7 replies to this topic

[matt215]

What's a good lens to use in Lembeh? I've had a lot of luck with my 100mm macro, but I hear a lot of people saying that the 50mm macro is the way to go. What critters would be good for the 100m and which ones for the 50mm? By the way I shoot with full frame sensor. I would think that most everything you see at Lembeh would work well with the 100mm, except for octopi. Any thoughts?

[jlyle]

On our two trips to Lembeh, I found myself using a Zuiko 50mm on nearly all the dives. I was shooting an Olympus dslr with a crop factor of 2, so the lens is the 35mm equivalent of your 100mm macro. The majority of critters will be very small, but there are frogfish the size of basketballs!

Having said that, you will see very few WA images from Lembeh showing what the bottom looks like. I took a 14-54 to add to the macro stuff.

http://diver.net/bbs...002/72865.shtml

http://diver.net/bbs...002/75277.shtml

[matt215]

How about the mimic and wonderpus octopus? Can they be effectively photographed with the 100mm macro?

[jlyle]

If you look at my links, you will see images of the octopi with both the 50mm and 14-54mm lenses. The octopi aren't very big.

[matt215]

Nice trip report and excellent photos. Based on what you have there, I can't see much use for the 50mm...

[Alex_Mustard]

In Nikon speak, but still full frame, I've always preferred the 60mm to the 105mm in Lembeh - certainly if you are more into froggies, octopus/cuttles, scorpionfish (creature of the muck) etc. If you want nudis, pygmies and teeny-tiny critters then the 105 is better. Although for my last two trips to Lembeh I have gone with 60mm, 105mm, 150mm, zooms and fisheyes all for macro with teleconverters and dioptres!

Alex

[MikeVeitch]

How about the mimic and wonderpus octopus? Can they be effectively photographed with the 100mm macro?

you could shoot them with 100mm but i think they are too large for that, you would only get head shots really, nothing wrong with those as it can show some good personality, but I think you are better off with a 60mm for the octopi or a wider angle, here are two samples.

10.5mm with 2xTC




60mm

[liquidguru]

We generally suggest a 50/60mm lens, as it will give you much more flexibility. The mimic in jlyle's photo is a small one. If you can stack diopters on the 50mm then you can add if needed.

Why not take both? You can change day by day. One day go for the tiny tiny stuff, then the next the sligtly bigger things.