Looking to capture Moray Eel images

Hey there,

I'm heading out on a dive boat this weekend where I am hoping to try to capture a few Moray Eel images and hopefully some Nudi images.  I will be diving with my Olympus EPL10, I have the lens options of 8mm Fisheye and 60mm Macro.  I'm not too sure which I should use?  I know that I can (and will need to) get close to the eels if I use 8mm.  I will be using the Backscatter MF1 for a strobe. 

I'm diving in Southern California, USA with water temps in the mid 50s to low 60s °F

Any thoughts, tips, techniques would be appreciated.

Nudis will obviously be better with the 60mm and I personally like to keep my distance to Moray Eels so I wouldn't photograph them with a fisheye. No idea if I'm overly cautious, but they do scare me a little bit. 

I think the 60mm is a bit too tight, but if all you can choose from are those two options I'd probably go with the 60 and just go for very tight shots. 

4 minutes ago, hyp said:

I think the 60mm is a bit too tight, but if all you can choose from are those two options I'd probably go with the 60 and just go for very tight shots. 

I could also try for a multi image pano type shot. I dont know if it will actually work but its fun to experiment.

I always shoot morays with a 60mm on an APS-C sensor unless they’re free swimming in the late afternoon when, if I’m lucky, I use a 10-17mm.

8mm fisheye is just too wide unless you’re happy having the camera right in front of those teeth. Dramatic. And scary. 

The distance with the 8mm fisheye will be so close that you will harass the eel (here the 8-15mm zoom fisheye comes into the play). With the 60mm macro the distance will be too long for good IQ, unless you have crystal clear water. It is certainly possible to take photos of muray eels with both lenses, but just for the purpose to have a personal souvenier, you will not like the photos too much nor will you show them often to others...

On the other side, the 60mm macro plus the macro-flash is the perfect combination for sea slugs. I think the choice is easy. => In addition you can hope to encounter a murray eel that gets cleaned by a shrimp - a detail of this would be a great motif for the 60mm macro...

Wanting to have the optimum rig for both sea slugs and big murray eels is, to some extend, like wanting a warm ice lolly...

Wolfgang

7 hours ago, Architeuthis said:

Wanting to have the optimum rig for both sea slugs and big murray eels is, to some extend, like wanting a warm ice lolly...

Wolfgang

 

A guy needs to dream cant he.

Welp it looks like im using the 60mm for Nudi hunting and then IF we come across a morey Ill see what I can do.

I capture morays on almost every dive.  With the 60 mm lens great portraits are possible from 0.5 to 1.0 m.  

Here are some quick examples to demonstrate the potential range of this lens for eels. One thing to note is that good vis is essential when the subject is further away, as the 60mm lens can lock onto particulates and hunt for focus if you're not careful. It is a great lens for portraits but it won't capture the full length of a big eel out hunting, but I've never been quick enough for that anyway!

Awesome images.  I would be happy if I can make images as good as these.

Mother Nature was not happy this past weekend most of the dive boats canceled their trips, the few that did go out had reports of rather poor conditions.

Well, in my opinion everything depends of how large is morey eel, thís pic was taken in the red sea with a Canon 50D and the Tokina 10-17. Obviously the morey eel was huge

gran morena 

This one was taken in the mediterranean, normal size, about 1 meter long, with a Canon 50D and the Canon 100 mm macro

morena y gamba 

There is no a correct lens to shot a critter, everything depends of what you want to do.

Absolutely true, “everything depends” might as well be the motto for UW photography!

Great shot of the big eel.  I have to try some CFWA someday myself