Open up new views with this versatile lens system.

By Carl Mrozek

What nature-loving photographer hasn’t wanted to dip his camera beneath the surface of the pond at the center of a landscape portrait for some cutaway shots underwater of ducks, gulls, beaver or other critters? Personally, I’ve had to fight the urge to do exactly this without fussing with camera housings or scuba gear. Also, with shallow waters — like creeks, marshes, ditches and tidal pools —scuba-type gear isn’t even an option. Practically the only way to shoot underwater is to immerse the camera or its lens. There are plenty of other nearly inaccessible places where a long “probe-style” lens could come in handy—from rabbit holes to tight corners, and even situations that demand a periscope.

One lens company, Innovision Optics, has made it their mission to address these critical, yet niche, applications with a series of probe-type lenses. I had an opportunity to test their DV Probe, which is essentially a series of lenses at the end of a long tube, and which is also designed to be immersed in water.

The DV Probe kit includes several lenses: three standalone primes, plus a wide angle adaptor. The latter transforms the 3mm coverage into an ultra wide (nearly 2mm) lens. The primes include 12.5mm, 8mm and 3mm add-ons which screw onto one of two “relay modules.” One of these is straight and the other has a 45-degree bend. This latter unit facilitates both low and high angle shots, and makes it feasible to get an assortment of shots in tight corners and holes, as well as underwater. All such tasks as would be difficult or impossible with the straight module only.

The system includes a lens support bracket which attaches to the base of the camera to support the more than 16" lens barrel of the Probe. A lens clamp slips into a permanently attached post which slides back and forth along the length of the rail and provides a key point of support for the four pound lens. A comfortable handle is also permanently attached to the bracket and can be used on either side of it. It can be locked at any angle within a 270-degree arc by turning the handle clockwise.

The barrel of the DV Probe is widest at the base, and it tapers markedly at the front end where a relay module and the lenses attach. It’s broad bayonet mount further helps ensure solid attachment. In this sense, it’s the opposite of most interchangeable lenses that taper towards the mount and are broadest at the outer objective.

All of the prime lenses have precision-milled threaded mounts which readily screw onto either relay module. They are exceptionally tight with a solid feel, as they are designed to be completely submersible when attached to DV Probe. They also have no moving parts for adjusting aperture or focus. The latter is adjustable via a thick grooved ring at the base of DV Probe’s lens barrel, while aperture is adjusted via the camera’s  exposure controls.

DV Probe is designed for use with a variety of HDV and DV cameras including Canon’s XLH1, XH-A1 types, Sony’s HVR-Z1U, and HDR-FX1 models, as well as the Panasonic HVX200/A, and others. It uses relay optics to augment the camcorder’s own zoom lens, which it attaches to. High-resolution glass elements provide HD sharpness and the depth of field required for extreme close-up shooting. According to Innovision, the DV Probe is capable of “detailing the hairs on a spider’s back.”

The choice of a straight or 45-degree relay module enables shooting from an ultra-low or ultra-high angle, and everything in between. It’s designed for both product and nature applications and has added dramatic effects to a wide range of TV shows.

Attaching the lens barrel of a DV Probe to Canon’s XH-A1 camcorder was a fairly straightforward and fast process, as it came with the Canon adapter already attached.  Just like other bayonet mount lenses, it’s largely a matter of load and lock, although there is one exception. Because it’s best to use the Probe with its support bracket, it should be noted that it’s easier to attach it after the lens barrel is mounted, rather than before. By doing that, you can place the fully opened lower half of the lens clamp beneath it — cradling the barrel — before you fasten the support bracket to the camcorder. The lens support bracket can be attached first, but that makes mounting the lens onto the camcorder much more difficult, as there’s a slight misalignment.

Preparing the Probe for use also involves a couple more steps. You have to attach a relay module to the lens barrel, then choose and mount a lens to it.

I initially selected the 45-degree module, as I wanted to see what kinds of unusual camera angles it could help me achieve. Completing this process was a bit trickier, as it entails doing something counter-intuitive in terms of working with optics and other semi-delicate pro equipment — using extra force when something doesn’t simply pop into place. Until I discovered that I had to push the module firmly in order to seat and seal its O-ring properly on the end of the lens barrel, I wasn’t able to finish the job and mate its threads with those of the locking ring.

The tech support folks were consulted and I learned that mounting the 45-degree module was really fast and easy. (In contrast, the 3mm lens threaded quickly and easily onto the module.)

With the 3mm lens I was able to get expansive shots of clusters of flowers that gave an almost 3D feeling of being inside them, as opposed to just being alongside of them. The honeybees hovering around the blossoms seemed to be right in my face. I panned many patches of daisies and other flowers and foliage, pushing the lens ever closer as I discovered how near to the subject I could be without losing focus.

I quickly learned to simulate the sort of tracking shots ordinarily done with a short jib arm, by pushing the 3mm. lens right into the flowers. This effect became even more pronounced when I added the wide angle attachment resulting in an even wider field of view.

The increasingly close focus, along with the enhanced depth of field, made possible even more dramatic 3D-like tilt and pan shots. I was able to actually brush petals and leaves with the lens while they stayed in focus. This opened a door to a bold new way to explore and highlight micro-landscapes. It also opened up avenues to bolder tracking shots, such as tracking my dog’s paws while she was walking.

In all cases the lenses provided the broad angle of view and depth of field, while the elongated design of the Probe, plus the 45-degree angle of the relay, provided a multitude of novel interesting angles for tracking shots, as well as for tilts and pans. The 8mm. and 12.5mm. lenses gave a similar range of novel angles, as well as animated camera moves, but with less range in terms of depth of field.

I chiefly used the 45-degree module when using the Probe underwater. This made it much easier to change the angle of view, which was already constrained by the contour of the bottom.

One of my first subjects was a frog resting about a foot below the surface. I was able to nudge the lens (both 12.5mm and 3mm) to within less than 2' of the frog. I could actually adjust the focal length slightly with the camera’s zoom as well, but I lost light and depth of field quickly, especially when I tried the 12.5mm unit.

Perhaps the biggest challenge in shooting underwater with DV Probe was in finding a suitable location for setting up my tripod, and yet having sufficient “drop-off” to fully immerse the lens and the 45-degree attachment. This was especially true when I attempted to shoot fish and other subjects more than several feet away and on the same basic plane. Also the lens had to be sufficiently immersed so that there was extra room to adjust the shooting angle without breaking the surface. 

The 8mm unit proved to be a good compromise between adequate focal length for a tight enough shot of small fish, and still providing adequate framing of medium shots with several or more fish. Overall I was impressed by the sharpness and clarity of fish, plants, rocks and other objects underwater with the Probe, and with the sheer ability to have a clear window on this world beneath the waves from the relative dryness of the shore line.

With the 3mm unit and wide-angle attachment used together, I was able to capture the experience of being immersed in the river, as fish and flotsam floated by, and everything staying in sharp focus.

After my last day of testing underwater I did notice fogging and actual droplets in the 3mm lens after pulling it out of my transport bag. Upon removing the unit’s outer lens shield, I shook out a few drops of water then placed it on a radiator to dry. After a day it was nearly dried out, but not quite sufficiently to use again. I suspect that in my haste to try various combinations of lenses in the fading daylight I immersed the Probe without fully battening all the hatches. Of course, this is a big no-no with submersible lenses and submarines.

Innovision Optics DV Probe Lens

SCORE: 

PROS: Extremely versatile, opens up unique possibilities for unusual angles, great depth of field.

CONS: Not completely waterproof, expensive.

BOTTOM LINE: Essential to any DV/HDV videographer who really needs this degree of versatility.

MSRP: $9,000 (basic package)

CONTACT: www.innovision-optics.com