Full frame and Tokina 10-17

I have recently upgraded from crop sensor to full frame D700.

If I put the camera in dx mode I will only get 5mp files.

I'm thinking of just using this combo on fx mode and zooming up so I don't see the shade of either the lens or dome port.

I realise I will lose some zoom range but figure this will be no worse than having a standard 15 or 16mm. Neither of which I own.

Are there any flaws to my plan?

Thanks

Mary

I have recently upgraded from crop sensor to full frame D700.

If I put the camera in dx mode I will only get 5mp files.

I'm thinking of just using this combo on fx mode and zooming up so I don't see the shade of either the lens or dome port.

I realise I will lose some zoom range but figure this will be no worse than having a standard 15 or 16mm. Neither of which I own.

 

Are there any flaws to my plan?

 

Thanks

Mary

Mary, I use a "shaved" Tokina 10-17 with a 1.4 Kenko TC on my D700 in FX mode behind one of the small Zen domes - it works well overall although it is a bit soft in the corners.

Don

Thanks Don,

What's the main advantage of the converter? I'm guessing it gives you back the full zoom range????

Is it the small dome giving you the soft corners?

Mary

Mary, I use a "shaved" Tokina 10-17 with a 1.4 Kenko TC on my D700

http://www.360pano.de/en/tokina-sigma-nikon.html

Grtz Tobias

I have recently upgraded from crop sensor to full frame D700.

If I put the camera in dx mode I will only get 5mp files.

I'm thinking of just using this combo on fx mode and zooming up so I don't see the shade of either the lens or dome port.

I realise I will lose some zoom range but figure this will be no worse than having a standard 15 or 16mm. Neither of which I own.

 

Are there any flaws to my plan?

 

Thanks

Mary

Hi Mary,

I posted on WP a while back some pool tests with the 10-17 / Tokina 1.4 TC/ D700 / and 8" dome. Worked well but with some limitations. Quality is quite good edge to edge, but not quite as good as 10-17 alone, Nikon 16mm or my Nikon 16-35 in my opinion. Stopping down does help.

I think the combination works well in very well lit situations like clear water near the surface in sunlight. The combination is more limited in poor light due to the light loss with the TC.

I have come back to using my 16-35 rather than the 10-17 TC combination mostly, as there is not that much difference in angle of view, and focusing / quality etc are better.

My only comment is that I find the distortion of the 10-17/TC combination to be more pleasing than the barell distortion of the rectilinear wide angles.

Mary & Don

The reason don is having soft corners is that the dome is not placed at the nodal point of the lens. The dome is designed for the lens and then when you add the tele-converter you move the nodal point out 3/4" or 19mm. If you could put a extension on the dome that would really help the situation. you can read more about the nodal point here: http://www.creativeillusionsphoto.com/virtual.htm

The reason for using the tele-converter is to get the full range of the zoom back. With a 1.4 tele-converter the lens becomes a 14-24 with no vignetting. without the tele-converter you would only have a 14-17 lens without vignetting as seen by the link that Grtz Tobias provided.

Mary & Don

The reason don is having soft corners is that the dome is not placed at the nodal point of the lens. The dome is designed for the lens and then when you add the tele-converter you move the nodal point out 3/4" or 19mm. If you could put a extension on the dome that would really help the situation. you can read more about the nodal point here: http://www.creativeillusionsphoto.com/virtual.htm

The reason for using the tele-converter is to get the full range of the zoom back. With a 1.4 tele-converter the lens becomes a 14-24 with no vignetting. without the tele-converter you would only have a 14-17 lens without vignetting as seen by the link that Grtz Tobias provided.

I was originally using this set-up with the small Subal DP55B dome and a 20mm EXR, which was when I suffered the soft corners.... Then after discussing the set-up with Ryan at Reef Photo he suggested the 100mm Zen dome and a 28mm EXR.

I had already bought the Zen superdome and had been very impressed with it - so I went for the 100mm and 28mm EXR. I was using it this afternoon on the Liberty wreck in Tulamben, here in Bali and an image is attached below. Still slightly soft in the corners, compared to the Sigma 15 FE and Zen superdome, but not too bad....

The image is a straight JPEG from the NEF - no tweaks at all.

Don