I shoot with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 in a Nauticam E-M1 Mark II housing, and whenever I am shooting wide angle I use the Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens. I run into a lot of people who either don’t use a fisheye lens at all, or who think it is a specialty lens that you only use for big things like mantas, whale sharks or humpbacks.

Yes, fisheye lenses are definitely the best for giant subjects like that, but they are incredibly useful for a lot of other situations as well. Although fisheye lenses are used more as art lenses or for niche applications on land, underwater, it’s a different story. Rather than the fisheye being the specialty lens, underwater I think of the fisheye lens as the default wide angle lens, while non-fisheye wide-angle lenses are the specialty lenses.

Fisheye Lenses 101

The first thing to understand about fisheye lenses is what sets them apart from normal wide angle lenses. The big difference is that they have an enormous field of view – typically, 180 degrees! Compared to the 75 – 114 degree field of view of the 7-14mm f/2.8 Olympus wide angle lens, the 8mm fisheye’s 180 degree field of view is much more (plus it is significantly smaller and cheaper).

To be able to create this massive field of view, the fisheye lens warps the image, with the warping most pronounced at the edges of the image. For more of a comparison between the two types of lenses, check out this very detailed article on fisheye lenses vs wide-angle.

Wide Angle Shooting Basics

When shooting wide angle underwater, you always want to be as close to your subject as possible (while still having a nice composition). The closer you are, the less water between you and your subject, meaning the subject is sharper. Additionally, the less distance your strobe lights have to travel between your camera and the subject, and then back to your camera, the brighter and truer the colours will be.

If your strobe light has to travel 4 ft to the subject and 4 ft back, you will have a lot less color (especially reds) than if your strobe light only has to travel 2 ft in each direction. Of course, the fisheye lens is the best at getting you as close as possible to your subject. Additionally, the barrel distortion of the lens, which can be very difficult to use above land, works great underwater, where there are very few straight lines.

Below is a collection of my favorite shots taken with my fisheye lens, as well as some explanation about why the fisheye made them so great.

Manta ray belly taken at Manta Point, Nusa Penida, Bali. The water was pretty murky there, as it is at most manta dive sites. The only way I was able to get the belly so sharp and detailed, and have the nice lighting, was by shooting with my fisheye lens in my underwater housing and being only about 3 feet below this manta as it passed over me. With a wide angle lens, I would have had to be much further away to get the whole manta in the frame, meaning less clarity, more backscatter, and poorer lighting.

Octopus in Manta Bay, Nusa Penida, Bali. The fisheye lens allowed me to get very close to this octopus, bringing out the detail in it, but also to include two dive models in the photo, and bring the sun into the composition. I did this by getting low and shooting up. Without a fisheye lens I would have had to be further back from the octopus just to get the two dive models in the photo, and would not have also been able to include the sun. There was not enough space to get that far back and that low for the same composition. Without the sun, this photo loses an important point of interest, and becomes just a decent photo rather than one that really pops.

Coral at Crystal Rock, Komodo. The fisheye lens allowed me to get very close to the coral and rock, within less than two feet. This meant I could stop down my camera to f/18 and max my shutter speed at 1/320s to bring out the details in the sun, but I was close enough to my subject that I could still light it very brightly with my strobes. When I tried this shot 2-3 feet further back, which is what I would have had to do with a wide angle lens, my YS-D1 strobes at maximum power could not illuminate the coral and rock properly.

School of fish beneath the jetty at Tetamanu Village, Fakarava South Pass, French Polynesia – one of our 5 “scuba diving bucket list” destinations. Without my fisheye lens, there is no way I could have been far away enough from these fish to get them all in the frame with a nice shape, and close enough to light them properly with my strobes. This shot was taken about 3-4 ft in front of them. The added bonus of the fisheye is that with the exaggerated perspective it creates, it amplifies the “3D” effect where it feels like the fish in the water are coming right at you out of the image.

A beautiful reef scene at Batu Bolong, Komodo…one of the nicest sites I have ever dove. Same as above…sun rays, beautiful colors, sharpness…only a fisheye can start to do justice to a spectacular reef scene like this. No matter what I did I could not get a photo which really did this site justice, but at least the fisheye gave me a fighting chance.

I have lots of other examples, but I think these shots give a good idea of some of the reasons why I love shooting with a fisheye lens, and why if you don’t have you, you really should pick one up for your rig – assuming your underwater camera supports a fisheye lens.

Which is Right for You?

When people are just getting started and they ask me whether they should get a fisheye lens or a wide angle lens, I ask them this question. Do you want to be able to get a lot of decent photos, especially of skittish pelagic subjects? Or do you want to get a lower number of decent photos, and have some frustrations with skittish pelagics, but instead be able to get some really amazing, extraordinary shots?

If you want the former, then go with a plain wide angle lens. But if you want to get those shots that make people go “Wow” when they see them, the shots that can win awards, and are OK dealing with some frustrations, then it’s fisheye all the way!

Some Great UW Photo Destinations…

And if you want to travel and do some great diving where amazing wide angle opportunities await you on every dive, definitely check out the places where I took these shots:

• Bali Dive Travel Guide
  • Bali Hai Diving Adventures – amazing resort, small groups, excellent boat and guides. Beat the rush to manta point by staying on Nusa Lembongan, so you can get there ahead of all of the day boats from Bali!
• Komodo Diving Guide
  • Dragon Dive Komodo – budget diving in Komodo, but with top-notch guides with a heavy focus on safety, small groups, and customizing experiences for people based on skill level and experience.
• French Polynesia Diving Guide
  • Tetamanu Village – spectacular walls of sharks in a remote paradise

Learn More About Wide Angle Photography!

If you want to learn more on the Underwater Photography Guide about wide angle photography, check out these useful tutorials:

• Strobe positions for underwater
• Wide-angle underwater photography
• Underwater composition

As always, if you have any questions then drop me a line at bryan@uwphotographyguide.com!

The post Why You Should Use a Fisheye Lens for Wide Angle first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

In January I had a chance to take the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera  and PT-EP14 housing out for a spin while on vacation in Iceland. We were diving Silfra, famed for its extremely clear water. This dive falls on many must do lists, and I would highly recommend it, just not in the dead of winter! It was about 17° Fahrenheit (-8° Celsius) outside, making the 40°F (5° C) feel really inviting! If interested, definitely hit it up during summer, when the warmer air makes getting into and out of your drysuit easier, and the long summer sunlight will add to your photo taking experience!

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II however performed admirably! Even with the low light conditions of winter, the quality from shooting at a higher ISO is not noticeable, and the image stabilization for shooting at a slower shutter speed worked well. I was impressed with the Olympus housing in particular. It was comfortable and easy to use. Controls were placed where they were easy to access and the housing offered full camera control. The locking bayonet ring to attach the ports is so much nicer than the old push and turn style of the PEN housings, making port changes a breeze. All in all the camera was laid out well and the housing matched that.

With a full line of lens options to choose from and even a new dedicated macro port for the 60mm, the Olympus housing is a great option for someone looking to get shooting on the new E-M1 Mark II, but not ready for the expense of the higher end aluminum housings like Nauticam and Aquatica.

Here are a few sample images from the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II from Silfra!

A diver cruises through the chasm between two tectonic plates (ISO 800, F5, 1/80)

A silhouetted diver floating in the channel. (ISO 250, F5.6, 1/500, no strobes)

Carefully a diver fins across the shallow sandy lagoon. (ISO 250, F5.6, 1/500, no strobes)

Entering the shallow lagoon area. (ISO 250, F5.6, 1/500, no strobes)

Get the Gear!

• Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Camera
• Olympus 8mm Fisheye Pro Lens
• Olympus PT-EP14 Underwater Housing
• Olympus PPO-EP02 Dome Port
• Ultralight Control Systems Tray, Arms and Clamps
• Dual Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes

Contact us at sales@bluewaterphotostore.com with any questions or to get a full OM-D E-M1 Mark II quote!

The post Diving Silfra with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Diving in the Galapagos isn’t for the faint of heart. From the heart pounding surge and currents at Wolf and Darwin, to the chilly waters around the main islands, like Isabela, the Galapagos can really test a diver’s skill. Knowing that I was headed for the adventure of a lifetime, and what could be my most challenging diving to date, I wanted to make sure I had the right tools for the job.

Aquatica housings, engineered and designed in Canada, are well known for standing up to harsh ocean conditions. This trip was the perfect chance to test out the new Aquatica A7R II underwater housing.

Right from the start, the Galapagos provided wondrous marine and terrestrial life. As we waited for the panga to take us to the boat, the group watched pelicans diving for small fish off nearby rocks while sea lions and marine iguanas soaked in the sunlight. Aboard the Galapagos Master Deep Blue, we were briefed on the many regulations of this national park, as well as given a glimpse of the excitement to come. After a quick checkout dive and dinner, it was time to start prepping gear, and the Aquatica housing proved easy to assemble after having been fully dismantled for traveling.

In order to pack as much as possible in a small carryon, I had removed the sturdy molded handles, which came off easily by removing one large bolt. Reassembly was a cinch, and setting up the ports took no time at all. The housing uses a standard bayonet mount, so a little muscle was needed to lock the ports in place, however, they include a textured section on all extension rings making it easier to grip the otherwise smooth aluminum finish. If you need a bit more leverage, make sure to throw a strap wrench in your bag.

Male Frigate bird in mating display.

Land Iguana chomps down on a cactus for lunch.

The first full day on the trip we explored a small island called North Seymour, watching Boobies, Frigate Birds and Marine Iguanas wander around the desert landscape. Afterwards we dove off the a small sand bar called Mosquera in chilly waters with light current. From there it was a long overnight motor to the prime destinations of the trip: Darwin’s Arch and Wolf Island. These sights promised hammerheads and other large sightings, including the hope of a whale shark or two now that it was the end of June. Prior to the trip I had been warned about the conditions. Often beset by strong currents with the possibility of rough surface conditions, diving here was not expected to be easy. As it turned out, rough was an understatement, and if not prepared, the dives at Darwin could easily have been disastrous.

We hopped into the pangas as quickly as possible for what felt like a long, slow ride over to the arch. Choppy seas tossed the little boat around, with waves breaking over the bow a few times until we pulled up as close to the arch as we could get. A negative entry was key, back rolling off the panga and continuing straight down to grab onto the rocks below. Once again I wa glad to have the Aquatica housing. These housings are designed and tested with rough, cold water in mind and have been known to endure challenging ocean conditions. This sturdy construction paired with the Surveyor Vacuum Sensor System assured me that my housing had and would maintain a proper o-ring seal, even when rolling off the panga with me versus being gently handed down after I hit the water. I had no issues with the seal on the trip, and the housing continued to perform well with each dive. The security of using a vacuum check system, especially when plunging off a panga to catch dolphins swimming by, or constantly opening and closing the housing to change the ever dying Sony battery is priceless.

Another great benefit to having the Aquatica housing on this trip was the ability to customize and use the control dial on the back of the camera. Aquatica is the only manufacturer who included the dial control on their housing. There are many options you can choose to assign to this button, but I chose ISO control. What this meant is that I now had immediate control of my ISO through the rear control dial, just like changing aperture or shutter speed from the other two dials. Any other method of changing ISO involves clicking a button, scrolling over to the desired ISO and then hitting OK. While not too involved it does add time. When you’re swimming as fast as you can after a whale shark, being able to adjust all key settings on the fly, including ISO, can make or break getting the shot. This feature is also extremely useful when shooting video.

Upcoming Galapagos Trips with Scott Gietler

• Join our April 2017 Galapagos Trip
• Join our Jan or May 2018 Galapagos Trip

Huge, pregnant female whale sharks come to Darwin in June

Hammerheads cruise by the rocky reef.

After the rough seas of Darwin, the calmer water around Wolf was a blessing. There was still plenty of surge, and chance of current, so I continued to back roll with the camera, confident in the housing’s construction. We found sanctuary at the site Shark Bay, where hundreds of hammerheads swam in front of our waiting cameras. Like watching a movie, they just kept swimming back and forth in the depths that stretched before us. In addition we did one dive with the macro lens, looking for the odd little Red Lipped Batfish. Having pre-programed my Sony to split out the autofocus, the Aquatica housing made it easy to focus using the Custom 1 button. This allowed me to keep focus locked and shoot several shots quickly and accurately.

If you stay still and find the right spot, the hammerheads will even swim right over you!

Curious Fur Seals frolic in the shallows of Shark Bay.

The rest of the trip continued smoothly as we explored the calmer, yet colder waters off the main group of Islands. I had the housing set up with Electronic Sync Cables, which worked fine, however I would highly recommend opting for the internal flash trigger and fiber optic cables with this housing. It means one less o-ring to manage, and makes for much easier changes if you want to remove the strobes and add video lights, or take just the housing down for ambient light shots while snorkeling.

The frigid waters off Isabela brought us up close and personal with large mola mola, and offered us beautiful sea fans akin to the temperate waters of Southern California. We spent an afternoon frolicking with hungry marine iguanas as they dived in the shallows to munch on green and red algae. Evenings on this trip were spent marveling over the sights from earlier in the day, sharing images with each other and giving photo workshops to help improve for the next day. Each night we collapsed into bed exhausted from adventure and dreamt of the next day’s excitement. The trip included two land tours, the birds and iguanas at the start, and an afternoon with giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island to cap it off. As long as ten days on a boat may seem, suddenly it was over. Time to bid farewell to this magical land full of incredible creatures.

Mola Mola (or Mola Ramses) comes up from the deep to get cleaned by these little wrasse.

Marine Iguanas dive deep and hold their breath while chowing down on the algae growing on the rocks.

Found no where else, the Giant Tortoises are a must see when visiting the Galapagos.

The Galapagos is definitely a must dive location, but it pays to be prepared. Get the right gear, know how to use it and be prepared for some adventurous diving!

Check out these links for useful information on the Sony A7R II and the Aquatica Housing:

• Aquatica Housing for Sony A7R II Camera
• Sony A7R II Review
• Aquatica A7R II Review
• Best Underwater Settings for Sony A7R II

The post 10 Days in the Galapagos with the Aquatica A7RII first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The sense of being out in the middle of nowhere is strong during the crossing to the Archipelago Revillagigedos, also known as the Socorro Island. It takes 24-30 hours of motoring to reach this small island chain, but the wait is well worth it. Consisting of four islands, three of which are close enough to each other that you can dive them in one expedition, this area is well known for its big animal encounters. The islands and small sea mounts attract a variety of small life, which in turn brings in the big guys. Sharks abound, mantas gracefully fly through the water and dolphins twirl and dance in front of you under these waters.

This was my first experience diving Socorro, and it was nothing short of incredible. The water was around 76-78°, perfect for a 5mm suit. We had excellent visibility most of the time, with views stretching past 100 ft on many dives. While nothing is guaranteed, this trip everyone on our group got plenty of time watching the manta rays glide through the water, brushing over our bubbles. We saw a large school of hammerhead sharks cruise by in the distance, watched white tips pile upon each other at Roca Partida and we danced with dolphins, who playfully cruised past the group, diving down into the depths and back up, daring divers to follow along.

A haven for the big guys, it also is home to an incredible amount of varied fish life. Large trevally and jacks school around the sea mounts, and small baitfish dart in and out of rocky crevasses. Yellowfin tuna can be spotted quickly darting through the school in the distance, though rarely coming close. We watched rainbow runners clean themselves on the side of a silky shark, and eyed wahoo as they swam near the surface during our safety stops.

Of course, not every dive was big animal heaven… these creatures move around often, and we had several dives of vast empty blue ocean stretching out in front of us. Luckily during those dives you can enjoy watching the small fish, eels, and more, but remember, if you focus too much on the little guys, you won’t know when the big ones show up!

The trip on the Rocio del Mar is very comfortable, with an incredible staff, excellent food and great accommodations. Knowledgeable dive masters lead the way underwater, while topside your gear is looked after, and delicious meals keep you energized throughout the day.

Here is just a selection of some of the fantastic sights we experienced through our adventure in Socorro.

Equipment Used

Nauticam Sony A7r II Underwater Housing

Sony 16-35mm F4 Lens

The post Diving Socorro with the Sony A7R II first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

At the end of last year I had the opportunity to take a demo of the Aquatica A7R II housing out for a test. Overall I was very happy with the performance, and had a blast diving with a couple of friends. The housing performed beautifully, allowing me to enjoy the dive and shoot some images without feeling like I was constantly fussing with the new gear. As with all Aquatica housings, the ports with easy to attach and change, controls were well placed and easy to use and everything I needed to access was available on the housing.

The Aquatica Housing uses the same port system as all Aquatica DSLR cameras, so there are no compatibility issues with the larger diameter Sony lenses and port options are available for using the Canon EF lenses and Metabones adapter. The housing comes with your choice of strobe connector, including a fiber optic trigger – which costs no more than any other option, something unheard of with other DSLR and MIL housing manufacturers. In addition, vacuum electronics are available and an optional bulkhead valve is available for added security when using this housing.

Here are a few sample photos from the dive, overall I have been very impressed with the quality, detail, colors created with the Sony A7R II camera, and the Aquatica housing makes it easy to use and love this camera underwater.

For more information on the Sony A7 II / A7R II / A7S II cameras or the Aquatica housing please check out our full review here.

To purchase the Aquatica A7R II Housing, please click here. 

Underwater Images with the Aquatica A7R II Housing:

Going, going, gone! Aquatica A7R II with Sony 28mm + Fisheye Conversion Lens (F9, 1/100, ISO 100)

Diver in the Channels – Aquatica A7R II with Sony 28mm + Fisheye Conversion Lens (F9, 1/125, ISO 100)

Juvenile Garibaldi – Aquatica A7R II with Sony 90mm Macro (F15, 1/160, ISO 100)

Diver in the Kelp – Aquatica A7R II with Sony 28mm Lens + Fisheye Conversion Lens (F5.6, 1/80, ISO 100)

Diver and Sea Fan – Aquatica A7R II with Sony 28mm Lens + Fisheye Conversion Lens (F5.6, 1/80, ISO 100)

The post Aquatica A7R II Housing Photos first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Wide angle compositions are often the hardest to nail perfectly. During the SoCal Shootout participants have to do just that. There is very little editing allowed, so getting correct lighting, exposure and above all, that striking composition is key. Ben Hofilena succeeded with his first place image in our open wide angle category. While he claims just a lucky shot, he at least knew the most important part of luck, which is preparation. Proper settings and being ready for the moment allowed this excellent shot to get captured. Here’s the details on our first place winner.

Title: Ocean Bouquet

Location Captured: Eureka Oil Rig (off the coast of Long Beach, CA)

Camera / Housing: Canon 70D with Tokina 10-17mm Lens, Sea & Sea Housing

Strobes / Lights: Dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 Strobes

Camera Settings: F8, 1/125th, ISO 200

The Story: The first time I took a camera underwater was about a year ago. Prior to that, my topside photography was limited to point and shoot cameras in AUTO mode and taking pics on my iPhone. That being said, I’m a newbie to underwater photography and this was a lucky shot. This photo was taken on the Sunday of the SoCal Shootout while aboard the Pacific Star. We were lucky to have good visibility and a bait ball at the Eureka Oil Rig. I was able to get really close to a section of the bait ball and compose my shot. It was awesome to be able to capture what I saw as a solid wall of fish and bouquet-like image in the middle.

The post SoCal Shootout: Story Behind the Shot, Ben Hofilena first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

This year’s Best in Show was won by Brook Peterson with this excellent image of a young sea lion cruising through the water. Congrats Brook! Read on to learn more about this image.

Title: Young Sea Lion at Play

Location Captured: Sea Lion Rookery at Santa Barbara Island

Camera / Housing: Nikon D810 with Sigma 15mm Lens in Sea & Sea Housing

Strobes / Lights: Dual Sea & Sea YS-D1 Strobes

Camera Settings: F14, 1/125, ISO 320

The Story: The juvenile sea lions were eager to greet the divers as we jumped into their playground. At first they hung upside down from the surface watching the divers.  As they grew more confident, they would come close and try out different poses in front of the camera.  Soon they began playing (sometimes aggressively) with each other and occasionally they tried to include the divers.  I noticed this young sea lion trying to engage me in its play by blowing bubbles and opening it’s mouth every time it swam by.  It came closer and closer, giving me several opportunities to grab its image.  The most difficult part of the shot was getting myself in a position so that I wasn’t shooting directly into the sun.  Finally all the stars aligned and I was able to get the shot.

Check out all the winning images from the 2015 SoCal Shootout here.

The post SoCal Shootout: Story Behind the Shot – Brook Peterson, Best in Show first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

In addition to the new Olympus 8mm Fisheye PRO lens, Olympus has also released a fabulous new rectilinear wide angle lens, the Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO. This new PRO version completes the lineup of PRO lenses that also include the 12-40mm PRO and 40-150mm PRO giving photographers a full range of PRO focal lengths. Underwater we are most interested in wide angle or macro, and the 7-14mm works great when you don’t want to use a fisheye.

It gives users the ability to zoom making it easy to adjust composition a bit when you just can’t get as close to your subject as you would like. With 110º angle of view the Olympus Pro lens offers an edge over the popular Olympus 9-18mm lens, but the improved optics and weather sealing really make this lens stand out. Its direct competitor is the Panasonic 7-14mm which many underwater photographers having been using when they want something a little wider than the 9-18mm.

Let’s look at the differences:

Panasonic Lumix G 7-14mm F4

• $898
• 110º Angle of View
• F4 – decent speed
• Minimum focus – 9.84″
• Weight – .66 lbs
• Length – 3.27″

Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm F.28 PRO

• $1,299
• 110º Angle of View
• F2.8 – fast!
• Minimum focus – 7.87″
• Weight – 1.18 lbs
• Length – 4.17″

The new Olympus PRO lenses are definitely larger than other micro four thirds lenses, which is mostly due to the fast speeds they offer. The 7-14mm Pro lens feels much more professional than the Panasonic with an aluminum alloy body and splash proofing. In addition the new Olympus Pro lenses are the first micro four thirds lenses to have actual focus markings on the lens. Olympus has created a unique focus control system on their PRO lenses. Sliding the focus ring down changes the lens to manual focus and shows the focus scale on the lens. This position disables autofocus, so be sure when taking the lens underwater you have this ring in the proper autofocus position. For those wanting access to both auto focus and manual focus don’t fret – you can still set the camera to auto focus and turn the focus ring for manual focus as with any other micro four thirds lens. So we get the best of both worlds in the new 7-14mm PRO.

After shooting with the Olympus 7-14mm PRO for a week in the Sea of Cortez on the new OM-D E-M5 Mark II I was very pleased with the overall quality, focus speed and detail that this lens produces. I own the Panasonic 7-14mm and have always loved the wide angle of view it provides, but on my Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera there would sometimes be weird abberations with a purple glare (corrected in newer Olympus bodies). I also found that in my Zen glass port I would get lens reflections underwater, having to spend time in Lightroom removing the shadowy ghost of my lens make from the captured image. Using Nauticam’s glass dome over the week in the Sea of Cortez, both shallow and deep, I had no reflection issues on the new Olympus 7-14mm PRO. Compared to the 9-18mm this lens will feel much nicer, offers a wider field of view and much improved quality. I have also had problems with lens reflection in the 9-18mm underwater.

Sample Images:

Would I recommend this lens? Most definitely. I loved the quality of images this lens produced, and the bright F2.8 aperature offers improvements for shooting ambient light, and for video recording. While it is more of an investment than other similar lenses, those looking for the best possible quality will love this lens.

The biggest drawback I found when using this underwater (with Nauticam housings) is that the N85 port size opening of all Nauticam Micro Four Thirds housings is too small for this new PRO lens. This means that you’ll be spending a bit more to house the Olympus 7-14mm Pro lens. You’ll need the Nauticam N85-N120 adapter and the best port option is the 7″ Glass Dome Port. In addition, installing the lens requires first putting the camera without the lens in the housing, then attaching the lens from the front. This is easy to do and doesn’t require much time, but can be a pain when you want to remove a memory card or change the camera battery as you will need to first remove the port and take off the lens before you can pull the camera out of the housing.

Purchase the Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm PRO lens here.

The post New Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Underwater first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Olympus has recently revamped their mirrorless line of lenses, releasing several new options that give underwater photographers more variety and better glass for capturing the world beneath the waves. One of these new lenses is the Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye F1.8 PRO lens. This lens provides direct competition to the extremely popular Panasonic Lumix G 8mm Fisheye F3.5 which just about every micro-four thirds underwater shooter get’s their hands on.

Let’s look at at the differences:

Panasonic Lumix G 8mm Fisheye F3.5:

• $675
• F3.5 – pretty fast speed
• Angle of view 180º
• Minimum focus (3.94″)*
• Weight .36 lbs
• Length 2.04″

Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye F1.8 PRO:

• $999
• F1.8 – really fast!
• Angle of view 180º
• Minimum focus (4.72″)*
• Weight .69 lbs
• Length 3.15″

*Note: Minimum focus distance is measured from the sensor plane, so effectively the new Olympus has a closer focus distance of only 1.57″ from the front of the lens since it is longer in length. The panasonic will be about 1.9″ from the front of the lens.

Both lenses work great for underwater photography. I recently returned from a week in the Sea of Cortez where I had the chance to use the 8mm Fisheye PRO from Olympus. I was definitely impressed, as a long time lover of the Panasonic 8mm, I was tempted to switch for one main reason. The lens is longer, which I found made it much easier to position my strobes behind the dome and avoid excess glare. Having that little bit of length gave me more flexibility with lighting positions which was nice.

I think both the Panasonic and the Olympus 8mm Fisheye’s work fabulously underwater. If you are okay shelling out a few more bucks for the Olympus, want the best quality glass you can get for the micro four thirds camera, or shoot a lot of ambient light, then the new Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye PRO is the way to go.

The Olympus 8mm Fisheye PRO is compatible with Nauticam, Aquatica and Olympus OM-D Housings. Olympus PEN style housings have yet to be tested but should be compatible with a combination Zen Port and extension. The lens was announced in May, and is scheduled to begin shipping at the end of August 2015. Email or Call us with any questions!

The post Shooting the Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye Underwater first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

One of the most commonly asked questions in the world of amateur underwater photography is “one strobe, or two?” Often this question is one of economic forethought, but it may also be a question of artistic merit. After shooting with both one strobe and two, I have come to the conclusion that with recent advancements in strobe quality and performance neither is a better option. An underwater photographer should be able to shoot beautiful photos using either option.

An evenly lit nudibranch taken with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe

The use of a second strobe makes the most difference in macro photography and very wide-angle reefscapes. When shooting macro with one strobe, the light will only be coming from one direction and thus there is usually shadow in the image. A second strobe can provide light coming from a second direction which can be used to fill in shadows. This produces an image with more even lighting and less shadow/contrast.

Even lighting with two Sea and Sea YS-D1 Strobes

Although many photographers prefer an image with less contrast, a single strobe usually doesn’t produce a significant enough shadow to ruin the image (if positioned correctly), and it can often be the better option when illuminating transparent organisms such as shrimp, coral and anemone polyps and some nudibranchs. If the effect with one strobe is needed, a photographer with two strobes can switch off one strobe. However, having one strobe can make a camera setup much more maneuverable while shooting macro, and there is less chance of damaging the reef.

A high contrast image of an orange cup coral take with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe

As I mentioned before, with new, very powerful strobes such as Sea and Sea’s YS-D1, an underwater photographer can easily shoot great wide angle photographs with just one strobe. Even with a fisheye lens, I have been able to light a full frame with just one strobe. In order to do this, I will often put a diffuser with a wider angle (120 degrees) over the strobe. Because the YS-D1 is so powerful, I can still shoot the full range of wide-angle – from close focus to sunbursts. Using two strobes for wide-angle does have its merits. Two strobes will certainly brighten more of the reef and illuminate more of its details.

The details of the Wakatobi Reef and a sunburst lit with two Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobes

However, one of the most interesting effects of shooting wide-angle with one strobe is a spotlighting effect. This enables an underwater photographer to give more focus to the subject of the image. As with macro photography, if a photographer with two strobes would like the effect of one, he/she can merely turn off one of the strobes. Maneuverability is slightly less important for wide angle, because the subjects are usually not as often hidden in the crevices of the reef.

An image of coral and a sunburst taken with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe with the spotlight effect

Shooting with one or two strobes are both great options. Both produce beautiful underwater photography. It is up to the photographer to decide how much money he/she would like to spend, and if they truly want the extra range of artistic tools that a second strobe brings to the table.

An evenly lit wide-angle photo of a tube anemone

The post One Strobe or Two? first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.