SEACAM Domes

Hi, guys

I am using the Superdome (SD) in my Seacam D200 with the following lenses/port extensions:

Tokina 10-17/ PVL 20

Nikon 10,5/ no ring

Nikon 12-24/ PVL 35

Nikon 17-55/ PVL 70

Thought the SD is amazing, is not very travelling-friendly, so I am thinking of going smaller when I do not plan to shot splits.

I do think that the Fisheye dome (FP) is rather big and the Dome Port (DP) is not flexible enough, so I guess my only option would be the Wide Port (WP). This would be around half the diameter of the SD, so it makes sense.

The problem is that Seacam´s table is not very comprehensive, so it is difficult to see what the options are for my lenses: I only have been able to found that the WP will work with the 12-24 and the 17-55 (basically with the same extension rings that I have for the SD, that is a big plus).

My question is: how good would be the DP with the Tokina 10-17 and the Nikon 10,5? Any experience out there?. I see many colleagues out there using fisheye lenses with small domes, so I guess it should work...

I also wonder whether I should begin to use diopters with the 12-24 and the DP.

Many thanks for your input!!!

I've used the Seacam wide port (the one that is about 120mm across) with the fisheye (15mm Canon on full frame) and thought the results were just fine. I think it will be acceptable for lenses with extremely short minimum focusing distances. I'm not sure you would like it w/ anything but the 10-17 and 10.5 though.

Cheers

James

Here are some examples of using the Nikon 10.5mm FE lens with the WP. I used the WP because the water was too shallow to use a SD. You can see that the surface was even with the top of the port in one of the shots. Note the black corners in both shots. The lens was twisted a little to the left in one of them but has a few black pixels in the left corner nonetheless. I use the WP extensively with the 14mm on a D2X without any optical issues. These shots were done with the DX format on a D2X.

Tom

HI,

I use the WP with a 12/24 nikon with a 4x diopter which I find the image

a bit sharper. But I have the problem using 10.5 FE, I want to use one but

can the port take the lens, I have spoken to Paul Kay (Seacam UK supplier)

he has been tring the WP with the black lens shroud cut back with good results

which I may go this way, with the only problem being that the dome not having as

much protection.

Andy

As Andy says, I've been using a WidePort (with about 2.5cm of the plastic shiled/hood machined off) with a Canon 15mm fisheye on both 1DS and 5D FF cameras. Because it is small and placement on the 15mm fixed (as only very short extenders, which are not available, could be used), I have tended to use it at f/11~16 only, at which apertures it works surprisingly well showing only a degree of blue chromatic fringing on high contrast corner details. I use it because of travel restrictions and have recently used it extensively despite fisheyes not being my favourites, and with reasonable success! I think that Seacam will supply the port in a cut down configuration if requested. Here's an example:

As Andy says, I've been using a WidePort (with about 2.5cm of the plastic shiled/hood machined off) with a Canon 15mm fisheye on both 1DS and 5D FF cameras. Because it is small and placement on the 15mm fixed (as only very short extenders, which are not available, could be used), I have tended to use it at f/11~16 only, at which apertures it works surprisingly well showing only a degree of blue chromatic fringing on high contrast corner details. I use it because of travel restrictions and have recently used it extensively despite fisheyes not being my favourites, and with reasonable success! I think that Seacam will supply the port in a cut down configuration if requested. Here's an example:

The suggestion to use smaller apertures is a very good one. My examples above were shot at 5.6 (L) and 8 (Rt) and show it. ISO was 500 (L) and 640 (Rt). Shutter speeds were 1/100 (L) and 1/90 (Rt). The L shot was done with a D2X and the Rt shot with a D1X (wrong in previous post). The point is that light levels prevented using smaller apertures - I do not like using higher ISO with these cameras and longer shutter speeds will not stop salmon movement.

Very good point Tom - I should have said that the sample image was shot on a Canon 5D at ISO 200 and f/11 (shutter speed was 1/30s - acceptable on a 15mm fisheye). I'll try and post a shot taken at the closest focus of the lens/port combination (on another computer at present) idc.

I have the FP, WP and SD. I've never used the fisheye lenses with the WP, as I was worried about vignetting. I've used fisheye lenses with the FP, and images are fine. Don't have them next to me right now, but the FP doesn't seem very much larger than the WP. It looks to be about the same diameter, but a bit deeper. It would be seem like a good alternative to the SD if you want to travel light...

As Andy says, I've been using a WidePort (with about 2.5cm of the plastic shiled/hood machined off) with a Canon 15mm fisheye on both 1DS and 5D FF cameras. Because it is small and placement on the 15mm fixed (as only very short extenders, which are not available, could be used), I have tended to use it at f/11~16 only, at which apertures it works surprisingly well showing only a degree of blue chromatic fringing on high contrast corner details. I use it because of travel restrictions and have recently used it extensively despite fisheyes not being my favourites, and with reasonable success! I think that Seacam will supply the port in a cut down configuration if requested. Here's an example:

Hey!

It is very interesting, that you can use the 15mm fisheye with a FF camera and the WP.

What I do not understand, is the technical equipment for that. Which PVL did you use for these pictures? None?

And did you or somebody else use the 14mm (old one) together with a FF camera and the WP? Which PVL is than necessary?

I have the Seacam housing for the 1DsMKII and I am also looking for small solutions to make pics with the 14mm and the 15mm lenses.

Georg

Hi Georg and welcome to Wetpixel.

I too have used the fisheye 15mm with the small wideport. It works well because the fisheye focuses on a curved image.

The 14mm lens does not focus on a curved image, so doesn't work as well with a small port. I would NOT recommend using the 14mm with anything but the Superdome.

Cheers

James

Hi Georg

I simply used the WidePort (WP) on its own (no PVL extender) but as I said my port has had about 2.5cm of the black plastic shield/hood removed to work with the full frame camera. With the Canon 15mm fisheye it works pretty well down to its minimum focus distance just a few cm in front of the WidePort. I chose to modify the port so that I could travel with the fisheye easier!

I'm pretty sure that the WidePort will work with the 15mm Fisheye without any plastic removal with a 1.3x sensor (1DII or 1DIII).

I haven't tried a 14mm lens behind this port but James' comment sounds pretty well spot on! I really wouldn't recommend it for the 14mm which is somewhat optically compromised behind dome ports and really needs a much larger port to produce what quality it is able to underwater.

Hai!

Thanks for the answers.

I tried the 14mm on land, but underwater not yet.

The camera (Canon 5D) was able to focus and on the pictures I could see only little vignitations.

But I do not know how this will be underwater.

Georg

Hai!

Thanks for the answers.

 

I tried the 14mm on land, but underwater not yet.

The camera (Canon 5D) was able to focus and on the pictures I could see only little vignitations.

But I do not know how this will be underwater.

 

Georg

Georg, you MUST see this:

http://www.seacamusa.com/canon-lens-14mm-ii.shtml

I use the Nikon 14mm regularly with the WP but with the 1.5x crop factor DX format!!! It just works, with the very corners soft, so extrapolating to full format it is a no-go, as has been suggested. Even with a SD one will need to use f/11 to 16, see the Frink article, for best results. On the DX format f/8 is OK with the 14mm and WP.

Tom