Beginner Questions - New Gear / Wide-Angle Lens

[Apneagraph]

Hello everyone!

 

It's still a good 3 months until my first dive in the sea and although I believed I was well-equipped with the current setup, thoughts linger daily as to whether I might be missing a wide-angle lens or dome port to truly enhance my underwater photography experience. My main focus is to photograph while freediving. 

 

However, my inner procrastinator promptly reminds me that, in terms of underwater photography, I am a complete novice and should perhaps initially focus on what I already have. On the other hand, one wouldn't want to miss out on anything.

 

I know that no one can make the decision for me, and I wouldn't want that either. However, I would love to hear the opinions of those who have some experience in the field :).

 

Specifically, I'm considering:

Budget option: "Seafrog 4" wide-angle wet correction dome port lens (67mm round adapter)"

Going all-in: "WeeFine WFL-02 24mm 0.47X Super Wide Angle Converter" (+ 52/67 Adapter)

(I couldn't find any post wether I'm allowed posting links or not, therefore I kept em out 🙂 )

 

edit:

Sony RX100 va

Inon S220

Fantasea FRX 100 S

 

Thank you very much!

Edited January 14 by Apneagraph
Feedback

[Davide DB]

First of all, what's your camera/housing?

[Chris Ross]

The Seafrogs lens only gets you back to the land view for the RX100 lens, which in underwater terms is not that wide.  The weefine lens if you look at their webpage is designed for a small sensor camera like a TG6, so may not work so well on the 1"sensor of the RX100.  This page may be helpful with a lot of sample shots taken with wet lenses.

 

https://www.housingcamera.com/blog/product-reviews/the-ultimate-wet-lens-sample-post

 

It mentions cameras used and the settings can be found in the EXIF data of the images.

 

Before you decide if you need a wide lens perhaps you'd like to think about what you are planning to photograph and where you are planning to dive.  Some sites you may be better using a macro close up lens.

[Apneagraph]

6 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

First of all, what's your camera/housing?

Forgot to write it in my Post, I edited it - thanks 🙂

@Chris Ross

Thanks for the Link, thats a good hint. 
First destination will be Seychelles and later this year croatia. Since I mainly will use it while freediving, I would guess Macro shots will be way harder, therefore I thought about more wide angle shots than macro. 

[Chris Ross]

19 minutes ago, Apneagraph said:

Forgot to write it in my Post, I edited it - thanks 🙂

@Chris Ross

Thanks for the Link, thats a good hint. 
First destination will be Seychelles and later this year croatia. Since I mainly will use it while freediving, I would guess Macro shots will be way harder, therefore I thought about more wide angle shots than macro. 

 

If you are free diving, then you might appreciate a more compact package, something like INON UWL-H100, though I think it's now replaced by the UWL95 which seems to have the equivalent field of a 20mm lens.  You can add a dome unit to it for a much wider view.

[fruehaufsteher2]

Hi, Freediving is for me the best way to explore the reefs if you’re not too much into macro. So it might be that we have the same attitude towards diving. 
 

I had both: The RX100VA in Seafrogs with Seafrogs dome and the aforementioned UWL95C (but attached to Isotta housing). While I would never buy Seafrogs any more I can definitely recommend the INON UWL95. Fast, reliable, compact and to my feeling about 90% of the image quality of the large solutions achievable. There’s an additional Dome that can be attached to the UWL that increases angle of view (I had it but never used it)

 

Downside of the RX100 is the shorter battery life and the lower stabilization in video but image quality is really good if you use Raw&Lightroom. 
 

I bought gear at unterwasserkamer.at and PanOcean, and for your needs both will be fine. 

[Apneagraph]

After researching a bit, I came to the conclussion that both should work, UWL95 or Weefine WFL02 + adapter. But of course, I get your point in getting a lighter/smaller one for freediving.

 

But before deciding which lense will be the best matching one, I still have to do my decision wether or not I do buy one or do I start without an additional lense.

 

@fruehaufsteher2 

Did you have the UWL 95C lens permanently mounted or did you also take shots without it? Would you say it's a game changer or more of a nice-to-have in the beginning?

[fruehaufsteher2]

Sorry didn’t see your post:

 

 had the UWL permanently and for me it was a real game-changer. If I hadn’t had the chance to get FF I would’ve taken nearly the same pics. 
 

DM me if you want more specific info.. 

[Apneagraph]

Has anyone here had experience with scratches on the dome? I'm considering buying a used lens, but it has scratches around the center. Are these of concern, or is it possible to polish them out?

Edited January 29 by Apneagraph

[Barmaglot]

That looks... extensive, and not really fixable. What lens/dome is it? It might be possible to source a replacement element.

[Apneagraph]

15 minutes ago, Barmaglot said:

That looks... extensive, and not really fixable. What lens/dome is it? It might be possible to source a replacement element.

Yeah that's what I thought at first glance - it's a Weefine WFL02, I couldn't find a replacement glas so far.

 

Seller says, that he doesn't see the scratches in his images.

Edited January 29 by Apneagraph

[Barmaglot]

I've had much less impressive scratches in a dome port (over a Sony 10-18mm) show up quite clearly in images, but a wet lens might be different. However, since this is a Weefine lens, you can get a replacement front element quite cheaply - example: https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4000505953877.html