Adventurer

I would like to point out that this Calculation for a native Canon shooter and MARELUX target user runs much more affordable and lightweight: Canon EF 8-15 FE: 600-750€ (used) / 540g EF-RF Adapter: 89€ / 109g Kenko 2.0x TC: 190€ (used) / 166g Marelux 60229 Zoomgear: 209 € / 48g Marelux 51406 Zoomgear: 209 € / 66g MX 30mm Extension: 319 € / 250g MX 50mm Extension: 339 € / 340g MX 140mm Dome: 1369€ / 754g = 3324 € / 2273g Let‘s you run the system with and without Teleconverter. Note that you cannot buy the 8-15 lens and Kenko Teleconverter new anymore. They can be found in the used item market. I have friends which were able to get their hands on a pristine Canon 8-15 fisheye for 550€. You may even shrink this down by not buying the parts you need for running the lens natively with zoom to make it more comparable vs. the FCP or WCAP road. So for Canon RF Users it’s actually a no-brainer to go and get this setup. And the sentence would go,.. What does 2750 € get you ?

In an inner zoom or inner focus design the entrance pupil will just hop around like crazy without you beeing aware of it. So "Yes", but that view on the optical performance behind a dome is kinda outdated, old-schoolish. It's not a big issue with many of the recent Canon RF lens designs, which have an extending tubus. Actually many of the non-L Canon lenses without a red ring perform much better than their L-Series siblings. Note that surface lens reviews (especially of very expensive lenses) don't tell you much about the optical performance behind an underwater dome. @stillviking pointed out correctly the most important feature: MFD = 20 cm looks promising. I am waiting for that lens to appear on optical bench hub to have a closer look.

Well yes that's what I did, but of course with shutter closed, which might explain the 1 mm offset. Good to reflect a little bit on that. Also the IBIS can make the sensor wobble a lot which might be interesting. Having said that, the Nikonos bayonet is also kind-off weird and allows you to shift the lense a little back and forth when properly mounted. I guess the water pressure will always push that lens towards sensor direction. But overall there might be some tolerante for the focus plane.

Great Info Chris, where did you look that up? What is the source? Official from Nikon / Canon? I did my own measurement and got 19mm on my Canon RF. Indeed the extruding knobs are going to be an issue. I am thinking about cutting or replacing them to be able to move the port adapter more inside. Thanks @Alex_Mustard for sharing your wonderful images. They are indeed dent sharp and extra-immersive. I also find it very interesting that it seems flexible enough to shoot medium sized fish portraits. Obviously due to the small min. focussing distance. Just to make sure: the parrotfish shot are also the the 15mm Nikonos and not a Nikonos Macro? May I ask what aperture you mainly shoot it ? There is an old rumor that @ F8 everything usually is sharp with that lens.

Hi Friends, for some reason I happen to own an old Nikonos III + 15mm underwater lens which I got more than 10 years ago on ebay. It's been a beloved pet project for me to dive this lens again on a full frame DSLM camera such as my R6 Mark II. Mainly because of IQ and the very compact size. I am aware that it's not a fisheye and equivalent to a 20mm lens, my favourite wide angle range underwater. There are two versions. The earlier one only fits on Nikonos I, ii and iii since it blocks the TTL-sensor of the Nikonos IV and V. The earlier lens is told to be the better performer due to its retro focusing design. This makes it even more mouthwatering after reading this optical benchmark done by Pawel Achtel from 2014 : https://wetpixel.com/articles/test-optical-performance-of-nikonos-15mm-flat-and-dome-ports It resulted in some cinema products: https://achtel.com/3deep/ I am also aware of this tinkering thread by @ianmarsh ( thank you Ian ! ) https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/418-nikonos-15mm-service-manuals-and-schematics-was-do-15s-need-servicing/ I have some questions though, matching with my previous experience. In the Nauticam Sony NEX-5 days and Nikonos NEX Adapter, the Version III would not mount on the crop camera as it's derriere would have hit the image sensor. You needed to get a Nikonos 15mm in the V (five not three) version to make it work. I never did 🙃 If I remember correctly this was the reason why the III Version of the Nikon Nikonos UW-Nikkor 15mm f/2.8 would not mount on APS-C type. Now will full frame and mirrorless I see that Nauticam has a Nikonos-Full-Frame Adapter in their portfolio, but it's just for the A7 Sony camera series, not for Canon. https://www.nauticam.com/products/nikonos-adaptor-for-na-a7 In another thread together with @Phil Rudin and @Isaac Szabo that I recall but did not find we learned that Nauticam has different bayonet to camera flange distances between their brand housings. Some SONY models seem to sit closer to the Nauticam Bayonet, especially closer than the Canon DSLMs. Nauticams Nikonos Adapter for full frame just seems to work for A7/A7R/A7S System - anybody around using it with a 15mm lens and can report about the experience? In my MARELUX the Canon R6 II sits even deeper inside the housing, which may provoke a collision with the two knobs for focus and aperture control. I have exactly this set including the viewfinder: https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/01394/01394.pdf Seeking your advice and comment in hope to make my pet project come alive.

I use the Marelux single dome 140mm for a versatile one fits all solution / backup. Go for the 8-15mm fisheye and do not invest in the 14-35mm zoom. The results of the 8-15mm TC 1.4x and 2.0x will be more pleasing than trying to rape the 14-35mm behind a small dome. Instead think about getting the RF 35mm 1.8 macro, which also can be utilized behind the small 140mm dome with a +4 diopter and which give you a flexible very sharp distant shark plus semi macro lens, without having to buy a flat port. I also own a 230mm dome. About your questions: 1.) not an issue to worry about with major brands, it’s awesome on Marelux but also fully functional on an INON housing, a friend owns. 2.) skip the 180 idea. The 140mm is full sphere with marelux and nauticam, the 180 is not. Unless you are heavily targeting for over-under split shots the 140mm dome is the way to go for many lenses, especially the 8-15mm FE. 3.) looking into this as I own the 1.4x RF TC and the two Kenko TCs seem to drive down IQ a little bit. There is zoom gear for all three scenarios by Marelux for the 8-15mm. I would need to test if one of the gears also would fit the much thicker bit. There is zoom gear for all three scenarios by Marelux for the 8-15mm. I would need to test if one of the gears also would fit the much thicker Canon RF TC 4.) good approach, however I would see that complementary to the 8-15 FE with TCs not redundant.

I own and shoot the R6mark II in a Marelux housing and Canon 8-15mm Fisheye plus some other lenses. I can highly recommend this setup. The housing has made some minor improvements even over Nauticam housings, which was actually hard to think about; but the reason why I decided on MARELUX.

Thank you so much for this feedback. I truly appreciate it. It is especially rewarding after having had quite a few exhausting discussions in an online forum, without anybody saying „thank you“. I am very glad I could help.

Hi guys, the RETRA test mentioned is land based, correct? Same as the private beam shots by Dreifish in this forum. I would like to point out that any strobe that utilizes a dome (such as Seacam, Z330, Marelux) will give you a highly distorted impression of the real beam pattern that will be produced underwater. Once the dome glas is submerged in water it acts like a lens increasing the beam angle and evenly softens the output. -> The quality of light will improve underwater. Just keep that in mind when comparing land based shots.

That non-HD version has a horrible reputation of crushing your IQ to pieces. I would try to replace that with the new version or the Sony.

I think so too.

The likelihood is very high that my cameras and housings frequently see much more wet salt than yours. 😉 You are dead wrong about the mm thing. Prioritize correct NPP positioning and be amazed. You can lab / pool test this, which is the way to go, before you spend multiple thousand dollars with a dismal travel camera setup in your bag.

This is very nicely put 😁☝️ Cudos Klaus!

I am curious: was the optical performance on land acceptable for you with the 2.0 TC ? Then you might have sold it too quickly and it was just missing the optical punch by a good sized, well positioned dome underwater 🤔 My guess from the limited unvalidated data donoring in this forum is that you might need 85mm of extensions with the 1.4x TC and 140mm nauticam dome. The slightly larger 180mm Nauticam dome might yield much better results with the 1.4x or 2.0x in the game.

Hey @fruehaufsteher2 and @Architeuthis, very glad you chimed in on this and that you are interested so much in the materia. I‘ll try to put this as simple and practical as I can, being a non native speaker: I understood the situation with both of you, is that you abandoned WACP or FCP etc in search for better IQ. Manufacturer portlists (Marelux, Nauticam, Ikelite etc. ) target to a extension ring + dome combination that will give you maximum zoom range / flexibility on that Canon EF 8-15. Mainly because they might not want customers complaining that the dome sunshade or parts of the extension ring are in the picture, because it’s an obvious thing to complain about if you have no clue and just bought expensive glas 😁. The dilemma is that the dome is positioned to close to the lens to archive this flexibility. A fisheye sees „everything“ which is right in front of the entrance pupil (180 degrees diagonal or even circular). So you must use a full sphere dome. Bummer: none of the Nauticam domes is a real full sphere, like the large Matty Smith domes are… the 140mm dome is missing a tiny fraction in the end which causes a significant offset in the NPP position. This is very practical but does not help your hunt for maximum IQ. I measured and computed this for my 140mm Marelux Fisheye Dome and there you would need a 7.5mm Extension behind the dome for exakt positioning. Nauticam will be very similar to this I suppose. The 140mm dome with Nauticam/Marelux itself has a small tunnel section of another 7mm, so you can easily see how quickly 1.5cm unwanted offset sneak up on you. Bottom Line: So even the dome you thought which to be a full sphere for your fisheye is not. As you already own the Teleconverters (TCs) the logic step is to use them to shrink your field of view. Then you can use domes which are not full sphere, such as the medium sized 180mm dome, @RomiK used for some test shots in this forum. You can of course also do this with the 140mm dome if you already own it. Next Step: ditch flexibility and abandon the 8mm focal length end -> as a sacrifice for IQ the 15mm zoom end is the preferred operation mode for you. With TC 1.4x you get 21mm focal length. With TC 2.0x you get to 30mm focal length. Put your metabones adapter / sigma MC 11 plus the Teleconverter and lens on the camera and mount it inside the housing. Measure the distance from housing port flange to the red dot on the Canon EF 8-15mm sunshade. This is the minimum length of the extension ring you will need from Nauticam. I suppose even 7mm to 1cm more because of what I wrote above about the 140mm domes. You will loose some of the wide angle part of this fisheye zoom, as the lens sits now more deep inside the extension ring tunnel. But honestly, would you have used that portion very often underwater? I hope my best practice is comprehensive for you. If something is unclear just ask.

Putting a TC1.4x or TC2.0x in the system + getting a loooong port extension to use the 8-15 @ 15mm zoomed in -> 21mm / 30mm focal length with domes will give you better IQ and build the CFWA system you mention.

Chris, I think you are still not understanding. It's not just about perfect corners. The wrong way will introduce all sort of optical degradation including abberations etc.

Actually No. @RomiK My recommendation for you, after testing it all out. If you want the 180mm (non full sphere dome), add the 1.4x TC or the 2.0x TC Add more Extension than just the recommended 20mm for the 1.4x TC and ditch the wide zoom parts IQ/Vignette. Nauticam says the Radius of the 180mm dome is 110mm. So put a pen inside the glas and measue 11cm backwards. Buy the extension ring, that will get that radius on the red dot on the EF 8-15mm sunshade. Menu ready cooked! Voila, enjoy great IQ zoomed in and even make decent split shots. PS: just realized @Chris Ross you hi-jacked this thread and totally took it off-topic. Please look at the thread title and re-evaluate who is missing a point here. In fact it's easy to miss the Non Paralax Point (NPP) here 😉

OK. Small misunderstand here. Gotcha. The problem with that small dome being not a full sphere is that with correct position you will need to run approx 28mm FullFrame focal lens in it or tighter, to get near the optimum position. There is just a very small part in the center which will give you non-soft IQ. If you operate it on APS-C oder MFT cameras that's driving you towards that solution of your IQ problem. Also the 16:9 crop in video very often let's you use the center of that lens. All the above is not specific to the EF 8-15mm and also applies to other lenses. The get the FF image IQ you paid for on the superb EF 8-15, it's recommended to get at least the Marelux or Nauticam 140mm (almost) full sphere dome.

A well balanced review by Henley Spiers appeared on DPG comparing the Apollo III 2.0 against RETRA and oneUW https://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-special-features/article/first-impressions-marelux-apollo-iii-2-0-strobe/ Summarized,.. he's not too impressed by the Lumilink but emphasizes and compares the solid MTL feature the Marelux Apollo III 2.0 offers. This was also the initial assumption why I bought two of these strobes: meaning that a classic ring strobe is unable to compete with repetitive speeds of xenon based flash guns.

It feels as if @Alex_Mustard is really personally touched about the matter. Very heart-warming 🙂 I found the perspective from a celebrity in underwater photography and judge very interesting. I specifically refer to the part where he describes when a judge is approached by contest participants with the question: "How did you like my shot ?" and the honest reply should be "Sorry, I have never seen your image before you showed it to me." 😪

@Chris Ross it depresses me how you communicate here in public, obviously just for writing the 180 degree counter argument to what I contributed here. How should I have missed the point? Can we please leave personal grudge aside? I am obviously going to loose this against a person with moderator status who seems to own this forum. My point and remark was, that in the promotional write-up from the ikelite blog, there are nice images, yes. But the underwater photographer Steve Miller has obviously cropped and processed his shots. Just a few are still in 3:2 - so he may have cropped where the sharpness is splendid, to make the images look nice. A lot of the photos have also extremely darkened corners. It makes the images look interesting but gives full frame users no clue, how many pixels they have to throw away of each shot to get a sharp piece. And the curvature IS NOT 80mm behind the entrance pupil on the 8" ikelite dome. An extension of approx 43mm will get you to the NPP of the Canon EF 8-15 fisheye lens. As I have done some more chessfield testing in the bathtub yesterday, I can tell you that also the Fisheye is not invincible when it comes to dome abuse and mis-positioning. Have a read here:

Well with the frequency at which new products enter the market this year your current converter might already be outdated once it arrives from Taiwan with you and you are drooling at the next new strobe that just was announced. So online updating would be highly appreciated over importing and exporting physical goods which will easily eat up $100++ for one round trip shipment.

I am totally with you, Isaac. But as the original intention of this thread was to build an excel sheet that readers might take for granted I would suggest to abandon that mission. The case illustrates: You simply do not know how accurate your volunteering data donors are at measuring and reading the results.

Quite evil post @Barmaglot ?!?! Have you had bad experience with them or are you even affiliated with an INON competitor ? That you can pull off guide numbers beyond 40 out of compact 4xAA design has been successfully demonstrated by Canon EX Speedlites more than a decade ago. Canon 580EX II had GN = 58 Design has further progressed to shrink size and level up to GN60 in compact designs, this is @ 200mm focal length, with Canon Speedlite EL-1 though. But looking at the available water cooling and INONs advanced experience in underwater reflector design, crossing the GN40 barrier in year 2025 sounds quite archivable to me; even if you have to deliver a wider beam.