Sony A6500 Housing/Port/Lens Options

I am interested in purchasing the Sony A6500 for its excellent 4k video quality but the housing/port/lens options are not exactly obvious.

I record both wide angle and macro equally and have narrowed the equipment options down to this:

Option 1.

Camera: Sony A6500

Lens: Sony 16-50mm OSS kit lens (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892390-REG/Sony_selp1650_16_50mm_F_3_5_5_6_Power_Zoom.html)

Housing: Fantasea FA6500 (http://www.backscatter.com/sku/fs-1520.lasso)

Port: FML Port 34 (http://www.fantasea.com/s.nl/it.A/id.756/.f)

Diopter: Nauticam CMC-1 (http://www.backscatter.com/sku/na-81301.lasso)

With this option I would use the 16-50mm as the wide/mid range lens with the diopter for macro with an intention to upgrade to a Sony 10-18mm for wide and a separate dedicated macro lens. Unfortunately Fantasea has no other port options as of right now so the upgrade path is uncertain. Could anyone from Fantasea provide any information on planned equipment?

Option 2.

Camera: Sony A6500

Lens 1: Sony 16-50mm OSS kit lens

Lens 2: Sony 50mm F1.8 OSS (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1001008-REG/sony_sel50f18_b_50mm_f_1_8_lens_black.html)

Housing: Ikelite (http://www.ikelite.com/housings/sony/6910.65-sony-a6500.html)

Port 1: 6 inch Dome with Zoom (http://www.ikelite.com/accessories/5516.15-mil-dome-port.html)

Port 2: Standard Flat Port (http://www.ikelite.com/accessories/5516.45-mil-flat-port.html)

Diopter: Nauticam CMC-1

With this option I would only be able to use the 16-50mm as a wide/mid range lens and the 50mm F1.8 OSS would be used with the diopter as the macro lens. I would look to upgrade to the Sony 10-18mm (which shares the same dome as the 16-50mm). The upgrade path with this option is more logical but requires a separate lens and port just for macro.

Would anyone like to make any comments/suggestions on the options? Am I missing any obvious options?

I have thoroughly researched 4k cameras and the A6500 is the absolute leader in image quality and continuous autofocus however has few options in the housing/port area.

Hi,
Option two:
why would you use the 50mm 1,8f for macro?
If you plan not a real macro lens,
you can use the 50mm end of the standart zoom as well with a Diopter.
The bigger aperture brings not really an adventage.

Instead go direct to the wide angle lens.

Regards,
Wolfgang

Thanks for the reply, im using the Sony 50mm 1.8 OSS as the Sony 50 mm macro does not include lens stabilisation and therefore might not be easy to handhold.

The ikelite housing uses a dome port with the 16-50mm so you cannot use a diopter with the dome.

I'm looking at this option too... seems like you've done good research into the ports and lens combos.

I just bought a D750 but the video doesn't auto-focus well (in tests on land), so thinking of exchanging it since I only bought it last week.

I'd be really keen to chat with you sometime if that is possible as all the options are really confusing me. I'll DM you my details.

Hey mate,

In your option 1 with the fantasea houning: is the nauticam CMC-1 diopter a wet lens and could be flipped on and off in the water during a dive? - (edited) ok looks like i just found the answer to that ... yes

Do you think that the nauticam WWL-1 could also be used with this combo and fit on the end of the FML Port 34?

Do you know what adaptor would you need to fit the CMC / WWL on the front of that Fantasea port?

Sony SEL 10-18mm & Sony FE 90mm (135mm).

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Found some info from fantasea about what ports are coming:

http://www.fantasea.com/FA6500/Ports/FA6500PortChart.pdf

How well does the a6500 handle focus once it's housed? Can the user select focus points without too much trouble?

Works fine in the housing so far. I used AF-A and occasionally switched to manually select the focal area.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1249839/Fantasea-Line-Fa6500.html?page=39#manual

Fantasea's manual suggests the other compatible ports could be used on the A6500 housing. Does anyone know where I can find information on which other brand's ports would fit this housing?

I use the 90mm macro on my 6500, and have occasionally lost shots when the auto focus got confused - which I suspect was because of particles in the water. You have to remember to check that the lens' focus ring is set to auto before closing the housing, or you'll be stuck with manual focus and not able to reset it via the camera's menu once you're underwater. And you also need to make the right selection on the focus range switch. But the AF-C works really well with mobile subjects. I don't bother with the IBIS.

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Are you using a fantasea housing? If so what port are you using for a 90mm macro lens?

Are you using a fantasea housing?

Nope - Nauticam.

http://www.nauticam.co.uk/na-a6500-housing-for-sony-a6500-camera/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzggKvdoNvhkcTA4ajZJbjAxaWs/view