Phil Rudin

Saga dive is the only dealer I know that may be able to make a custom adapter.

In addition to being a manual focus lens requiring a custom focus gear the lens at 1:2 is only 1.42 inches (36mm) from the front of the lens. This means that in a 230mm port 1:2 would be inside the dome port even in a 180mm port sharp minimum focus would be inside the port. This means you won't be able to take advantage of minimum 1:2 focus or anything near it. Laowa has the 10mmF/2.8 AF in Sony and Nikon Z mount with a 12mm F/2.8 coming this year. The 10mm focuses even closer than the 15mm at 12cm and works very well in the 230mm dome with focus to the dome port. I owned the original version of the Laowa 15mm which also focused to 1:2. Great lens for nature in air but not very useful underwater. You can read my Laowa 10mm AF review at uwpmag.com in back issues.

Marelux has adapters for S&S and Nauticam N120 for use with WACP1/2 FCP, ports and extensions. They also have an N100 to Marelux 17mm adapter for WACP-C and WACP-1 in N100 I think it would work with other N100 ports depending on extension length needed. Sagadive.com also makes custom port adapters however cost V gain over buying a Seafrogs port with built-in extension may not make it worth the investment. AOI uses two different port mounts. Zen Underwater makes a port adapter for some of the Zen ports to AOI.

The 180mm F/4.5 which goes to 1.5:1 will be the first AF macro lens for full frame from Laowa. Laowa has already said their with be other macros lenses coming including something in the 55 to 65mm range. The 12mm F/2.8 (122 degree AOV rectilinear) will also be worth a look if it has a minimum focus distance as good as the 10mm's 12cm.

The first Fisheye I tested with Sony was the all manual Samyang/Rokinon 12mm fisheye and Sony A7R II around ten years ago. I used the Canon 8-15mm F/4 on Sony (with A1, A7&R 11, 111 VI, V, A7C, CI & CR) for over nine years in a verity of ports for the Zen 100mm to Matty Smith 12 inch port for splits. I also used a verity of both manual and AF lenses over the years and I have now added the excellent Sigma 15mm F/2.8 EX DG Fisheye with the Sigma MC-11 Canon to Sony lens adapter. This lens is very close focusing and while the AF is a bit noise it works well. My favorite combo is with the Marelux housings, 20mm port extension and the excellent Marelux 140mm dome port. This port is excellent because it includes a bayoneting sun shade which is easy to remove underwater when you want to go to 8mm and you can just slide it over your arm while shooting and then replace it for the 15mm end of the 8-15 zoom. Upsides to the Sigma 15mm include small size, compact system, no need for zoom gears for standard lens or when used with tele converters. I just started testing the Kenko 1.4X DGX HD Pro tele converter for Canon mount with 40mm extension and MX-140mm dome port and it looks very promising. I find it sad that over eleven years into mirrorless full frame cameras that Canon, Nikon and Sony haven't offered a native fisheye, not even a simple 15/16mm much less a quality zoom. After market sellers Like Rokinon, Tamron, Sigma and more have also over looked fisheyes as well even though they have been used by most sports and nature photographers for many decades. Attached are with the Sigma 15mm, MX-housing, 20mm extension and MX-140 dome port.

Another Fisheye option for Sony is the Sigma 15mm F/2.8 EXDG this image is using the Sigma MC-11 adapter. If you are more of a rectilinear lens fan the Laowa 10mm F/2.8 might be more your style if you are willing to deal with a 230mm dome port for best results. The ever changing light from the tonic water of the Santa Fe River over the entrance to Devil's Ear springs, High Springs Florida, USA. Sony A7C II, with Sigma 15mm F/2.8 Fisheye lens, Marelux MX-A7CII/R housing, MX-140mm dome port, two Marelux Apollo S strobes, ISO-320, F/16, 1/160th sec. Laowa 10mm, second image, same location using a Sony A7R V, Marelux MX-A7RV housing, with two Marelux Apollo S strobes, ISO-640, F/13, 1/100th sec.

This week Marelux has announced three new and innovative products. The Marelux Artemis 3000 RMT video light which has 3000 lumens of white light output, 1000 lumens red light output and 600 lumens blue light output all at 100% with four steps of dimming. The light has a 120 degree beam angle and uses two 18650 3.7V lithium batteries. The Artemis 3000 also has video mode control and a remote control mode to trigger the camera shutter from up to ten meters away using the new remote shutter module. The remote shutter module is fitted inside the housing and can receive a blue light signal from the Artemis 3000 at receiving angles up to 140 degrees. This new tech allows you to set your housing system on a tripod or other stand and them fire the system remotely from up to ten meters away without using a trigger cord, perfect for shy subjects like Garden Eels and many other burrowing animals. The third new product is called a terminal flash repeater. This works in conjunction with the Marelux LumiLink wireless flash trigger to fire non-Marelux optically triggered strobes of all makes. During the November DEMA show the LumiLink 2.0 optical transmitter was a hit with many photographers looking to fire strobes remotely without hiving to use slave-light or long optical cords or other triggering devices. Many of those interested ask if Marelux could develop the same tech for non-Marelux strobes that fire optically. The terminal flash repeater can be used to fire strobes remotely from as far away as ten meters. Simply attach the device to your strobes using a short sync cord and they can be fired in manual flash mode, in continuous shooting mode and high-speed sync modes above 1/200th sec. using the LumiLink as the triggering device. Both triggering devices use the patented Marelux signal from camera/housing which is encrypted into a blue light signal to the receiving device. Go to the marelus.co products page for more information

I attached some photos using the Sony FE 16-25mm F/2.8 in the Marelux Sony A1 housing with Marelux 180mm dome port and 55mm's of extension. That is 5mm less than I use with the Sony 20-70mm. Regarding using the 140mm port I would not expect to get great results at any f/stop. All taken in several springs in north Florida USA. For Nauticam with the 180mm you will likely use the 35.5 adapter and 35mm extension for a total of 70.5mm of extension or 30+40 with an N100 port.

Hi Jack, I'll take it, can I Zelle the payment?

I use the Sony A7R V with a verity of lenses, ports, port extensions, strobes and more. Rather than doing all Math I just attach one or two of the Marelux 1500ml Flexibouys to my housing and make adjustments in the amount of buoyancy on the fly. They can be moved for landscape and portrait, added around extensions behind heavy lenses like wet lenses and have a verity of other uses. They are $40.00US each, light weight, pack flat and take up very little space. Just remember that they will tend to hold water so need to be drained when you exit the water.

Not sure of the relevance of the comparison between a 27.2 degree AOV lens and a 23.1 degree AOV lens other than they can both be used on the same Nikon Z cameras. It makes more sense to me to compare Nikon Z 105 to Nikon AF-S 105 VR. The upsides to the Tamron 90mm over the Sony 90mm are the more modern focusing motors that make the AF quicker and more accurate, 12-blade diaphragm for better sunstars and higher quality Bokeh at wider aperture settings, retail cost of $699.00US v. over $1000.00US for Nikon 105 Z and Sony 90 macros. Perhaps the biggest upside to the Tamron 90 that has not been pointed out in this post, underwater video reviews and more is the simple fact the the focus limiter has a big advantage over all the other Marco lenses I have reviewed. Every 1:1 macro I know Z105, FE 90, Sigma 105 and many more all have a focus limiter of 1:1 to 0.5mm or 19.69 inches. This does not cover the normal range that most macro photographers shoot at and therefore requires you to shoot from 1:1 to infinity for that extra few inches of distanceneededo for many subjects. The Nauticam MFO-1 helps to mitigate this issue by giving you focus for a little less than 1:1 out to between 1082-1002mm or 42.6 to 39.45 inches. This is great but most of use will never shoot a 90 to 105 macro lens anywhere near 39 inches from the subject. The Tamron has a focus limiting distance from 1:1 to 70cm or 27.56 inches, my guess is that about 95% of what we shoot without a closeup lens added will be within this range. The advantage for both the MFO-1 and the Tamron is far less hunting than at 1:1 to infinity. While the Tamron does not have the full advantage of the MFO-1 it has a far better shooting range that other macros starting from 1:1.

A great and reasonably priced lens. I also reviewed the Sigma 105 in the prior issue. They have become my go to pair. Have not used THE Sony 90 since I got the TAMRON.

Agree, no visible AF/MF switch and does not appear one would fit. According to DPReview staff at the CP+ show they have reported it is a MF lens.

I totally agree with Isaac that none of these measurements would be accurate enough to build a specialty lens like a conversion of the Nikon's RS 13mm. My measurements were more to demonstrate that within housing brands the distance will not be the same for all camera brands specifically the measurements Adventure was getting for Canon in a Marelux V. my measurements for Sony cameras in Marelux housings. Isaac, if you are located in the South Florida area I would be happy to provide some Marelux Sony housings for you to measure for your project.

Getting back to the A7C II/CR I now have the Marelux MX-A7CII/R housing in house and as you would expect it is a bit larger than the Nauticam housing due to the fact it uses the five inch (127mm) port opening rather than the NA-N100 port opening. I find the Marelux standardized ports and extensions to be an upside for switching between all systems and brands. Marelux offers a 32 flat port that works well with the Sony 28-60 zoom and wet lenses like the WWL lenses along with Port adapters to mount wet lenses like the WACP-C, WACP 1/2 and so on. I have attached photos of the front and rear along with shots of the back hinge and rotary locking system. This locking system reduces size and lowers cost to $2898.00 for the housing in black. This housing also allows you to use the FlashFuel system a combo of manual flash trigger and extended (over double) battery life. I see all sorts of debate over which strobes have the best battery life but the face remains that if you are using mirrorless cameras most strobe batteries way outlast the camera battery shooting stills and for video run time is also extended. I have added the 45 degree finder, vacuum system, and the LumiLink wireless flash trigger for the two Apollo S strobes (shown with the yellow color caps 4900K). LumiLink allows me to easily trigger two on housing strobes and two off housing strobes all at the same time without any additional slave units or long fiber cords. This is a feature that can be put to good use both for wide lenses or macro.

My plastic ruler is less than accurate and has a 6mm blank space but I took that into consideration when I made the posted measurements. What is most important to me is that I currently have three different Marelux housings in house for Sony A1, A7R V and A7C II/R and the cameras to match. Using my measuring device all three housings are the same +/- 0.2/3mm.

I will start over with this since the text and photos disappeared. This is a lot of do about not much to me. As you can see in both photos my measurement is identical +/- very little. First photo is the Marelux Sony A7R V housing and the second is the Sony A7C II/R housing. The Canon cameras are bigger and so is the housing, as a result the camera sits further back inside the housing. The only lens the Canon and Sony systems have in common is the Canon 8-15mm fisheye used in both Marelux housings with an adapter. The Canon camera needs a 30mm extension for 140 & 230mm dome ports in the Marelux housing while the Sony cameras use a 40mm extension for 140 & 230mm ports. The 10mm difference in extensions seems correct given the difference in flange distance.

The chart is I believe a measurement from the lens mount (not sensor) to the front opening (outside) of the housing. I don’t have a very accurate ruler but with the Sony housings it appears to be very close to the 43mm stated for Marelux on the chart. This has remained constant across at least seven MX housings I have used for several Sony cameras. I have handled several housings for Canon and Nikon at DEMA and all appeared to have the same distances.

Hi Bill, Not ignoring you just very busy. I will send a PM with some photos during the week.

Which one they made two?

Regarding the 16-25mm F/2.8 I have a custom gear and I have started with 55mm of Marelux extensions with Marelux 180mm dome. No results yet worth posting, only pool tests. Regarding the Laowa 10mm the 140mm dome is not ideal but works in a pinch where corners would have been soft anyway.

The big advantage of the 16-25mm over most of the Sony 16-35 lenses is the 18cm minimum focus distance v. most of the 16-35 lenses that are in the 25cm or greater range, Much better for use in a 180mm dome port.

Both Nauticam and Marelux support the Sigma 14-24mm in the respective 180mm ports with the difference being extension lengths. I have a lot of experience with both systems and I can assure you that the 230mm will be the better choice in terms of corner sharpness. As Chris has pointed out minimum focus distance is critical and often trumps lens quality. So lenses like Tamron 17-28mm with MFD of 19cm is likely to outperform Sony 16-35mm F/4 PZ at 24cm in 180mm dome. The Rokinon AF 14mm F/2.8 with MFD of 20cm is every bit as capable as the Sony FE 14mm F/1.8 at 25cm. Recently I have been using the Laowa 10mm F/2.8 with very close MFD of 12cm for super wide with the 230mm dome. This lens has the same 130 degree AOV as wet lenses like WACP1/2, WWL-1B & WWL-C without the fisheye distortion and with the ability to shoot very wide splits.

I think the 92.9 diameter and 86mm filter size would be the bigger issue,