Wet wide angle lens differences ?

So many different wet wide angle lenses out there. I researched many of the different options and it seems the main differences between them are:

- Lens is designed to work on a compact camera with a 35mm, 28mm or 24mm lens

- Lens is designed to be fully zoom through or not

- Lens has a dome or not

- Lens has native 67mm or 52mm threads, but adapters are available

Is the above basically true ?

I would think the above plus how closely the camera lens sits away from the housing port and then in turn how closely the wet wide angle lens sits, all affect the corner sharpness and vignetting ?

Pricing seems to mostly vary from $400 to $700.

Hey Ron long time no see. There are many wet lenses on the market but many are made by the same factory and just branded differently. Nautican and Inon make theirs the rest is one or two factories in China doing for anybody else (idas, itorch, fix, fantasea, kraken etc etc)

Are there any actual reviews about the quality of the newer Chinese makes? I know Weefine/Kraken make some very fine lamps, but I've never seen anyone review their wet lenses.

Are there any actual reviews about the quality of the newer Chinese makes? I know Weefine/Kraken make some very fine lamps, but I've never seen anyone review their wet lenses.

Other than from those who sell them not much

Anyway pretty much all are based on classic construction with plastic dome very similar to the old Fix performance wise ok up to 1”’sensor not good for anything bigger

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Hey Ron long time no see. There are many wet lenses on the market but many are made by the same factory and just branded differently. Nautican and Inon make theirs the rest is one or two factories in China doing for anybody else (idas, itorch, fix, fantasea, kraken etc etc)

Hey, yeah, been diving and shooting some photos/vids, but nothing to outshine what I have done in the past, so have not bothered to post anything.

Heading to Maldives soon and will hit the manta area for a day or 2, so figured a wide angle lens would be useful.

Did some more research. The Backscatter and Fantasea lenses look to be AOI lenses and the Kraken a SGC lens. Rebranding as you stated.

Wife is learning on a TG4 in an Ikelite housing, I am still using my LX7 in a Nauticam. Both have 67mm threads. Decided to order the Kraken KRL-02 with 67/52 adapter ring. Both our cameras are 24mm so the lens should work well with both. "Should" LOL.

What are you shooting with now ?

Hey, yeah, been diving and shooting some photos/vids, but nothing to outshine what I have done in the past, so have not bothered to post anything.

 

Heading to Maldives soon and will hit the manta area for a day or 2, so figured a wide angle lens would be useful.

 

Did some more research. The Backscatter and Fantasea lenses look to be AOI lenses and the Kraken a SGC lens. Rebranding as you stated.

 

Wife is learning on a TG4 in an Ikelite housing, I am still using my LX7 in a Nauticam. Both have 67mm threads. Decided to order the Kraken KRL-02 with 67/52 adapter ring. Both our cameras are 24mm so the lens should work well with both. "Should" LOL.

 

What are you shooting with now ?

Now shooting GH5 days of great compacts are over killed by smartphones

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Kraken is very similar to the uwl-04 I sold evil otter here for his wife tg4/5

 

Now shooting GH5 days of great compacts are over killed by smartphones

 

 

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What camera and housing did you use the uwl-04 with ? How were the results ?

On paper, the Kraken KRL-02 matches our camera specs as it is designed for 24mm lenses.

 

What camera and housing did you use the uwl-04 with ? How were the results ?

 

On paper, the Kraken KRL-02 matches our camera specs as it is designed for 24mm lenses.

It was my wife wet lens when she was diving with a canon s95. The lens perform well with small sensor cameras not as good as the inon with sony and newer 1" compact and not a good choice at all with MFT

I think the TG series can be set at 28mm and the lens does not actual extend so you will get the 150 - 160 degrees

Probably a newer version like the kraken will be even wider. The plastic coating of this type of lens does tend to generate flares in some occasions if you shoot sunbursts but other than that it performs very well for the cost