What lenses for Raja Ampat

I'm going to Raja Ampat in January and was looking for advice on what lenses I should bring. I'm shooting a Nikon D100. I have a Sigma 15mm FE and a Nikon 60mm. I was thinking about getting a Sigma 17-70 for scouting lens as well as topside. Any suggestions?

Let's write it this way. Raja Ampat is a great place to dive.

You will see a lot of schooling fishes, Mantas, Wobbegongs and a lot of small Macro.

So, use your lenses accordingly. I personally never seem to use the standard lense. I always seem to end up with a Macro or something wide.

/Erik

Extrapolating from Sipadan, as I don't go to Raja Ampat until February, I would get a 10.5mm if you have a suitable dome, as schooling fish are going to be difficult to capture without a big field of view. Topside, I always long for something about 300mm in focal length, but that's pushing excess baggage...

... and I have wondered about a Sigma 4.5mm, because it can do this:

... which I'd like to try in the mangroves.

Tim

I'm going to Raja Ampat in January and was looking for advice on what lenses I should bring. I'm shooting a Nikon D100. I have a Sigma 15mm FE and a Nikon 60mm. I was thinking about getting a Sigma 17-70 for scouting lens as well as topside. Any suggestions?

The 15mm should work pretty well for wide angle there and the 60 should be fine for some macro. It's an inexpensive lens and will give you nice results. I've been using a 12-24 (Tokina) as well as my 100mm when I've been going (several times over the past five years). I just got a Tokina 10-17, which you might consider. I also just purchased a 17-70 to try but I can't say one way of the other on that one until I get it in the water.

Mike

I'm going to Raja Ampat in January and was looking for advice on what lenses I should bring. I'm shooting a Nikon D100. I have a Sigma 15mm FE and a Nikon 60mm. I was thinking about getting a Sigma 17-70 for scouting lens as well as topside. Any suggestions?

I would take the 15, 60, and get a 105 macro with a wet diopter. The 10.5 is difficult to use when there is a lot of backscatter, and Raja Ampat has a LOT of backscatter.

Hal

both times ive been i used my 15mm fisheye, 18-55 when i couldn't decide what to use, 60 and 100mm. also had my woody's diopter with me. for above water stuff i would take my 17-40, 28-75 and 70-200 with a 1.4x converter.