Southern Great Barrier reef wide angle

the 8-15 is such a fantastic lens to play with on a FF.  It allows you to tell so many different stories, including the ever present challenge to show the grandness of the scale of the balmies, the walls, the ships.

Architeuthis wrote:

Chris Kippax wrote:

It sure is, I have a mini dome and plan on using it with a tele converter for some wide angle macro stuff. Just need the water to clear up a bit first.

Please report about your experience with the TC (1.4x, 2x?), how it affects IQ and AF, would be very interesting...

I have two trips in with the R5+ 8-15 + 1.4 coupled with S&S's 210mm dome. Guessing about 30 dives.

It's hard to do a contrast, as it's a new setup. AF is instant.  Even at 1.4, the dome shade comes into view around 11mm. I think it would have to come off if I lost the converter. But at present, hard to see the rational beyond shooting circulars at 8mm. At my widest feasible, I get a tremendous FoV and still have the protection.

One of the many drug planes of the Bahamas

(whoops - removed blue hole pic as LR export did some unfortunate transformation )

Chris Kippax wrote:

Great shot, from my reading the 8-15 is either 8 or 15 and nothing in-between on a full frame sensor. I only ever use mine at 15

when combined with a 1.4, you get a bit more range.   I see the edges of either the dome or the lens itself around 11 (15) and you can "zoom" in a little bit to 15 (21).   This lets you play a little bit with the subject framing.  The pic I posted is indicated at 16mm, so 11.5mm, right in the middle of the range.

Occasionally I went all the way down to 8 for the fisheye effect, thinking I'll likely crop out the edges.  I'll have to see if there is a good example that pays off.   (I'm home working on the computer all day, can't seem to get to trip editing.   I'm years behind now).

But yes, for the most part I use either 11 or 15, rarely in between.

As the lens was conceived, it was designed to be mostly at 3 positions

1- APC at 8mm

2- FF at 15 mm

3- FF at 8m for the 360 circular image.

Architeuthis wrote:

Therefore statements on IQ comparisons with FF sensor, @15mm of the pure lens, compared to 11mm with 1.4x TC would be very interesting...

unfortunately, at least with the Nauticam, you really have to choose one (or spend $$) as it results in a different port extension and zoom gear.  One incentive for me to go with the 1.4 route is that the port extension is essentially (5mm off) the same as the one for the 14-35 using the 210 dome.   So $$ aside, one less object to pack, and quicker changeup between fisheye and the rect lens.

Architeuthis wrote:

I use the Canon 8-15mm now on MFT, with Oly EM1II. I find it a perfect lens for MFT, as I get 180° at 8mm and can zoom in all the way to 15mm (comparable to 30mm with FF) for more working distance when photographing smaller and more shy subjects...

that's an interesting application in the faux macro realm.   What did it take in terms of lens adapters and port extensions to work?   Using the 4.33 type dome, or something bigger?

My GH4 system is likely to antequated to get a buyer willing to pay as much as it's worth for me to keep, and I harbor hopes that the GH6 will be worthwhile to reuse the ports on.   Setting it up for semi macro while still wide is a nice compromise and big step up from the g7x compact which is never that wide.

Architeuthis wrote:

kelpdiver wrote:

Architeuthis wrote:

I use the Canon 8-15mm now on MFT, with Oly EM1II. I find it a perfect lens for MFT, as I get 180° at 8mm and can zoom in all the way to 15mm (comparable to 30mm with FF) for more working distance when photographing smaller and more shy subjects...

that's an interesting application in the faux macro realm. What did it take in terms of lens adapters and port extensions to work? Using the 4.33 type dome, or something bigger?

=> On Nauticam housing, It requires a Metabones 1x Smart adapter, a Nauticam 34.7mm N85/N120 extension, a 35nn N120 extension and a Nauticam 140 domeport (I have also tested Zen DP100 or DP170, they both give also nice results). See the postings here for more dteails:

ah, so you're using an N120 dome port.   So I wouldn't be able to use either the 4.33 or 6" N85s, but could use my 210 N120.

Probably too many ($$) nauticam parts for a lark, but I'll store it away in the ideas vault.