Wide angle help

[RDRINK25]

Got a trip planed over labor day and looking to shoot wide angle with a Tokina 10-17. We are going to Jupiter Fl to see the Goliath's and am worried I should use my 10-17. I feel like I can never get the right shot and close enough. My other lenses on the canon 18-55 and 60mm. On land I do like the 18-55 but really want to get some good shots with the 10-17. Any help?

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

The 10-17 can be a challenging lens to get shots with because you have to be very, very close to your subject. Most of my good shots with that lens are taken within 2 feet of the subject, with many of my favorite shots touching or nearly touching the port. This applies to 15ft whale sharks, as well as sea lions and octopuses. For larger domes (8in+ diameter) the closer the better, and with small domes, within a foot or so tends to give me the best results. Ideally, you put the lens on 17mm, look through the viewfinder until the subject completely fills the frame, and then move closer and zoom out until you like the framing.

The other issue that is inherent with shooting that close is good lighting. You will need to effectively balance ambient light and strobes (2 minimum for large subjects). The only way to learn that is to go out and practice. Ideally you dive with the same subjects several days in a row and you can check your results each evening to see what works and what doesn't.

 

[Ran Mozaik]

I think that eventually its a matter of potential. Do you want 100 mediocre shots of the Goliath's or 10 really outstanding ones?
The 18-55 is a safety lens which will give you OK shots, but with the 10-17 and some luck, you can get amazing shots. Especially with good lighting (one strobe at least is a must here).
Btw, same goes for the macro lens. You would think a 60mm wouldn't be your first choice for Goliath's, but imagine that one incredible close-up shot of his eye...
If you have just one dive, take your safety. If you have a few to spare, take some risks.

 

[RDRINK25]

Thx for both your help. I really want to try the 10-17... Wish I had a 3' pole I could use to shove the camera close without losing a hand.

 

[JackConnick]

You can use it at 17mm which helps and it will be far, far sharper than the 18-55, which we don't recommend due to soft corners and overall weak imaging.

So get close. Talk to the DMs and get some advise about working with the animals. Watch the critters for a while and figure out what they're doing, if they are getting cleaned, or have a place they are waiting to ambush food. Then slowly work into position.

I've also shot that lens a lot with an added Kenko 1.4 teleconverter. You add a 20mm extension and a different gear. Makes it more like 24mm, but still is very sharp. Also great for "wide-angle macro" shots...

Another sort of weird setup you can try is to use your 60 behind a dome port. Gives you more reach for skittish large animals like the groupers or sharks. You won't need an extension. It'll shoot about 45mm but be quite sharp, and it's also fast if you're down deeper.

You can learn more about shooting these types of lenses in our free downloadable Handbook: Close Focus Wide Angle Photography