Dave’s Blog 3 (100220)
Here is something you don’t see in every dive.
Inon's new macro wide angle lens
Inon’s new macro wide angle lens has recently received lots of attention in the web discussion forums on underwater photography. Never have such a lens been named in so many different ways; Pinocchio lens, insect eye lens, endoscope lens and my personal favorite the “bug eye lens”…I guess these names sound better than the Inon’s official version “UFL-MR130-EFS60″…..now try saying that twenty times in a row !
This came out in dive trade shows about a year ago but nothing much has been heard about it and how it works….until recently. As usual one has to find out what this lens is all about. Inon made this lens specifically for the Inon X-series housing for the Canon Eos 40D and 50D DSLR and specifically for the EF-s 60mm Macro lens.
There were some good results by those who used it with the Inon housing but in the tradition of Scubacam customization I went off and got something to make it even better – a Canon 7D in a Zillion housing. The reason behind this is very simple. Canon EOS 50D is an APS-C size cropped sensor DSLR and so is the new Canon 7D except it has HD video and millions more pixels and better ISO. There was no X2 housing for the 7D. So I went mad, purchased everything and phone up and invited a few friends over to brag about it.
Now I have all the kit of parts and ready to test my theory. In reality I was not entirely sure how the bug-eye lens will fit onto the Zillion housing as I know a port converter is required. Luckily Zillion send me such a thing. Inon stubbornly made the business end of the MRS60 Port II & bug eye lens not wet detachable. So the front “snout” bit has to be mounted & sealed properly to the MRS. Its like taking a telescope apart. The neat thing about the MRS 60 Port is the focus ring which has magnets inside and the lens control is driven by magnets clamped to the lens and moves by magnetic force…..like a Maglev Train !….maybe not quite the same scale. I was worried that these magnets may affect the Canon EF-s 60mm macro lens motor but all goes well.
According to Inon the system has to focus in manual to work well as the slightest movement will knock the lens out of focus. The depth of field is paper thin. For better depth of field and sharpness the aperture has to step down to at least F13 and even down to F32 for some subjects. Given that the Canon 7D has better ISO sensitivity than the 50D this is just as well. Naturally you will also need strobes very close to the front of the lens but tilted away to avoid strobe flares.
Its like looking through a door lens !
After I had everything set up and tested Julian was right on scheduled to drop by the shop to check it out. He booked a trip to Phuket and the Similans to try it out. From his last trip Julian was pretty spell-bounded by the same “bug-eye” lens Eric Cheng used in the dives around the Eastern Fields PNG. Now he got his own “toy” and with a much better camera.
Julian is a happy chappy!
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In two days Julian posted these fabulous pictures………!!!
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Go here to see more of the fun he had with this lens: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliancohen/
I for one is well impressed with Julian’s pictures taken with the bug-eye lens. So what is next?…. Like a glutton looking for more punishment I have embarked on a new quest to find a similar lens that could work with the Canon 5D MII. That will be in another blog and until then here is a teaser….. evidently the Inon bug eye lens did not quite work with the 5D MII.
Bug eye lens, 5D MII & Canon 100mm AF Macro
