Has anyone experienced the Canon 180mm f/3.5 L EF Macro underwater? If yes, how was it?

[zvonimiri]

Hello all,
 

As the title suggests I’m interested in the Canon 180mm f/3.5 L EF Macro as I have found a barely used copy for a really good price and think it would be fun to deviate from the 105mm once in a while.

Would your recommend this lens underwater?

 

I have extensively used a FX camera in DX mode with a 105mm lens and am curious about wether a 180 by itself or cropped (equivalent focal length of 288 mm) would be too much to handle when pointing and shooting.
 

Any experiences at these focal lengths would be much appreciated!

Edited March 14 by zvonimiri

[hedonist222]

You'll need to perfect maneuvering the strobes at distance.

You'll be further away for many pictures. 

[JayceeB]

On 7/31/2024 at 4:39 AM, hedonist222 said:

You'll need to perfect maneuvering the strobes at distance.

You'll be further away for many pictures. 

Closest focusing distance=0.48m / 1.6 ft

[Chris Ross]

There are two advantages for long focal length macro lenses, extra working distance and narrower angle of view making backgrounds easier to control.  The narrower angle means that a small move to either side can move distracting background elements out of the frame.  On land this can be a big advantage.

 

The magnification on the 180mm macro is the same 1:1 as the 105mm so no advantage.  For many subjects extra working distance is not usually needed and the extra water means more particles and potential for backscatter.  The sole exception probably being portraits of smaller fish and other subjects which can move quickly.  The extra working distance also eats into strobe power.  The narrower angle of view also won't help you UW if you have black backgrounds, though it may make it easier to exclude nearby objects at a similar distance.

 

The 180mm is a nice lens but it's one of the very first L range lenses released in the EOS system so the autofocus can be quite slow.  I have one that I have used extensively on land for insects and other subjects that are hard to approach .