Help with wide angle lens and port choice

I have a Canon 30D and an Ikelite enclosure for it. No ports yet. I own a 17-40L lens which from what I understand is not wide enough to be satisfactory underwater with a crop camera. But I was planning to buy the 6 inch dome for it because that dome also holds the Tokina 12-24. I called Reef Photo and they had some different advice for me. They agreed that the 17-40 was not adequate, but its port was also not good for the 12-24 because the edges would be fuzzy. They were recommending the 8" port for the 12-24. Now with the addition of extenders this makes my port costs go from $200 to $550, and this is without buying the 12-24.

The fellow on the phone (Tony I think it was) shoots exclusively with the Tokina 10-17 fisheye and highly recommended it. It works great with its own inexpensive ($189) port, but exclusively. So in order to get started I'd have to buy the port and lens.

My uneducated hope was to get the $200 17-40 port and use my already owned 17-40 lens, then once I was unhappy with it (quickly?) get the 12-24 ($400) and have a port already. But that port seems to be a bad choice for the 12-24 leaving me needing a $550 port setup. And then I'd also have a port I don't use.

Now it seems I should get the 10-17 fisheye ($600) and its $189 port.

Ugh (stuffs brains back into head)

-Josh

Ugh (stuffs brains back into head)

It can be painful can't it. The Tokina 10-17 is a great lens that you can shoot for a long time. Just about fool proof too. I can attest to that. You won't be sorry if you go that way. Which dome is Tony recommending?

Steve

I assume you are talking about the Ikelite system. The good thing about the 8" port is that you use the same dome on the 12-24 and on the 10-17, just with a different stem. The downside is the large upfront cost, the larger dome for travelling and one additional O-ring to worry about.

And then there is the corner sharpness. There is an example of a 12-24 on a 40D behind a 6" dome at end of the post. I have a recently bought an 8" dome, but haven't had a chance to use it, yet. The 10-17 on the other hand does just fine in a 6" dome. And I agree that it is a very fine lens if you have a good viz (not usually the case in the waters around here). Also, it is a fish-eye which will result in straight lines getting bend pretty bad. That is usually not a big deal uw unless you dive wrecks and like that effect.

12-24 behind 6" dome (at 12mm):

10-17 behind 6" dome (at 11mm):

At the bottom of the page below you can see some interesting comparison pictures taken with the Tokina 10-17 and the 6" as well as the 8" dome and the 5" dome.

http://uwcamerastuff.com/modular_5_dome.htm

I like the Tokina 10-17 fisheye as well as the Tokinia 14-24 ( The tokinia 10-17 with a 1.4 teleconverter)

I think the great thing about the fisheye is that giving up rectilinear, you don't get that shmearing of the image at the edges/corners. And there are no straight lines under water so you really don't need rectilinear.

I think the best bet is to get the 10-17 and the dedicated port for it. I'm not sure which dome he is recommending, but he said it's a 6" dome running $189. I'm sure they'll sell me the right dome.

Anyone have a Tokina 10-17 they want to sell me cheap?

Hey Josh,

The question to think about is whether it makes sense to buy a larger dome now that the 10-17 will work with and would also support using other wide angle lenses in the future. Over -unders will be easier with a bigger dome, for example, if you're into that. If money is a major driver then go with the Tokina and the smaller dome now and think about a larger dome later, might be the way to go.

The other reason I asked is that the older Ikelite domes had two clips and the newer ones have four which are less prone to leak based on conversations I've read here. I'm sure the guys at Reef will steer you in the right direction.

Good luck,

Steve

Just a slight correction here. The ikelite dome doesn't have port locks. The housing has the port locks that attach to the port body and that attaches to the dome. Older super-wide modular port 5510.10 2 cutouts for 2 port locks, new super-wide modular port 5510.11 4 cutouts for 4 port locks. I also have the ikelite housing. Good luck finding a used 10-17.

Used Tokina 10-17mm lenses are hard to find. Most people who have the lens love it and won't want to part with it. In fact many uw photographers who are tempted to switch to a full-frame camera have decided to stick to dx just because they want to be able to use this lens. I did a worldwide search on E-bay and found that there isn't one for sale anywhere at the moment. However Berger Bros have a couple of new ones they are selling at a good price http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tokina-10-17mm-f-3-5...=item3f06735418 If you want the lens, it might be a good idea to get it now as it seems likely that Tokina are about to stop making it, if they haven't already done so. All the shots shown here http://johngulliver.smugmug.com/Underwater...119634325_NtBYo were taken with the Tokina 10-17mm at 10mm and Ikelite's 6" dome port (my first attempts with the lens, by the way). The fisheye effect is obvious in several of them (curved straight lines at the edges).

Wow, great wreck shots.

My wife would never let me dive a wreck since 3 men from my town (Westfield NJ) died in one about 4 years ago.

I actually think the lack of rectilinear is a nice effect. And it's a rare straight line under water anyway.

What are the numbers on your 6" ikelite port for the tokina fisheye? Just want to make sure I get the right one. Although Reef probably won't sell me the wrong one.

My housing has two clips where the port goes.

Thanks! The Cedar Pride is a so-called "Disney wreck", i.e. cleaned up and sunk for divers to play on. There are lots of wrecks of this kind in different places around the world. The maximum depth is only about 30 m (100 ft) and there is nowhere you can get trapped. My port is #5503. If you wish, Ikelite will upgrade your housing with four port locks for $150 plus return shipping. In my opinion, it's well worth the money as it means two ports can be broken or open themselves without the port coming loose. I see now that you will need the Tokina lens wit the Canon mount. The ones Berger Bros are offering have the Nikon mount but they may have the Canon version as well.

Wow, great wreck shots.

 

My wife would never let me dive a wreck since 3 men from my town (Westfield NJ) died in one about 4 years ago.

 

I actually think the lack of rectilinear is a nice effect. And it's a rare straight line under water anyway.

 

What are the numbers on your 6" ikelite port for the tokina fisheye? Just want to make sure I get the right one. Although Reef probably won't sell me the wrong one.

 

My housing has two clips where the port goes.

So Richard at Reef Photo just took my order. Getting a Tokina 10-17 canon mount fisheye and the 5503 port. He matched B&H's price too.

Can't wait to play.

Now to think about strobes.