adamtaylor

Following this topic as I have the same challenges diving recently discovered glass sponge reefs (bioherms) They prefer turbid water and my local waters are green and gunky most of the year anyway. The shallower reefs I am filming at recreational depths are dark enough, but not as bad as the 250 to 350foot depths a technical dive team in our project explores I rented a GH5s to see the difference in low-light performance and was impressed, even without using faster cards and higher data rates. The challenge is decent wide optics for capturing video to share with the government bodies helping protect these reefs. Seeing is believing when it comes to trying to protect something special. My rig is GH5 in Nauticam with 180mm dome and either Olympus 12-40mm which is relatively sharp with medium field of view, or 7-14mm which offers wide and warped field of view. F2.8 one the 12-40mm lets in alot of light and for distance shots is decent When using it in a dome the Oly 7-14mm is an extreme disappointment as I had hoped to utilize the low Fstop to capture wide images in low-light. The only reason ai have sold it off is how great it is for wide-angle landscape photography and time-lapse. Seriously considering the WWL to provide better optics and deeper depth so the technical dive team can get something more than GoPro footage on the deeper reefs. To my point: Anyone used the WWL with Olympus 12-50mm in 77mm port? Am wondering if I can use my macro rig for now and save $ by not purchasing the 14-42mm Pany lens and flat port? Nauticam port charts show its possible with some vignetting at either 14 or 16mm Is it worth trying with the 12-50mm or should I just bite the bullet and go with the 14-42mm as well? Thanks in advance, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Prior to upgrading my EM5 to a Panasonic GH5 I used both the Olympus 12-50mm and 60mm in the Nauticam port for the 12-50 (which I swapped over to my GH5) While the flexibility of the 12-50mm is great the 60mm is way sharper. It IS a dedicated macro lens and has narrow depth of field but for smaller critters it is awesome. As you already have a port that will work I will add another vote for the Oly 60mm. Something else to consider if dedicated macro isn't a priority would be adding a Nauticam CMC-2 with flip holder. This would provide greater magnification than the 60mm on its own and still allow for wide shots on same dive. As I shoot more video now and there is often a fair amount of current I don't use the 60mm as often. The depth of field is so tight that the smallest movement shifts what is in focus at any given moment. I find the 12-50 combined with CMC2 gives great overall flexibility and decent results. Guess it depends on what type of diving you guys do Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I have gone through 3 of those internal cables, two bulkhead and one external cable. One of the bulkheads and external cable was user error. Somehow the screw down connector loosened on a dive and a tiny bit of salt water got in. A barely perceptible amount of moisture, but combining salt water with electronics is never good. The internal cable is another issue altogether. Terrible design as the cable is stressed any way you install it. Went through a couple internal cables and ended up ordering a spare external cable and bulkhead to troubleshoot the entire kit. Turns out the bulkhead was faulty and after some negotiation was replaced under warranty. Now I have spares for everything. I highly recommend others keep spares as well. Looping like shown in the photo can cause rubbing on the zoom gear and eventual failure. Either the cable is damaged / pinched by the contact, or the connector goes due to stress on the side of cable and jostling of the delicate joint at bulkhead. The little info card that comes with the internal connector (camera housing) shows the extra length of cable looping along the left side of camera, NOT up and over / around the mode dial. My current cable is routed on the left side and has lasted 6+ months. I hope I have not jinxed myself by saying that. Treat it gently and it should last longer. Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Will be following this thread as I have had multiple problems with my HDMI cables connecting my Nauticam GH5 housing to Nauticam Small HD 502... Basically if has not worked since May, and I went back and forth with Nauticam for a couple months and am awaiting yet another cable to confirm what specific part / connection is the problem. Have had nothing but problems with this set up. It is amazing when it actually works, but have spent more time without it working... My first problem was user error, and the screw down for external cable must have loosened as there was a touch of moisture when I disassembled after a dive. I replaced all parts to be safe and +/- 20 dives later things started acting up. Intermittent signal problems became almost no signal at all so ordered a new internal cable. That cable arrived the day I left on a week long dive trip and of course the signal was still intermittent... There had been a 45 degree change in the plug orientation on the replacement bulkhead when installed which in my opinion caused extra strain on the cable or even the bulkead connection itself. So after a week long trip with no working monitor and weeks of email communications I got tired of inaction and had my local Nauticam deal send the 2 cables and bullkead back for testing. Nauticam USA found that the older cable didn`t work, while the brand new one was OK. The bulkhead was giving intermittent signal and all parts send to Head Office for testing. Tests came back fine on the bulkhead which I disputed as it didn`t work for me, and was intermittent for Nauticam USA. In the end due to time passed dealing with this they tried to say the bulkhead was beyond the warranty period but I disputed and they replaced the bulkhead, and offered 30% discount on a spare which I purchased for redundancy I also tried to purchase a spare internal cable but they were OUT OF STOCK which makes me suspect there are more issues with these cables than we users are aware of... Anyway, received the parts and of course things are not working. Have tried direct connect between the camera and monitor using full-size HDMI and all is good. I do not have mini-mini connections to try alternate cable routing to see where the fault is. Now I have ordered a new external cable to ensure that isn`t the problem but the clock I ticking on 90 day HDMI cable warranty period... Am overall unimpressed with how Nauticam has handled this, and disappointed they have not lived up to their reputation for quality products and service. This is my second Nauticam housing, 3rd when the monitor was added and I honestly expected better from them. Fingers crossed the cable arrives this week so I can try to troubleshoot the issue. Next stop is a HDMI cable distributer to see if there are alternate options for the internal cable. Besides the high price on the Nauticam one, the length and way it curves inside the housing causes bad kinking. Am hoping to find a 90 degree HDMI plug and shorter cable which would allow a straight line from bulkhead to 90 degree plug. If I find a workable solution I will post part numbers. At this point anything would be better than non-functioning Nauticam gear :-( Sorry for the rant, but I did not spend thousands of dollars on a monitor system to get nickeled and dimed on faulty cables and poor service. Regards, Adam

I have been reading about this lens and would be interested if it was compatible with my GH5 in Nauticam... Perhaps metabones adaptor and Canon mount? Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Thanks for the input As I already had the Oly 12-40mm and dome set up for my EM5 it transitioned well to my GH5. Even at f2.8 for shooting dark scenes with off-camera lighting it performed well. The Oly 7-14 not so much... Adding a 8-18mm a much cheaper route than a new flat port, lens and WWL. Unless of course I start with WWL on my existing 12-50 in macro port... Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Here are my 2 cents, but as someone using a Nauticam housing not Ikelite the comments may not even be worth that much [emoji39] I have the Oly 7-14 in Nauticam 8" glass dome and am extremely dissapointed with the corner sharpness below f7 or f8 on my GH5. I have a dive buddy with the same lens / dome combo on EM1 mk2 and he is happy with it for still photos... Do your research, from what I hear the Panasonic 8-18mm has better corners, at least with thr Nauticam system... Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Following with interest... Slightly off topic, but has anyone used both the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 Pro and the Panasonic 8-18mm on a GH5 for video? I bought the Olympus based on past experience with other Oly lenses. What I hoped was good low light performance. The corners are garbage below f7 or 8 [emoji853] so the added benefit of f2.8 throughout the focal range was completely negated. Looking for a wide angle lens option for a deep, dark & often murky low-light setting. Thanks Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I will definitely share video clips if I go. In the meantime I saw this article this morning https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-lake-that-looks-like-mars/ Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Really cool, Did not realize there were Microbiolites in Turkey. I know of the ones in British Columbia, Canada about 4 -5 hours drive from me, and others in Chile. There was here a research group from NASA / SETI were studying them as a form of early earth life which could exist on other planets... They even set up an Analog Mars Mission with communications trailer, time-delay on comms, divers as 'astronauts' submersibles as rovers, ROV & Autonomous Underwater Vehicles all conducting research on the lake as part of the project. http://www.pavilionlake.com Looks like the website isnt managed now the project is finished as video and image links are broken. This topic has given me incentive to go on a camping / dive trip to check them out Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I shot various Oly lenses on my EM5 mk 1 and now my Panasonic GH5 in Nauticam Housing using the Macro Port and 180mm dome. As stated by others the 12-50mm is a good all-around lens. Good, not great image quality but the flexibility outweighs the minor image quality loss 60mm is a great macro lens 12-40 pro is awesome, not quite wide enough at times, but you can zoom in for medium to reasonably small stuff. 8 Pany fisheye was nice, but sold it to a friend as I didn't like the results with acrylic mini-dome. With my murky local waters the thickness of the dome would often catch the light from strobes (poor placement on my part?) Recently got the Oly 7-14 Pro for videowork with the GH5 on some deep, dark glass sponge reefs. Had hoped the f2.8 would help gather light as it does with the 12-40 Pro.... Unfortunately with video the corners are garbage below f5.6 or 7. Not even useable if you are relatively close to the subject. Corners may not be as bad with still images but I would not recommend spending the extra money on the Oly over the Panasonic unless others have had significantly better results. Good luck with your decisions. Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Do not know the operations in Washington State but hear good things about Rendevous in Barkely Sound on west coast of Vancouver Island, and have greatly enjoyed my outings with Pacific Pro Dive in Campbell River. If you enjoy your first trip and want to head somewhere a little more remote and wild I highly recommend Port Hardy area at the north end of Vancouver Island. It may take you an extra day of travel from the Seattle area but trust me, it is worth it. Google Gods Pocket and you will see what I mean. The owners of the resort are retiring and they will not be accepting new bookings until the new owners get set up. Was there a couple weeks ago and while the underwater life was amazing, seeing multiple whales, dolpins, sea lions etc from the boat kept the short boat rides interesting. As did the rafts of sea otters, and the lone wolf we saw swimming between islands. Enjoy your hunt for Wolfies and GPO Adam

Nice work Jesse, Fun to see some Vancouver faces in your films. I recall the call for participants on Facebook for your Dream video, and am not surprised seeing it was the 'usual suspects' who helped out. Enjoyed them all. Regards, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Following with interest as this lighting technique is what we are experimenting with on glass sponge reefs. My local waters are often dark & murky near the surface, and clear up somewhat at depth. There are a handful of reefs just within recreation diving limits, but even at +/- 100 feet it is often like twilight down there. There are larger, and even darker reefs in the 250-300 foot range but I leave those for a technical dive team depth and when lucky a submersible. Filming another diver lighting up the reef with no lights on camera has reduced backscatter and created a dark, moody scene where the diver is basically a bubble of light travelling through and alien landscape. 3200 ISO gets grainy and 6400 looks terrible. Any suggestions for cleaning up noise appreciated as I am new to video editing. As was suggested in this thread positioning the camera with lights to illuminate foreground, while dive buddy with second set of lights adds depth additional illumination swimming the reef in the background. My dream shot is to have multiple divers turn on lights in sequence creating pools of light illuminating the reef off into the distance. Unfortunately given live boat deployment and site conditions it is difficult to get more than 2-3 divers down in the excact same place. Will try to upload some sample video later tonight Regards, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I am also looking forward to any deep & dark dive footage. Deep wreck exteriors would be similar low-light conditions to what I am trying to shoot, and I find the GH5 sorely lacking. Off-camera lighting helps (filming a diver from a distance) but the dark areas have terrible grain at higher ISO Still on the fence regarding GH5s Regards, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I was cautiously optimistic that this camera would be a good replacement / companion to my GH5 for use filming deep, dark glass sponge reefs.... Would love to see some real-world footage showing low-light performance. -Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Ha, not even worth considering. One thing I discovered and am very happy about is the monitor senses when it is inverted and flips both the image AND the button functions. Sometimes you need to jiggle or move it so it is right side up, but the button function change is great as you don't have to remember which button to press when zooming or changing settings. Overall I am very happy with the new set up Regards, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I have tried a few different orientations. For macro, flipping the monitor down towards you leaves your sightline to the lens open which helps in finding smaller subjects. It also helps the balance of the rig as I found when pulling light arms far forward with stix floatation added it unbalances the tripod somewhat. For certain wide-angle shots it is nice to look down on the monitor. For example if you want to shoot up at the surface you don't have to get under your camera to frame the shot. Same with swimming through / above a reef. You can hold camera below you to get a better angle, without worrying about disturbing the bottom or sensitive life. Regards, Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

My solution for my old EM5 mk1 was to program the two Function buttons; 1) was to switch to manual focus once autofocus got it close. 2) was for viewfinder zoom to help confirm fine details while rocking camera or turning focus dial. My GH5 has a pinpoint focus option where it zoom in so you can confirn prior to pulling trigger. There are many different ways to look at fine-tuning focus. I guess it depends on personal preferemce, and if you have the focus gear. How 'complex' the subject or it's surroundings, and even water clarity / fresh water mixing are usually the determining factors for me when using the 60mm. If there is alot of plankton or silt in the water, or the subject is surrounded by comlex growth autofocus alone doesnt cut it. Good luck Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

I use the 60mm with focus gear in the 12-50 macro port and it works fine. The focus gear is controlled by the knob on the housing, and given the 60mm is a narrower diameter there is no issue with the macro port knob. Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

The extra long Nauticam clamp did make it sit fairly high, but I could flip it down, and also flat so I could look straight down while shooting macro. Will have to figure out how to turn off the auto rotate on the screen as certain angles flipped the image on me... Battery died about 70 minutes into the dive. It was relatively cold water at +/- 42F and I had played with it out of housing and let sit for a few days. I did expect better battery life with 2 connected, but as I didnt start with full charges will reserve judgement. Ended up being a night dive which isn't ideal for learning new camera stuff, but saw some cool critters. Had to be selective in what I focused on as the moment we descended there was a seal using our lights to hunt fish. Have not purchased the surface feed kit yet, but will in future which is why I chose the 502 over the 501 model. Will use at for live-feed at conservation / education events where we have interpreters on shore with some hardy diver-collected species, and likely some salmon stuff in streams and rivers. Would love to do live-feed from a glass sponge reef, but given the depths it may not be feasible. But speaking of sponge reefs I look forward to swimming the edge of reef with camera held below pointing diagonally back over the reef. Should be easier to frame the shot with a monitor pointing up [emoji6] As I am in Canada there were not many options for purchase. I watched prices and purchased online from B&H on Cyber Monday. Got the kit for the same price as monitor alone from a Canadian site... Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Finally getting my new addition in the water once the Marina closes tonight. [emoji16] Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

If true I am definately interested... my main complaint so far is low-light performance, especially on deep glass sponge reefs. Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

The 12-50mm lense plus gear to switch into Macro Mode uses a different port N85 Macro Port and Zoom Gear Set for Olympus 12-50mm It is 77mm diameter wide vs 67mm for the other macro port due to the grar mechanism which surrounds the 12-50mm lens to allow for the switch to macro mode. It also has a side knob to engage the macro mode (the knob on housing controls zoom). Some use 3rd party gears and ignore the macro mode. Being 77mm diameter you need different mounts or flip adaptors for wet lenses. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of. This port is required for the 12-50 but also works for the 60mm Note there is a newer variant of the zoom gear specific to Panasonic GH5 which is a simple swap of one piece of gearing. Good luck on your choices and balancing the gear to spouse happiness ratio [emoji6] Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

Have never used it myself, but hear more bad reviews than good about the 9-18mm. Sometimes the 12-50mm combo and / or port are available used which helps the wallet. I see a lens / gear combo in the classifieds now. It definately doesnt have the quality of the higher end lenses, but for me the flexibility makes up for that... That being said when I have specific goals in mind I chose my 60mm or the 12-40 over the 12-50 jack of all trades. Seeing as you already have the 14-42 not sure the need for you to go that route. Thought it was worth throwing into the discussion. Regards Adam Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk