pt-030 housing question

Can I attach an inon 105 wide angle lens to a pt-030 with a bayonet mount, or must it be a screw mount? B&H photo tells me thats the only way. As I am descending, a bayonet seems much more practical. Thanks for any help. You all seem to be able to swap parts and systems like kids build cars, or computers today! Old guy playing catchup...

George

Hi George,

The PT-030 has a 46mm thread on it.

Inon lenses have either a bayonet or a 67mm thread.

The Inon bayonet lenses can be used with your PT-030, but you will need to use the Inon AD mount base adaptor for the PT-030 with it. This attaches around the housings lens and "tripod" screw

The threaded Inon lenses will not fit directly to your PT0303. I currently use a Sea and Sea Nikonos 16mm wide angle lens that has a different thread, with an adaptor ring that reduces the thread to the PT-030's size.

This works fine optically (bar some vignetting at some camera lens settings) with this lens, but it may not work with the Inon lenses.

Hope that helps

Adam

Hi Adam,

Thank you for your help! I went to the Inon America website, and found exactly what I need- I think...But you should know that I am building my little system in my head...I have the Olympus sp-350, but nothing else for it. Have 2 other point and shoot (Nikon coolpix, and Sea&Sea 750- will not white balance, no matter what they say) and I want to not waste my funds any more! Looking for things that can be adapted to other systems, and not so specific to one camera.

So I'm looking at the Inon site, and I see it- UFL-165 AD. Looks like it will do what I want -to try to show my friends who do not dive (yet!) what I see and love about being underwater. This lens costs more than my camera!

Will both the 105, and the 165 fit this mount? Do I need both? (Afraid I know the answer to that...). Are closeup lenses helpful with a camera like mine?

Pandora is out of the box. And it is too much fun!

Thanks George

To attach the Inon lens with 67mm, you will need a step-up ring (46mm-67mm).

That is what I am using with an Inon UWL 100 lens

Click on the link on this page titled Reef Photo and Video. Call them and they'll get you on the right path.

I own the SP-350 and if I were starting all over here is what I would buy..accept that I might purchase 2 of the macro lenses and stack them.

I've owned the threaed version and they're a pain to keep swapping around. Bayonet mount is the way to go and only Inon makes that as far as I know. I've attached a link for a quote I received recently with all the parts needed. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of cash to spend right now.

http://www.reefphoto.com/quote.php?quotes_key=zphx2hhu

I hope that helps,

Big help! Thanks! I have a direction, and probably a much smaller bank account!

George

I just gave some data on the Inon 105AD and 165AD on this post, you might be interested (I have a lot of experience with the 105 & 165s):

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...mp;#entry130988

Best, Carol

Hi again George

I have used an Epoque Close up (macro) lens with my SP-350, and found that it gives sharper images than the cameras built in macro. However the good thing about the built in macro is that it is very quick and easy to go from wide angle to macro!

I have found the screw fitting to be difficult to manage underwater-and have ordered the Inon bayonet system and the 165 wide angle and the macro lenses. I'll have these in the water later this week-and can let you know how I get on if you like.

Saying all that....I might tend to suggest that you start simple-get the housing and take it diving-get some pictures and see which other bits you need!!! This forum is a great place to get your pictures evaluated!

Hope that helps

Adam

Hi Adam,

I just purchased teh Epoque. The reason being is that I already have the threaded version of a WA lens that is very versatile and gives great results. The threads, I agree, are a pain to use underwater however my question is more along the lines of usage.

Since this lens will change the DOF can you share with me how you used the lens ie settings? Also, I've heard that most cameras struggle to focus with these lenses attached. Did you find that to be the case? Thanks,

Gary and Adam,

Appreciate the info both of you have given to this topic. But, as is often the case with an open discussion, new topics emerge: DOF with these cameras! How do you know what will be in focus?

Is anyone here old enough to remember how we used to shoot fast action with simple cameras?

Small f-stop, fast film, pre-focus within your DOF, and shoot away!

How does f-22, f-32, or f-64 compare to f-8 on the olympus sp-350?

What does ISO on this camera mean? If it is just another way for the camera to suggest settings,and give me noise- no thanks.

I'm not diving for a while (Kona in October), but will post a few pics for review from my last trip to Roatan. Rented a camera from CoCo View.....best deal ever. Learned a lot from Tim Blanton.

Now to posting!

George

Hi again all,

The Epoque lens was quite difficult to use!

At full camera wide angle, it vignettes quite badly, but when you zoom in too far, the camera, as you say, won't focus!

there is however a spot inbetween (!) that seems to work fine! Otherwise, big aperture (I use TTL strobes) and manual mode.

George the big difference between "old" film cameras and digital is that you've gotinstant feedback. The same rules apply about DOF, but you ahve theopportunity to review each picture in the LCD, and adjsut accordingly!

ISO in a digital sense-high ISO's will increase noise, but to be honest, even at 400 ISO my sp-350 gives me clear enough images to print at a3+ size-so it is OK for me!

Hope that helps

Adam

The proper way to set up a PT-030 is with the Inon PT-030 AD mount base. You can then use 3 accessory lenses from Inon: the 165AD closeup lens, the 105AD wide lens, and the 165AD wide Fisheye lens. These lenses will give the best results with the PT-030. The 67mm threaded lenses are not optimized for this system.