Sigma 17-70mm + dome port or Canon 60mm + flat port????

Hi everybody,

I currently have a Sigma 17-70mm behind an 8" dome port. I will be heading to Lembeh to shoot little critters and I am trying to decide if my current lens and dome will be OK, or if it would be worth getting a Canon 60mm and a flat port. On one hand the 60mm is a shorter lens, but the flat port gives some maginification; on the other hand, the 70mm is longer, but no magnification behind the dome port.

Do you have any of these lens/port configuration? What is your recommendation

Thanks in advance for your comments

What camera? Your lens is probably too wide for most of Lembeh's creatures and your dome too big for close-focus wide-angle on most of the larger "macro" life. Look at the workshop thread. I hope to post my final selection of images soon, from an FX sensor and mostly shot with a 105mm lens, but some with a teleconverter and diopters, a few with the equivalent of about a 20mm lens, but with a small dome.

Adam's working on a "best of" article for Full Frame. Almost all of the images that were shown on the workshop were taken with macro lenses and through macro ports.

Thanks for the reply. I have a Canon 650D in a Nauticam housing. So the 1 million dollar question (I know there are hundreds of threads about this): would you recommend going all the way to a 100mm lens, or the 60mm?

For muck diving in general you will find a need for both 60 & 100 mm lenses. Last month in Lembeh I used my Nikon 105 most of the time but glad I had the 60 for the paddle-flap rhino.

The large dome causes issues when getting close to small critters. I’d go for a 60mm if it was a choice of one over the other, and use the extra money saved on the longer lens to put towards a Nauticam super macro converter.

The large dome causes issues when getting close to small critters. I’d go for a 60mm if it was a choice of one over the other, and use the extra money saved on the longer lens to put towards a Nauticam super macro converter.

Which port would you recommend for a Canon 60mm: Macro Port 41 or Compact port base+Compact port 15?

We tested the 17-70 w/Epic camera. Even at 70mm it focuses right up to the dome. While this may be insufficient for the smallest critters, it's a remarkably versatile.

J-

Macro port 41 would be my choice.

Your lens is probably too wide for most of Lembeh's creatures and your dome too big for close-focus wide-angle on most of the larger "macro" life. Look at the workshop thread. I hope to post my final selection of images soon, from an FX sensor and mostly shot with a 105mm lens, but some with a teleconverter and diopters...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timsdiving/sets/72157637966725276/

Great pictures! Did you say most of them were taken using 100mm?

 

 

Great pictures! Did you say most of them were taken using 100mm?

Nikon: 105mm, some with a +8D "wet" dioptre, and a few with a 1.5x teleconverter as well (except for the giant frogfish).

I use the 17/70 in a flat port and it will take decent semi-macro and semi-wide. It is extremely flexible but is really neither a macro or wide lens. I use a 105 almost exclusively for macro but many use the 60. I would take a true macro lens in a flat port for this trip.

Tom