Wet Two (Seacam) observations

A while back I reported on having used the Seacam Wet One diopter in St. Vincent. Seacam just introduced the new, more powerful Wet Two. Here are some observations from having used it recently in PNG. http://dive.scubadiving.com/insider/

Also, we found these kick butt with a 60mm on a Nikon digital with a 1.5 crop factor. There is no vignetting, it is easy to view the subject from a distance, the distance to the subject is far enough to easily light, and the depth of field is better than with the 105mm. Actually, a few times I put my Canon 1DMKII in the housing instead of the 1DsMKII, just so I could enjoy some of the cropped sensor advantages my Nikon shooter friends had.

Here's one I shot with a friend's D2X with a 105mm and Wet Two.

Stephen,

Sounds great! I'm on the list to get one as soon as they're actually available.

Can you estimate roughly what the Wet Two does to the range of distance from subjects where focus can still be achieved? I assume it limits it to fairly close (say 2 ft or less?), but do you have anything more specific on how far away you can be and still get subjects in focus?

Stephen,

 

Sounds great!  I'm on the list to get one as soon as they're actually available. 

 

Can you estimate roughly what the Wet Two does to the range of distance from subjects where focus can still be achieved?  I assume it limits it to fairly close (say 2 ft or less?), but do you have anything more specific on how far away you can be and still get subjects in focus?

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Hey Bruce - We've already shipped quite a few, and most every Seacam shooter on my PNG trip had at least a Wet Two, and some had Wet One and Wet Two. We're sold out now, but have more coming in with the next shipment. I told Liz she'd no doubt be hearing from you tomorrow

Anyway, yours is a great question ... how far can you be away with Wet Two in place and still "read" the subject so you can compose? I'd say more than 2 feet for sure, but not more than 3. I should have paid more attention to that. The Wet One is more forgiving for sure, and in St. Vincent I left it on most of the time when macro subjects were about (which meant almost all the time the 100 was mounted). Working mandarinfish down in the coral rubble posed no problem, if that helps.

The other thing you want to be careful of is catching micro-bubbles against the glass. The diopters have purge holes, but tiny bubbles can still adhere and you'll cuss the healing tool time you'll have to do. A good shake before installing is usually enough.

here's one Nick DiFeterici did with a 60mm/D2X/Wet Two. I don't know if he was fully racked out or not, but it gives a sense of the depth of field.

Hi Stephen,

What I really like about the shot you posted is the overall coverage. Close enough so the Pygmy is prominent, but far enough back to capture more of the environment. Better DOF as well. Keeper rate probably a bit higher than with the 2xtc.

I find you're Fire dartfish shot comparison amazing. Reason enough to invest in that diopter. Have you considered a more "Universal" model?

Rand

OK, maybe not quite full crop on Nick's, as I found this one of same critter in my files. Here I know it was racked out all the way with Wet Two (100 macro on 1DsMKII).

Hi Stephen,

 

What I really like about the shot you posted is the overall coverage. Close enough so the Pygmy is prominent, but far enough back to capture more of the environment. Better DOF as well.  Keeper rate probably a bit higher than with the 2xtc.  

 

I find you're Fire dartfish shot comparison amazing.  Reason enough to invest in that diopter. Have you considered a more "Universal" model?

 

Rand

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Hey Rand - I know you'd put it to extraordinary use, but as for a more "universal" model, I suspect Harald Hordosch of Seacam isn't too interested in broader applications beyond his housings.

As for the keeper rate, I think it could have been quite high, except I hadn't dialed in the diopter on my friend's S180 viewfinder to my vision. (The viewfinders have +/- 3 diopter correction, and should be personalized for use) So, I had a $1500 viewfinder that told my eyes it was either way out of focus or a little out of focus. I was lucky to get one. Let that be a lesson to me ... dial before diving.

Rand,

Don't despair that Seacam won't be producing one of those push on diopters for your Subal.

There is another alternative available from Woody and possibly Ryan

The offical name of it is "Nexus Wet Lens", but it was popularized and sold only by Woody for a long time, thus it became known throughout the industry as "Woody's Diopter.

WE first dove with it in either 1999 or 2000 in Raja Ampat, so it has stood the test of time.

Woodys Diopter is here

I know for a fact that there are quite a few folks on this forum that would not leave home with out it. I am certainly one and I know that DebF is another.

One did, I loaned him mine and he bloody lost it... Was I ever sad and begging DebF to loan me hers on more than one macro dive

And yes Joe Belanger, she is still HOT

For those going to Beneath the Sea please Stop by our booth, SMY Ondina Booth 528 for a visit! You can find us just across the aisle from Ikelite.

Stephen, I didn't really expect that Seacam would adapt it to others but I can always hope...

Dang Tony, You write that after the shots I've posted here with the 2xTC and a Woody's

Yes, I'm a big fan of it and would just like to see a more powerful version. They are so flexible, as you know, a great piece of kit.

Rand

Does woody's diopter fit the 60/105mm subal ports?

Cor

Dang Tony, You write that after the shots I've posted here with the 2xTC and a Woody's 

 

Yes, I'm a big fan of it and would just like to see a more powerful version. They  are so flexible, as you know, a great piece of kit.

Rand

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DUH, am I red faced. I have seen your postings of the super macro shots

you took with the 2xTC and Woody's Diopter and think that they are stunning.

I was in a hurry last night, Deb and I were trying to get out of the house and go

have a quiet dinner with no computers in sight and I just spaced it. UNDUH

In the UK we have always called the "Woody Dioptre" the Nexus Wetlenses and they have been widespread since the days of film. I know that Ocean Optics always supplied them so that they fit on both of their two main housing lines: Nexus and Subal.

I have never owned one myself, but I am getting increasingly tempted.

I would also imagine it would not be very difficult to fit the new Seacam dioptre onto different housings.

Alex

Tony wrote: "And yes Joe Belanger, she is still HOT"

Thanks for the update, Tony. I was wondering if anything had changed.

Speaking of BTS, has anyone heard any results for the competition yet?

Joe

Also, I love Woody's diopter. It would be nice if he made a little more powerful one. Still debating on the macro-mate, bnut it seems large and cumbersome.

Joe

Could someone clue me in on the reasons for choosing a wet diopter over housing a diopter on the lens itself (which would save doubling up on diopters, and the smaller, simpler screw-ons are surely cheaper and don't have the bubble-trapping issues)?

Is it flexibility, being able to remove it underwater?

Is it that you can't fit the diopter inside the port?

Or is it a quality issue?

(I've not yet used diopters underwater, but do own the Canon D500 and the Nikon 5T and 6T's, which I use mainly for insect shots)

All the best,

Chris

Is it flexibility, being able to remove it underwater?

Also, I love Woody's diopter.  It would be nice if he made a little more powerful one.  Still debating on the macro-mate, bnut it seems large and cumbersome.

 

Joe

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Oh no Joe, not a mine is more powerful than yours discussion.

We had a guest on one of our Raja Ampat Trips last year who struggled with the MacroMate, the damn thing would not stay attached to his port.

DebF rescued it from the bottom twice and I coralled it once. The attachment mechanism just didn't keep it attached to the port.

We had another guest that had tried one and it was just too much trouble to bother with so he left it at home and used his Woody's diopter.

The macro-mate is a big heavy clunky piece of kit.

I just had a look see at the BTS web site and there is no announcement about the Photo Contest results for 2006.

Could someone clue me in on the reasons for choosing a wet diopter over housing a diopter on the lens itself ...?

 

Is it flexibility, being able to remove it underwater?

 

Is it that you can't fit the diopter inside the port?

 

Or is it a quality issue?

 

(I've not yet used diopters underwater, but do own the Canon D500 and the Nikon 5T and 6T's, which I use mainly for insect shots)

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Chris,

I don't think it's a quality issue at all. For me, it's primarily the flexibility. I've sometimes used the D500, and it works fine, but it commits you to shooting only tinier stuff on that dive, whereas using a wet diopter allows you more flexibility (not every macro subject is so tiny as to need a diopter at all). It also lets you use one diopter with multiple lenses (I've used the Woody's diopter with a 100mm, 150mm, and even with my 50mm Sigma lens when I suddenly found an unexpected macro subject and wanted a bit more magnification).

For some folks, it may be an issue of not being able to fit a screw-on diopter inside their port, but I'm guessing for most it is the flexibility. As evidence, there have been very few (if any) dives where I left the Woody's diopter on the entire dive. When using the D500, I have no choice BUT to leave it on the entire dive...

If you have a port that will hold one of the lens diopters you already own, by all means try using them on a few dives to see if diopters uw even appeal to you. If so, you might THEN find that being able to decide DURING a dive whether to use a diopter or not gives a wet diopter more overall utility.

Add my name to the list of Woody's Diopter fans. I use it primarily with my 105, but have also used it with the 60mm. Flexibility is the primary reason I've gone with a wet diopter. Woody's is compact and easy to handle. I initially bought it for a Subal film housing, it still worked (with a little surgery) on a Sea & Sea D100 port, and when I switched to Subal's D10 it still fit and worked well.

When you don't know what you'll encounter, and have 100+ chances to get something, the external diopter allows you to shoot everything from fish faces to nervous little fishes to pygmy sea horses.