How to configure Patima G9 housing with two Inon close-up lenses?

I am not expert by any means but I will try to help. I have the G9 & S80 and also have 2 Inon UCLs.

1. Use whatever port that allows you to use some zoom

2. The G9 macro mode is good. I recommend using this if you are not using your UCLs and are not using to much zoom. However for the best sharp macro result use manual focus. Using manual focus you can set the focus point to be very close to the subject, 1 cm if not using any zoom. Then move your camera back & forth until you get good sharp focus of your subject.

I suggest you use some zoom. The more zoom you use, increases the minimum focal distance to the subject. Zoom 20-40 %. Which should mean your subject is around 20-30 cms away.

I also suggest you only use 1 of your add on UCLs. Having 2 UCLs will result in such a narrow DOF that it is very very difficult to get decent results. Using only 1 UCL will increase your DOF and you will have better luck at getting sharp focus.

Remember the main benefit of UCLs is reducing the focal range. I have had a look at some of your photos. I would recommend getting much closer to the subject.

1. Get close

2. Use only 1 UCL

3. Use some zoom

4. Use manual focus.

5. Review your photo and zoom in to check for good focus.

Hi uwp,

I do not shoot with a Patima, but I expect the what is good for the Ike will also apply to your housing. It would be useful to know which INON UCL's you are using, though I expect it will 165's.

I shoot a pair of 165's and a single 330 with my G9 and Ike. I use the long port as it allows me to use the entire zoom range (once zoomed past the vignetting) to play with composition. The downside of staying with the short port is the probability of shutting down the camera when the lens hits the port. I find this irritating and I expect it may, over the long term, cause damage to the lens motor.

When shooting with INON UCL's I don't set the G9 to macro and I prefer to let the glass do the work, which they do very well.

Whether you choose to shoot with the long or short port you will have to zoom a little to get past the vignetting (a little more so with the long port). I set the 'minimum (widest) zoom' up on one of the custom settings so its really easy to revert to the widest by flicking from and to C1 or C2. Otherwise, use the zoom along with one or two UCL's to achieve the magnification, composition and strobe room you need.

Because the focus range is so narrow, especially with a couple of 165's, I am experimenting with a gorillapod attached to the tray. I can either use two of the legs as forward facing 'horns' or one leg as a monopod. With these to help brace the camera (against dead coral, rock or sand, etc) I expect to be able to more consistently produce sharper images.

I hope this helps, Tim

Here's my take ... Like Tim, I used the ikelite housing.

The long port definitely gives more flexibility for macro, but using the short port allowed me to use both a wide adapter and the macro diopters on the same dive. I don't worry about the automatic shutoff when the camera lens hits the port on zooming. It's annoying, but I don't think it causes any real harm.

Regardless, for a pure macro use-case, the long port is better because it gives you more flexibility with your working distance. With the long port, you can zoom out to "non-macro" focal lengths and back off the subject a bit while retaining good magnification with the UCLs. That said, I got the best results from using the lens at the wider focal lengths and really close to the subject. It all depends on what you are shooting and how easy it is to light up the subject area.

The advice about using the custom setting to save particular zoom lengths for different adapter combos is key - setting up useful C1 and C2 settings can save a lot of time and headaches underwater.

Personally, with my G9, I always set the auto-focus to "Macro" ... all that does is start the "hunt" closer to the camera, but doesn't preclude a focus at infinity. Since 98% of my focus points underwater are inside 3-5 feet, I found "macro" helpful even when shooting "wide".

My advice on next steps ... some more practice. When I got my UCLs, I spent a couple hours in the pool and one entire dive getting a feel for the minimum and maximum distance from port to subject with one and two UCLs on the port. You need to get the feel for where you need to place the camera relative to the subject ... and with the UCLs attached, that means getting CLOSE. I didn't bring a ruler with me, but it might help to actually measure stuff.

Lastly, use f/8 to maximize your Depth of Field on these shots ... you used f/3.2 on that shot you shared and that will give a minuscule DOF ... f/8 will help expand the zone in acceptable focus.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

I don't use the G9, but I do use a pair of stacked Inon UCL-165AD lenses and can confirm that focus is all about finding the sweet spot (which is VERY narrow) where the camera can focus. I don't always use manual focus, finding that the auto focus can do a decent job on it's own, but you MUST be at the correct distance for it to lock on. And yes, the workable distance is TINY. You'll need to be well-braced, and carefully rock the camera back and forth to find the right sweet spot, either for auto or manual focus.