Best Nikon Full Frame Lenses for Underwater
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.
