lens and transport recommendation

Hey out there!

Finally got my housing for the Nikon D90 and still trying to find out (until August) what the best lenses are. Read a lot about it. The statements so far:

- Tokina 10-17 f3.5-4.5 (which I bought since I wanted a fisheye anyway ;-))

- 60mm, don't have anything like that at all (what for? I'm not such a big of a fan of fix focal distance lenses)

- 16-85mm (already had that)

Maybe some more information about my goals in photography. As you can see on my website I have done quite a bit of photography of corals and things on the reef. Since I will be in places where you - fingers crossed - get to see big fish I would like to get the right equipment before I go there. The animals will be quite close (within 3-60ft distance to the diver). And for your information: no they will not be attracted with anything, they're just there. Is the fisheye there any good or do I need the 16-85

An other question which comes with the equipment: how do you transport all these things. So far this was not a big problem since I had my Pelican 1500 case to use for the housing and camera. With the underwater equipment for the DSLR it's a bit more difficult. I would like to have it as my carry-on baggage since this is just too much money to be wasted by someone throwing the case around ;-) Any recommendations on that front?

Thanks anyway for your help!

Thomas

What housing and ports do you have?

Hey out there!

 

Finally got my housing for the Nikon D90 and still trying to find out (until August) what the best lenses are. Read a lot about it. The statements so far:

- Tokina 10-17 f3.5-4.5 (which I bought since I wanted a fisheye anyway ;-))

- 60mm, don't have anything like that at all (what for? I'm not such a big of a fan of fix focal distance lenses)

- 16-85mm (already had that)

 

Maybe some more information about my goals in photography. As you can see on my website I have done quite a bit of photography of corals and things on the reef. Since I will be in places where you - fingers crossed - get to see big fish I would like to get the right equipment before I go there. The animals will be quite close (within 3-60ft distance to the diver). And for your information: no they will not be attracted with anything, they're just there. Is the fisheye there any good or do I need the 16-85

 

An other question which comes with the equipment: how do you transport all these things. So far this was not a big problem since I had my Pelican 1500 case to use for the housing and camera. With the underwater equipment for the DSLR it's a bit more difficult. I would like to have it as my carry-on baggage since this is just too much money to be wasted by someone throwing the case around ;-) Any recommendations on that front?

 

Thanks anyway for your help!

 

Thomas

16-85mm isn't very useful underwater, as it's only marginally wide with a port and a cropped sensor: 6' is not close; 60' is the moon - you can rarely see anything except in the clearest of water, like that in the Red Sea. Big fish look exciting when they are inches from the lens, and telephotos are disappointing as all water blurs the image beyond a few feet away.

The 60mm micro-Nikkor is how to get the close-up images of small fish, shrimps and so on. It's pretty standard and particularly so with cropped-sensor Nikons.

Read some of the horror stories about travelling with easily-identifiable photo-gear cases. I've had stuff removed by the TSA and now use nondescript luggage, with lots of padding.

Tim

What housing and ports do you have?

i've got an ikelite housing an so far a 8" domeport with an extension for the 16-85mm.

that's it so far ;-)

Thomas