543 replies to this topic

[troporobo]

I am just about to pull the trigger on the OM-D and Nauticam setup. One thing I am curious about - what are the chances that one port would work for both the 12-50 kit lens and the new 60 macro lens? They are within a millimeter of each other in terms of length and diameter according to the Olympus site. Probably different gears would be required. Or is this a silly idea?

[Mamel]

I am just about to pull the trigger on the OM-D and Nauticam setup. One thing I am curious about - what are the chances that one port would work for both the 12-50 kit lens and the new 60 macro lens? They are within a millimeter of each other in terms of length and diameter according to the Olympus site. Probably different gears would be required. Or is this a silly idea?

I'm in the same think. The 12-50mm dimesion dia. 57 x 83mm and the 60mm is 56 x 82mm. So, why nauticam does not make a simple port for both lens, no need zoom gear but M67mm thread.
With the capability to select 12mm and 50mm within the camera; no need zoom gear. but M67 thread is crucial for macro
I don't understand what the difficulity to build this port? It should be similar as macro port 56 but slighlylonger,

[girelle]

I've use the 12-50 lense and port this morning for the first time , it's wonderfull to use because of the ability to use the macro mode of the 12-50 with the Nauticam port and zoom gear .
Notice : the 12-50 had vignetting at 12 mm when it was used with the first port that Nauticam build in 67 mm , it's why they have make a new one in 77 mm , the one I did use .

The 60 mm fits perfectly in the port of the 12-50.
I'm waiting for the flip holder in 77 mm for 67 mm wet lense , and have order on ebay a step down adaptater 67 to 77 as Phil gave us the good advice for waiting.
All this is a bit heavy , now I use my Stix collar for Aquatica macro port ( I own before a Nikon D90 ) it fit well the 12-50 port ..
I've also send my 45 °Inon viewfinder mounted in Aquatica to Backscatter, (where I bought it a few years ago ) , mainly because it had mould spot on the glass , they have clean it and change the mount from Aquatica to Nauticam , I also bought to them ( difficult to do something else ..) the replacement rear window for the viewfinder , all this with has been pretty expensive , but I don't regret , it has change my life with the OMD . Because the only complain that I have again this super camera is that the screen mimic exposure , with the viewfinder now I can see pretty well !!

I must say a big thank to the people who did explain me what PHD mean , but when I did assemble the zoom gear of the 12-50 I had regrets to be only a MD , it's rather difficult but it's done and works well.
Here are two pictures , I would like that the exposure be better but between the new use of the viewfinder , and the 12-50 I was very occupied , so this is only tentative pictures , only to show the interest for me of the lense , the pictures have not been cropped of course.
First is the anemona in it's environnement lense at 12 mm :


The second is the little spider crab living in the same anemona 12-50 macro mode ( 43 mm )



It's pleasant to be able to get pictures of both ..

Ps For Phil or anybody interested to meet , we will be to Marseille festival on the 4 of November at noon (I think) and maybe the first part of the afternoon .

Edited by girelle, 06 October 2012 - 06:09 AM.

[troporobo]

Thanks a lot for posting this comparison! It makes the range of this lens very clear. I'll be picking mine up in a couple of weeks and can hardly wait to get in the water with it

[tdtaylor]

Well, I assembled the 12-50 zoom gear, and the instructions are clear enough. My issue was more user issues- the screws are very small, and between my bifocals and large fingers it was somewhat challenging to assemble. Fortunately I had the foresight to assemble it over a tray which repeatedly caught the dropped screws.

Question- after assembling everything and installing it in the housing, do you have to turn the zoom knob on the housing with a fair amount of pressure to change the zoom length (as compared to other zoom gears). Also, it zooms slowly. Not so much a problem, because it will give a fair amount of control with video, but more a check to make sure I shouldn't need to pull out my aforementioned tray and disassemble/reassemble to zoom ring. The Macro/zoom switch on the port works fine.

Thanks,

Terry

Edited by tdtaylor, 08 October 2012 - 07:11 AM.

[Scubanomad]

hmmm makes me question now if I made the right purchase getting the 60mm macro instead of the 12-50 lens and using its wide / macro function on the OMD body

[Deep6]

hmmm makes me question now if I made the right purchase getting the 60mm macro instead of the 12-50 lens and using its wide / macro function on the OMD body

No, I don't think so. I haven't got my rig yet. I like the 12-50 a lot, but I will get the 60 for 1:1 or greater macro. Now take out that great rig of yours and makes us some pictures.

Weidmannsheil!
Bob

[girelle]

Well, I assembled the 12-50 zoom gear, and the instructions are clear enough. My issue was more user issues- the screws are very small, and between my bifocals and large fingers it was somewhat challenging to assemble. Fortunately I had the foresight to assemble it over a tray which repeatedly caught the dropped screws.

Question- after assembling everything and installing it in the housing, do you have to turn the zoom knob on the housing with a fair amount of pressure to change the zoom length (as compared to other zoom gears). Also, it zooms slowly. Not so much a problem, because it will give a fair amount of control with video, but more a check to make sure I shouldn't need to pull out my aforementioned tray and disassemble/reassemble to zoom ring. The Macro/zoom switch on the port works fine.

Thanks,

Terry

It's exactly the same thing for me , I need also a fair amount of pressure on the knob to zoom and it's slow . I've disassemble my port and it's still the same.
Yes the screw are very small , it could be a good idea for Nauticam to provide 14 of them , two more than the screws needed ( twelwe ) to mount the port .
I'm really happy with this lense and use mainly 12 mm and macro .
I notice also that the lense seems not usable on land when the port is mounted on it .. did you try ??

Edited by girelle, 09 October 2012 - 04:57 AM.

[derway]

Does not sound promising, for a $800 port. Something must be wrong.

[MarkHerm]

Does not sound promising, for a $800 port. Something must be wrong.

I thought the same thing. 12 tiny screws for assembly, lots of pressure required, very slow, difficult / time consuming assembly, power zoom only etc does sound a bit odd. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand that this lens provides a real challenge for port manufacturers but still... I am still on the fence about this port but I don't know. I think I need to take a look at one of them in person or try to rent one for a couple of days.

Edited by MarkHerm, 09 October 2012 - 05:38 AM.

[Scubanomad]

No, I don't think so. I haven't got my rig yet. I like the 12-50 a lot, but I will get the 60 for 1:1 or greater macro. Now take out that great rig of yours and makes us some pictures.

Weidmannsheil!
Bob

Would love to (want to pay for my dive trip?) LOL :-)
Don't have another dive trip scheduled until early next year. Sorry.
I only had my rig recently in Ibiza Balearic islands spain but only snorkeled without the strobe.
Here is a photo:

Edited by Scubanomad, 09 October 2012 - 05:15 AM.

[Bubblke7]

Well, I assembled the 12-50 zoom gear, and the instructions are clear enough. My issue was more user issues- the screws are very small, and between my bifocals and large fingers it was somewhat challenging to assemble. Fortunately I had the foresight to assemble it over a tray which repeatedly caught the dropped screws.

Question- after assembling everything and installing it in the housing, do you have to turn the zoom knob on the housing with a fair amount of pressure to change the zoom length (as compared to other zoom gears). Also, it zooms slowly. Not so much a problem, because it will give a fair amount of control with video, but more a check to make sure I shouldn't need to pull out my aforementioned tray and disassemble/reassemble to zoom ring. The Macro/zoom switch on the port works fine.

Thanks,

Terry

I found it take some pressure to change the zoom length and it zooms slowly!
The quickest way is to use the Fish mode, so from 12 to 50mm, or 50 to 12mm is just a click!

[derway]

I found it take some pressure to change the zoom length and it zooms slowly!
The quickest way is to use the Fish mode, so from 12 to 50mm, or 50 to 12mm is just a click!

Right, and then there is no need, nor benefit, from an $800 port!

[guyharrisonphoto]

Can someone explain how to zoom the 12-50 by using the camera body? I cannot seem to find this in my manuals. Bubblke7 mentioned "fish mode" and how do I access that?

Does that mode also allow access to the lens' macro feature? If not then it is of very limited use and certainly no substitute for the Nauticam port (which I have on order). If it does allow access to macro, then that is something to think about.

As for the slower power zoom why would that be a deal breaker? Because of how the lens zoom/macro ring operates, with clicking forward and backward in three steps, it seems that it is only possible to execute two adjoining click stops with the port control. I assume Nauticam made the choice of accessing the macro/power zoom which is much more useful. If you can jump between 12 and 50 with the body and then fine tune the zoom with the port, then that seems to be a pretty good set-up.

[girelle]

Right, and then there is no need, nor benefit, from an $800 port!

Not so simple the 50 mm is not a macro mode , the macro mode is at 43 mm and you need to push a button on the side of the lense ,while in zoom mode to access it

[Phil Rudin]

To use the U/W (W/A and macro) settings on the camera to zoom the 12-50 lens you must first update to software v.1.5. The lens will them set to 12 mm at W/A and 50mm at the other setting. So you loose all of the zoom range between the two ends and at 50 mm you are at about 1:2.5 in 35 mm terms. In the macro setting which can only be accessed with the Nauticam gear in the Nauticam housing you get to about 1:1 in 35mm terms and you get full zoom from 12-50mm. It is clear that some will want to take the less expensive route and some will want the more expensive full control. Either way a port will still be required and that is at least half or more of the cost unless you already have a port which fits this lens and you chose not to use the complex Nauticam gear.

Phil Rudin

[Ryan]

Right, and then there is no need, nor benefit, from an $800 port!

This is actually not true. There is substantially better magnification in the macro setting on the lens than is available when "just" zoomed to 50mm. There is currently no fish mode or other shortcut to access the lens' macro functionality, it is only available via the mechanical shifting of the zoom ring on the lens barrel.

Edited by Ryan, 10 October 2012 - 07:41 AM.

[guyharrisonphoto]

Phil and Ryan,

Thanks so much for that response. Ryan, I am definitely keepimg my order for the 12-50mm port! Can't wait until it all gets there!

Guy

[TerryTaylor]

It's exactly the same thing for me , I need also a fair amount of pressure on the knob to zoom and it's slow . I've disassemble my port and it's still the same.
Yes the screw are very small , it could be a good idea for Nauticam to provide 14 of them , two more than the screws needed ( twelwe ) to mount the port .
I'm really happy with this lense and use mainly 12 mm and macro .
I notice also that the lense seems not usable on land when the port is mounted on it .. did you try ??

Thanks for letting me know about the pressure and speed- really didn't want to go through disassembly and reassembly. I am out of town through the weekend, so I can't try it above ground. I did shoot off a few picts after I assembled it, and didn't notice any problems, but really was not looking at the quality, more for the function. I'm back for two days next week, then off to Florida and the Bahamas- I will throughly check it out at that point. I sure hope it works on land. Maybe a focus issue?

[TerryTaylor]

I thought the same thing. 12 tiny screws for assembly, lots of pressure required, very slow, difficult / time consuming assembly, power zoom only etc does sound a bit odd. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand that this lens provides a real challenge for port manufacturers but still... I am still on the fence about this port but I don't know. I think I need to take a look at one of them in person or try to rent one for a couple of days.

I was thinking the same thing- should have put in a few extra screws. Fortunately for me, once assembled, it won't come off. I have the 12-35 f2.8 for on land.