Canon 7D - 10-17 Tokina - Kenko 1.4 TC?

Can anyone tell me what advantage the 1.4 TC has with the Tokina 10-17 lens and Zen mini dome? Is this a practical combination to shoot sudo macro with?

I'm not really into macro, but own a 100mm with the macro port I was thinking about selling (anybody interested?) if I can get some decent small critter shots with this 10-17 combo.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

Mike, this is a combination i own and really enjoy using. I dont have the mini dome yet and have been shooting behind a flat port which isnt ideal, or behind my 8" dome, which doesnt allow u do do macro as u hit the subject with the front of the glass! Fine for bigger things like frogfish but no nudis or anything. With your minidome u will get good results. You get a Close Focus Wide Angle CFWA or Wide Angle Macro WAM pictures which give your subject a habitat to live in. Sure loads will post their images for u to compare. Check out Dr Mustards CFWA article in DivePhotoGuide too.

Olly

This combo now is my favourite setup, gives great flexibility and enables CFWA.

These are all taken with this setup

If I'd had just the 10-17 on this shot I would have needed to be much closer to the school to fill the frame and would have spooked the fish. The Tokina gave me that added distance so I could keep the school formation

but I guess this is the classic CFWA shot with the setup

and this seahorse, the Zen dome was invaluable to get low enough and close enough to this 25cm seahorse

I use the Kenko Pro 300 1.4x teleconverter which seems to be the one of choice for this kind of shot.

Good stuff Olly and Alex...Thanks!

Alex...are you using the 7D or cropped sensor camera?

7D and D7000, both cropped sensor cameras

Alex

mike, i just bought my TC for xmas and loved the shot possibilities but have found the focus is soft with the TC added. Some have suggested that TCs are different to each other even within models and brands. So im taking mine back and gonna test it against others in the shop.

p.s Alex convinced me to buy mine too! He's good at this selling malarkey!

Here's a quote from a well respected dealer..."Personally I don't think it's a good idea in most situations. The TC induces softening, and magnifies CA in the corners to the point that you can't kill it with a Lightroom slider. Most people are using the combo to shoot subjects that they could have photographed without the "10-17", assume he meant TC, just by getting closer. Even with the TC, you'll have trouble getting any prominence in the frame with a 1" subject . 2-3" is doable, though"

Kenko is the brand I hear used most and Alex uses the Pro 300...Is that the one others have good luck with?

Thanks for the comments!

Mike

mike, i just bought my TC for xmas and loved the shot possibilities but have found the focus is soft with the TC added. Some have suggested that TCs are different to each other even within models and brands. So im taking mine back and gonna test it against others in the shop.

 

p.s Alex convinced me to buy mine too! He's good at this selling malarkey!

Hello I'm new to this site

I have a question that I'm sure has been asked before in one form or another so here goes.

I am in need of information regarding two wide angle lens choices for my Canon 7D. The two lenses are both Tokina’s the 10-17mm fisheye and the 11-17mm wide angle. I am familiar with the unique view point of a fisheye. This lens will be used in both photo and video with a variety of subject matter ranging from Whale sharks to cave diving. I will also use this lens to a lesser degree for some time lapse video ether sunrise or sunsets. The issues I would like to address would be “over all sharpness” especially edge to edge sharpness. I am looking specifically for comparative image sharpness using the various F-Stops f2.8 vs. f8 or f16. For all video and some photography I will be using the lens in manual mode and not autofocus. I am also willing to consider other lens manufactures such as Canon, Sigma. Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated. I am aware that no lens is perfect for all occasions but I am willing to settle for a happy medium.

Safe diving

Peter

When I get back to the UK, I'll post full size shots of the above photos for people to see that I have experienced no softness and no CA when used with the Zen 100mm minidome.

And the point I made earlier about some subjects not wanting you to get closer I think is very valid.

Peter,

You say you would like to use in in MF rather than AF, you would need to check the housing to see if this is possible as most have a single gear, which on this lens is attributed to the zoom, not the focus. MF can be used on fixed length lenses like 60mm or 100mm macro but havent seen it on zoom lenses.

Mike, when i get into the city, and off mobile dial up net, ill post my lens test pics and you can see the slight softness but also the range of view with both compared.

Olly

I do not have auto focus when I am in video mode. The manual tells you to pre focus and you then control your depth of field with your aperture. With my other system which is a video camera the Sony NX5U in an amphibico housing and their 94 degree dome port I pre set the focus on land and enjoy sharp images from just in front of my port to infinity. Now this video housing port acts like a diopter and this is not the case with the canon 7d. To re focus the canon I have to stop filming and depress the shutter half way and resume the video. On land if I zoom after I start video I have to manually refocus. But you’re right if the housing does not allow for this then I guess I am up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

Peter

Very specific question, but using this setup (10-17 + 1.4tc + small dome on cropped sensor), would you find it lacking in shooting big/medium stuff? ie sharks and the like?

I'll be doing a bunch of shark-feed dives later this month and contemplating just bringing small dome instead of larger one. I figure there will be no overunders or whatnot - so will the above setup suffice?