Best lens to start with

[Overexposed Seahorse 3]

Hi there,

 

I'm just upgrading to an SLR (Nikon D7100) from my Olympus m4/3 camera, and was just wondering which lens I should start with. I can only afford one lens to start with, and my favourite shots are wide angle. I am thinking the Tokina 10-17 as many people have recommended it to me, although I was wondering whether it would be too wide as the only lens I would take.

 

I only have one strobe (at the moment) so would the 10-17 be too wide and something like a Nikon 10-24 would be better? I'm going to Egypt at Easter, so I am unlikely to be taking photos of sharks or wrecks, and many people say that rectilinear lenses are not as sharp in the corners. If I get the Tokina, I would put it behind the 4.33" port.

I am not looking for a macro lens at this time.

 

Many Thanks!

[Interceptor121 765]

Have not taken mine in water yet but I wanted something that I could use on land and potentially underwater ended up with a Sigma 17-70

 

Some shots are here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandasimages/sets/72157624815401232/with/5002097339/

[Overexposed Seahorse 3]

Thanks for that, it is an interesting choice, and certainly a good lens. The only thing I worry is whether it would be wide enough. I use a wet wide angle lens on my Olympus, which is 100 degree angle, and sometimes I wish for something wider, but I also know that I can take it off if necessary (although I can't think of a time when I have)!

 

Thanks!

[Interceptor121 765]

It is not that wide (25.5mm equivalent) but with only one strobe you would use a wider lens only for ambient light I guess

[KirkD 7]

Wod t go with the Sigma 17-70 lens as you only lens. Bit. Bad lens, but something you would want too add to your collection. Mine doesn't come out often.

 

First 2 lenses, IMHO,with a crop sensor camera, would be a tokina 10/17 FE anda Nikon 60 macro

 

 

 

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[Steve Williams 0]

The Tokina 10 -17 should be the first lens for WA.

 

Good luck,

Steve

[Interceptor121 765]

If you have other ways to take land pictures or are not bothered then a tokina 10-17 does work behind the small 4.33 dome port

 

My suggestion was based on having one lens for both land and water

http://underwatervisions.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/the-sigma-17-70mm-%E2%80%93-a-lens-for-the-indecisive/

but it does require a larger dome

 

Also think about a second strobe to cover the wide field of view

 

The housing cost for the D7100 is huge for now am only using it on land and my next purchase will be a 70-200 zoom lens for land wildlife I am going to try it in water in June

[nortoda1 13]

Definitely the tok 10-17, this lens is so much fun for both wa and cfwa. 17-70 not a lens I personally like uw. Single strobe is sufficient for a lot of shots with the tok. However, you will eventually want/need a 2nd strobe.

 

 

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[Cerianthus 55]

Another vote for the tokina.

[Overexposed Seahorse 3]

Sticking with the Tokina then! Thanks everyone!

[AndyBarker 6]

Hi,

I would go with the Tokina 10/17FE great lens, i have also used the Nikon 16/85 Zoom which I have had good results.

Regards,

Andy.

[JimSwims 31]

If your favourite images are WA then you will love the 10-17mm. You will however really be wanting a second strobe, especially when

deeper than where ambient light can assist you. Perhaps you could consider a Magic Filter to use with it until you can stretch out for

that other strobe?

 

Cheers,

Jim.

[diverdoug1 56]

If you like Macro, 60mm would be a good first choice.

[blibecap 29]

The throw of the Sigma 17-70 lens is to great and the nodal point moves too much for a dome port to function correctly and have crisp edges. Currently there isn't a flat port on the market that is wide enough to allow you to use the 17mm end without crashing into the port when you zoom to 70mm. IMHO aside form the two lensed mentioned the Tokina 10-17, the 10-17 with a 1.4 tele on it and the 60mm macro another lens to consider is the 18-55 kit lens behind a dome or flat port. The 18-55 nodal point doesn't move much and the throw is very short. The lens is also very inexpensive.

Edited March 17, 2014 by blibecap

[JamesR 26]

I have the Tokina 10-17 with the Zen 100mm dome, very nice combo for WA. It focuses very close so you can do some CFWA as well. It's a very nice lens.

[Overexposed Seahorse 3]

Thanks everyone, I actually have the sigma 17-70 as my 'land' lens anyway, so possibly in the future i will look to try that underwater!

[diver dave1 23]

If you want a bit more options, you might consider the 1.4X teleconverter and a dome extension for your 10-17 and small dome. If you find yourself being too wide for your subjects, that could give you some options. The added gear is not large or heavy and not too expensive.

Just a thought.

 

Every shot in this trip to Cozumel was shot with that setup but with 2 strobes.

http://www.shiningseastudio.com/Underwater/Cozumel-2010/11273166_rTjBH2#!i=790880931&k=TfBCwxt

[Overexposed Seahorse 3]

Nice photos!

 

The Nikon d7100 has a 1.3x crop mode, which means that it uses a smaller portion of the sensor, but would it have a similar effect as the 1.4 teleconverter?

[diverdoug1 56]

Both would magnify, but additional cropping decreases your resolution. Or are you talking about the inherent crop of using a DX sensor? Just to be clear, the Tokina 10-17 will get vignetting if you were to use it on a full frame sensor.

[TomR1 5]

Just to be clear, I actually have a 17/70 behind a flat port that is wide enough and long enough for the 17/70 to function at both ends. You can get both decent wide angle shots (with 2 strobes) and decent semi-macro shots with the same lens. However, If you like wide the 10-17 is the way to go.

[blibecap 29]

Tom i would love to know more about that port. do you have a picture of it?

Bill

[Walt Stearns 52]

For wide-angle, The Tokina 10-17 is a great foundation lens for DX crop cameras underwater as it will work behind almost any dome port, and has such a wide range of capabilities it can used. For travel, it and a 60mm macro are my two primary work horse lenses, which have me covered for just about any thing I am likely to encounter. After that, additional lens options (12-24, 11-16, 16-35, 90 or 105, etc.) are there when I want to get a little more fancy.

[pooley 39]

Whilst I'd also recommend the tokina, I'd do so with a bit of caution on this occasion.

 

Whereabouts in Egypt are you going, and what are your intended subjects? I ask this, because I've dived in the red sea on 5 different holidays now and (in my experience) if it's day diving from Sharm or Hugharda, you may find it difficult to get enough subjects to use the tokina as your only lens. There will be plenty of scope for reef shots, but if it's fish, then subjects can get a little bit sparse. I've always looked back and found more keepers from the macro side, and things like the snapper aggregation are unlikely to have begun at this time

 

If you're on a liveaboard, then you may see more big fish.

[diver dave1 23]

Nice photos!

 

The Nikon d7100 has a 1.3x crop mode, which means that it uses a smaller portion of the sensor, but would it have a similar effect as the 1.4 teleconverter?

 

Did you change to DSLR just to could crop your pictures to get magnification? I doubt it. If you are worried about being too wide, the option I list gives you a choice. A rect. lens requires a MUCH larger dome to get sharp pictures from all I read from others whereas the 10-17 can use the small dome and be sharp.

[TomR1 5]

Pooley makes a good point. How many places can you go to and just have a 10/17 Tonika lens? That would drive me crazy but I am a macro shooter. My wife uses a 14/54 Olympus lens on an E620 which is the functional equivilent of the Sigma 17/70 on a Nikon. However, the 17/70 is difficult to house. I needed to find a flat port that is very wide similer to the flat port in the Olympus line and I needed to get the zoom gear permanently attached to the lens in order to get the rig into the port. (Reef Photo did the work for me) I am changing my vote to a 60mm

 

Tom