Well, we don't really stay in such a small space for that long. :-) That said, the latest night dives have been about 2.5 hours just in the shallows on a reef. So there is some movement, but we definitely go slow.
@TropicLens I try and film with my gopro rig and lights. But I always get left behind. It's kinda hard to film with divers that don't film. Find myself alone more often than not and that could be dangerous
Hi- i bought divevolk seatouch 4 with red filter and wide angle lens- but i tried everything still the image won't focus if i use the red filter and/or the wide angle lens. even after locking the focus. this is in photos and videos. by the way i use the native camera of my iphone 15 pro.
Sorry for the delay, SiLak. We took a month off to visit family and made a little side trip to Alaska. :-) With respect to your issue, I am not sure what might be causing the focus problems. I have not had any issues with either red filter I use. That said, I do have Divevolk's wide angle conversion lens and have seen problems focusing when used with the primary lens. I wrote them and they provided some clarification that it only works with the iPhone's wide angle lens (13mm for my iPhone 15 Pro Max). They also provided something to try for the 24mm lens; but I haven't tried that. Now that we are back, I will give that a try and report my results. Hope this helps.
Nice tips. I have the WFL03 for macro. But it's dificult to focus with the iOS app. Do you use another app like Filmic Pro? On the other hand, how do you manage depth changes with the float? If the sea bottom is very irregular, don't you have to continually adjust the air inside? I really like your content. You are the only one in YT who has created this type of customizations for the Divevolk.
Glad you found them useful, Adrián. With respect to apps, I, too, do not like the focus capabilities of the native iOS camera app; so I have been using the Blackmagic Cam app. Not only does it allow you to manually control the focus; but there are a ton of other nice features like Focus Assist. And its free! Regarding the float, yes I it has to be inflated going down and deflated going up, otherwise the rig gets too heavy/light, respectively. Generally, I make changes every 10 feet (3m) of depth or so. It's not for everyone; but I like it. :-) Thank you for the kind words. We'll keep making videos.
Nice video :) what is the difference between using the iPhone built in macro mode ( wide and telephoto lens) , vs using the external macro lens? I dove Apo island in the Philippines recently, iPhone macro mode seems to work very well :)
Good question Chino! Apple's macro mode automatically switches (which can also be done manually) lenses, which has two adverse impacts...at least from my perspective. First, when switching from the 24mm to the 13mm, the subject appears smaller in the frame, which means you have to get even closer just to keep the subject the same size. Second, and most importantly, the 13mm lens on my iPhone 15 Pro Max only has a 12MP sensor, which captures 25% of the information than the 48MP 24mm sensor. Using a close-up lens/diopter, I am able to us the 24mm lens which keeps the subject fairly large in the frame and I get much more detail from the larger sensor. That said, I have ordered the iPhone 16 Pro Max which now has a 48 Mp 13mm camera sensor as well. The 13mm also has a larger depth of field, so even though subjects will still appear smaller (unless I can get closer), more of the frame should be in focus. I'll post a video on that once I am able to test it out.
Great content! Have you tried any UWL lenses with Divevolk housing? Stock Divevolk UWL lens only works with 13mm and goes completely out of focus with 24mm.
@@Romeo-4 Ahhh, we have not...yet. We do have the DiveVolk Underwater Wide Angle 0.6x Conversion Lens on order and it should get here in the next week or two. (Life living on an island...orders take time.). Is that the one that gave you trouble?
@@TropicLens yep. It only works with 13mm camera and in 24mm it’s just all blur. Tested on Blackmagic camera app, native iOS app and CinemaP3. I’m just wondering if other wet wide lenses would work with main camera. Maybe something less extreme than 0.6 would do, idk
Should make for an interesting review video, then. :-) If that's the case, we will try a different one as well. If you pick one up, let us know what kind and what you think of it.
Thanks for the very informative video! I use a iPhone 14 Pro Max with Divevolk SeaTouch 4. I tried using an AOI wet lens but could not get the lens to focus on the subject at all as the iPhone kept switching among the iPhone cameras! Can you share how you overcome this challenge please? Thanks tons!
Ahhh, the ol' camera changes lenses issue. :-( Yeah, I didn't like that either. A while back, I moved over the the Blackmagic Camera app. It has a ton of features, including the ability to pick and lock the lens you want...and its free! Check it out and let us know what you think.
@@huiyongchia Great! Other Blackmagic features I use all the time are the manual focus and focus assist. If you have any other questions about it, let us know.
@@johnd513 No secret there...we bought two. 🙂 It actually wasn't that bad for our purposes because we wanted both their red filter and their +8 macro lens, so we just got two lens "kits", one with each.
It is a frequent question, so we made a video about it. Check out th-cam.com/video/bBiSH0C4PbA/w-d-xo.html for all the details on specifications and a couple of places to get one made. Please let us know how you like it if you get/make one. :-)
I've tried to use the 1x zoom with the +15 Macro Lens, and the issue is it captures the inner edges of the lens. There is a whole ring on the picture. Only way to avoid this is using the 2x zoom on the IPhone11. Any thoughts on this?
I have the same issue when using the 13mm lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It's so wide, it captures the entire lens holder frame and I get a lot of distortion around the edges as well. My solution sounds like your solution as well...increase the magnification or change lenses to something a bit less wide. It works quite well with the 24mm lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Sorry I don't have anything more elegant than that...but it works. :-)
Hi @kjzimmer1 - I have a Nikon D850 DSLR camera with 60mm, 105mm and 16-35mm lenses. I am very excited as I will be picking up a new Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera on our next trip back to the US. I also have an Olympus TG-6 that I am trying to love. :-)
@@TropicLens thank you! I thought you had a TG-6 and was curious if that was what captured the Shaun the Sheep nudi photo in the video. I just destroyed my old sealife dc2000 so am trying to decide whether to invest in a housing for my fujifilm mirrorless X-T200 camera or buy a TG-6 to replace the sealife camera. We spent last summer in Bonaire and are in Curacao this summer and your shore diving videos are so helpful. We watch them almost every night to prepare for the next days’s dives.
These are great tips again, despite everything, once again great images 😎
Thank you! Glad they are helpful...and the lens does all the work! :-)
Seems like a great start into the macro world!
Indeed! We just need one square meter to dive because there is so much to see in one spot! :-)
@TropicLens I'm not sure how you stay still for that long
Well, we don't really stay in such a small space for that long. :-) That said, the latest night dives have been about 2.5 hours just in the shallows on a reef. So there is some movement, but we definitely go slow.
@TropicLens I try and film with my gopro rig and lights. But I always get left behind. It's kinda hard to film with divers that don't film. Find myself alone more often than not and that could be dangerous
very cool! thank you for all the work!!
Glad you liked it. :-)
Hi- i bought divevolk seatouch 4 with red filter and wide angle lens- but i tried everything still the image won't focus if i use the red filter and/or the wide angle lens. even after locking the focus. this is in photos and videos. by the way i use the native camera of my iphone 15 pro.
Sorry for the delay, SiLak. We took a month off to visit family and made a little side trip to Alaska. :-) With respect to your issue, I am not sure what might be causing the focus problems. I have not had any issues with either red filter I use. That said, I do have Divevolk's wide angle conversion lens and have seen problems focusing when used with the primary lens. I wrote them and they provided some clarification that it only works with the iPhone's wide angle lens (13mm for my iPhone 15 Pro Max). They also provided something to try for the 24mm lens; but I haven't tried that. Now that we are back, I will give that a try and report my results. Hope this helps.
Nice tips. I have the WFL03 for macro. But it's dificult to focus with the iOS app. Do you use another app like Filmic Pro? On the other hand, how do you manage depth changes with the float? If the sea bottom is very irregular, don't you have to continually adjust the air inside? I really like your content. You are the only one in YT who has created this type of customizations for the Divevolk.
Glad you found them useful, Adrián. With respect to apps, I, too, do not like the focus capabilities of the native iOS camera app; so I have been using the Blackmagic Cam app. Not only does it allow you to manually control the focus; but there are a ton of other nice features like Focus Assist. And its free!
Regarding the float, yes I it has to be inflated going down and deflated going up, otherwise the rig gets too heavy/light, respectively. Generally, I make changes every 10 feet (3m) of depth or so. It's not for everyone; but I like it. :-)
Thank you for the kind words. We'll keep making videos.
Nice video :) what is the difference between using the iPhone built in macro mode ( wide and telephoto lens) , vs using the external macro lens? I dove Apo island in the Philippines recently, iPhone macro mode seems to work very well :)
Good question Chino! Apple's macro mode automatically switches (which can also be done manually) lenses, which has two adverse impacts...at least from my perspective. First, when switching from the 24mm to the 13mm, the subject appears smaller in the frame, which means you have to get even closer just to keep the subject the same size. Second, and most importantly, the 13mm lens on my iPhone 15 Pro Max only has a 12MP sensor, which captures 25% of the information than the 48MP 24mm sensor. Using a close-up lens/diopter, I am able to us the 24mm lens which keeps the subject fairly large in the frame and I get much more detail from the larger sensor.
That said, I have ordered the iPhone 16 Pro Max which now has a 48 Mp 13mm camera sensor as well. The 13mm also has a larger depth of field, so even though subjects will still appear smaller (unless I can get closer), more of the frame should be in focus. I'll post a video on that once I am able to test it out.
Great content! Have you tried any UWL lenses with Divevolk housing? Stock Divevolk UWL lens only works with 13mm and goes completely out of focus with 24mm.
Sorry for the confusion on our part; but what do you mean by "stock Divevolk UWL lens"? Just want to make sure we're answering the right question. :-)
@@TropicLens Hi! I meant any AOI or INON ultrawide lens in place of Divevolk ultrawide lens :)
@@Romeo-4 Ahhh, we have not...yet. We do have the DiveVolk Underwater Wide Angle 0.6x Conversion Lens on order and it should get here in the next week or two. (Life living on an island...orders take time.). Is that the one that gave you trouble?
@@TropicLens yep. It only works with 13mm camera and in 24mm it’s just all blur. Tested on Blackmagic camera app, native iOS app and CinemaP3.
I’m just wondering if other wet wide lenses would work with main camera. Maybe something less extreme than 0.6 would do, idk
Should make for an interesting review video, then. :-) If that's the case, we will try a different one as well. If you pick one up, let us know what kind and what you think of it.
Thanks for the very informative video! I use a iPhone 14 Pro Max with Divevolk SeaTouch 4. I tried using an AOI wet lens but could not get the lens to focus on the subject at all as the iPhone kept switching among the iPhone cameras! Can you share how you overcome this challenge please? Thanks tons!
Ahhh, the ol' camera changes lenses issue. :-( Yeah, I didn't like that either. A while back, I moved over the the Blackmagic Camera app. It has a ton of features, including the ability to pick and lock the lens you want...and its free! Check it out and let us know what you think.
Love your videos. Hpw did you get 2 filter arms on the Dive Volk housing? My kit only came with one.
@@TropicLens Thanks very much for the advice! I will download the Blackmagic Camera app ASAP! :)
@@huiyongchia Great! Other Blackmagic features I use all the time are the manual focus and focus assist. If you have any other questions about it, let us know.
@@johnd513 No secret there...we bought two. 🙂 It actually wasn't that bad for our purposes because we wanted both their red filter and their +8 macro lens, so we just got two lens "kits", one with each.
I have a question: where can I buy the small buoyancy bag that you have installed with the Divevolk?
It is a frequent question, so we made a video about it. Check out th-cam.com/video/bBiSH0C4PbA/w-d-xo.html for all the details on specifications and a couple of places to get one made. Please let us know how you like it if you get/make one. :-)
I've tried to use the 1x zoom with the +15 Macro Lens, and the issue is it captures the inner edges of the lens. There is a whole ring on the picture. Only way to avoid this is using the 2x zoom on the IPhone11. Any thoughts on this?
I have the same issue when using the 13mm lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It's so wide, it captures the entire lens holder frame and I get a lot of distortion around the edges as well. My solution sounds like your solution as well...increase the magnification or change lenses to something a bit less wide. It works quite well with the 24mm lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Sorry I don't have anything more elegant than that...but it works. :-)
What is Leslie shooting with?
Hi @kjzimmer1 - I have a Nikon D850 DSLR camera with 60mm, 105mm and 16-35mm lenses. I am very excited as I will be picking up a new Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera on our next trip back to the US. I also have an Olympus TG-6 that I am trying to love. :-)
@@TropicLens thank you! I thought you had a TG-6 and was curious if that was what captured the Shaun the Sheep nudi photo in the video. I just destroyed my old sealife dc2000 so am trying to decide whether to invest in a housing for my fujifilm mirrorless X-T200 camera or buy a TG-6 to replace the sealife camera. We spent last summer in Bonaire and are in Curacao this summer and your shore diving videos are so helpful. We watch them almost every night to prepare for the next days’s dives.