Peter Rowlands, editor of UWPMag.com, put one of the final prototypes through its paces in Southern California. The video he has shared is stunning! Images from Panasonic GX7 and 14-42mm Power Zoom.

"Overall I am delighted with the optical performance of the lens. The corners are much sharper that what I have been used to and whilst I have no intention of conducting a bench test comparison I feel that the WWL-1 provides better overall resolution across the frame. The impression is of a much cleaner image throughout with far better close focusing ability. As a result I would not like to return to my old lens! "

Nauticam WWL-1 Wet Wide Lens 130° Wetmate lens

The WWL-1 is the highest quality wet changeable underwater wide angle conversion ever made, featuring unmatched contrast, overall sharpness, corner sharpness, and clarity. The design is truly full zoom through, allowing zoom to to be used as a tool for framing, and removable in water for close-up and macro shots.

Breakthrough Lens Design

Every Nauticam lens is a clean slate design. These optical systems are engineered entirely as underwater corrective and conversion optics, and not adaptations of in air designs. The process isnt an easy one, but the images captured by WWL-1 and previous Nauticam optical designs prove the effort is well spent.

Uncompromised Optical Quality

WWL-1 is constructed of 6 precisely ground elements of highly refractive optical glass. All internal elements are coated with a broadband anti reflective coating to keep flare and internal reflections to an absolute minimum.

Zoom to Frame

WWL-1 is a full zoom through lens, performing well through the entire zoom range of popular compacts and Micro Four Thirds systems with power zoom lenses. This feature distinguishes this lens from all others on the market, which is designed to be used at a single focal length. The ability to be used with zoom makes WWL-1 extremely versatile! A touch of zoom can be used to crop a subject in camera, or for close-up shots without removing the lens

Stunning Field of View

130 degrees of glorious wide-angle coverage, and even a bit wider if your camera system allows it! This is a field of view that sits between the popular full-frame fisheye lenses (180 degrees diagonal) and ultra wide rectilinear zooms (approximately 110 degrees). This coverage angle was targeted from the very beginning as an ideal coverage angle for a wide variety of underwater imaging scenarios. Big animals, close focus wide-angle shots of reef-dwelling creatures, and even mid-range fish portraits are all within the range of WWL-1.

Incredible Sharpness & Contrast

The cutting-edge optical design employed in WWL-1 results in extremely high overall sharpness, contrast, and edge sharpness. The design is optimized for the high-resolution sensors of today, as well as the even higher resolutions sensors of tomorrow.

Close Focus

The ability to focus close is key, and WWL-1 does amazingly well. With all compatible systems at wide angle, the lens is able to focus on the front of its dome lens element, maximizing the impact of even small subjects. Amazingly, with the Panasonic 14-42 Power Zoom, the lens is still able to focus on the front of the dome port when zoomed to full telephoto! The best macro images will always be obtained by removing WWL-1 and mounting a macro converter (such as CMC or SMC), but in a situation where that is difficult close-up shots can still be obtained without removing the wide angle conversion lens.

Compatibility

Wet lenses have traditionally been an accessory geared toward compact cameras, but Nauticam set out from the very beginning to support a wider range of systems, with larger sensor sizes.

Most impressive is the outstanding performance available with the full frame Sony A7 series cameras using the Sony 28mm /2 Prime lens. In our tests, this combo out-performed all of the Sony wide angle lenses behind dome ports and is especially well matched to the demanding 42-megapixel sensor in Sony A7R II.

Micro four-thirds systems used with power zoom lenses are another compelling combination. 130 Degrees on the wide end, with a 3x Zoom Range, and close focus on the front of the dome. This combination is wider, sharper, and has less distortion than the Panasonic 7-14 F/4 and Olympus 7-14 F/2.8 lenses behind a dome port. Twist off the lens, and snap on a CMC for high-powered macro photography, capturing an image area 22mm (just under 1") wide!

Easy Bayonet Mounting

A new bayonet mounting system has been designed to accompany the WWL-1 release, and maximize ease of use. Lenses snap into place and are securely locked. A red locking tab releases the lens for removal, and lens holders provide storage for lenses on a strobe arm when not in use.

The bayonet mount system has been designed to incorporate vents that quickly flood the space between lens and camera, washing away air bubbles.

Both 67mm and Bayonet mounting rings are included with the lens as standard equipment, and Bayonet Mount Converters are available separately (providing the attachment point on a housing or port).

Details and Specifications

• Specifications
  • Model Number - 83201
  • Name - WWL-1 "Wet Wide Lens"
  • Dimensions - 130mm Outer Diameter x 97mm
  • Weight (air/underwater) - 1.24 kg / .62 kg
  • Body Construction - Hard Anodized Aluminum Alloy
  • Lens Construction - 6 elements in 5 groups
  • Lens Coating - Anti Reflective Coating
  • Minimum Object Distance Front Lens Element to Infinite
  • Field of View (diagonal) - 130_ (with 28mm primary lens)
  • Mount System - M67 Thread or NA Bayonet
  • Depth Rating - 100m
• Included with Lens
  • Carrying Case
  • Neoprene Cover - 25024
  • Rear Lens Cap for WWL-1 - 83221
  • M67 Mounting Ring - 83211
  • Bayonet Mounting Ring - 83212
• Optional Accessories
  • M67 to Bayonet Mount Converter - 83213
  • Bayonet Mount Adaptor Ring for SMC / CMC - 83214
  • M77 to Bayonet Mount Converter - 83215
  • Bayonet Mount Lens Holder for Arms - 83222
  • Bayonet Mount Double Lens Holder for Arms - 8322

The full range of compatible systems is listed below.