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Along with the announcement of the Olympus E-PL7 and corresponding housing (PT-EP12), Olympus also announced a new strobe, the UFL-3 http://www.olympus-global.com/en/news/2014b/nr140828epl7e.jsp Where the previous strobes from Olympus only used 2xAA batteries, the new model uses 4xAA which is a welcomed change. The first strobe from Olympus, the UFL-1, was basically a rebranded Sea & Sea YS-17 TTL. Their second strobe, the UFL-2, was essentially an underwater version of their land flash FL-36R housed by Sea & Sea. While it retained the zoom function and wireless RC flash system, it was excessively bulky and low powered compared to the competiton, i.e. larger than an INON Z-240, but only packing 2xAA batteries instead of 4xAA. The new UFL-3 appears to be a Sea & Sea YS-01 with the addition of the Olympus Wireless RC flash system (to be used with fiber optic cables). Compared to the UFL-2, it appears to be a lot better. While it does not have the zoom function, it is about 300g lighter without batteries, and carry 2 extra AA batteries which hopefully translates to more power and faster recycle time (the press release states GN22 and 2 second recyle), where the UFL-2 had a recycle time of 6-8 seconds at full power ! In addition it also appears to have the target light as the YS-01, which the UFL-1 and UFL-2 did not have. Compared to other strobes, the Wireless RC flash system will allow flash sync speeds of 1/4000 or 1/8000 (FP modes) with most Olympus cameras instead of being limited to the 1/250 or 1/320 range. This could be usefull in some applications. More interesting is that the FP-TTL mode will allow TTL underwater with (hopefully) less drain on the camera battery (and faster recycling) than when using conventional TTL. The reason being that the camera flash only needs to transmit light signals through the fiber optic cable instead of a stronger flash pulse. Hopefully the UFL-3 also retain the TTL modes of a normal Sea & Sea YS-01 so that it can be used with other camera brands, but that we will know when it has been released. Guide number of the UFL-3 is stated as GN22, while the Sea&Sea YS-01 states GN20. Possibly just a result of a minor upgrade from Sea & Sea to their strobe unit.

Hi all, I've just upgraded so my Nauticam EM-5 MkII housing is up for sale. Includes Flexitray, right handle, two strobe mounting balls, shutter release extension, original box, manual, spare o-ring, grease and all items that came with the housing from new. Price for all items new at Scubapix is $A2431. Selling for $A1600. Housing is in great condition, apart from a scarpe on the cold shoe (plastic part is replaceable). This housing fitted as standard with vacuum electronics, for peace of mind. Has produced some great results, most of my pics are now up on my website here: http://www.aus-natural.com/Underwater/index_gallery.html All pics in that gallery are taken with this housing and my EM-5II with Oly 12-40 f2.8 and 60mm macro with a few with the Pany 7-14. Vacuum valve not included as I transferred to my new housing. Optionally talk to me about including the EM-5 MkII camera as a package including spare olympus battery, I have original box, manual, charger, receipts and flash for the camera which is in great shape. Feel free to contact me by DM to discuss. Probably best to keep sale to Australia given costs of shipping, but happy to talk to anyone interested. Payment by mutually agreed method including Paypal, direct deposit or Cash if you are local to Sydney and wish to inspect the housing. Pics below:

Hello Wetpixel! I thought I would post a dedicated thread for this discussion, rather than getting it lost in existing OM-D threads. In those threads I've read that image quality was good when using wet dioptres (Subsee) on top of the Olympus 12-50mm lens underwater (as the nauticam 60mm port has a 67mm thread). This brings a lot of versatility on this 12-50mm setup, and I was wondering why wouldn't size-conscious photographers use wide angle wet lenses on top of this setup? I must say I've never used any wet lens, so I may miss something, that's why I'm asking. I think it was Dr Mustard who said optical quality remained good with a wet complement like Subsee diopters, what about the wide angle complements? thanks for your advice, cheers Nicolas

I have a Olympus OM-D E-M1 for underwater use in a Nauticam Housing. Now, when i Review my Pictures, i see, that in my opinion the camera doesn´t perform that good in the high iso range. Deep down in the Attersee (lake in Austria) and also in wrecks and Caves in the red sea i took picturess with the 8mm Panasonic at iso 3200. At iso 3200 there are really few Details in the Pictures and the Picture is very grainy. Can anybody report of expieriences with the E-M1 and low light. Which is the maxium recommended Iso for a reasonable Picture Quality? It seems to be better to use f4 and 1/15 at iso 800 with the possibility of unsharp, blurred Images because of movement then Pictures at f5,6, 1/30 at Iso 3200 for Pictures with really less Details and colours. What is your expierience? Best Regards Armin

Compact wide-angle underwater underwater photography package: Olympus OM-D EM-5 16MP digital mirrorless micro 4/3 camera; Panasonic Lumix 8mm fisheye lens; Nauticam underwater housing; Nauticam 4.33 inch acrylic dome port; tray with two handles; two mounting balls; hand strap; LED hotshoe flash trigger; all original boxes and documentation for all items, including charger and accessory flash for camera, all front & back caps, manuals, etc.; housing is fitted with a bulkhead that allows remote triggering of the camera for polecam use (trigger not included) – if desired this can be replaced with a traditional bulkhead fitting for electronic strobe triggering, however current setup allows strobe triggering via either on-camera flash, or via hotshoe LED trigger. All equipment is in near pristine condition, very lightly used. This was my backup kit for travel – very easy to pack, and also served as a small, lightweight polecam, and as a “digital Nikonos” that I could hang around my neck and easily carry on long swims. I’ve been very happy with this, and am only selling it to upgrade to a new mirrorless with higher resolution. I only used this with the fisheye lens and matching port, and do not have any other lenses or ports for sale, but there is a wide selection available from other sources. $1995 for entire package. Gear is located in Kona, Hawaii, USA. Shipping is additional.

Hope i am not creasting false hopes, but what i put in the title is something i would loooove that Olympus puts in place. What this is about? It's about the great ability of the Oly 60 mm 2.8 macro lens to restrict the focusing range within a limited distance, in order to optimise the autofocus speed. Capability to access this setting underwater would be maravellous for obvious reasons, and would reduce the gap in Autofocus speed versus DSLR cameras (i often miss my trusty Nikon D300 in that area). Actually, this would be useful in about any lens i think, even on a fisheye, if you know you're shooting CFWA why wouldn't you like to limit the focusing range from lens glass till, say 10cm. From a product positioning standpoint, Olympus are very concious about underwater photography (they manufacture housing), so this would be in line. I would personally be ready to upgrade to a newer camera for that single reason (well, increasing battery life wouldn't hurt either...). Feasibility? I am not an Olympus engineer, but with the number of things that can be electronically controlled in Micro 4/3 system, i am pretty confident this would be doable. Take the example of the 12-50mm zoom lens, i think there's some ability to get to the "macro position" electronically. So how do we get it done? Two years ago i dropped a hopeful email to Olympus but didn't get any answer. Any other idea on how to get their attention? I guess the first step would be to see whether you guys would also like that capability. And if there's a few of us, discuss what's the best mean to convey that suggestion to them (photo show, some ideabox...). Thanks in advance for your comments! cheers Nicolas

Hello, Since I am quite new in this forum, some words about myself. I am a scientific diver and dive instructor and will collaborate in future projects (next year) in Australia to investigate the mesophotic reefs (30m - 150m). For this reason I try to find a underwater housing for my Olympus OM-D EM-1. I think the best housing is the Nauticam NA-EM1, because it has the option to create a vacuum inside. In this way it is possible to see, whether the housing is fine or not before stepping into the water. Furthermore, it is the lightest one and there are tons of ports available. New or used, with or without dome doesn't really matter, as long as we can find a price which suits. However, I am especially interested in the Nauticam #36163 Macro Port 65 for the Olympus 60mm macro and the Nauticam 4.33" Fisheye Dome Port #36132 for my Rokinon 7,5mm Fisheye. Although I am in Germany right now, I would consider to check & pick up the housing internationally! Thank you very much.

Hi, I take most of my UW images in dark conditions with a low level or lack of ambient light using high ISO, a large aperture, slow shutter speed and stobes. The OM-D is a great camera in that kind of environment thanks to the 3-axis image stabilization and good low-light performance. However i have a problem with the built in flash when triggering the external strobes. Light is leaking out through the housing and dome causing backscatter in the center of the images. I'm using a Panasonic 8mm + Nauticam housing with the 4" fisheye dome. This is only a problem in dark conditions described above. I have tried to reduce the power of the internal flash, but the it sometimes fails to trigger the strobes. I have seen some LED thingy that can be used instead of the internal flash. Is anyone using this and have some experience from it? The attached image is not the worst example since you have some surface light, but you can clearly see the backscatter and in darker conditions you will se stripes of backscatter like in the second image shot in the housing with strobes turned off against a white wall. f/3,5 1/20 ISO800 @8mm

Hi macro enthusiasts! I am having probably a silly problem, but cannot find the solution by myself, so I'd need some advice... My camera is an OM-D EM-5, that I use with an Olympus 60mm macro, all in Nauticam housing+port. This works brilliantly, the camera focuses very well underwater. But when I add my new Subsee+10 dioptre, attached with the Nauticam flip dioptre holder, I cannot manage to get in focus. That brilliant auto focus doesn't work at all anymore. I was expecting some degradation, but not that much. What's your experience with such a setup? Do you shoot everything in manual focus? cheers, Nicolas

Hi, I just got a Olympus OM-D E-M5 with a Nauticam housing, Panasonic 8mm fisheye, Olympus 60mm macro lens. Firmware body 1.6. My buttons/settings are configured same as: http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48625 I've only dived with this setup about 10 times and 2 times my camera stopped working underwater. I shoot in Manual Mode. When the camera stops working, it doesn't respond to any button pushes except the LV button (changes from EVF to Monitor). Main dial and Sub-dial still changes Aperture and Shutter. Shutter release does nothing and I can't even turn off the camera. Camera EVF/Monitor stays on until camera runs out of battery; it doesn't fall asleep. Camera displays live image. The flash (lightning bolt) and focus confirmation (green dot) icons in the EVF/Monitor are stuck on. When I remove the battery and put it back in the camera works again. Anyone else have this problem? No floods or leaks and my depth was around 30m deep. I notice this happening usually when I focus then try to take a picture. This problem has happened using both the Panasonic 8mm fisheye and Olympus 60mm macro lenses. Anyone else have this problem or know of a solution?

Hi everyone, I used my Olympus C-8080 with original Oylmpus housing for almost 7 years. I bought the first housing brand new and then during a boat trip housing tripped down from a table and I found another one from e-bay but that one broke last year too. I have bought a Nikon D90 a couple of years ago thinking I may buy a housing for it later and have a better setup. Now that I have no working underwater gear, it is time to make a decison. At the beggining I was very convinced to use my DSLR but now looking at new cameras, cost of buying Hugyfot with all the necessary ports, trays, arms, a new strobe, etc and also thinking about how versatile my C-8080 was underwater even without any diopters or WA wet lenses, I am a bit confused. I read almost all comments about the Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Nauticam + 12-50mm setup in this forum and then I made some calculations and it seems to be a very attaractive option not only by means of price but also by means of versatility. I already have : ------------------- Nikon D90 Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye Inon Z-220 Anything else from my old setup is not usable anymore. The two options I ended up with are: Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Nauticam: ------------------------------------------------ Nauticam NA-EM5 housing for Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus OM-D E-M5 + 12-50mm Lens Nauticam 71206 Easitray II with left handle Nauticam 71208 Adjustable Right Handle II Nauticam 72203 125mm double ball arm Nauticam 72204 200mm double ball arm Standard clamp 72501 Nauticam 25111 Strobe Mounting ball Nauticam 25312 Light Mounting Stem for cold shoe INON Z-240 S-TTL underwater strobe 26211 Nauticam to Inon optical fiber cable ?????? D&D NA-EM5 Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ Zoom Gear Nauticam Macro port 65 for Olympus 60mm Macro [36163] SubSee +10 diopter (macrolens) [sS-10] Nikon D90 + Hugyfot: ------------------------------------- Hugyfot Housing Nikon D90 Flat port Acrylic FLK-6.607 Extension ring 20 mm Gearring GEA-6.573 Fisheye Port Acrylic FEK-6.608 Gearring GEA-6.511 Silicon gear SIL-6.500 Heinrichs i-TTL circuit board for Nikon Handle Small with armball 45 degrees Viewfinder Flash connection 5-pin Flash connection 5-pin INON Z-240 S-TTL underwater strobe INON S&S Synch Cord N INON S&S Synch Cord N 105mm f/2.8G AF-S VR Micro I know that they are hard to compare but I just want to be sure before spending so much money on either setup. I like shooting Macro more then wide angle, but I also feel like I will miss the versatility of my good old C-8080 which allowed me to take quite nice "Super Macro" pictures and also gives the option of going for bigger critters. By the way the price difference between these two is around 1.5K EUR Olympus+Nauticam being the cheaper. So I would be very happy to hear any comments from you guys. Thanks

I have been an avid underwater photographer for about 10yrs. My underwater camera equipment for the last 7yrs has been the Olympus C-5060, Ikelite housing, DS-125 and DS-50 dual strobes. I recently purchased the DS-160 to replace the DS-50. See photography at: http://www.pbase.com/mjeas While I have been very pleased with the results, the limitations and slow autofocus are finally driving me to upgrade. However, there are simply too many other options on the market. I have narrowed down my upgrade options to the OM-D or going SLR, but I am looking for some feedback from others. Cost is a relative factor, as I am hoping to keep the cost to about $5,000. Option 1: Make a complete overhaul with the new Olympus OM-D E-5 with Nauticam housing, Sea & Sea YS-D1 or INON Z240 dual strobes with arms, and 60mm and 8mm lenses? Approximately $6,000 upgrade. This is more costly, but it offers a much lighter and travel friendly option. Option 2: Use my existing Nikon D7000 and purchase the Ikelite housing, port assembly, 105mm, 60mm, Tokina 10-17mm lenses and 1.4x teleconverter. Approximately $5,000 upgrade. This is less expensive, but I can use my existing Ikelite strobes since I just purchased the DS-160. The new lenses can also make above water photography more appealing. Please assist in providing ideas, options, and alternatives for someone who is interested in macro photography with the flexibility for wide angle. Thanks!

Hi, recently I got my new Olympus OM –D with the 12-50 mm lens kit and a Nauticam Housing, it is my first time with a mirrorless micro 4/3 system. I would like to know if the depth of field and the f stops are similar to the DSLR cameras? Thanks.

Hello Wetpixel, I'm hearing more and more DSLR shooters that are getting an EVIL camera for underwater use, and I'm myself considering it now. I currently own a fully equipped Hugyfor gear for my Nikon D7000, and I'm very happy with the quality and ergonomy. Still, I like to dive as light as possible in any occasion, but I'm also getting several occasions to go abroad for short business trips, in places with good diving potential. I'd love to dive in those places and bring back some pictures, but I really can't affort to carry my 1620 Pelican case with all the DSLR gear... Like most DSLR shooters (I presume), I'm concerned about the loss in image quality (although I believe some Sony NEX cameras are at par with my D7000), and by slower autofocus, but I've never tried any of these EVIL cameras underwater. I say Alex Mustard's article which raised my interest on the Olympus OM-D, but what about the NEX family, the tiny Pentax, etc? So for those of you who investigated the matter in more detail, which EVIL camera do you think is best for underwater photography, and why?

Hey there, After all the readings, I was going to order my Nikon D7000 and the Ikelite housing for it. I currently own a DS160 and 161 strobe as I was going to upgrade from my canon G9.... I know that the OM-D is not a DSLR, but from the readings that I did, it looks like the OM-D is not a bad camera at all and very similar to the D7000. If I consider the setup price, they both are about the same for the camera, lenses and housing (Nauticam for OMD). If I'd go for the OMD, I would have sell my Ikelite strobes and buy 2 Z240, giving me a lighter setup. Just wondering what your thoughts the quality of the D7000 over the OMD. Cheers and thanks for all the great help. Ben