CMC-1 on non Macro lens

Hello,

I am planning to use a 15-45 zoom on my fuji x-t3, probably paired with the WWL-C for wide angle.

I was wondering the macro capabilities of the XC 15-45 if  paired with a wet macro lens, i.e. the CMC-1. 

The minimum working distance of the lens is 5,1" at 15mm and 13,8" at 45mm, and the reproduction ratio is 1:4,2 

So, what is suposed to get with a wet macro converter on a non macro lens??? Shorter working distance?? Bigger reproduction ratio??

Has someone any experiences in this topic??

Thank you!!

Wet macro lenses work by allowing the lens to focus closer.  Your lens already focuses at 130mm giving 0.24x magnification but at 45mm as you say it focuses at 350mm - the lens is about 65mm long so you have 267mm working distance. (from a review I found online

If you look at this video

View archived post in: Wetpixel Live: Macro Close Up Lenses

you can see the Panasonic 14-42 is tested with a CMC-1 and the full frame is 24mm wide in on a m43 sensor which is 18mm wide so this is 0.75x magnification with a 42mm lens.  Your 15-45 is going to do a little better than this as the focal length is longer, but it will be fairly close.  the olympus 14-42 from the Nauticam port chart is reported to have a 41-76mm working distance and I would expect the 15-45 should have a similar working range - this the the range it will focus at with the CMC-1 attached.

So in summary you should get something in the range of 0.75x , probably a little more and this will be in very close to the port - maybe 40-50mm working distance, it's not 1:1 macro but is a lot better than the the 0.24x from the lens alone.  The INON lens in the linked video UCL-67 is another possibility and is reported to have more working distance as I recall.

Thank you very much Chris, your explanation is very clarifying. I will explore the UCL-67 too. 

I think this can be a good option for an "all in one" setup, and quite compact for travelling.

By the way, do you have experience with the WWW-C?? I supose the image quality can't compare with a good wide angle or fisheye + a good glass dome, but I have read that some wet lenses equal, or even improve the iq.... 

Thank you very much, for me, as a begginer, it is a blessing to have the support of people with your knoledge.

51 minutes ago, Elipe said:

Thank you very much Chris, your explanation is very clarifying. I will explore the UCL-67 too. 

I think this can be a good option for an "all in one" setup, and quite compact for travelling.

By the way, do you have experience with the WWW-C?? I supose the image quality can't compare with a good wide angle or fisheye + a good glass dome, but I have read that some wet lenses equal, or even improve the iq.... 

Thank you very much, for me, as a begginer, it is a blessing to have the support of people with your knoledge.

No problem, the WWL-C I have not used but there are a number of threads on the subject here if you search.  Bear in mind it is quite large and heavy -about 150mm in diameter and really not convenient to take on and off UW to swap with a macro lens for example, though it can be done I'm sure.  The problem is what to do with it when you take it off.  The rig will also become 250 gr more buoyant when you remove it.  Another concern is there is no tie off point on the lens so you need extra care when stowing it.  Most people talk about leaving it on for the whole dive once it has been burped to remove air bubbles.

The optical quality is reported to be very good even at larger apertures and significantly better than a rectilinear wide in that regard.

I should add on the macro lens all the figures assume you have the right port for it that fits well with the front lens close to the glass.