Tok 10-17 and Subal FE

Finally got to use the Tok 10-17mm FE in anger today. Was rather won over by it in the first 30 seconds as I dropped straight in onto a tight ball of bumphead parrotfish at Sipadan. Awesome.

Anyway I noticed a interesting problem with the lens as I went deeper. The pressure compressed my dome port (Subal FE2) against my camera and meant I could no longer turn the zoom (as the dome was pushed up against it). Actually I could still turn it but as it pushed against the port it seemed like a bad idea.

Pity because the lens was optically very good. Luckily I have brought a very thin port extention ring with me.

Anyway, I hadn't heard anyone else mention this. Maybe it is just my housing? But I suspect it is all Subal's apart from the D70.

Alex

Finally got to use the Tok 10-17mm FE in anger today. Was rather won over by it in the first 30 seconds as I dropped straight in onto a tight ball of bumphead parrotfish at Sipadan. Awesome.

 

Anyway I noticed a interesting problem with the lens as I went deeper. The pressure compressed my dome port (Subal FE2) against my camera and meant I could no longer turn the zoom (as the dome was pushed up against it). Actually I could still turn it but as it pushed against the port it seemed like a bad idea.

 

Pity because the lens was optically very good. Luckily I have brought a very thin port extention ring with me.

 

Anyway, I hadn't heard anyone else mention this. Maybe it is just my housing? But I suspect it is all Subal's apart from the D70.

 

Alex

Alex, it would be very interesting to hear your impressions and observations on how the 10-17 performs optically compared to the Nikkor 10.5 - AF, vignetting, sharpness etc.

cheers

I don't have a RAW converter on my laptop and the screen isn't really good enough to comment reliably.

On land I felt the Tok had slighty more fringing than the 10.5mm, but the sharpness was comparable.

UW first impressions are very encouraging - however, I now have to add the extension ring (15mm) I think - so the zoom gear works - and it may all go down hill now.

Alex

Anyway I noticed a interesting problem with the lens as I went deeper. The pressure compressed my dome port (Subal FE2) against my camera and meant I could no longer turn the zoom (as the dome was pushed up against it). Actually I could still turn it but as it pushed against the port it seemed like a bad idea.

 

Alex

Not to clear here - are you saying the port pushed back and contacted focus / zoom knob, or the lens contacts the inside of the port ?

buy an Aquatica..

Alex, can you take a pic of the two lenses (10.5) side by side to see the difference in size of them physically?

The Tok is about 1cm longer.

Alex

I use a 20 mm extension with my Subal setup and it works ok.

my first dive with it, the zoom ring got slightly askew, and it was stuck on 10mm. oops.

good lens.

The lens is phenominal. I can't think of anything better for Sipadan's turtles and schools. You will be stunned by the photos I have taken so far - and I have only done 3 dives with the lens.

The issue is that the dome is pushed back onto the zoom/focus knob on the outside of the housing. Thinking about it some more this must be an issue with just my housing - otherwise you would not be able to focus a standard fisheye, using the same control (I have never used a manual focus gear - but people do - so it must be possible).

I added the 10mm ring today and optically it was great with no vignetting.

The lens is phenominal. I can't think of anything better for Sipadan's turtles and schools. You will be stunned by the photos I have taken so far - and I have only done 3 dives with the lens.

 

The issue is that the dome is pushed back onto the zoom/focus knob on the outside of the housing. Thinking about it some more this must be an issue with just my housing - otherwise you would not be able to focus a standard fisheye, using the same control (I have never used a manual focus gear - but people do - so it must be possible).

 

I added the 10mm ring today and optically it was great with no vignetting.

Aaaaaaaargghhhhh!!!!! one more lens to buy after having 10.5mm and 16mm

Please post some examples

Sorry David, I am not going to post examples until I am home.

All I can say is - it would be hard to find a bigger 10.5mm addict than me. And I have not yet dived with that lens on this trip yet (except with the teleconverter). I am very convinced that this is an awesome lens.

I think it is really best thought of as one less lens to own - as I have to say my 10.5mm (without TC) has not had a dive yet and I left the 16mm at home.

Alex

Hello Alex,

As you, I think this lens is great - as much for its quality as for its versatility!

Have you done some split-level shots with? for this kind of picture I think 10,5mm is better... but haven't done a lot yet!

Claude

my recent experience with the 10-17 in LC: I used only 2 lenses this trip, the 10-17 (most of the time) and the 105 for real macro.

The 10-17 is a supurb all around lens, it does take macro, but not with the clarity of the 105 or 60. at least in my early attempts. getting close enough and focusing on the critter is key. I will post some examples in the photo gallery soon. Love the lens. my 12-24 got no use this trip

Sorry David, I am not going to post examples until I am home.

 

All I can say is - it would be hard to find a bigger 10.5mm addict than me. And I have not yet dived with that lens on this trip yet (except with the teleconverter). I am very convinced that this is an awesome lens.

 

I think it is really best thought of as one less lens to own - as I have to say my 10.5mm (without TC) has not had a dive yet and I left the 16mm at home.

 

Alex

Interesting. I will await more final conclusions after you get home and have a chance to have a closer look at your results. I'm thinking maybe get rid of the 10.5 and get a 10-17 instead. Then when the Tokina 16-50/2.8 finally arrives (anyone know????)...those two zooms together with a domeport should cover a lot of situations...

/christian

Interesting. I will await more final conclusions after you get home and have a chance to have a closer look at your results. I'm thinking maybe get rid of the 10.5 and get a 10-17 instead. Then when the Tokina 16-50/2.8 finally arrives (anyone know????)...those two zooms together with a domeport should cover a lot of situations...

 

/christian

Alex, I used the 10-17 on a recent trip to the Banda Sea with my Subal D20 & D200. I started off with the FE dome and a 10mm extension but then removed the EXR as the results seemed soft in the corners compared to the 10.5

I had no problems with the zoom without the EXR so it sounds like your housing.

The lens is great, I was very impressed with mine.

Don

I checked this lens combo on the Subal D2X / FE2 port combo this afternoon - it's very close.

Hi Don,

That is really interesting feedback... I've pool tested (crudely) the FE2 alone, FE2 + EXR15, and FE2 + EXR20 on a Subal D200. I felt my sharpest corners came w/ the 20mm extension.

Some customers have complained about a very slight vignette w/ the 20mm extension (goes away at 11mm), but it doesn't happen on my camera. In that case I'd use EXR15.

Hi Don,

 

That is really interesting feedback... I've pool tested (crudely) the FE2 alone, FE2 + EXR15, and FE2 + EXR20 on a Subal D200. I felt my sharpest corners came w/ the 20mm extension.

 

Some customers have complained about a very slight vignette w/ the 20mm extension (goes away at 11mm), but it doesn't happen on my camera. In that case I'd use EXR15.

Hi Ryan, I literally only got the lens shipped from Japan to Sydney the week before I left for the Bandas so no time to do a pool test - even if I had one.... I had read here on WP that somebody was using a short EXR so I thought I would start off with the 10mm but it did not seem as sharp as the 10.5 so I tried it without and it seemed better.

Not exactly scientific testing though....

It is a very versatile lens though and great potential - be interesting to see what Alex does with it!

Don

I guess from Ryan's post that my ext is the 15mm one. But I am not sure. It doesn't say on it!

Pool tests are useful - but do not always represent reality. In the pool people shoot flat targets - whereas in the field most often the foreground corners are much closer than the main subject. Also my problem of the port compression would not be apparent in the pool (unless it was more than 50ft deep!).

I have been thrilled with the performance of the funky cold tokina. But since I am shooting mainly big animals (turtles, sharks, schools etc) I am not doing much close focus WA - which I think would show up any corner sharpness issue much more. If I am going in to shoot CFWA reef shots then I'd put the 10.5mm on. Also I am shooting the lens between F8 and F14 most of the time (I have powerful strobes!), which may be hiding corner sharpness issues too.

So I would not take my observations as definitive. Just real world useage that is working for me. I'd also add that the densely packed pixels of the D2X sensor are very unforgiving of poor optics, so if it is working then I am happy!

Alex

A seperate question , but are you shooting with a filter attatched and if so is it straightforward to attatch one?

This page has some info on attaching filters to the Tok. Note that the requirements are different for Nikon

http://www.magic-filters.com/tokina.html

Alex