18 replies to this topic

[Alastair]

Hello,

Has anyone tried to use the SIGMA 8-16mm lens in any underwater setup?

[Cp]

Hello,

Has anyone tried to use the SIGMA 8-16mm lens in any underwater setup?

Hi Alastair,

I posted a couple shots from my test dives with it, here:
8-16 post

Cheers,
Cp

[Alastair]

Thanks Chris - all i have to do now is get my hands on one and try and find out which aquatica zoom ring fits is.

Love the split shot..

cheers

[Cp]

Thanks Chris - all i have to do now is get my hands on one and try and find out which aquatica zoom ring fits is.

Love the split shot..

cheers

I think the Sigma lens has a special acid coating that only affects Aquatica gear. Most likely will dissolve the zoom ring, and possibly the entire housing. You'd better get a Nauticam just in case that is true....

Kiddinnnnnggg!!!!!

Cheers,
Cp

Edited by Cp, 28 March 2011 - 06:18 AM.

[Viz'art]

I think the Sigma lens has a special acid coating that only affects Aquatica gear. Most likely will dissolve the zoom ring, and possibly the entire housing. You'd better get a Nauticam just in case that is true....

Kiddinnnnnggg!!!!!

Cheers,
Cp

I see someone had plenty of sleep yesterday , I on the other hand, am not snoozing an extra day in New Jersey like Monsieur Parson, it's back to work for me, bleary eyes and not, making non disolving housing for the mass

Alastair, I am pushing the engineering to get a 8-16mm Sigma ASAP.

[Deep6]

I see someone had plenty of sleep yesterday , I on the other hand, am not snoozing an extra day in New Jersey like Monsieur Parson, it's back to work for me, bleary eyes and not, making non disolving housing for the mass

Alastair, I am pushing the engineering to get a 8-16mm Sigma ASAP.

Don't you just love these tete-a-tete's!
Bob

[PeteAtkinson]

I have tried the 8-16 behind the Seacam 6" dome and Superdome without the correct extensions. I needed f11 to get decent corners, and they weren't great. The fashion for incomplete domes means that if you place apparent front entrance pupil of the lens (which is roughtly 73mm in front of the lens mount at 8mm and 66mm at 16mm - Jean, what are your measurements?) at the centre of curvature of the dome, the view of the lens can be vignetted by the mount of the dome. The Nauticam 9" glass dome needs about 55-60mm total extension for this lens and is a large enough section that it does not vignette. I will try 50, since I have it, and let you know how it looks...

[Cp]

I see someone had plenty of sleep yesterday , I on the other hand, am not snoozing an extra day in New Jersey like Monsieur Parson, it's back to work for me, bleary eyes and not, making non disolving housing for the mass

Staying that extra night is definitely the way to go... sleep in the next morning, get up and have breakfast with no crowds, answer a few customer emails, then meander to the uncrowded airport and the half empty plane where the free upgrade to first class awaits.... ahhhhhhh. Way better than trying to trying to get out that evening. Oh, and I do have to rub this part in too Jean.... what was the temperature when you got home? It was 75F degrees here.

Someday after you've been in this business a while, you'll learn these things...

[Viz'art]

It actually was warmer in Montreal than it was in New Jersey, they should have called this year edition the BENEATH THE ICE show , in any case it was good to be home after a couple of weeks on the run (10 straight days in Kona Hawaii then almost straight to New Jersey for 4 days), lots of accumulated work! that business got a lot more intense since I started 20 years ago. you snooze, you loose

[chrispak1962]

So if I am correct this means that nobody has the right dome and extension ring for this promising lens??????

[Viz'art]

As I said once we have the lens in, we can calibrate it on the optical bench, measure it for dimension (gear) and then it will be officially be supported,

Its common knowledge that the lens will fit in our domes, what needs to be determined is the dome positioning (for the extension ring) and the gear dimension/specification.

[Timmoranuk]

I've shot the 8-16mm with the Zen 200mm and 40 mm extension. The corners did improve dramatically at f/8 but, as has been said, f/11 is better still. I think the Zen 230mm may be a better option but only a stop or two.

[Alastair]

jean .....

will eagerly await for the right rings and spacers.... still nice lens for land use to..

[oskar]

This is not a particularly fast lens in the first place, but if one will be limited to f8 and above for decent sharpness it will be less useful for me in dark waters.

Is this the limit or do you recon another dome and alignment of optical center improve corner sharpness?

Cheers
O

(Sidetrack question: What other fast UWA would work better with large apertures for APS-C Canon?)

[PeteAtkinson]

The Sigma 8-16 interferes with the lens release lever on the Nauticam D7000 housing, pressing it in, and disabling autofocus in the process! Focussing can be restored by removing the small rubber pad which presses on the lens release button. Filing some metal off the front of the lens release lever would be an alternative.
Today I ran tests with the Nauticam 9" glass dome against 6" and 8" hemispherical acrylic domes. Thoughts on these later.

[oskar]

Hi!

A few months later. Who is actually using this lens now and in what camera, hosing, dome combinations?

I noticed that Ikelite does not list it on their charts.

Cheers
/O

[Drew]

I've tested it on the Seacam 60D Prelude. Didn't have the right extension for optimal nodal point position...BUT it's a very nice lens. Sharp and on wrecks, lines stay straight even at 8mm! Works well with the Superdome. Also works well with the Nauticam 60D housing and their new 9" big dome.

[rtrski]

Hi!

A few months later. Who is actually using this lens now and in what camera, hosing, dome combinations?

I noticed that Ikelite does not list it on their charts.

Cheers
/O

I've got it, with one of Bill Libecap's 5" (uwcamerastuff) domes. Sony mount, being used on an a55, Ikelite housing Here's a first couple test shots, both at 8mm (didn't gear it yet when these were taken). Apologies for my bony pale legs in the frame.


8mmFar_f4.5 by rtrski, on Flickr

8mmClose_f4.5 by rtrski, on Flickr

With Bill's 5" dome you use the .16 port extension. Those pics I hadn't tried it yet, but I've since figured out that the 'standard' Ike zoom sleeve will fit the lens directly (no spring clamp)...you just need to 'chop back' the two inward pointing ridges a little bit toward the gear end of the sleeve so they only engage the zoom ring and don't also hit the (same diameter) ridges on the lens's mounting ring structure. The two ridges hit the rubber grip texture on the zoom ring with enough engagement to permit the zooming action.

I hope to do different zoom tests and with strobes in a week or so...strobes arrive tomorrow from Reef.

Edited by rtrski, 10 October 2011 - 06:12 AM.

[vbpress]

Hi guys,

I shot with the Sigma 8-16 in Sea&Sea Mdx D300 housing. For good results I use the Extension Ring 40 on Sea&Sea Fish Eye  big Dome Port.

 

I'm satisfied of the results, the image quality at the corner is quite good at all focal lengths and the deep of field is amazing.

The italian Sea&Sea dealer  has made a modification to the Sea&Sea 17-35/2.8 Nikon zoom gear that allow to fit the 8-16 Sigma.

Now I can zoom below the water