Musings on Canon 18-55IS for Ikelite housing

Hello, all. I am relatively new here but hope to have some "real purdy" pictures to show you soon.

I am shooting a Canon 30D in an Ikelite housing with a single DS-160 strobe. Since I had the 17-85IS lens already, this was a natural choice to shoot with, so I got the dedicated 6" dome port. I immediately hit some problems:

- The "required" +4 diopter introduces a lot of distortion/CA, reduces DOF, and makes focus that much more finicky

- The small dedicated zoom knob is awkward to use and pretty stiff -- would be nice to use the main zoom knob on the housing

I will be experimenting with +1 and +2 diopters and see if they work. According to Ikelite specs, they should.

On doing a little more research, however, the 18-55IS looks a lot more appealing:

- It is inexpensive (~$150) and has very good sharpness in the f/5.6-f/11 range

- It shouldn't require any diopter at all, even with a 6" dome

- It works with the built-in zoom control on the housing

- It can work with the 8" dome, unlike the 17-85 lens

- If I want to use a diopter, I can get the Canon 500D closeup filter, which is a high-quality two-element filter (doesn't fit the 17-85 lens w/o a step-up ring).

QUESTIONS:

1) Anyone use this setup?

2) Should I just get the 8" dome? Sounds like it's the "right thing" to do. About $400 more.

3) Anyone tried the 500D with this combination -- or any lens with an Ikelite housing?

Thanks!

Dan

Dan,

The newest Canon 18-55mm IS is a great lens for the money. I used the older one and at f8 or so it was fine. But the new one is improved (read review on www.dpreview.com and a few other tests.)

As you mentioned no diopter required (one of my requirements for any zoom lens) and I've shot in Ikelite 8" and 6" port. It really is at the best from 18-40mm or so.

Many times I'm so lazy I just forget installing the zoom clamp and ring and preset it at 18mm or 35mm and go down and dedicate myself to finding subjects that fill that frame 3' or closer.

Good luck!

dhaas

P.S. - Will have it on my Rebel T1i (500D) next week in Mexico at least for some reef dives.

I think a lot of the folks here prefer the Sigma 17-70mm lens. Might be worth looking at.

Cheers

James

As you mentioned no diopter required (one of my requirements for any zoom lens) and I've shot in Ikelite 8" and 6" port. It really is at the best from 18-40mm or so.

Did you notice a difference in sharpness or DOF between the 6" and 8" ports? I would expect the 8" port to work better because of its reduced curvature and thus farther focusing distance and reduced edge distortion.

Regards,

Dan

I think a lot of the folks here prefer the Sigma 17-70mm lens. Might be worth looking at.

James, this lens is about three times the price, has f/2.8 which I don't need (I'm looking for a dedicated UW lens, I think), and I don't think I'm going to be using 70mm all that much (I have a 100mm macro lens for close-up stuff).

All in all, I think that the 18-55 is a better choice for where I want to be right now.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan,

James is correct in the Sigma is probably sharper but as you state it ought to be for more $$$$$. My personal opinion is once you get past 3X zoom range somethings gotta' give. Either on the wide or tele end of the range.

As I mentioned my experience using these lenses underwater for many years now (I tested Ikelite's FIRST Canon Digital Rebel housing in 2003 right after the Miami DEMA show) is that the long end of mid-range zoom sometimes puts you too far away for a sharp shot anyway. Hence my choice of using it primarily from 18-40mm or so.

I did have a lady on my Great White Shark trip last September who was shooting only two lenses on her Rebel XTi. A Tokina 10-17mm and the Sigma 17-70mm in an Ikelite housing and 8" dome port.

Her photos using Canon's DPP processing software from RAW files blew away a couple of Nikon D300 shooters on board Plus she only spent like 3 minutes on each picture! And NO, she wasn't a software guru. Just a photographer who had practiced and learned to use a couple of tools very, very well......

The Sigma 17-70mm is a nice lens, but also violates my other requirement........Too heavy and big for easy travel especially compared to the little Canon 18-55mm IS lens.

Plus I'm getting old and crabby so I concentrate on hauling LESS stuff versus more. I literally have a pile of stuff in my office for my Isla Holbox trip this Saturday and gradually keep reducing what I take on each trip.

Many may disagree but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

YMMV

dhaas