solution is of course to get both, but I was still wondering what most of longer terms uw photographers were doing !

The answer depends on your taste in photography. It sounds like you enjoy macro, but maybe you read about wide angle and wonder about that. It turns out you can do both with one lens. There is a lot of interest in Close Focus Wide Angle photography (CFWA), which combines both using a moderate wide angle lens, not an extreme fisheye. You get the best of both worlds, ability to focus on a close subject and capture a wide background context.

The good news is your ZS-3 has a 25mm Eq lens, which is really wide compared to other point and shoots. But you have to be sure any add on wide angle lens you buy can actually work with the housing. Don't assume that something that works well with another housing will work with yours. You may want to ask this question in the Panasonic Forum, because they know what add on lenses work well with your housing. I have seen only the Dyron TZ for Panasonic, and been curious. I have not seen a Review with photos. Maybe you could be the first? Dyron claims "no distortion and no Vignetting" with the TZ on the Panasonic. All I can say is that would be extraordinary. I'd have to see it to believe it. Let us know.

Dyron has limited distribution, none that I know of in the USA. I've been looking. I've had quotes from a reputable UK seller, Cameras Underwater UK. Here is their ad for the TZ:
Panasonic DMW-MC TZ10 waterproof case for Lumix DMC-TZ10 - Cameras Underwater.
In my correspondence with them, they said Paypal could be used for payment, no VAT would accrue, and shipping was high at about $50-75 depending on weight.

Another option which may or may not work is using an INON Multi-purpose Mount Adapter with matching lens. To minimize vignetting, I suspect you would have to use the 67mm Adapter. Try the ULW-100 with or without dome. This lens and dome are rather expensive, so you should check this setup out with a dealer before committing to buying it.
INON Mountbase?[TOP]

Let me throw out another idea. There are many 67mm close up and wide angle lenses available. Check out the 10Bar housing for the ZS-3. It is metal, and has a 67mm port thread. You may find it is easier and cheaper to get a housing that directly accepts readily available 67mm wet lenses than it is to try to adapt some that aren't quite designed for your Panasonic housing. Just a thought...
10Bar Panasonic TZ7/ZS3 Housing - 10Bar Underwater Housings - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!

 

[joebubbles]

Dyron has limited distribution, none that I know of in the USA.

Dyron is now availaible in the U.S. at Blue Water Photo in California. They are the exclusive North American Distributor
Bluewater photo first to offer Dyron Products | Bluewater Photo & Video

 

[blibecap]

I really loved the DYRON web site except for the lack of any manuals to explain there products. DYRON : Dyron)