Wide angle lenses - Please help the terminally confused.

Hi,

Full disclosure - I am still a relative beginner when it comes to UW photography, but I have managed to get pics I (and my ever understanding wife / buddy) like. I've assembled a decent rig that allows me to do what I want to do (a bit of still, a bit of video).

My setup consists of:

• An RX100 mk1, housed in an Ikelite case + handles / tray
• An S&S YS-D1 Strobe, optically fired
• A FIT 2400 LED Video light

In putting that together, it's usually been a case of bang for buck - I'd have loved to have a Recesa or Nauticam case for the camera, but couldn't justify it a the time. The DS1 was a bargain overseas purchase, and the video light was a bargain dive show special

It all works great - but our last trip to Egypt showed that to get the benefit of the strobe, you of course need to minimise the distance to the subject... but then you end up loosing your amazing pic as you are already out as wide as you can go on the camera - and you end up not getting everything you want in the frame.

So, I'm guessing I need a wide angle lens - and that's when the confusion starts... and the sharp intakes of breath at the prices.

So what I'd like from the hive mind is what would be recommended to go with the kit I have. I've read so much about different mounts, fisheyes, domes, focal lengths, vignetting, type1 lenses vs type2 it's all getting a bit much. Once I know what I should be looking for, I can start searching for possibly good used items to save some cash - and not make a expensive mistake on eBay.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

Buy an Inon UWL-H100 with type 1 mount

Thanks

Straight M67, or AD / LD with adaptor? This is where a great deal of my confusion stems from.

If you want to save money, look into the Opteka .4x lens, it's for land use, but can be used under water as long as the housing has 67mm thread. Head over this discussion for more info:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54734

M67 and would not recommend the opteka option as the ikelite port is recessed

I used Nauticam Wetmate on Ikelite LX7 housing before. If the M67 port on the Ikelite RM100II housing is the same, then the Opteka will work. The back of the Opteka is 67mm, bigger than the Nauticam Wetmate.You can always buy the US$160 Opteka lens, try it on land with your Ikelite housing. And if it doesn't work, return the Opteka lens. If you don't entertain the potential trouble of might have to return the Opteka lens, then the US$550 Inon lens is safer way to go.

Whilst on the nauticam housing the glass Sits very close to the port on the ikelite there is quite of water in between as the lens is single element there is a risk that you have image quality issues plus reduced field of view. A test on land will not prove anything to that regard and if results are poor its a waste of $160 dollars

http://www.fun-in.com.tw/oc/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=h100&category_id=0&product_id=232

http://www.fun-in.com.tw/oc/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1017

http://www.inon.jp/products/lens/uwlh10028m67/compatibility.html

Ikelite