Wide Angle Underwater

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I can't get close enough sometimes - but other times I just want more lens. Here is an example, though it is an example of trying to use a wide angle lens for a macro subject.

The problem I have with getting closer is the dome hitting the subject or rocks and coral around it. In this shot I was basically pressing the glass against the anemone trying to resolve the tiny shrimp:

Well, when you pick the wide lens, you're just accepting that you won't be taking shots of tiny shrimp. It's the curse for the ILC camera. On macro dives, you can take pictures of shark eyes, octopi heads. On WA dives, unless it's a clustering of small things (like my xmas worm coral head), you just look and enjoy, but not take.

A few mitigations - when I have the macro on, I may carry a gopro mounted on top of the housing to cover super WA events.    And potentially when shooting WA, can use it for some macro with flip lenses.   Dive buddy with other lens type is ideal answer if available.   If you're the only one diving at the Roatan outfit that loves you, maybe you can get the DM to carry the alt camera for you.   Pay a bit extra for porter duties.  You still have the 810, though maybe a smaller secondary would less work to travel with.

er, with your 45MP plus a wide fisheye - you don't really need to look at the viewfinder - you can just aim and shoot, and do a little bit of cropping to get the composition right. Esp helpful for the shark dives.+

I suppose that is true, but I don't find it much effort to use the viewfinder. I bought a nice high-eyepoint viewpiece (Nauticam 180 degree viewfinder, $1320) that makes it easy to see the whole image through my mask. In addition, especially with macro, I use the viewfinder pressed against my mask as a third point of contact to stabilize the camera.

on the shark dives, sometimes you need to use the camera as a barrier, and sometimes there's more than one. But the other use for hand pointing is to shoot up from the sand without having to lay down.

I'd want the 45 degree if I did it, since macro often entails getting into the coral and your body won't fit. But lately I'm debating instead getting an external video monitor. Then I can reorient it for a lot of situations, and a 5" screen is much much bigger. It's likely my next big ticket purchase.

I love Roatan, but I need to get to some different dive sites. Harder to do now that my dive-buddy wife is gone. Also, I'm now 66 years old, and diving in Roatan is pretty easy, which is why I keep going back.

What about the Caymans? Lot of newish wrecks on Grand, and the fantastic wall at Little Cayman. Easy diving with great viz.

A black water Hammerhead dive in Molokai last year showed me some limits to my abilities due to age, and after a rough dive I was the only diver who didn't make the second dive. Then too I was puking from seasickness due to the very rough conditions.

that's in the channel as i recall. Though I've seen a lot of younger people sit out after a rough dive- nothing wrong with it, and less wrong than going ahead with the 2nd if not feeling well.

I'd love to dive Bonaire, but I don't think it's the right choice for me to go and try to do it alone, particularly shore diving with a big camera rig.

yeah, ideally you would recruit another photog. Dive club would be best bet.