Diopters for 105mm and 60mm?

After some time playing with wide angle photography, I received a 105mm and 60mm lens and flat port for my birthday!

My question is whether anyone knows if these require a diopter for optimal performance (like my 12-24mm does)? I have a D100, Light & Motion Titan housing with flat port.

Thanks for your input!

Echo

D100

Light and Motion Titan Housing

Sea&Sea DX-90 dual strobes

16mm, 12-24mm, 60mm, 105mm lens

Macro lenses behind flat ports don't require diopters.

But, you may get "bored" just shooting them at 1:1, and choose to add a diopter in the future. This will allow you to get closer, increasing the magnification of the lens, and produce some stunning results. On the flip side, AF will be nearly useless...

Diopters are not required, but can be added for increased magnification......the 105 uses screw on nikon 3T and 4T diopters.....not sure about the 60

There are a couple of slip on wetmate lenses available......go to www.nexusamerica.com and look for "woody's diopter"....I think L&M has on also

As Ryan points out dioptres are a way to extend the possibilities of macro lens, by allowing it to focus closer and therefore increase magnif. The downside is that the lens will no longer be able to focus on more distant subjects (not usually to much of a problem underwater).

Because the minimum focus (max magnif.) of the 60mm is already close to the camera adding a dioptre usually just means an impractically small working distance from the subject. And, as Karl says, dioptres are best suited to the 105mm.

I disagree that AF becomes useless with dioptres. Certainly AF is less effective with a dioptre, but the problems are not as bad as using a teleconverter. I use either a +1 or +4 on about 1/2 my dives with my 105mm and never manual focus the lens. With your D100 you will be fine. You may wish to add a spotting torch to aid focus.

Alex

I have posted this image before, taken with D100 + 105mm & +4dioptre. I was able to AF focus on the free swimming subject that was at about 18m in the Lembeh Strait (so not that bright) without a torch.

http://www.amustard.com/?page=gallery&ext=...ge=photo&size=s

Alex how did you do this?

http://www.amustard.com/?page=gallery&ext=...ge=photo&size=s

Hi Andrew,

This is a straight shot - not manipulated in Photoshop. I went to Lembeh with the intention of not getting critters on black sand images. This shot was taken on my first dive on my first morning there. I used 60mm macro lens (no dioptre!), D100 and 2 Subtronic flashes.

The seahorse was moving very slowly across the sand. So I shot on front curtain synch at 1/3 sec @ f22. During the exposure, after the flashes had fired I panned the camera forward (overtaking the seahorse) and creating the blurs. I tried several shots, but I like this the most with opposing diagonals of the seahorse and the blurs.

Front curtain is much better than rear curtain for this type of shot because it lets you accurately compose your flash lit section of the image before you start panning. Most people try and take this sort of image with rear curtain (where you have to pan first and then end up on your composition for when the flashes fire - which IMO is much harder.

This effect could easily be recreated in photoshop, by cutting out the seahorse and applying a motion blur to the background.

I think this image was effective in escaping the typical black sand look of Lembeh.

Alex

On the flip side, AF will be nearly useless

Diopters do affect AF performance. There is no loss of light.

If you add diopters (e.g. Nikon 4T) remember to check your port length. I had to add another extension for the 4T, whereas the 3T on the 105mm worked without an additional extension.

Thanks for the great responses....and Alex I love your photos!

Happy diving!

Echo