ChipBPhoto

To satisfy my curiosity regarding the CFWA abilities with 50mm total extension rings + N100-N120 35.5 adapter, I set up this very basic test scenario. (Sony a1, Sony 2x TC, Metabones V, Canon 8-15) (NA-a1, N100 30 Extension, N100-N120 35.5, N120 20 Extension, Nauticam 140 done) The figure is sitting with basically the nose to the glass dome with fast, solid focus. Lens was zoomed out to wide 8mm. In short, excellent close focus capability and no vignette with the shade installed.

@Chris Ross Here are the non-scientific, “try-it-and-see” results. The housing was placed in the same position on all tests. Details are on each image. Note “16mm” is 8mm plus the 2x TC. There is also an image of the actual 50mm extension setup to validate. The dome is the Nauticam 140 dome with the removable shade attached. The zoom gear used is the Nauticam C815-Z+1.4 The knob on the N100-N120 35.5 adapter controls the zoom gear. Note - the tripod mount on the Metabones V needed to be removed as it was blocked by the lock mechanism in the N100 30 Extension. Remember, this was not intended to be a test of a compelling image or focus chart. It was simply to see what works and does not. I am not interested in math equations regarding perceived optimal lens placement. I just wanted to see the trial and error results. Hopefully this is helpful info.

Selling my Ikelite DS160 strobe head. I purchased years back, but never used. Confirmed functions as normal. Simply add a battery. Includes: DS160 head, Diffuser, Manual, and charger **Does not include battery. Price: $250 including shipping to lower 48 Shipping to US only, please. Payment: PayPal F&F (no fee method) or Zelle (add 3.5% for PayPal Goods and Services) Please reach out with any questions. Reasonable offers considered. Thanks for looking!

UPDATE - I was able to remove the mount at the bottom of the Metabones. This allowed the N100 30 Extension to be mounted directly to the housing. Setup in order of assembly: NA-a1, N100 30 Extension, N100-N120 35.5 adapter, N120 20 Extension, Nauticam 140 dome Sony a1, Sony 2x TC, Metabones V, Canon 8-15 Initial image quality looks good. No vignetting with the shade attached. The real test will be in the water soon. BONUS: Based on the setup above, the Nauticam 815+TC Zoom Gear works perfectly!! Collecting all the various bits over the years pays off. 😁 FURTHER UPDATE w/ 60mm: I also setup the following to allow a total of 60mm of extension (30+30): NA-a1, N100 30 Extension, N100-N120 35.5 adapter, N120 30 Extension, 140 dome RESULTS: Shade is very prominent in image until ~12mm. This leaves only 3mm of zoom, which is no zoom at all. In short, the shade must be removed leaving the glass completely unprotected. Image quality does not appear to be noticeably different. Short answer, thank for the useful comments. Fortunately, I have an existing solution and do not need to "invest" any more than already made! WooHoo!!!! Cheers! chip @Architeuthis @Sokrates @Chris Ross @Gudge

Hi, @Architeuthis - I saw the 60 total, but only have 50, so I gave it a try. Even at the full wide end of 8mm, there is zero vignetting with the 140 dome with the shade attached. IQ looks good as well. The results will be from a dive. Thanks, @Sokrates for the gear producer’s name. I’ll reach out to see what he has. I’ll also try the 30 extension to compare as well. I did super basic tests with both the 8-15 + 2x and the WACP to compare. Seems the 8-15 more or less matches the 130 FoV at ~10mm, followed by some similarities. The WACP with the 28-60 obviously has more reach with the 8-15 being a full 180 FoV. In short, the 8-15 with both a 1.4x and now 2x gives wide flexibility, especially once a zoom gear is found. The 28-60 remains strong for medium wide to tight with near macro level close focus. Between them, it should make for a very fulsome solution!

Hi, all, I just picked up a Sony 2x TC to pair with my Canon 8-15. Does anyone have 3D plans or a suggestion for a zoom gear? Here is the exact housing setup: Nauticam housing Sony a1 Nauticam N100 to N120 35.5 Nauticam N120 30mm + 20mm Extensions Nauticam 140 dome Lens assembly order: Body > Sony 2x TC > Metabones > Canon 8-15 The gear teeth would need to line up with the zoom knob on the N100 to N120 adapter. I have the zoom gear for the 1.4x TC, but the Sony is a completely different size and in an entirely different position in the assembly. Thanks! chip

Yes, it is due to the eye sensor. The eye sensor mistakes the housing as your eye and thinks you are using it. The result is it does not sleep.

Hey @akarnani , On my a1 I set the view finder selection to be manual. I then set button C3 to switch between the VF and back panel. This allows me to easily switch as needed and defeats the issue of the auto sensor picking up the housing as your eye. This is the same as what @bghazzal shared. It works great! Cheers Chip

Hey Alex, Another great question. It’s all about the right tool for the right need. If I want to capture an ultra wide scene, it’s the 140 dome and Canon 8-15, with and without a teleconverter. This could be massive reefscapes, wreckscape, or interior room to show an expansive 180 view. If I want to do a typical all around dive or capture big animals where a true zoom is beneficial, it’s a WACP or WWL. If I ever want to get serious about splits or need a rectilinear look, a 230 dome would be best. Thus far it has not been enough of an interest for me to warrant the investment. Which is “better?” None, in my opinion. They are simply tools to maximize the photo opportunity or capture the desired image. Cheers Chip

Hey @AlexUW26 - great questions. Everything has a trade off. Have I experienced flare when aiming at certain angles pointing up towards the sun? On occasion, yes. And with the WWL as well. Is it frequent or did it impact my overall photo session? Not in the least. It’s something you can easily see when making the image, and equally easily slightly modify the angle to eliminate the momentary flare. It actually has nothing to do with depth as I have encountered it at 100’. Its simply the light coming in. As an added bonus, it is incredible if you like CFWA images. It can focus at near macro closeness making it an all around solution. As I said, everything has a trade off. The smaller size, sharpness, and versatility easily offset the minor quirk. I have other lenses and domes I use for specific needs, but for a great all around solution I personally feel it’s a winner. Hope this helps! Chip

Exactly what @Nemrod said, and this is the main reason I invested in the WACP-C. The dry port eliminates the chance of any tiny bubbles between the port and WWL, especially in a rapid entry situation. I also have the 140 dome I use for a variety of lens. For me personally, I prefer the extra zoom range the Sony 28-60 with the sharpness and more open aperture options the WACP-C or WWL provides.

That is exactly how I feel, and I have been a dedicated Inon user for more years than I am willing to admit. I always had a great experience with all the various Inon models I used and never a complaint regarding performance or durability. With that said, I, like many of us, have moved on to something else due to their lack of product introductions over the past few years. Newer models from Backscatter, Retra, and others have a feel of advancement rather than recycling previous models and technology. It's a big ocean and I am sure they will have happy buyers of their new 360s. From a product and manufacturer stand point, Inon disappeared and allowed others to take their sales with newer successful products. Rarely do manafacturers recover.

The multi-use housing and trigger-power bank makes an interesting solution. Given other housing prices, $3,400 is reasonable as well. Thanks for sharing, @Phil Rudin

SOLD!

I normally use Advanced mode due to occasional video. With that said, I have not seen a focus difference between Green and Advanced for photos with newer bodies. The Metabones adaptor has both a White and Red mark for the mounting the lens. As the 60 is an APS-C lens it matches the White mark. The Red mark is for EF full frame lenses. (i.e. Canon EF 8-15 or EF 100 macro)

I use the Metabones. There a catch on the lens that does not work with the MC-11.

Hey @TimG Definitely a time of mixed emotions. Mourning the loss of your extremely dependable companion is tough, but this is also a time of excitement for some new features and a fresh new body. I just hooked a buddy up with a pre-owned Oly E-M1 vII, the Oly 12-50, Nauticam housing, and WWL-C. Due to the unique macro locking capabilities, this lens does full zoom with a true macro option at 42mm. It's not the sharpness of the 60mm, but it's a pretty slick overall system. Compared to my years of both APS-C and FF, I was pleasantly surprised at the image quality from such a small rig. I owned the E-M1 and loved it as a land camera due to the size and much cheaper lens prices. As you mentioned, the Pan or Oly 8mm is a solid fisheye option. So far he is using the mini-flash as a trigger and it works great. The Nauticam trigger would be the go-to for faster action series. As a bonus, you would make Chris a happy-camper. If you want to enjoy the rich "Canon colours" (and I even spelled it correctly for you 😁) the Canon R7 APS-C is an incredibly solid choice. The Canon 8-15 would be your fisheye option with the ability to use the WWL-1B for a very versatile wide option with zoom. If you find a Tokina 10-17 it works perfectly as well. The Canon RF 100 macro is exceptional. It is also a great land camera at about the same size as your D500. Lastly, the Sony a6700 rounds out the APS-C line-up. I have used this as well and enjoy the overall size both uw and as a land option. It contains many of the great focus technology of the larger Sony a7V in a much more compact body. Focus tracking is one area in which the Sony line excels. Your Nikon 8-15 can work using the correct Monster adapter, but the Canon is potentially a better choice due to the Metabones V and Sigma MC-11 models having a more dependable connection. The new Sony 100 is razor sharp and a fast focus. In total this ends up slightly smaller than the Canon R7 rig and a bit larger than the OM option. Sorry, Nikon is the only brand I have not personally owned so I defer to others to speak in that realm. Rather than "telling" you which to buy, I'm just sharing my experiences with the various brands and models. From there it's up to you as to what best fits your needs, budget, and overall feel. In the end, thank you for contributing to the local economy and welcome to the Nauticam global alliance. 😎 Cheers! chip

I have a Canon 60 as well that I often use on black water dives with my a1. I find it focuses as well or better than the 90. The find the lens length is a good option just like the Nikon 60. As I use it for blackwater any vignette is not an issue. Ironically I use the Nauticam 90 port for it as well.

Hi, @Terri , As a Sony FF (a1) owner I can confirm the Canon 8-15 with either the Metabones IV or V or the Sigma MC-11 is a great option. I personally use the MC-11, but also own / use the Metabones V. For a TC I use the Kenko 1.4x attached to the 8-15 followed by the MC-11 connected to the body. In Nauticam world, this works well with the zoom gear designed for the TC. For most dives I prefer a water optic system such as the WACP-C (dry mount) or WWL-1B (wet mount) with the inexpensive Sony 28-60 lens. This gives up to a 130 degree FoV with a nice zoom range. The Canon 8-15 is what I use for those scenes that are a bit wider such as a massive wall, large view of a wreck, or inside a wreck when I do not mind a bit of the fisheye effect altering the vertical lines. Hope this helps! chip

How did it “feel” in water (balance, etc.) vs no collar and more traditional arm floatation?

Very interesting, @Dave_Hicks ! I like the streamlined design. Let us know how it goes.

Hey all, Looking for a Nauticam N120 Extension Ring 25. Prefer a US based seller. Please DM me if you or a friend has one to sell. Thanks! Chip

Correct and good strategy. Just remember a TC + an SMC is next level of difficulty. Also keep in mind the further you are away from the subject, the more chance of particles in the water column between the lens and subject. Your lighting output will also need to be increased. Sounds like you already understand that part. Let us know how it goes!

Hi @hellhole , You nailed it! Yes, the SMC and CMC significantly reduces both the working distance and depth of the actual focus window. In short, they allow you to fill the frame with a tiny nudibranch or similar by requiring the user to be incredibly close to the subject. Hence the term “Super Macro.” With that said, because the depth of the focal plane is so narrow, the slightest micro movement is the difference between an incredibly sharp awe-inspiring image and an out-of-focus miss. This is especially true with the SMC-2 on the 100 or 90, as an example. Add a TC and its an exponential level of difficulty. I know someone that has truly mastered macro and now uses the new 100, TC, and SMC-2. His work is outstanding! He also devoted countless dives over many years honing his skills to use such a precise setup. His suggestion is to master the macro lens. Then add a TC or SMC and master that. Lastly, experiment with them combined. Incremental steps reduces frustration, builds on experience, and delivers positive results. Hope this helps! Chip