SeaLife, the leading maker of underwater imaging gear, has introduced a new Wide Angle Dome Lens for their popular SportDiver underwater smartphone housing that increases the phone’s camera lens field-of view by 43% and allows photographers to get closer to the subject while fitting everything into the image frame.
The new dome lens mounts directly to the SportDiver housing’s lens port without any lens adapter. The 0.65x dome lens requires no skill, training, or adjustment; simply mount it and shoot. Split shots that split the topside view with the undersea view are especially easy. There’s a safety lanyard included to keep the lens with the housing should it get bumped off.
The 6” Wide Angle Dome Lens design uses high-grade acrylic optics arranged in a 2-element/2- group array that delivers crisp edge-to-edge sharpness. “This is a very versatile lens that significantly improves the phone lens’ performance and allows for some creative underwater images and video” says Bjorn Harms, SeaLife’s Vice President of Product Development.
The lens has a 15.6mm film-equivalent effective focal length when used, for example, with the SeaLife SportDiver and the iPhone 15 Pro’s 24mm “Ultrawide” camera lens. The lens is waterproof to 130ft/40m and is positively buoyant. The new 6”/15cm Dome Lens fits all SeaLife SportDiver housings.
The lens includes a rotatable sunshade built around the optics to help control stray sunlight. The new lens is a “wet lens” and easily attaches and removes underwater, the inner lens chambers are air-filled, and the lens is therefore buoyant. A lanyard is included and prevents the lens from accidentally detaching when bumped or in rougher water conditions. The 6”/15cm Dome Lens weighs 17.4 ounces (493 grams).
The 6”/15cm Dome Lens will be available in January 2024.
