Some observations and experiences from 10 days in Raja Ampat with my new Nikon Z8 and Nauticam housing setup:

 

1. As @Alex_Mustard and others have pointed out, mirrorless is the future! I transitioned from the Nikon D800E and discovered the advantages of the EVF.
2. The versatile Nikkor Z 24-50mm lens seemed happiest with the Nauticam WWL-C wet optic. It wasn’t an ideal match for the WACP-1.
3. My WACP-1 worked best with the Sony SEL 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens using a Megadap ETZ21 Pro adapter. That made for a highly versatile setup. While the WACP-1 is heavy above water and a pain to pack, it’s well-balanced and easy to use underwater.
4. By contrast, my Nikkor AF-S 8-15mm Fisheye behind a Nauticam 140mm glass dome port seemed outdated and superseded by the wet optics. Image quality with the WACP-1 and WWL-C was better, especially at the edges and corners.
5. My older Nauticam 45-degree viewfinder worked well with the Z8 and new housing. There’s no real need to upgrade at great expense.
6. The Nikkor Z 105mm macro lens is superior in sharpness to its older counterpart.
7. The Nikkor Z 35mm Prime lens isn’t particularly well suited to underwater photography. Better for shooting in low-light situations above water.
8. The Retra Pro Max strobes are well-engineered with superior battery life compared to their older cousins.

 

I look forward to your comments and thoughts.

 

Edited April 2, 20241 yr by ridgebackpilot

Thanks for this!

 

Advantages of the EVF. Would you like to explain that a bit more?

I find the comment about the 8-15 interesting

Fisheye lenses have horrible corners, underwater with the increased depth of field that a dome gives this seems a bit better but those lenses were never good at the edges how can they be with the amount of distortion there is the residual resolution is low

One should compare with the FCP though not with narrower optics and here the reports do not match what you say although we are talking preliminary tests

On 4/2/2024 at 3:47 AM, TimG said:

Thanks for this!

 

Advantages of the EVF. Would you like to explain that a bit more?

The main advantage is being able to quickly preview a shot you've just taken, without having to remove your eye from the viewfinder. That allows you to make quick adjustments to ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed as necessary, also without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.