Best Nikon full frame lenses for underwater photography and video. This covers cameras such as D850, D810, D4 and D5. We have broken it down into 3 categories - wide angle, macro and all-around medium focal lengths. This will aid you in choosing the best lenses for your preferred shooting.
WIDE ANGLE:
Nikon 8-15mm FX AF-S F3.5-4.5E ED Zoom Fisheye Lens
*Lightweight, Great Image Quality, Super Wide Field of View*
The Nikon 8-15mm Fisheye Lens produces great corner-to-corner image quality. Unlike most zooms, it provides two very different views — and only two — one at each end of the focal length scale. At both the 8mm and 15mm zoom positions, it provides a 180° field of view. However, at the 15mm position, the image fills the frame from corner to corner in a rectangular format. At the 8mm position, it provides a very different view, with circular borders that resemble the view through a porthole. Even if you don't plan to use the unusual perspective of the 8mm position, this is the best choice for fisheye on full-frame Nikon.
Read our Nikon 8-15mm Fisheye Lens Review
Tokina 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye Lens
*Ultra Wide Field of View, Workhorse Lens*
The Tokina Fisheye 10-17mm DX Lens was designed to provide a 180° diagonal angle of view at a focal length of 10mm when used on crop sensor DSLRs — but it can also give great results on full-frame. However, on this format, usable zoom range is limited to 15-17mm. At 15mm the field of view is 180°; at 17mm it is slightly tighter.
Nikon 16-35mm AF-S F4 Lens
*Great All Around Lens, Tack-Sharp Results*
The Nikon 16-35mm F4 VR lens is a versitile lens which produces produces tack-sharp results. The contrast and focus speed are also exceptional. This rectilinear zoom provides a much narrower field of view than a fisheye (63°-107°). This is ideal for subjects such as individual medium/large animals like dolphins, sharks, turtles, big reef fish, etc. It can also work well for reef scenics, but not as well as a fisheye.
Important note: All such rectilinear lenses, when used behind a dome port, have a tendency toward soft corners. The larger the sensor, the more apparent this is. Solutions include: shooting at small aperture openings, using a large-diameter port, and/or use of an internal correction lens. For any questions about this, please contact Bluewater Photo.
Read our Nikon 16-35mm F4 Lens Review
MACRO:
Nikon 105mm VR Macro Lens
*Great for Macro and Supermacro, Sharp*
The Nikon 105mm VR Macro Lens is a great go-to lens for capturing small fish or skittish subjects, isolating the subject, blurring the background, or shooting supermacro with a wet diopter. The lens is very sharp, with excellent color rendition and contrast at all apertures, from center to the corners. The lens requires a strong focus light.