Arne Kuilman

Great shot and atmosphere!

I have nicknamed this lens 'the beast'. It is huge and heavy, but it's results are amazing. Great image quality and outstanding bokeh. A great lens for the smallest of critters and great closeups. You will need a special port for the 105 VR since it's so fat. Underwater it takes a little getting used to compared to a 60mm macro, but once again the efforts and sharp results are worth it. In water with low visibility (less than 4 metres or 12 feet) this lens can hunt ,because it can't focus. I recommend a modelling light to aid this lens in focusing. Nonetheless a great performer and very well built. Delivers all you expect from it and a favorite amongst many photographers I know.

I use this lens with the 8 inch domeport from Ikelite and the results are great. What I most like about it are it's compact size and weight. It easily fits somewhere with the rest of my gear. My only regret is when you compare it to a 10 or 10.5mm lens there is a notable difference. The 10mm and 10.5mm will get you even closer to wideangle subjects. Perhaps not always a good thing for marinelife, but a better choice for wideangle coral and reef formations and/or wrecks. The Sigma 15mm is a great performer and nice and sharp, but looking back I prefer an even wider lens.

This is by far my most used lens. Tacksharp and reliable. The lens extends compared to it's successor so something to look out for when adding teleconverters (TC's) and diopters. I've added various TC's and diopters to this lens and that's what I love about it. It keep performing delivering solid sharp images whatever you screw onto it. The lens is built like an iron tank and quite heavy. Slower in AF I can imagine than more modern lenses, but it hardly ever hunts. It just hits the sharp spot time after time. My lens has survived a makeshift glueing and sand from Morocco, but I still use it weekly after those ordeals after some 3 years of diving. In temperate waters with limited visibility this is the lens of choice, because I need to get to close to my subjects anyhow. Focusing distance is around 8cm or 2,5 inches delivering huge rhinopores of nudibranch for instance. The 60mm feels like a trusted friend. I simply love it. The best lens in my arsenal and easy to work with.

The classic high performance strobe from Ikelite, that has been succeeded by the DS-160. I have used the DS-125 in both cold and tropical waters and it has never let me down. The dials can be a little finicky with gloves on. The seal with the twist and turn mechanism with a single O-ring has always worked for me and is realiable. Performancewise I have not outpaced the flash. Granted I haven't photographed many sharks, but I am aware of other U/W photographers who shoot lots of sharks with the DS-125. The addition of a modelling light has been helpful to me as I've used the modelling light as a backup light during dives in murky water. The modelling light otherwise is not terribly helpful for aiming the strobe, but this issue has been improved on the DS-160 with a stronger modelling light. Designwise the round shape is easily stowed in my diveluggage irrespective of what I have chosen to transport my cameragear. The included charger can be fitted with various internation power prongs and has worked like a charm for me in Palau, Japan and Hong Kong, where they use different voltages and prongs for electricity. The DS-125 is a solid performer and one of my favorite pieces of U/W cameragear. Simple, sturdy and reliable. All I ever look for in my equipment.