Phil Rudin

I have been testing the 7Artisans 10mm fisheye in the pool today between the rain and lightning storms we have been having for over two weeks in South Florida. All the rain water is clouding the pool and causing algae blooms.. The camera used is the 66mp Sony A7R VI, Marelux housing, Marelux 140mm dome port with the sun shade and 20mm port extension. Using the 20mm pushes the lenses closer the the port glass than I would like and with a 30mm extension the port shade vignettes noticeably. I am hoping Marelux will offer a 25mm extension which may work with the shade in place or at least greatly reduce vignetting. At some point I will try the 30mm extension with the shade removed. All images are full frame and shot at ISO-320, A-priority, at F/8, F/11 and F/16 for splits. When the lens is set on A for aperture control from the housing (without a gear) the lens reverts back to F/2.5 when shutdown and turned back on. For a bit of size reference the pool light is 15cm (5.91 inches) across and the closes shot is with the port touching the pool light. Like with all fisheye lenses shooting a flat wall the center is sharp and the edges and corners are soft. The pool jet (round white plastic) is 5.5cm (2.17 inches) and the closest image is touching the jet with the dome glass. The pool thermometer is 1.5cm (0.59 inches) across where it says patten pending. It is clear to me that as reported by YouTubers the lens is quite sharp and is clearly a great budget choice for an AF lens V the AF zooms. Build quality also seems good and the lens is a bit on the heavy side.

It appears we will have the answers to all or most of our questions on Tuesday Sept 8th when Sonyalpharumers.com say the lens and the 400mm and 600mm F/4.5 lenses will be announced by Sony. They say price around $1499.00.

My guess is world wide shipping in 6 to 8 weeks, so I have been told but things are subject to change and I am frequently the last to know.

Hi Wahrmut, Did not forget you just had to get the equipment together to show what I think you are asking. First I don't have the SMC2 but the Marelux MV-60 is 5grams less than SMC-2 so close then I also added SMC-1 to show you how they sit on a macro port. The triple flip is about six weeks out from shipping so you will need to judge from the double flip that has the same design. Our first single flip used the same hinge everyone uses which will not support the weight of the SMC-1 beyond a 90 degree angle to the port glass. As a result Marelux designed a better hinge which does support the weight on land. I have attached several photos of the old single flip (old hinge) and the new with both lenses in several possessions,

What I see appears to be the first auto focus fisheye zoom lens actually designed for a mirrorless sensor. The Canon RF 7-14mm F/2.8-3.5 L is I am sure a great lens but it is 109.4mm long which is reminiscent of a DSLR lens with a lens adapter attached. My guess is the New Sony lens will come in closer to 83/86mm with minimum focus distance around 14/15cm. I doubt that a Sony 1.4 or 2X TC will work with this lens, more likely an after market TC like those for the DSLR lenses will be needed, hoping to be wrong on this issue. The lens hood and port shade will need to be removed to work at the 8mm end. On the 14mm end the lens would go to a full 180 degrees rather than the 175 degrees with 15mm. I also think it will come in under $1900.00 to be competitive with the Canon.

Today Marelux has announced the triple flip holder available soon for $399.00 in the US. Marelux Triple Flip Holder: The Ultimate Solution for Underwater Macro Photography Why the Triple Flip Holder is Essential A triple flip holder is a vital tool for underwater macro photographers. It mounts 3 different wet lenses simultaneously (such as +5, +10, or +15 diopters, or the newly introduced MV60 or MV24 wide-angle conversion lens). This setup gives you the ultimate versatility to switch between magnification levels instantly, or flip both lenses completely away to shoot through your native flat port with zero restrictions. The Flaws in Traditional Flip Holders Standard flip holders currently on the market suffer from two major design flaws: Corrosion and Jamming: Most brands utilize standard land-based mechanical designs featuring exposed internal springs and ball bearings. When exposed to harsh saltwater, these components inevitably corrode. Over time, the mechanism jams, requires constant lubricant sprays, and eventually fails completely. Lighting and Equipment Interference: Most holders offer only one standby position. If the lens rests at a strict 90-degree angle to the port, it blocks your strobes, which need to be tightly positioned near the macro port. If the lens flips beyond 90 degrees, larger and longer wet lenses can collide with your expensive camera housing or port, causing physical damage. The Patented Marelux Innovation Marelux is proud to introduce a patented design that permanently eliminates these industry-wide pain points: 1.O-Ring Sealed Lubrication Chamber: The rotating mechanism is housed in a fully sealed chamber, secured by precision O-rings and packed with liquid lubricant. Because saltwater cannot penetrate this boundary, the internal springs, bearings, and contact surfaces never corrode. It will never jam. 2.Two Instant Standby Positions: Switch between three secure holding angles in a split second. Use the active shooting position over the port, a 120-degree standby position for small, short wet lenses, to completely clear your strobe light paths, or an 90-degree standby position for larger, longer lenses, to safeguard your housing body 3.The left-side holder features a unique standby angle compared to the other two holders. This design allows users to mount larger wet lenses, such as the MV60 or MV24. While the second position uses a standard 90-degree angle, the first position is tilted slightly forward to prevent large lenses from colliding with the housing or macro port. Universal Compatibility The Marelux Triple Flip Holder is designed for maximum versatility across the industry. It is natively compatible with most major housing brandsfeaturing a standard M67 (67mm) threaded port. To adapt it to non-Marelux housings, simply remove the two anti-rotation positioning screws used for Marelux macro ports, and thread it directly into place.

It has an A setting on the aperture ring allowing it to be controlled from the camera.

All modern strobes, if you go back decades perhaps not. I think it would be a little presumpus to say every single strobe.

I was advised today that this TTL trigger works with most all TTL strobes.

I would not recommend the Sony 20-70mm behind a flat port because other choices are so much better. I have tested the Sony FE 28-60 with the flat port using CMC-1 and two CMC-1's stacked. Remember the 28-60 only focuses to 30cm with 1:6.25 magnification so the added closeup lenses only get you to about 1:2.5. If you are looking for more magnification than the 20-70 or Sigma 20-200mm give you the macro range of lenses are a better choice with the Sony FE 100mm F/2.8 being the best followed by the Tamron 90 and Sony 90mm's. Regarding the Sony FE 50mm macro now well over a decade old my recommendation would be the Marelux MV-60 or if you want everything Nauticam the MFO-3 on a flip adapter for both super macro and wider on the same dive. The MFO-3 works from 0-150cm while the MV-60 works from 0-infinity, the reason Tom Kline got his for the added distance.

This lens is now available in the online store for $449.00USD. Christopher Frost has posted a Youtube review and states the corners are better from around F/2.8 to F/11 than the manual FF version he tested. No way to mount filters but overall not bad for the price.

Yes If you are using it in one of the listed housings.

Like the triggers from UWT and Turtle the Marelux flash trigger is designed for the most current Marelux housings and Marelux line of strobes. This current version does not support the HSS function in the Apollo strobes. The trigger is fast enough to shoot at 20+ frames a second and it is a plug and play configurations.

The photos are with the Sony FE 20-70mm F /4. I now have a 180 port in house and will be testing the Sigma soon. The OM 12-45mm F/4 is a 1:4 lens so about the same as FF at 1:2.

Hi Fred, I have been following your quest for useful insight and this is my take. Most fish are larger than 1cm and will fit into a 1:2 minimum focus distance frame. The 90-105mm macro lenses are most useful for images from the minimum 1:1/1.4:1 hangout to about 1:6 before you are putting to much water between the lens and subject, vis is a contributing factor in some cases. So while I wholeheartedly endorse the Sony FE 100mm as the best macro lens on the planet, (I have one with 1.4 & 2X tele converters) I believe you have a chance of a wider range of subjects with a zoom lens. The attached photos were taken with the Sony A7R V in Marelux housing with the Sony FE 20-70mm F/4 lens using a 180mm dome port. This lens has a 1:2.56 minimum magnification. The camera is 61MP so cropping is no problem for your use I would think. Marelux and Nauticam both support this lens with a zoom gears. Marelux uses an extension ring 50 and Nauticam uses the N100 to N120 35.5 port adapter II and extension ring 35 with the 180mm port. This is a $1200.00 Sony lens. With this lens you would really shoot at less than about F/8/F11. While I have been very happy with the Sony 20-70mm when I know I will be dealing with a verity of subjects sizes I have now found what I consider to be an even better mousetra, the Sigma 20-200mm F/3.6-6.3 DG a $900.00 lens. This is a lens that at this time is only supported by Marelux with a zoom gear. What makes this lens unique is that it focuses to 1:2 from 28 to 85mm behind the 180mm dome and can extend out to about 130 to 150mm before it quits focusing because it gets to near the dome glass. Additionally the Sigma will stop down to F/40 in the macro range. My guess is that I am older than you Fred and I have been using the Sony A7R VI, A1 II and A7C both II and R all with Marelux housings and dual Marelux Apollo S and Apollo Y TTL strobes. Like some other strobes in the market these include HHS which solves the /1/160th sync to a degree, TTL, and multi frames settings. If you decide to go with the A7C II/R I have a like new Marelux housing and very low milage A7C II and A7C R camera bodies for sale.

Today 7Artisans has announced on its Facebook site that the AF 10mm F/2.5 MAX fisheye will be released on August 27/GMT+8 for $449.00USD. The post does not indicate if the lens will only be sold on the & artisans site or if it will be in online stores like B&H Photo.

Marelux lists the RF 20-50mm PZ on the Aquista 135D lens chart with a zoom gear (#51211) and an extension 30, so zoom range from 28mm to 50mm. I don't see the lens on the port chart yet but my guess is that the extension 30 with a 180mm dome port would be a good starting point. As a side bar, Marelux has also added the new RF 7-14mm fisheye zoom with zoom gear #51210 and extension ring 30 with the 140mm dome port with bayonet dome shade.

Thanks Davide but I still believe in written reviews, not chat GBT and most of these companies are looking for YouTube talking heads.

The new 7Artisans full frame AF 10mm is an F/2.5 MAX fisheye lens. MAX seems to be a new line of high end lenses that have aperture rings, function buttons, weather sealing and more. This is one of the worst lens rollouts I have seen in some time. No information released in English, no lens reviews found on Youtube in any language and no updates after being announced in China. Further the lens in Sony FE, Nikon Z and L-mount was listed on B&H for close to three weeks with a notation that B&H was waiting for a price and release date so they could take pre-orders. Two days ago the lenses were removed from the Q and are no longer listed on the site. Not a good start after all the hype 7Artisans had gotten.

Marelux has the Canon 7-14mm fisheye listed on the port chart with zoom gear #51210 and extension ring 30 for the 140mm dome port.

I think the Tamron 12-20mm will be well suited to U/W work simply because at 12mm if will focus to 18cm. With the proper extension it should work well behind domes in the 200mm and larger range. This is not the case with lenses like the Nikon Z 14-24mm F/2.8 and Sony FE 12-24mm F/2.8 GM that only focus to 28cm. Another excellent very wide lens is the Laowa 12mm F/2.8 AF for FE & Z. This lens will focus to 14cm and is usable behind a 140mm dome with proper extension. This lens is much less expensive than the 12-20 at $699.00. If you want a less expensive fisheye that natively mounts on Nikon Z checkout the 7Artisans 10mm f/2.5 AF MAX Fisheye Lens (Nikon Z).

The OP specifically ask about the Laowa 15mm for CFWA. If you are not aware this is a full frame lens. Nikonos lenses were also mentioned and they are full frame lenses. In addition for Nikonos lenses you need an adapter only made by Nauticam for sony full frame cameras. cameras. The images were taken with the AstrHori in a Marelux 140mm dome port which is simply a fact, this is a port that can also be used on Nauticam and several brands. If you would like to start a thread regarding unsupported M4/3 lenses I would be happy to help with that. Housing brand has little to do with camera/lens combos as most work in many different housings with proper extensions.

I have tried a verity of manual focus lenses behind a verity of dome and flat ports, including the Laowa 15mm 1:2 macro. I found the Laowa not to be worth the effort. Wide lenses like the 110 degree AOV 15 Laowa need to be to close to get to 1:2 inside a dome port. With wide primes you have the cost of the lens + the custom focus gear and in the case of the 15mm Laowa you would still only be able to get to about 1:4/5 behind a 200mm dome or larger dome. You would be able to do the same or better with the 112 degree 14mm F/4 Viltrox which has a more achievable 1:4.35 magnification at a minimum focus distance of 13cm. The lens retails for $199.00 in the US, got mine on sale for $159.00 on sale and works with Sony FE and Nikon Z. I have also used the Sony 14mm F/1.8, Sigma 14mm, Sanyang/Rokinon 14mm AF lenses and the cheap Viltrox is every bit as good in a dome because of its close minimum focus. Same/same with the Rokinon 14-24mm F/2.8 which has a minimum focus of 18cm, all the other 14-24mm lenses and 12-24mm"s focus to 28cm which is a disadvantage behind a port. The Rokinon is also the only lens that can be used with 77mm front filters. I used the AstrHori 6mm F/2.8 220 degree circular Fisheye, a manual lens in Bali last year pre-setting the lens at F/11 and just shy of infinity on the focus ring. This gave me around 8 inches to infinity in a 140mm dome. This lens can be had for Sony FE, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L mount systems for a retail of $299.00 US. If you are looking for cheap options to expensive lenses like a Canon or Nikon 8-15mm or 7-14mm for circular Fisheye this is a fun alternative. I have tried a lot more to numerous to list. Images from AstrHori in 140 Marelux dome.

Both the Nauticam and Marelux lenses have a 0.9X max magnification and on full frame are generally assumed to be suitable for 90mm, 100mm and 105mm macro lenses. So AOV's of 27 degrees, 24 degrees and 23 degrees. With the MFO-3 and MV-60 in place the result is an AOV of around 47 degrees+/-, 40 degrees and 38 degrees. Nauticam states it was tested with the Nikon Z 105mm macro and has a working distance of 0-1500mm or 59 inches. The Marelux MV-60 was tested using a 100mm macro so 24 degrees and 40 degrees with a working distance of 0-infinity, spec's from each websites. I am sure many will say that shooting beyond 59 inches/1500mm is a waist of time however what shooting to infinity points out is the large difference in lens design between these two lenses. My guess is that having a flat front element allows the MV-60 to focus to infinity while the curved front element of the MFO-3 restricts working distance. This may also explain a difference in AF speed although this is purely speculative. Different camera systems have a wide verity of AF choices and to have a relevant comparison you would need to be using the same system with the same AF setting I would think.

I can answer some of these questions about the Marelux MV-60 V. Nauticam MFO-3. Weight, NA is 602g and 120g negative in water. MX is 535g and 35g negative in water. NA has a curved front glass and MX has flat front glass. The Marelux front lens appears slightly larger in diameter and because the front optic is flat it allows 77mm threads on the front of the lens so you can direct mount filters and a lens cap without need for an adapter. Regarding cost the Nauticam MFO-3 retails for $730.00US and the M82 filter holder is $57.00. The Marelux MV-60 retails for $599.00. The MV-60 ships with a neoprene storage bag, front and rear caps and a spacer for direct mount to a 67mm flat macro port. I have never seen the MFO-3 but assume it includes the same items. Both work on flip adapters and can be interchanged between NA or MX adapters depending on which flip you own. Regarding the IQ and AF performance I have no opinion because I have never used the MFO-3. The second photo is the new Marelux housing for Sony A7R VI with the new MX double flip adapter. You can see it works with both MX-macroview and NA-closeup lenses.