POWER ZOOM Your Sony PZ Lens Underwater [VIDEO]

Streamline your underwater housing by ditching the zoom gear. Logan shows you how to set up the rear directional buttons to zoom in and out on your Sony camera with compatible PZ lenses. Watch the video below or scroll down to learn more.

If you're shooting with a Sony underwater, chances are you've come across either the full frame 16-35 PZ or the APS-C 10-20mm PZ. Both are great lenses that allow you to zoom without actually touching the zoom ring by assigning the back buttons to zoom in and out. This is particularly useful for our DLM housings including:

200DLM/A Underwater Housing for Sony ZV-E1 # 69121
200DLM/E Underwater Housing for Sony a6700 # 69123
200DLM/A Underwater Housing for Sony a7C II, a7CR # 69124

Customizing the Camera Buttons

Use this quick trick: navigate to Operation Customize > Custom Key Dial Set, and choose two buttons that make sense to you for zooming in and out. On my latest trip, I was using the Sony ZV-E1 and I assigned the center button to zoom in and the down button to zoom out. I was already using the left and the right for other things, and the top button can't be assigned to anything, so these just made the most sense for me.

One thing I would change is the zoom speed. It's really easy: just go into the Zoom Page of the Shooting Menu. I knocked mine all the way up to full speed, but it's really just your preference on how fast you want to zoom.

Now you can pretty much control everything with one hand and use a full size 8in Dome Port for splits and still be able to zoom. 

Our favorite PZ lenses to shoot underwater

Sony E 10-20mm f/4 PZ G Lens
Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Lens
Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens

 

Additional Reading

Customizing the Dial Functions on a Sony Mirrorless Camera for Underwater Use [VIDEO]

How to Shoot Split Shots (Half-In, Half-Out of the Water)

Sony ZV-E1 Underwater Review (Sea of Cortez and Channel Islands) [VIDEO]

Sony a6700 Underwater Photos // Ikelite 200DLM/E Underwater Housing [VIDEO]

Choosing an Underwater Housing for the Sony a7C II or a7CR

 

Logan Wood is a published photographer, cinematographer, and Producer at Ikelite. Stemming from a great appreciation for the outdoors and living an active lifestyle, his work focuses on capturing and sharing the natural world through the latest technologies. When not in the studio, Logan can be found cruising on his bike, going to concerts, and researching where to go next. You can see more of his work at loganwood.net and on Instagram @jlowood