Nikon DX AF-S 18-70mm Lens - Can I do Macro and Wide?

Hi all,

About to Buy Ikelite and Nikon D300...

I have a Nikon DX AF-S 18-70mm lens. Can I use it for Macro and Wide angle? Does anyone have a few demo images to share to show me Macro and Wide angle eg's..

Cheers

Hi all,

 

About to Buy Ikelite and Nikon D300...

 

I have a Nikon DX AF-S 18-70mm lens. Can I use it for Macro and Wide angle? Does anyone have a few demo images to share to show me Macro and Wide angle eg's..

 

Cheers

That lens was the kit lens for the D70 a few years back. I have it, but it's not one I used underwater for the D70 or the D200. It's a wide angle zoom, but at 18mm, it wasn't really wide enough for my liking. I went with a 12-24mm zoom and 10.5mm fisheye for my wide angle shots. The 18-70mm will probably do an adequate job for some type of shots, but I think you'd be wanting something in the 10-12mm range after a while. There are plenty of great options for zooms, including Tokina and Sigma wide zooms in this range.

As for macro, that lens cannot really focus close enough to be an effective macro lens. You might be able get away with adding a closeup diopter (either dry or wet) to allow closer focusing, but that's not an optimal solution either over getting a true macro lens like the 60mm or 105mm micro.

I use this lens for bigger fish, with a dome port and +3D. It's a bit stiff to zoom, because the front element moves a long way out, but I've found that it works quite well. I seem to remeber posting some examples.

It's not wide enough for underwater scenes, and doesn't focus close enough for macro. My best shots with this lens have been of sharks.

A D300 probably justifies a better lens! I think that the difficulties of using this lens underwater could be discouraging.

I like prime lenses, the 10.5mm and the 60mm are my favourites, but, obviously, then you need both a dome and a flat port.

Tim

B)

Tim is absolutely right, I had this lens and found it not wide enough and not focusing close enough.

In the end I kept the lens for land and sold the port as it was not being used. I am sure it has some uses in the water as Tim has pointed out but it is far from being a general use lens.

Paul C

I got the Nikon 17 - 70 mm lens as the original kit lens with my D70 - It's an OK land lens but doesn't do anything real well in the water. I just picked up the Sigma 17 -70 F2.8 DC Macro HSM lens (http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses_all_details.asp?id=3327&navigator=6). It is a pretty good scouting lens when you don't know what you may seeor you may start on a wall and come up shallow and see some macro stuff on the way back in. You can do some wide angle, fish ID shots, and decent macro stuff (it will focus down to about 7.9"). I used it a lot in Little Cayman last week and was generally happy with the results - not as sharp as my 60 Nikon for close ups but certainly OK.

Reasonably priced too.

Good luck.

Andy

You can use this lens, and I'm sure that peole have some great examples of good photos with this lens. There are sharper and faster lenses but its good enough on both accounts to do the job.

The real problem is that its not wide enough to get reef panoramas or CFWA shots, or focus close enough to get close, sharp macro shots. These kind of shots produce the wow factor that makes UW photography interesting. People do tend to use zooms in this range to photograph large fish like sharks etc. but in that case its really a tradeoff. you are too far away to get the best sharpness, but you can't approach you take the hit in sharpness. You can try to use it as an anything lens, but the best photos come at the extremes of either macro or WA.

This lens requires an add on diopter to focus behind a dome, which will reduce your sharpness some. It requires a dome to not vigenette at the wide angles. Domes are difficult to use in tight corners and on the bottom for closeups.

The issue is housing the lens. Do you want to go to the expense of getting the port and then potentially re-selling it. I went this route and lost $50 + my time on it. I'm much happier with wider or closer focusing lenses.

On land I prefer the range and VR of the 18-200mm over the 18-70mm.

OK - So what is the best Lens for a combo? What is a diopter?

Cheers

OK - So what is the best Lens for a combo? What is a diopter?

 

Cheers

If I were buying a lens combo today I'd get the 60mm Nikon AF-S and the Tokina 11-16mm F2.8.

Both of these lenses are new so there have been no underwater reviews yet.

I have the 60mm AF-S and just sold the 60mm AF. Both are fine lenses. The AF-S focuses faster however and fits the port better. Either one are some of the sharpest lenses Nikon has ever made.

The Tokina 11-16 is brand new and may not be on the market yet. It has great reviews however, which is not suprising being a F2.8 lens. There is no other WA zoom for DX cameras that is this fast, even from Nikon or Canon. Pricing isn't available yet. I would guess it'll be between $500 and $900. Ikelite hasn't tested ports yet, but I would guess that the port body for the 12-24mm Nikon would fit it. The dimensions are the same. See a review here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tokina/11-16mm.htm

If you want a lens that's available now and is tried and true you can't go wrong with either of these:

Tokina 12-24mm Cheaper and almost as good as the Nikon 12-24mm

Nikon 12-24mm The previous best rectalinear zoom for DX cameras

Tokina 10-17 FE Has fisheye effect at widest setting. You won't see this underwater. Gives very wide to moderate wide angle. Tremendous range. Distortion probably only noticable in wreck photos.

All of the above WA zooms (except the 10-17 FE) require a diopter to focus behind a dome. A diopter is a special lens (magnifying glass) you attach to the front like a filter. Its also called a close-up filter. You need this because the wide angles won't focus cl;ose enough. These cost between $30-100. You can also use them for inexpensive macro photography.

Thanks once again...

I think what people are trying to tell me is - There is no one lens that will do macro and wide angle...?

Yup,

Ask my wife how many boats, skis, climbing ropes, ice axes, tents or lenses I own. You'll find that no one type of gear can do everything well. That's why SLRs have removable lenses. No lens can do everything well.

If you want one lens to do everything, get one of the midrange zooms like the Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4.5 DC Macro HSM or the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Macro HSM. It won't be great as either a WA or macro, but it will do both slightly better than the 18-70mm

If you already own the 18-70, don't get one of these midranges instead because they are marginally better. Get the WA and Macro lenses instead.

I think what people are trying to tell me is - There is no one lens that will do macro and wide angle

I think you've made a correct statement. To clarify, one lens may be able to do macro and wide angle, however, it won't do them very well . The best results are obtained by using a dedicated macro lens for macro shots and a dedicated wide angle lens for wide angle.

In this case, unfortunately, trying to economize by buying only one lens is usually not a good solution.

Ellen

OK - I have the 18-70mm already.. - Buy the 6" dome...?

So just get the 60mm macro and that should start me off ok (with flat port)?

With 60mm - Could i take a picture of a whole fish say 300mm long? trying to get an idea of the lense...

Cheers

the 60mm will be exactly like your 18-70mm at 60mm, except it will be able to focus a lot closer (you can take a photo of something 1 inch wide, basically the size of your sensor), and the 60mm is a sharper lens than the 18-70mm at 60mm.

btw, how much $ do you have to spend? we can spend a lot more of your money if you'd like!

OK - I have the 18-70mm already.. - Buy the 6" dome...?

 

So just get the 60mm macro and that should start me off ok (with flat port)?

 

With 60mm - Could i take a picture of a whole fish say 300mm long? trying to get an idea of the lense...

 

Cheers

The 60mm micro on a DX body is one of my favourites because it will do both macro and portraits. You'll have no problem getting decent shots of fish that are 300mm long, no problem.

So - Should I buy a new D300 or use my existing D70?

So - Should I buy a new D300 or use my existing D70?

I don't think that anyone can answer that question for you. The D300 does represent a significant improvement over the D70 in a number of areas including overall IQ, higher ISO performance, autofocus, and a number of other areas. However, whether it is justified, given the cost, is really up to you.

That's a tough question. If you have the $$ then by all means get the D300.

But the D70 is a perfectly fine camera. Plenty of magazine covers were shot with it. So upgrading isn't necessary.

I think getting a better wide angle lens would be money better spent than a camera upgrade.

I think you are better off waiting for the $$ for a real WA and housing that than housing the 18-70. For me it was money wasted.

I use this lens for bigger fish, with a dome port and +3D. It's a bit stiff to zoom, because the front element moves a long way out, but I've found that it works quite well. I seem to remeber posting some examples.

 

It's not wide enough for underwater scenes, and doesn't focus close enough for macro. My best shots with this lens have been of sharks.

 

A D300 probably justifies a better lens! I think that the difficulties of using this lens underwater could be discouraging.

 

I like prime lenses, the 10.5mm and the 60mm are my favourites, but, obviously, then you need both a dome and a flat port.

 

Tim

 

B)

OK - 60mm Macro on the way - What should I buy as my next lens (for wide angle)?

Cheers

Have a look at the Nikkor 10.5mm, 12-24mm or the Tokina 10-17mm. All are good. Starting off I found the 12-24 easier to use; and then added the 10.5mm which is a more ticky lens to use effectively given the curvature produced by the fisheye. But it can produce spectacular images and is very good for pics where you want to get a diver into the frame.

The Tokina, with its fisheye at the 10mm end, is very versatile and gives you the advantages of a wide-angle and fisheye in a zoom. There's another thread about a new WA Tokina which the gang like the sound of. Could be worth a look too.

TimG's advice is good; it depends partly on budget: what dome can you get, and will it need a zoom gear?

I have the unusual idea that a prime lens forces you to be a better photographer, but many world-class photographers have been very impressed with the Tokina fish-eye zoom.

Don't forget that artificial light for wide-angles can be a problem. Shooting in shallow water with a filter is one solution, careful use of a single strobe balanced against the natural light is another, but many divers and up with dual strobes...

Tim

B)