Fabian

Yes, considering what I've spent, I'm happy. Quality is good enough for me, although it is a bit better without TC, and the versatility is greatly improved. Plus, I can use this TC topside as my longer lenses are Sonys.

And one more thing: just realized, if you open the links above, the pics still are not full res. Right click on picture, select "open in new tab", and then you can look at it in 100% resolution.

Hi all, I bought the Sony 2x TC and took it underwater to take a couple of test shots. The setup is: camera body (Sony A7 IV), Sony 2x TC, Metabones Adapter (Gen. V), Canon 8-15mm (please ignore the zoom gear, this is the original one for the bare lens and does not work with this setup, I used a 3D printed one from @Gudge). All works fine, the TC and adapter even give the correct focal length in the EXIF data (well, 29 instead of 30mm and 15mm instead of 16mm, so it's probably more of a 1.9something TC). Autofocus feels a tiny bit slower than without TC, but still works really well. Housing: Nauticam Sony A7 IV housing, 35.5mm N100-N120 adapter, 25mm N120 extension, 30mm N120 extension, 140mm fisheye domeport. So, for adding this TC, I added a 25mm extension to the standard setup as recommended by Nauticam. Why 25mm? Closest to the interflange distance of the TC (which differs from the overall length you'll find online): Stobes: 2x Inon Z330, triggered with a turtle trigger from @TURTLE-Balage (Balazs, we need to talk about a spare one for my upcoming trips - so happy with it, I'll cry if I break it during a trip and can't use it). So, enough for the talking, here are the pictures. So, no one comes here for looking at TCs and calipers, so here are the test pics I took on Sunday during a quick plunge. This are not professional test pics, more or less spontaneously made the decision to take some pics for Waterpixels. I tried to capture similar scenes with different settings, don't expect a full blown analysis or anything professional below. Post processing: set all to the same whitebalance and brought them to a similar brightness, exported with standard settings. Upload here in small res, links proviede show them at 100% res for the pixel peepers out here. Series 1: 30mm, 1/160, F8, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/b6y7rcu9_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/160, F8, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/pa54tft4_jpg.htm Series 2: 30mm, 1/160, F8, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/b4rwgmny_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/160, F8, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/6t5aaoj8_jpg.htm Series 3: 16mm, 1/160, F10, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/9ymk6stb_jpg.htm 30mm, 1/160, F10, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/qk9enbpn_jpg.htm Series 4: (just tried to take pics perpendicular to the bottom in roughly the same position/distance - corners here should not be due to DOF like in some other pictures posted here) 16mm, 1/125, F16, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/7gb4qcjc_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/125, F13, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/8xf9zz8q_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/125, F9, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/a2vjmtxt_jpg.htm 30mm, 1/125, F9, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/k7yojcd9_jpg.htm 30mm, 1/125, F14, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/lj6wj5r2_jpg.htm 30mm, 1/125, F18, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/pg4bqvsd_jpg.htm Series 5: some pics have the same settings, this is not a typo 16mm, 1/200, F10, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/edbrtbeh_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/200, F13, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/8mtwm23w_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/200, F13, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/rj8clyj6_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/200, F16, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/w63jru5m_jpg.htm 16mm, 1/200, F16, ISO400 - https://www.directupload.net/file/u/80408/frw6b8yp_jpg.htm I tried to not mess anything up, so if the links do not match the small pictures, please let me know.

Thank you guys! All parts that I worried about are already changed, it's more of a "you never know" thing and a "how pissed would I be if I could not fire my flash due to a broken cable or whatever". Maybe I'll just get everything that is fairly small and not prohibitively expensive twice, just in case 😅

Hi all, I'll be traveling to the Philippines soon, and I'm wondering, of it is possible to get spare parts for my setup (Nauticam) within a reasonable time frame if needed, e.g. a flash trigger, optical cables, ... First few days will be in Dauin, after I'll go to Bohol. If availability of spare parts there is scarce, what would you recommend to carry? Thanks!

Hi Wolfgang, The Sony TC is built different from the Kenko, with a small protruding element. The overall length of the TC is 42.7mm, but as the interflange distance is 27mm, so the lens only moves forward 27mm and not 42.7mm. If helpful for anyone, I'm happy to take some pictures of the dimensions to make it better to grasp. Best Fabian

This might be true for the one selected example, but not for all lenses / combinations you can find a port chart to start with, hence all the threads on wetpixel about setups, and those threads will start here as well. Additionally, some dimensions are not easy to or even impossible to find online e.g. interflange dimensions for teleconverters. If you look online for the Sony 2x TC, it's length is given at 42.7mm. The actual interflange distance is 27.something mm. Next part is: does the protrusion work with the lens/fit inside? So there is a bit more to it than just looking up the length... Yes, one can buy, measure, trying to figure out if you can get the required parts to match the setup. Requires an investment to start with any idea... Or, and that would be my preferred solution, look up what other people did with a given lens, judge the optical quality from some 100% crops and decide if it's good enough to order the parts...

Thanks @Barmaglot, I was more looking into the overall port setup (e.g. "Sony A7IV housing - 35.5mm N100 N120 adapter - 55mmm (25mm+30mm) N120 extensions - N120 140mm glass domeport domeport - custom zoom gear) for this kind of database

OK, that's it, I'm taking the bullet here. I bought the Sony 2x teleconverter. As the 2x is longer than the 1.4x, I need a different extension (already ordered) and will have to modify the 3D model for the zoom gear. This might take a while as I never did anything with 3D design, but on land the zoom range already looks promising with the Canon 8-15mm. Now - any recommendations to learn "3D design for underwater photography"? 🙂 Once everything works I'll share some pictures for a real life evaluation here, but might take a while, depending on how quick I get a hang of this 3D stuff. Different idea: how about a database for port setups like this? I.e. listing lens, adapters, ports, housings, extensions and (most importantly) pictures that allow to judge the optical quality? Figuring out setups is a pain, and being able to dig into what other people tried and found to be working would be awesome. I feel like the admins are soon gonna be annoyed with all my ideas, but if not and you'd like to discuss more about it, always happy to 😇

I feel you! To not overcompliacte it for @TimG who takes the time to maintain the list (thank you!!!), maybe we could write the information somehow like: [Location]: [Name of Divecenter] - recommended by [name] - Solo [yes/no] - Rebreather [yes/no] Then it would be one list only and we don't have a chance of duplicates. Does that make any sense?

Question for @TimG: what do yo think about adding information about solo diving to the list? I know this is a sensitive topic, but for me this option is crucial. I'm very much used to solo diving (about 2 out fo 3 dives I do are solo), and sometimes travel alone. I do not always want to be forced to take a guide, join a fun diving group or buddy up with people I don't know (which sometimes is a lot of fun, but sometimes also more of a PITA).

Thank you @Architeuthis! Really appreciate your effort! If you ever take it underwater, I'm curious to see some real life examples 😉 For me, the 2.0x doesn't look to bad. At a 100% crop pictures will be less clear than with a 1.4 or bare lens, but I still find it really interessting for dive where I might encounter bigger and shy animals. Lets see, but looks like I found a reason to buy more stuff 🙂 as I always explain to my wife: Haben ist besser als Brauchen. ("to have is better than to need")

Thank you @Interceptor121. I remember your articels from "the old WP", I found them very helpful. I do like the 1.4x TC (Sony, not Kenko) very much, but I'm still unsure about the 2.0x TC. Why do you not recommend it? I would love to just give it a try, maybe I can rent the 2.0x TC for a couple of days and try it out underwater. Otherwise, I might only be able to take a couple of test shots outside, but I'm afraid that this is not enough to judge the IQ.

Hi all, I thought this forum really needs a thread about using the Canon 8-15 with teleconverters, wouldn't be complete without 😄 I was thinking about getting the Sony 2.0x as an addition (thanks to @Gudge I can use the Sony teleconverter with my setup), but I'm not sure about the optical quality behint the Nauticam 140mm domeport. Has anyone used a 2.0x teleconverter with it underwater and can share his experience with the image quality? I expect to be the range from 16 to 30mm quite interessting. I'd only lose 1mm towards the 15mm fullframe fisheye, but would gain from 21mm (as with the 1.4x TC) 9mm towards the 30mm. Thanks!

Hi all, just my two cents: I'm using the Turtle Smart from @TURTLE-Balage - I'm very happy with it. The way I take care of charging is simple: In the evening after diving, I open the backside of my housing, plug in both the USB C of the camera and the micro USB for the trigger - wait and done. No need to take out anything, disassebmle anythinge. With a powerbank I can do it in the field as well.

Hi all, I still have some parts around after my upgrade to the A7IV. Nauticam Sony A6500 Housing (NA17417) with 2 third party powerbanks and USB cable for use inside the housing (to conquer the hunger for power of the A6500), Nauticam M16 Vacuum Valve II (NA25625) installed, also included is the travel bag for the housing and a few spares. Further, I have the N85 Macro Port 40 (NA36228), perfect for the Sony 16-50mm lens and the zoom gear for this lens (NA36172). Happy if I can sell everything to gether, willing to split as follows: Housing, powerbanks, vacuum valve: 1750€ (2674€ new + batteries of which I'm not sure about the prices anymore) Port: 290€ (440€ new) Zoom gear: 180€ (270€ new) All in very good shape and well looked after. Items located in Germany, willing to ship worldwide. Buyer pays shipping and PayPal fees if applicable. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Hi all, I received the monitor yesterday, and decided to keep it. I do like the size and resolution, and Eizo at 32'' with 4K and AdobeRGB would be significantly more expensive. Wolfgang, I was considering the 27" as well, but the 32" was cheaper during the Amazon offer (now it's more expensive again), so I took the chance. But I still need to figure out how the hockeypuck works, but that is what I'll play around with this weekend (well, after diving of course). Thank you all for you input!

Hi all, I'll soon need a new monitor for editing my pictures. I only shoot stills (well 99.something% of the time tbh), and regularly print pictures / sell prints. If relevant, software is CaptureOne and Adobe Photoshop, all running on Windows. I thought about going to an AdobeRGB monitor, fair or overkill? Size: 27''+, preferably 32''. Budget: what is necessary? after 1.5k € it starts to hurt, 2k would be the absolute maximum. So far I'm looking at the BenQ SW321C - usually 2k, dropped to 1.45k at Amazon as I've seen while typing this. So I ordered it to save the price (in the worst case I'll return it)... Regardless of the BenQ - any other recommendations? Thanks!

I should thank you all for taking the effort to keep the community alive! 🙂

Hi there, I've tested this one: https://www.printables.com/en/model/52403-diffuser-for-inon-z330-strobe It fits well, I just took the wrong material so it wasn't transparent enough... Best, Fabian