This might be a really stupid question but why cant one use a cheapo terrestrial wideangle lens as an underwater wet lens? eg. an ikelite housing with a flat port and a 67mm wide angle lens? I can imagine that there are probably issues with water getting in between the lens but what if it were sealed to withstand the pressure? since everyone pays premium $$ to buy the wet lenses I think I might be totally up in the night here.
Im talking about some of the ones listed on this ebay search page for around $45 or so.
Well one reason would be that water will flood in between the elements in the lens. You certainly don't want that because the lens is designed for the index of refraction of air to glass, not water to glass.
James
manual focus and small diameter of the connecting glass are problems too...
Wow i didn't even know they made cheap supplementary wide lenses to add to a DSLR kit lens. I really don't think its designed for a D70 + kit, the ebay seller is just making it up.
The concept just isn't right, you buy a DSLR so you can change lenses, these things are really for fixed lens mid-high end P&Ss. Companies do make wet lenses (wide & macro) for P&S housings, but there's no point with a DSLR - buy a real wide-angle lens for the camera.
Adding cheap glass on top of a DSLR lens is doing more bad than good, especially when you add a flat port and water into the equation.
Wow i didn't even know they made cheap supplementary wide lenses to add to a DSLR kit lens. I really don't think its designed for a D70 + kit, the ebay seller is just making it up.
The concept just isn't right, you buy a DSLR so you can change lenses, these things are really for fixed lens mid-high end P&Ss. Companies do make wet lenses (wide & macro) for P&S housings, but there's no point with a DSLR - buy a real wide-angle lens for the camera.
Adding cheap glass on top of a DSLR lens is doing more bad than good, especially when you add a flat port and water into the equation.
Actually I was thinking of a P&S Digicam. Although due to all the reasons brought up above, I think it probably is more trouble than its worth.
Actually I was thinking of a P&S Digicam. Although due to all the reasons brought up above, I think it probably is more trouble than its worth.
Well in that case, a wet lens is the only way to get better wide & macro capabilities, but you need a lens designed to complement the housing. You mentioned an ikelite housing with a flat port, which made me think DSLR, and the lens on ebay was described as for the nikon D70 camera, screwing into the kit lens. Did seem quite silly.
Look into the wet lenses designed for P&S housings, check the P&S forum i'm sure there's good info there. Cheers,
Chris
Afocal wide and tele attachment lenses HAVE been available for film SLRs. They are intended for normal, e.g., 50mm lenses. Popular a few decades ago. I think I still have one in storage that makes fisheye lens out of a normal lens. Fit smaller filter thread sizes popular then. Would not work well with a zoom lens. One theoretically could be designed for use on a housing but it would have to be computed for a particular set-up.
I reckon it all depends on what you want to create. If you want to shoot natural history it may not be the best way to go for perfect images. However, think back to the days of old skool shooters, these guys would simply try new ideas and created some great images. I'd say go for it, try it and see what results you get, your only down a few bucks if it all fails!
I've had some fantastic results with only a point and shoot, no lenses and only the internal flash. In fact, now here in Frisco, I've been asked by quite a few people for prints. Which I am now working on, for friends who love either marine life or art!
