Nikon 18-70mm with which Ikelite port??

Hi folks,

Newbie just picked up a Nikon D80 with the 18-70mm lense. I will soon be getting an Ikelite housing but need to decide which port to go with it. I picked this lense because it got great reviews for topside and is fairly versatile. I will be shooting mainly wide angle, so I assume a dome would work best, but would like the occasional macro and fish ID shots. I may be buying the Sigma 10-20mm soon, will the port be compatible? Is the 8" worth the extra cash? Thanks in advance..

Jason

First off - welcome!

For the exact port check the Ike web site - When I had one the suggested port was the Ike smaller dome. Given the cost of that and that it will probably not be compatible with the Sigma 10-20 then the larger 8" dome will be a better bet.

Optically the Ike domes are good, but for the very WA (10mm) then the larger dome does have the edge.

I don't know much about the Sigma 10-20 but a similar lens that is getting rave reviews here is the Tokina 10-17. I am sure if you do a search here then you will find more info than you want!

Looking around Iam not sure that many people are using the 18-70 in the water so if it were me I would be cautious about a port specifically for that lens, (I never used the one that I had - in fact I sold it unused).

For macro you are going to need a flat port again the Ikelite site is a great starting point.

Regards and enjoy.

Paul C

hi jason

i used my 18-70 a couple of times in the 6" ikelite dome. it was the same one i used with the sigma 10-20 as well, fits nicely. liked the 10-20 sigma, but swaped it to the 10-17 tokina when the right time came... (but the tokina requires the 8" dome. but to answer your question: the port in which both your lenses fit nicely is the 6" dome.

have fun

zook

Some good advice, however I wouldn't say that the Sigma 10-20 and the Tokina 10-17 are similar. In fact they are very different. The Sigma is a rectilinear lens which will try to give you as straight lines as possible and approximately 100° FoV at the wide end. The Tokina is a fisheye, which at the wide end will give you a traditional 180° fisheye-picture with curved lines. Which one is best depends on what you want. I have only used the Sigma (use the Nikon 10.5 for FE), but it works surprisingly good behind a dome port thank's to it's very good CFD-capabilities, considered it is a very wide zoom.

/christian

Jason,

The Nikon 18-70mm "kit" lens fits the Ikelite #5503.55 extended 6" dome port. It REQUIRES a +4 diopter to "see" and focus on the apparent image a dome port creates UNDERWATER approximately 12" in front of the lens. Since the 18-70mm does not focus this close, the +4 diopter takes it into this range.....

The Sigma 10-20mm lens is a nice optic, focuses close enough to not need a diopter, but has a very large diameter barrel. Ikelite port #5503.51 actually fits this lens length wise, but no zoom can be used since the lens is so rotund That said, many customers of mine have used it pre-set at 12mm with very sharp results.

If you zoom the Sigma 10-20mm to 12mm as detailed above you can likely use both lenses in the #5503.55 port since it's a bit longer.

Finally, as Christian states, the heralded Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens is a spectacular UW wide angle optic. As you zoom towards 17mm it even becomes less prounced, curvature wise. Being a short stubby lens it does need a shorter 6" port, #5503 or the 8" dome port with shortest extension.

Hope this helps!

dhaas

The Sigma 10-20mm lens is a nice optic, focuses close enough to not need a diopter, but has a very large diameter barrel. Ikelite port #5503.51 actually fits this lens length wise, but no zoom can be used since the lens is so rotund

New topic: Rotund New Lenses :-)

Add another to the list of lenses with limitations in the standard port diameter. I'm all for compatability and continuity with the heritage system, but more and more lenses are bumping up against the 3.3 in diameter limit. Its not just a problem for zooms or for Ikelite. Industry wide there is a problem and FX sensors (that eventually will make it into the prosumer line will only make this problem worse.

As far as you are concerned Jason, I would agree with David, use the #5503.51 for the 10-20mm and leave it zoomed at 12mm as suggested. I almost never zoom my 12-24mm on a dive. Hopefully there is no zoom creep though, otherwise it would be a pain to have involuntary zooming while on a dive. Maybe you could stuff some foam in there to stop it?

UWphotonewbie and I agree that zooming a lot underwater is usually counterproductive to getting good photos.

I have repeatedly suggested the PRO surface photographer's most important tool in situations like keeping your lens at one focal length. Duct tape.......Or the more expensive stuff commonly called "gaffer's tape" .

I always care more bout my rig being set up so I can go make pictures (like set at 12mm as we've been discussing) than the minor cosmetic infraction of putting a teeny bit of tape on the zoom barrel. But many photographers are more concerned with the pristineness of their equipment than getting photos I call this "all show and no go" to borrow from my automobile enthusiast buddies.

Get the one port, (#5503.55) buy a decent +4 diopter for your 18-70mm Nikon kit lens (I like the B&W German ones from B&H) and get out and shoot some photos!

Looking forward to your results......

dhaas

P.S. - The subject of fat barrel lenses was debated in another thread (I think in the last two weeks.) I for one don't believe we will see a huge migration of consumer priced lenses getting bigger in diameter and thus causing lots of problems for housing manufacturers. A spit in teh bucket of dSLR shooters will buy and use these.....Nor do I belive we will see full frame sensors in dSLR at super cheap pricing anytime soon.

Maybe within 3, 4 or 5 + years, but I'll have made perfectly good photos with my cropped sensor camera and lenses on numerous trips before something like that would cause me to start acquiring a new system.

If anything, I think they will keep designing and making APS-C specific lenses......Then again, I don't work for Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc.

The Sigma 10-20mm lens is a nice optic, focuses close enough to not need a diopter, but has a very large diameter barrel. Ikelite port #5503.51 actually fits this lens length wise, but no zoom can be used since the lens is so rotund

rotund

actually, back then when i bought my ikelite rig the 10-20 was stated as "zoomable" but soon after this bit of info was taken down from the site. but. if you flatten a bit the springs of the zoomgear's clamps, it will go on the big fat lens and with a little persuation it will fit in the zoomgear itself, providing smooth zooming action. warning: don't try this at home! (only on diving trips, ehehe)

zook

zook,

I have seen one Canon shooter squeeze a zoom clamp and sleeve on, too. But it scares me wondering how tight sealing the port will be, and could possibly causing a flood!

When I pointed it out to the photographer he got all huffy telling me I didn't know anything. So much for trying to help people!

Too each his own.....I hope your installation is problem free

dhaas

Thank you so much everyone, your replies are very knowledgable and damned quick!

Let me complicate this a bit.

I chose this setup (D80 and 18-70mm) based on topside reviews, maybe I should leave it on land, and concentrate on a wide angle.

The Sigma 10-20mm (which I do not own yet) got great topside reviews.

So, I am open to any wide angle lense (Nikon compatible) / port (Ikelite) combo. Anything compatible w/ the 18-70 is bonus! I am comfortable getting close to my subjects so maybe a fixed focal is best for me, see pics and gear settings below. Also, trying to watch the budget. Thanks again!!

Jason

ps. the below 12 shots taken in Key Largo this summer with a Sealife DC500 5mp w/ digital flash, wide angle lens (ALWAYS ATTACHED AND NEVER ZOOMED IN), and simple Picasa 2 editing...

http://www.imagestation.com/8687456/3892237905

my username is jproc77 if there's only 1 image

Thank you so much everyone, your replies are very knowledgable and damned quick!

Let me complicate this a bit.

I chose this setup (D80 and 18-70mm) based on topside reviews, maybe I should leave it on land, and concentrate on a wide angle.

The Sigma 10-20mm (which I do not own yet) got great topside reviews.

So, I am open to any wide angle lense (Nikon compatible) / port (Ikelite) combo. Anything compatible w/ the 18-70 is bonus! I am comfortable getting close to my subjects so maybe a fixed focal is best for me, see pics and gear settings below. Also, trying to watch the budget. Thanks again!!

 

Jason

 

ps. the below 12 shots taken in Key Largo this summer with a Sealife DC500 5mp w/ digital flash, wide angle lens (ALWAYS ATTACHED AND NEVER ZOOMED IN), and simple Picasa 2 editing...

http://www.imagestation.com/8687456/3892237905

 

my username is jproc77 if there's only 1 image

Fixed focal would be my first choice - if there were any available designed for a DX-sensor. I would love a fixed rectilinear Nikon 12/2.8DX and a 14/2.8DX. The Nikon and Sigma 14/2.8 that are available are high quality glass, but wasn't designed for DX. They w o r k on cropped digital, but are very big, bulky and expensive.

/c

Tooooo many options!

Your 18-70 is a fine lens for on land but may not be a very 'generic' lens in the water.

If you are interested in WA then I would suggest the 8" Ike dome for a starter - the 10.5mm fits behind the 6" dome but this setup does not support any kind of shade and can be a PITA. I have also suffered some reflections from the rim of the 6" dome on some pictures which are unsightly and have to be photoshopped out.

The 'bonus' with the 8" port (aside from looking very hard core) is that with different adaptor rings it will support many diferent lenses, including your 18-70. So while the sticker price is initially higher it may well be a better bet in the longer term.

The Nikon 10.5 is a great WA lens, but it is very wide and can take you down a path that starts to need two strobes (more expense). Having said that the 10.5 also supports gels on the rear and filters such as the Magic Filter work well under the right conditions and require no strobes.

The Tokina does not directly support gels but with a bit of daring you can stick one on the back with tape.

So FWIW my list would be :-

8" dome

Nikkor 10.5 or Tokina 10-17 depending on price that you can find them for. If you trip over a Sigma 15mm that is also a nice lens - not as wide as the 10.5 obviously but easier to use and light.

All of these lenses on land are fairly 'oddball' and aside from the occasional arty shot do not see a lot of use topside (for me anyhow) - in the water however these become workhorses.

Myself I love the 10.5 - it means that there is one less knob to twiddle in the water and a good shot taken with this lens takes a lot of beating, having said that I have a number of 'good' shots that include a set of fins in the bottom corner or a stray flashgun in the top!

Enjoy....

Paul C

Paul's advice is good. Go for the 8" dome. You will be glad you did.

Forget trying to house the 18-70mm. I had an 18-70 that came with my D70 and I sold it and the port. Its kind of a dead end.

I like the Sigma 15mm a lot. The 15mm on digital is just wide enough to be easy to use and light. I don't like zooms as much underwater. Its an unnecessary complication. Zooming with your fins is better. The 15mm is a better range than the 10.5mm IMHO . It takes rear gels which makes it even easier to use. And the faster f2.8 aperture is better than the slower zooms if you plan to use filters. The Sigma 15mm is also future proof for WHEN the larger sensors make it down to the prosumer line. as far as I can see this is a foregone conclusion. It may take ~5 years but full frame sensors will be in all DSLRs eventually.

The 10-17 FE is an ok alternative if you must have a zoom. But it adds complications, slower focusing and less quality.

Zooming is great - but I usually use one end or the other, and seldom the middle range. For exampel, I use my 17-40L at 17mm a lot and at 40mm a lot. You can track your "zoomage" by looking at the EXIF info for your shots.

It's nice to be able to zoom to 40mm for CF "macro" type shots when you find something cool like a crocodilefish, etc.

Cheers

James

Hi,

I'm a novice here but thought I'd contribute my very limited experience with a D80/Ikelite setup.

I have the Nikon 18-70 kit lens but also a Sigma 17-70 Macro. I bought the Sigma lens for its underwater versatility compared with the kit Nikon lens. Specifically its very close focus which gives it a (limited) macro facility. I was particularly influenced by Dave Harasti who has reviewed this combination very favourably. See his results here: http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/harasti_d80.html

I haven't used the kit lens underwater and now it sits at home all the time whatever photography I'm doing. Unfortunately, finances limited me to the 6" port which was listed then on the Ikelite site as compatible. Mistake! A few hundred photographs in the Mexican Caribbean revealed bad vignetting with the Sigma at wide angle with this combination. Removing the shade only partly improved matters. Adding a 2x diopter did solve the problem but the added extension grazed the port at the macro setting. The problem seems to be the port extension needed to accommodate the macro end of the range which then places the 6" dome itself too far away to get the full wide-angle.

Fortunately following discussion with Ikelite they have come up with the goods. They apologised and allowed me to trade up to the 8" port and have removed the 6" compatibility from their web dome chart. Excellent service.

I expect that with the Nikon lens and its lesser extension but also less close focus this wouldn't be a problem. I do note however that Ikelite recommend a x4 diopter with this lens to keep the full zoom range. This isn't necessary with the Sigma which makes it a great versatile lens for both above and below water photography at a modest price. I really like the lens although admit I haven't experience with any other dSLR lens. Also the 8" port hasn't got wet yet.

Mark

Paul's advice is good. Go for the 8" dome. You will be glad you did.

Forget trying to house the 18-70mm. I had an 18-70 that came with my D70 and I sold it and the port. Its kind of a dead end.

 

I like the Sigma 15mm a lot. The 15mm on digital is just wide enough to be easy to use and light. I don't like zooms as much underwater. Its an unnecessary complication. Zooming with your fins is better. The 15mm is a better range than the 10.5mm IMHO . It takes rear gels which makes it even easier to use. And the faster f2.8 aperture is better than the slower zooms if you plan to use filters. The Sigma 15mm is also future proof for WHEN the larger sensors make it down to the prosumer line. as far as I can see this is a foregone conclusion. It may take ~5 years but full frame sensors will be in all DSLRs eventually.

 

The 10-17 FE is an ok alternative if you must have a zoom. But it adds complications, slower focusing and less quality.

Is the sigma 15mm a fisheye lens? I like the occasional fisheye shot, but am looking for a WA without the corners distorted. Does that make sense? Thanks

Is the sigma 15mm a fisheye lens? I like the occasional fisheye shot, but am looking for a WA without the corners distorted. Does that make sense? Thanks

The Sigma is a fisheye. As I said in a previous posting, there are no fixed, wide rectilinear DX-lenses (or equivialent third party designed for cropped digital), unfortunatelly (can we have some, please!).

So we just have no choice but to get a zoom or go fisheye. However I would like to add that using a fisheye UW is completely different from using one on land. I would n e v e r put a fisheye lens on my camera for topside photography.

/christian

jproc77,

As Christain stated wide Fisheye lenses such as the Sigma 15mm when used on cropped sensor dSLR cameras will generally deliver SHARPER corners than rectilinear lenses due their inherent wider field of view.

Underwater this doesn't appear that curved if you don't have straight objects (usually man made objects like a wreck, etc.) at the edges of the frame to show "bending".

As far as using them on the surface, I have. Lots of times.

The Sigma 15mm and Tokina 10-17mm at 17mm exhibit very little curvature as long as you don't radically aim up or down, or have gain, straight lines at the edges. There is software out there to straighten the edges, too, adn one friend shoots his Sigma 15mm on the surface as a wide lens all the time.

Thom Hoga, a reputable Nikon shooter (www.bythom.com) tested teh Sigma 15mm when it first came out and showed images accentuating hte curvature, or hiding it. Very easy to do.....

Some samples below from my Sigma 15mm (first) and Tokina 10-17mm at 17mm (second shot.)

Good luck!

dhaas

...and the Nikon 16mm fisheye is about the same price, used, as the Sigma, new. The lenses are very comparable. The gels for the 16mm and 10.5 are unfortunately different shapes. The 16mm will focus fine in most domes -- remove the rear filter to get it to focus if you need to.

Some prefer the Sigma; I don't see much difference, and was happy to go with a minty fresh used Nikon 16.

Nice sigma shot with the two birds - I will try mine topside now I think - you must have been close enough to get a nip from a sharp looking beak!

I have always liked the Sigma 15mm - well made - easier to light than the 10.5 and nice for shoal fish shots, only downside is when you have a realy big wreck scene to take on.

Paul C