News
S.U.P.E.R. Part 18: Saga Dive Magic Ball Lens
In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Scubaverse.com’s underwater photography editors Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the eighteenth instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the Magic Ball Lens from Saga Dive.
Want to add a bit of fun to your underwater photography? The Saga Dive Magic Ball lens allows you to create novel & artistic images in any underwater environment. The lens has a bubble at the front, locked in an airtight compartment, a zoom to allow focus, and a 67mm thread at the other end. It is designed to be used with a 60mm lens on an SLR housing. When attached, it creates images that have an in-focus wide angle bubble, with an inverted bokeh’d macro surrounding area. Whilst hard to describe – just looking at images created using this lens will give you the idea.
Saga Dive are known for their quality products and we were impressed with a number of their products when we visited their stand at DEMA.
This Magic Ball lens is no exception. We have now taken it to Fiji, Egypt, Capernwray and a pool, and it is robust, easy to use and a great deal of fun. If you feel like trying something a little different, then this is something we recommend trying out. Whilst we used it on Caroline’s D7100 SLR with 60mm lens, it can be used with diopters, and with compact cameras too. With Nick’s full frame SLR camera, the lens gave more of a polo-mint shape, which we also liked.
The lens is incredibly easy to use, just screw it on and shoot. We found shooting from the hip the best option with this lens, or using live view, as using the viewfinder on an inverted image can be a little disorientating. It can bring a photography dive to life. On one dive in Fiji, having put on a macro lens, we found huge beautiful sea fans all over the dive, so we screwed on this lens and had a blast.
This lens might not be something that you would use every day, but it is a lovely thing to have in your camera bag to add a little creativity and run to your portfolio.
For more information on Saga Dive products visit sagadive.com
Here’s an exclusive Scubaverse interview with Saga Dive at DEMA 2016:
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Stahlsac dive bags and travel luggage are built for our community of divers, surfers, kayakers and outdoor explorers who need bags that are constructed with durability, toughness, and 
the highest quality the industry has ever seen. We were founded by one man determined to build better watersports and dive bags, and today, that mission is carried on by many. Adventure doesn’t just present itself; it requires discovery. When we design dive bags, we make sure they are tough enough for you to explore in all conditions—warm and cold, wet and dry—to the nearest and farthest reaches of the earth. And for those times you want to push the boundaries of adventure, Stahlsac dive bags make sure you can truly GO ANYWHERE.
Abyss Duffels
Made to be your partner-in-crime on every adventure, Stahlsac’s Abyss Duffels protects your gear from Mother Nature’s worst. Tough and 100% waterproof with double-TPU nylon material that shrugs off daily wear-and-tear, and RF-welded seams further boost the bag’s potential for lifelong exploring. Get Wet. Get Lost. Go Anywhere with Abyss.
- A weatherproof duffel for trips, travel, and adventure
- Ultra-durable double-TPU nylon protects your gear
- Material repels water and keeps your equipment dry
- RF-welded seams are flush, tough, and waterproof
- Removable straps transform duffel into backpack
- Zippered internal stow compartments carry essentials
- External zippered flap is easy to open and close
- Welded external handles make transporting a breeze
Panama Mesh Backpack
The most copied design in scuba diving, the Stahlsac Panama Mesh Backpack is the “original” design and features two high-density foam padded shoulder straps, extra durable polyester mesh, duffel bag handles and our unique zippered dry pocket inside that combines with a wet pocket outside. The bottom’s built from reinforced 18-gauge PVC nylon to combat the wear and tear of your active coastal lifestyle, and, as a bonus in every bag, we supply a 12″ x 12″ mesh drawstring satchel for extra stowing utility. Pack up your beach kit and go.
- Density foam padded shoulder straps
- Outside wet/dry pockets
- 2 Carry handles
- Tough, snag-resistant polyester mesh
- Reinforced PVC bottom
For more information about Stahlsac bags, visit www.stahlsac.com/dive-bags.
Sea & Sea is the home of Stahlsac and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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