Nikon 17-55mm lens

I have posted on a trial of the Nikon 17-55mm lens in a Nexus housing in the thread "18-70mm etc", below.

Tim

My experience with this lens - its a great general purpose lens, but takes some effort to set up for good results. I tested several Nexus ports & this is what I found to be the best in my view. YMMV

Reference 17-55mm lens on Nexus, 12-24 port, 60mm ext, +4D/+3D

These are #'s I used to calculate optimum setup to place dome center of curvature at lens nodal point:

Lens Nodal Point ~125mm from film plane

Housing Flange 88mm from film plane

Port Radius 95mm

Port Height 75mm (top center of dome to base)

Lens Nodal Point to Housing Flange 37mm (125mm-88mm)

Port Radius - Port Height 20mm (95mm-75mm)

Ext Ring Required 57mm (37mm+20mm)

Using 60mm ext ring

Hope this makes sense to someone besides me unsure.gif

Using +4D if I need to shoot close, +3D if its mostly medium/distance

+4D gives best results - sharpest edges & corners

+3D gives very good overall sharpness, but slightly soft in corners (not really that noticeable)

Been working on pics from last year (yes, I'm really behind) with this setup w/+3D. Very happy with results.

I have shot it underwater. I liked it and there is no doubting its quality. But it is hard to justify the expense over a Sigma 17-70mm. Here are some shots with the 17-55 (I really like the second one, but nobody else does!):

Alex

Interestingly I have both the 17-35 and 17-55. As I rarely use the longer end, I have pretty much gone to using the 17-35 exclusively for FX and DX, and a photographer friend of mine with a D300 sort of has the 17-55 on permanent loan. I think they are pretty similar in terms of quality etc,. One small advantage of the 17-35 is using a slightly shorter port extension.

I have shot it underwater. I liked it and there is no doubting its quality. But it is hard to justify the expense over a Sigma 17-70mm. Here are some shots with the 17-55 (I really like the second one, but nobody else does!):

 

Alex

It is always a pleasure to view your work Dr. "Our World Underwater" has you listed as a photographic judge. I hope that I can me you in Chi-town in February.

Sigma released the HSM version of the 17-70 and 18-50 lenses for Nikon in July of 2007. I was eyeballing these lenses than and wish that I had purchased one of them. I have searched high and low for non HSM versions. Ain't to be had. Maybe a used foundling will come my way.

For non Nikon folk, the two Sigmas are an option. With a 77 or 78 mm barrel around the zoom gear and the AM/M & lock buttons in the way, I would have to build a custom zoom gear (max. is 76 mm ID) and modify the housing gears in the D80 Nexus.

Regards,

Bob

I really like the reflection shot, I also like the sea snake, nice play of blue and orange.

The others while good fish shots are just fish shots, the first two are art.

Meant to say that those were all from the same dive. Alex

I have to agree 100% with Octopus.

Meant to say that those were all from the same dive. Alex

You know, I don't why I agreed to post my efforts, when Alex's secret files include, as far as I can tell, tests of every conceivable Nikon lens, not to mention most Sigma lenses, represented by top-notch images...

... my only excuse is that, because he gets superb results, it could be his skill in working around the problems that go with setting up and housing each lens; a "real life" example from the amateur world might help the community a bit more. What do you think?

Anyway, the consensus for my need, which is flexibility in shooting larger marine wildlife, seems to be to use a +3D with the 12-24mm custom port. I like the discipline imposed by a lens of limited applicability, so for close-up images I would choose a different lens, anyway. I still hope that, by using a lens that is out of the mainstream, I may make an image that is distinctive.

From my own secret files, and obviously not a 17-55mm lens!

But Alex always gets there first!

Tim