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I would add the Sigma 24 and Sigma 17, but frankly, the Sony 16-25 makes these redundant. However if you fancy a prime, those Sigmas are great. Another goody is the Zeiss Batis 40mm CF with a suitable dome, but that is surely a niche lens. I bought and sold the Laowa 10mm, because I couldn't get decent corners with either the Nauticam 140 or 8.5" domes, and wasn't prepared to go larger. So that one is not recommended for casual users who care about IQ.

Yeah, despite the numbers, there is a surprising lack of variety?

Is that a collection of workshop paticipants' lenses, or does the resort have that inventory for rentals?

Agreed. I've watched many others with the WACP-1 or 2 and just have not found them to be worth the trouble. There is so much low hanging fruit in capturing better images that I don't see this incremental step to be of value to me.

Hey @Dave_Hicks - good question. The WACP-1 is basically the best all around of the Nauticam water contact optics. (You need a crane and a trust fund for the WACP-2) It is a bit sharper than the WWL series or WACP-C and you can open the aperture even wider without sacrificing sharpness. That’s a huge win to gain additional ambient light. (I.e. think f/8-9 instead of needing f/13) There is also a tremendous increase in the size and dry weight. Dry, the WACP-1 is 10 lbs compared to the WACP-C at 5 lbs. The WWLs are even smaller as you know. For me personally, the relatively small sharpness difference between the 1 and C or even the WWLs is not worth the increased mass out of the water. Hence the reason my primary is the C, or WWL for travel. Don’t get me wrong, the WACP-1 is truly a top performer. I have friends that are working pro videographers that swear by it for good reason. For my personal needs I would rather have smaller, lighter rig size.

Welcome!! where do you dive in Taiwan? i've only ever visited the cities but never tried diving there!

A gratuitous photo of all the close up lenses in Lembeh Resort this week (one of the ones on the front row, owned by the kid from Toy Story):

As Troporobo says - Eric did download the entire site (although had to use someone else's login as Adam banned him). Hopefully more can be done in the future with all the amazing knowledge and advice that accumulated there over 25 years.

Perfect. Thanks.

The Nauticam flip has pins that are vertical and the Marelux "pins" are threaded so they can be adjusted up and down or removed completely.

Phil, That is great info. Can I ask for one more favor? Could you measure from pin to pin, like on this Nauticam flip?

This is how it mounts on the Marelux double flip adapter with the MV60 which is about 6mm less diameter than MV24

I can answer you both, first if you look up the thread you can see the double flip being used with the current style of NA wet C/U lenses, in this case SMC-1 which has the same design as CMC lenses.I will post the image again. Like other manufactures we have several ways to mount our MV-+5.10 and 15 close-up lenses. First is direct mount with an included 67mm adapter. Second is a bayonet quick release photo on the macro port. This design came be removed and reinstalled or swapped for a different power. We also have a wet lens holder with a ball head if you want to attach it to your housing. This system also works with MX wet wide lenses. The flip adapter comes in one, tow or three lens designs. The photos include the tool used to secure all flip holders and the quick release, the stainless screw that alines the flip with the width of about 2.6mm. If you measure the your NA & S&S macro ports you can get an idea if it will fit straight out of the box or if it would need a little DYI. The gunk on the threads is a lubricant to avoid binding of the screw when moving it in and out. I hope this helps.

I have flown Emirates 3x from NYC to Maldives. All 3x they weighed all my bags. I now avoid them if possible. I do have a photo vest. The small airlines that connect many of the small islands in Indonesia have very restrictive weight limits. My normal carry on routine when weight or size is not a big issue, is a 4 wheel roller with my small backpack sitting on top. Easy to move around because of the 4 wheels and it gives my shoulders a break. The small backpack goes under the seat and the roller in the overhead or gate checked if forced.

You didn't mention what you use the WACP-1 for. Or do you not use it much?

The z24-50 + wwl-c is a serious little combo that can produce very sharp and contrasty images. Slightly curved at the wide end, but sharp all over. If you want something that is better for shooting the moment you hit the water—wacp-c that is dry mount. Little bent @24 —130 degrees diagonal FoV

Came across an interesting option today - its basically a soft roller with a thinner backpack that attaches to it - but you can connect the two together and use it as a backpack if the ground doesn't suit a roller. You will need to add a divider set into it like @bvanant did. Unfortunately Granite Gear don't make this model any more☹️ but ebay or Craigslist might find you one, or you might find one available on Temu or Aliexpress as the Chinese factories often sell old designs that they used to make for big name brands. The main section is 20cm deep so perfect for most UW photo gear. https://www.granitegear.com/cross-trek-2-22-carry-on-wheeled-upright-with-removable-pack.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1WXgeVNmZU

This appeared in one of my feeds today - might be useful - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006280445673.html

Hi @DocTock - very fair questions and ones we all face. As background, I own and constantly use: WWL, WACP-C, WACP-1, and domes. It comes down to the right tool for the right need and personal taste. For overall general dives my go-to is the WACP-C/WWL. Reasons: 130 degree FoV on the wide end, zoom ability, edge-to-edge sharpness, solid corner sharpness specifically, ability to use more open apertures while maintaining sharpness, incredible close-focus capabilities such as focusing on a starfish with the dome almost touching the arm. The WWL is a wet mount lens with the WACP-C being very similar but a dry mount. I typically dive the WACP-C when home simply because I do not need to travel and it is easy to handle on boat dives. The WWL offers basically the same quality in a smaller, easier to pack solution. The WWL is also less of an initial investment in water contact optics. While the WWL/WACP does produce a slight fisheye effect, I personally prefer that to stretched corners especially in a wide reefscape. Yes, I may on rare occasion de-fish the image slightly in post if the desired outcome warrants this. A rectilinear lens could be more appropriate if doing mainly wreck interiors or subjects that are predominantly defined straight lines. I use my domes mainly for splits or when I want to use a true fisheye lens (8-15) for ultra wide images. As an example, for my specific dive today I am using my 8-15 with a 2x TC behind a dome for the Goliath aggregation. I find this a bit wider than the WACP-C while allowing me some zoom if needed. Again, I stress this is all personal experience and personal taste. There is no definitive best solution for all. Others will swear by rectilinear lenses and domes. There are tradeoffs with every solution and I am not championing one over another. We can all dive what we want. I am sharing my experience and what I have seen based on using a variety of options. Enjoy! chip

Hello, I’d like to ask a question: based on what you’ve said, it seems possible to mount the MX double flip on ports other than Marelux or Nauticam—for instance, would it be compatible with S&S ports that have an M67 thread? How does the protrusion of the CMC-1 lens fit relative to the thread? I’m looking at double-flip holders to mount Nauticam lenses on S&S ports. Many thanks.

Emirates insisted on weighing my Pelican 1510 case once in AMS and said it was too heavy. I opened the top, showed them the contents, explained the value, cried, wept, pleaded…. and the manager said ok. I think she was just glad to get rid of me. The only time it has happened in many dozen flights on many airlines.

I always travel with a (now) Kraken was (Cinebags) Grouper XL as a portable rinse tank. During the journey is carries lots of my gear in the cabin. A bit pricey but they are excellent travel bags and rinse tanks.

Hoping that we might be able to compile a list of 3rd Party Full Frame wide and macro lenses for mirrorless cameras that are suitable for underwater photography. In another thread @Phil Rudin mentioned the Laowa 12mm F2.8 Lite Zero-D FF rectilinier lens - available for Sony E & Nikon Z in AF, and Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L Mount as MF - US$699 for all versions - usable behind a 180mm port. Once we get a few sugegstions up here I will start a spreadsheet.