Phil Rudin

I also have one mounted on the Marelux A7C II/R housing and no problems. Headed to Bali tomorrow for extensive testing of all features.

Best case scenario, Sigma 105 is 135.6 and uses N100 110 port, Sony 100M is 147.9mm minus 135.6=12.3, 110 port plus 12.3=122.3. So to be in the ballpark you need a 122.3mm port. NA N100 32mm port + 90mm's of extension is going to work well I think, so three N100 30mm extensions or the New coming N100 50mm + a 40mm extension. Anyone interested I have a like new N100 40mm for sale. This will work much better with SMC's, EMWL and others. A sloppy 12 to 20mm gap will not work with EMWL and will reduce magnification greatly with SMC type lenses and yes a few will vignette. Choice number two wait for the new 100M port which I am sure will be coming.

B&H Photo specs show the 100M being 17.4mm longer than the old 90M. I think this will present a problem in N100 because the shortest N100 port extension is I believe 30mm which would leave a gap of 12.6mm using the N100 105 macro port for Sony 90mm. You may need to workout something using the N100 to N120 where you will have a wider verity of combinations with flat ports and extensions. With what appears to be such a great lens I am sure NA & MX will offer new ports to match the lens.

I now use Marelux macro port 71 for the Tamron 90 macro with 20mm extension, Sigma 105 macro with port 71 and 30mm extension, Sony 70-200 F/4 macro from 100 to 200 with port 71 and 100mm of extension and the new Sony 100mm should work with port 71 and 45mm of extension a 30mm and 15mm. The Sony 90mm would also work with the port 71 but needs a 25mm extension which Marelux does not now offer. For travel being able to carry two or three macro lenses with only one macro port and extensions I would already be carrying for other lenses is a big upside. The photo is the macro port 97 (the Sony 90mm port) using 75mm's of extension with the 70-200mm macro which is 1mm longer than the 71 port combo.

Like Alex I have already preordered this new lens and intend to sell my Sony 90mm and Sigma 105mm keeping the Tamron 90mm as a backup. I already own the Sony 1.4 X teleconverter which will get the lens to 2:1 with the addition of about 15mm's of port extension. I will wait to consider the 2X tele after trying out the 1.4 X. Being able to use teleconverters is a big advantage over the excellent Canon 100mm 1.4:1 macro. PetaPixelPetaPixel | Photography and Camera NewsPetaPixel is a photography news site that covers photo and camera news, reviews, inspiration, and education. has the lens shipping on November 13th.

By the way the N100 to MX 17mm is available at Marelux, it was spicificley designer for the WWL-1B at the request of a client. It worked well and adds a bit of extra AOV v. the Nauticam 45mm port recommended with Sony 28-60mm zoom. I tested both. I will be selling the 17mm adapter since I have moved on to the Marelux Aquista 120 & 100. The WWL-1B went down the road over a year ago. Have you considered the 50mm behind a flat port?

I don't see the RF 50mm F/1.8 listed on the Marelux or Nauticam port charts only the RF 50mm F/1.2 on Marelux behind a 67mm flat port. How are you using the 140mm port with an extension or direct mounted? Could you perhaps improve sharpness with better dome placement? You also may want to consider that looking through a five inch opening prevents vignetting while looking through 85mm's with extensions/port adapter may result in vignetting. The best case Sanrio for a five inch to 85mm adapter would I suspect push the port out at least 20 to 25mm.

First the new UWT external trigger is outstanding. I have been using it in TTL with the Marelux Apollo S strobes and it has been very accurate. I tested with a wide lens at ISO-50 from F/2.8 to F/22 and it was accurate across the full range of F/numbers. Past TTL solutions I have used over exported at F/2.8-F/3.5. I have attached photos of the M24 UWT trigger mounted on the Marelux Sony A1 housing. I had to reverse the direction of the current crossover bar because it hits the trigger and can't be secured the grips. Reversed it slightly blocks the vacuum valve and as a result I could use a manual vacuum pump but not the power vacuum pump. After adding a grip extension and moving the bar to the left I am now able to use the power vacuum pump. The A1 housing is advertised to be 126mm deep while the Canon R5 housing is advertised to be 149mm deep so each housing is going to be different regarding the crossover bar installation. Also the new housings like the Sony A1 II have an M24 that is tilted outward about 15/20 degrees and this may help.

Marelux offers a 17mm N100 to Marelux port adapter for the WWL-1B and Nauticam has an N100 to N85 20mm port adapter which would theoretically work it you need more than 37mm of extension. This is an expensive solution v. just selling your ports and adding a the Marelux 140mm fisheye port. You may just want to ask which of the small lenses you intend to test have been used by others in the Marelux system. SAGAdive.com may also be able to make a custom adapter bit at what cost.

Sonyalpharrumors has now posted two photos of the Sony FE 100mm F/2.8 GM OSS macro they say will be announced next week on 9/30. The lens appears to have 1.4:1 magnification and an expanded 0.7 (up from 0.5) to 0.26 meter macro range like the Tamron 90mm F/2,8 macro.

In several longer video and print reviews, the reviewers have expressed that the macro end of this lens seems quite good while the AF end, 1.5 meters and beyond has only average auto focus. Like all terrestrial macro reviews F/5.6 to F/8 is the suggested top F/number before diffraction begins to set in. I think this is where U/W photographers and terrestrial shooters differ. Above water many are shooting from very stable tripods and using focus stacking to increase depth of field. These methods are less useful underwater where many use F/16 to F/32 frequently for increased DOF. The Laowa 180 macro is a lens that I think will appeal to a few obsessed macro shooters simply because it is unique for its focal length, 1.5:1 magnification and it ability to put more distance between the lens and subject. The lens is 1.2mm shorter than the Sigma 105mm F/2.8 art macro according to B&H specs so existing ports should work well I would think. I'm guessing someone will come up with a 3D printed focus gear for popular housing brands if the lens catches on. For hard core macro shooters this lens may turnout to be a bargain for creating unique new perspectives.

Just to get in the ballpark price wise the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens, a 1:4 lens retails in the US for $1600.00. It will be interesting to see if this lens if/when it arrives will exceed 1:1 perhaps 1.5:1 or greater. Along with the 100mm macro rumor was a Sony 10% price increase rumor which could put this new lens out of reach for many. For me the best value in this focal range is the still $699.00 Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III VXD 1:1 Macro Lens. It surpasses the now over 10 year old Sony FE 90mm G macro in just about every way. I reviewed this lens in uwpmag.com issue #142 a few months ago for anyone interested.

My experience has been with the Marelux system for Sony and the Sony FE 28-60mm using the WACP-1 with the 20mm Nauticam to Marelux adapter. This configuration allows me to zoom through the entire zoom range without any vignetting . I have also used the same setup in the Nauticam housing with the N100 to N120 35.5mm port adapter for the N120 WACP-1 with no vignetting through the entire zoom range. Without having tested the Marelux/WACP-1 with EF 28-70mm I would only be making an educated guess. My guess is that the lens should zoom through the entire range and may be slightly wider at the 28mm setting v Nauticam. .

it's not wrong, the lens has already had a short video where the reviewer points out the AF stops at 1.5 meter. I have a 150 macro that's goes to 1:1 with a focus gear. Excellent lens but I mostly set it at 1:1 and use it with +5 to +15 C/U lenses, keepers are about 50% of what I get with AF 90 & 105 with the same C/U lenses. Not thinking I want to go down that road again. The results from the 180 in close macro look excellent in the short review video.

I want to make it clear that in the top photo I used blocks of foam flotation zip tied to the lens and that any vignetting is from the foam and not the lens. The bottom photo is what the lens will look like with the float collar in the final product, so no vignetting. Regarding wider apertures, for full frame rectilinear lenses in the 16mm to 10mm range the common rule of thumb is to start at F/13 or smaller. Wide Wet lenses at the 28mm end are reported to allow one to two 2.5 extra stops with like corner sharpness. I have attached two photos both taken at F/8 and close but not exactly the same distance to subject. The first photo is the Aquista 120 using the Sony 28-60mm at 28mm with the A7RV, the second is the WACP-C same lens at 28mm on Sony A1, both images are full frame. To my eye the 120 appears to render a slightly wider field of view and a flatter image, I.E. less center bulge associated with fisheye. You can be the judge regarding corners.

This lens has been announced and not to burst everyone's bubble but it is a high end Cine lens. Canon Announces the CINI-SERVO 11-55 T2.95-T3.95 Cinema Lens

Not apples to apples at all. WWL-C is for 24mm at wide end and more designed for compact cameras. The Aquista 120 is currently listed at $1660.00 and it is designed for full frame at 28mm.

The Marelux Aquista 120 wet lens that I have been using is a prototype and lacks any flotation. When I first tested the Nauticam WWL-1 prototype (one of several) about a year and a half before its release that lens did not have any flotation either. When Aquista 120 (130 degree AOV) And Aquista 100 (110 degree AOV) arrive they should both have an aluminum float collar. Both the Aquista 120 & 100 are designed to work with a 28mm full frame equivalent lens at the wide end. As a Sony user I have found no better choice than the Sony FE 28 to 60mm which has been my goto lens for most of the wet wide lenses I have tested. These include (with Sony 28-60) Nauticam WWL-1, WWL-1B, WACP-C, WACP-1 and Marelux Aquista 120. I would say the prototype A-120 I.Q. is most similar to WACP-C. Photos of the Aquista 120 mounted on A7CR housing with some foam blocks which tend to vignette and without any flotation. The bayonet mount on the flat port 32 used for the lens on Sony housings. The prototype lens and the final product concept.

This week Laowa, (Venus Optics) released a new lens roadmap which includes the already released AF FF 12mm F/2.8 and the Laowa AF FF 180mm F/4.5 CA-Dreamer Macro 1.5X lens. The list also includes two video lenses and two TS lenses. A 180mm AF macro that goes to 1.5:1 would be a welcome addition to the Laowa line and will likely first be released in Nikon Z and Sony FE lens mounts. This is a lens that should have great potential for those of use that are addicted to super macro. In the attached photo the lens appears to have internal focus which is a good thing and top aperture of F/22. Laowa has an excellent reputation when it comes to exotic manual focus macro lenses and the Laowa AF 10mm and AF 12mm lenses (Laowa's firsts entries into AF) have been excellent both in speed and tracking ability. Looking forward to trying the new 180 macro.

As I reported in the review several manufactures are selling housings for these cameras. The Marelux MX-A7CII/R housing that I used for the review has access to all the same buttons and features as the Sony A1 housing. I am using the same custom function buttons as with A1, A7R 4&5 with slight differences in placement.

My review for the Sony A7C II and A7CR cameras has posted today in uwpmag.com issue #146. This is article #123 for me since beginning to write for UWP over ten years ago. These are great little full frame cameras with a verity of housing choices and price points. Cushion Starfish, Blue Heron Bridge, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, Sony A7CR, Sony 28-60 Zoom at 28mm, Marelux housing and flat port 32, Aquista 120 W/A wet lens, two Marelux Apollo S strobes. ISO-320, F/20, 1/160th sec. Glassy Snapper, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, Sony A7CR, Sony 28-60 Zoom at 60mm, Marelux housing and flat port 32, Aquista 120 W/A wet lens, Marelux Apollo S strobes, ISO-400, F/11, 1/125th sec.

The Nauticam port chart recommends the 105 flat macro port for the Sony FE 90mm lens. This port works with all accessories including the EMWL #3 and bayonet mount. With Marelux the Sony 90mm uses the flat macro port 97 which has the same 67mm threads which will allow the bayonet mount and the EMWL #3 to be used. I don't see any reason why the EMWL should not work the same on Marelux as it would on Nauticam. Adapting a Nauticam port to Marelux is not going to be the same. I use the Nauticam SMC-1 on the Marelux 90 macro ports and the results are the same with Sony or Tamron 90mm macro lenses.

As long as you are using the recommended Marelux macro port the MFO-3 wet lens should work the same. I have used wet closeup lenses from several manufactures on both Marelux and Nauticam with like results.

When the Laowa 12mm is mounted on the Sony A7RC camera in the MX-A7RC housing the front of the lens is parallel to the flange on the housing, I found the best results using a 40mm extension with the Marelux 230mm optical glass fisheye port. Attached are with the 40mm and 230 port.

Started on another promising looking lens today, the new Laowa 12mm F/2.8 FF AF Dreamer a (122 degree) rectilinear. Using the Marelux 230mm optical glass dome with 45mm of extension for this photo at ISO-125, F/14, 1/160th sec. Still working out the best extension length. Any extension suggestions?