If you have to pick a lens

If you have to pick between this two lenses for UWP what you pick 18-55 or 28-80? neither is not a valid answer... and why?

18-55mm

I would always go for the widest lens if you must have a mid-range zoom....longer without being able to focus very close isn't of much value underwater because your strobe can't light something that far away

These are both very inexpensive lenses that you will outgrow very quickly.....sometimes you save money by waiting for the best and then you don't buy twice

I would get the Nikkor 60mm and then you've got a lifetime lens that takes great macro and can still take fish portraits

just my $.02 worth

Karl

I agree with Karl. I wouldn't find 28mm wide enough (on cropped frame digital) to be worthwhile. Even 18mm is not very wide. So I would suggest both lens are compromises.

I know you didn't want "neither" as an option - but that would be my answer! As Karl suggests, a 60mm is much better for fish portraits; and a 12-24 or 10.5 for wide angles. You only need to buy a lens once: so get the right one to start with.

Karl is right. Strobes are not meant to function very well past 6 or so feet, and underwater, to me, 6 feet between you and the subject is too much in most situations. Go for the 18 to 55.

Joe

I have to disagree, I personally use a 28-105 and know several using the 28-80. The 28-80 range equates to about 42-120 on a cropped sensor DSLR, add a Woody's diopter and you've got a killer macro set up when zoomed in and a decent fish lens when zoomed out.

I've gotten shots of 2" nudi's to quartering shots of a hawksbill turtle with that combo.

It's a great "hunting" lens, when I don't know what to expect on the dive, that's the lens of choice, then, if I do the dive again, I bring either the WA or true macro

Note, I shoot from behind a flat port, not a dome.

Stu

I happen to be a wide angle fanatic, so I would say that the 18-50 is not wide enough and several others agreed. However since you got such a good response from the user of the 28-80 I'd say go with that instead of niether.

Steve B)