Field Review: FIT Close Up Lenses. By Alex Mustard

Supermacro images are will give me the magnification while commonly defined as pictures shot minimising the drawbacks of any at magnifications of greater than 1:1 single accessory. Typically, I favour (Left) The FIT +5 dioptre: achromatic, dual element and 67mm threaded. (real life versus actual size on your adding a teleconverter behind my SLR (Right) The achromatic, dual element FIT +8 dioptre, is smaller but comes with sensor). Since most of the popular lens and dioptre to the front of it. a step up ring to 67mm. There was not cut off from the filter with my 105mm lens macro lenses will take us down to This article is a review of the when used singly or stacked with the +5. 1:1, we need an accessory to become newly released FIT dual element, super. There are many, many methods achromatic dioptre lenses, sold in for achieving supermacro, indeed (out of the water) strengths of +5 and I have often joked that I want to +8. External dioptres have always write an instructional underwater been popular underwater because photography book called “101 Ways they can be added and removed To Supermacro”, with a century and underwater. While many value this one photos each taken with a different feature – it has never been that kit configurations. important for me because I believe In simple terms there are that the best underwater images tend 5 types of accessories that we to be taken when dives are dedicated regularly use to transform our macro in the pursuit of a particular type of lenses to super-status underwater: images. Swapping regularly between teleconverters, extension tubes, accessories can be a distraction. A internal dioptres (used inside single photographic goal allows us to housing), external dioptres (used optimise our gear and focus the mind outside housing) and reversed lenses. on the shot. It is fair to say that each method has With any dioptre there are it’s positives and negatives. So when I typically three things we are interested want to go really small I have tended in: magnification power, sharpness The dioptres provide a good route into supermacro (these rough head blennies are to combine two or more technologies, (centre to edge of frame) and optical much smaller than people think). Nikon D7000 + 105mm VR + 1.4x Kenko Pro rather than rely on a single accessory aberrations (particularly in the teleconverter + stacked FIT +5 and +8 dioptres. Nauticam housing, 2x Inon Z240 to do all my super work for me. I corners). I believe that all of these are strobes on TTL. 1/320th @ f/29. have always felt that this approach much better assessed on real world

Issue 59/28 www.uwpmag.com The sharpness is impressive, even away from the centre of the frame. This eye stalk of a Pederson cleaner shrimp was towards the edge of the frame, but detail is still recorded sharply. Nikon D7000 + 105mm VR + 1.4x Kenko Pro teleconverter + stacked FIT +5 and +8 dioptres. Nauticam housing, 2x Inon Z240 strobes on TTL. 1/320th @ f/29.

subjects underwater than on important benefit, because as Saga) now producing dry tests, especially because lighting macro photographs attachments that allow 67mm some external dioptres loose at close working distances filters to be attached to much of their power when benefits from having the other manufacturer’s ports. immersed. strobes tight in to the lens. I hope this becomes a more Before we get onto Some macro ports are much widely adopted standard on the findings, I should state wider than the lenses they underwater housings. that I performed these tests house, which can impose a The two FIT dioptres with the new Nikon D7000 frustrating restriction on how I tested are achromatic in a Nauticam housing. I close we can position our and dual element. These have reviewed a couple of strobes. Second, Nauticam features typically improve Nauticam systems and on have thoughtfully ended edge sharpness and reduce both occasions forgotten their macro ports with a chromatic aberrations. to praise their macro ports, 67mm screw filter, ideal for In both respects the FIT A comparison of magnification achievable, all images taken with which I think are amongst adding accessory lenses, dioptres performed very well. Nikon D7000 + 105mm VR + 1.7x Nikon AFS teleconverter, all the best around. First, they like the SubSea range, Inon They produced impressive at minimum focus. A & B are at the same magnification. A shows are tapered, so that they are lenses and the FIT dioptres. sharpness wherever I focused part of my fingernail to provide a scale for the other shots. C is little wider than the lens at There are an increasing in the frame and details with the addition of the FIT +5 dioptre and D is with the addition their business end. This is an number of companies (such towards the corners were of the stacked +5 and +8 dioptres. www.uwpmag.com Issue 59/29 best to search out real images to 200 USD) is comparable to most judge the strength of a dioptre, rather other options, (e.g. SubSea, Inon) than simply relying on the quoted and is considerably cheaper than power. For this reason, the images in the Macromate ($600 USD). Image this article were taken with the FIT quality is impressive, with excellent dioptres mounted outside the housing, sharpness both in the centre of and all are shown uncropped so you the frame and towards the edges. can judge from the shots whether Chromatic aberration is also well this is the level of magnification you controlled. They can be used singly, require. or stacked together. If used outside the In my estimation the FIT housing, they should be considered dioptres only have about half their medium strength dioptres, but if we quoted strength when used outside choose to mount them inside the the housing, rather than inside. This housing the same dioptre will give still offers considerable power for more magnification. Having two SLR supermacro, especially when power options from the same dioptre used in conjunction with a lower (inside or outside the housing) is powered (1.4-1.7x) teleconverter. a useful feature for the travelling Overall image quality is very pleasing, with detail recorded crisply and out of focus Personally, I was happy with the level photographer. areas producing a smooth bokeh. Detail in corners shows no sign of fringing. of magnification I was achieving with Nikon D7000 + 105mm VR + 1.7x Nikon AFS teleconverter & +5 FIT dioptres. the 1.7x TC, 105mm and the two FIT Alex Mustard dioptres stacked together. It would Nauticam housing, 2x Inon Z240 strobes on TTL. 1/250th @ f/22. www.amustard.com be very rare I would want more, because the depth of field would be so thin as to be almost unworkable FIT Close Up lenses are available from also pleasingly free from the colour up and not all dioptres behave the with any interesting (moving) subject. www.uwvisions.com fringing that some dioptres suffer same when immersed in water. Ultimately, supermacro is about badly from. This was true when they Many dioptres have a curved front shooting memorable images, not were used singly or stacked together. element that acts as a negative lens chasing ever more magnification. They also produce a relatively flat underwater, just as a dome port However, photographers looking for plane of focus, so that subjects which does. This negative lens effect will even more magnification should look were parallel to the sensor were significantly reduce the positive consider a stronger dioptre like the recorded in focus across the whole magnification power of a dioptre SubSea +10. frame. underwater. This also means that if we In summary the FIT dioptres Dioptre strength is always a mount the dioptre inside out housing are well-made and easy to fit to tricky one because not all quote the we will get more power than if we ports or holders with 67mm threads. values or the values are rounded use it outside. Therefore, it is always Their price (in the order of $150- Issue 59/30 www.uwpmag.com