Olympus OM-D E-M5

[Eric Gebhard 5]

Hello all,

I have been following this thread for awhile and now that I have actually gotten a chance to use my OMD underwater, I thought I would share some of the photos. First off, let me say that I am really impressed with this camera's performance and ease of travel. Living in Arizona means that diving = air travel, so being able to pack everything into a backpack I can carry on the plane is great. Anyway, here are a few photos from my trip to Palau.

 

My rig with 7-14mm lens and port. Just slightly negatively buoyant with this setup.

 

Packed up in a Think Tank Airport Commuter backpack

 

Some photos from Palau

 

 

 

[underexposed 0]

Very nice shots. Looks like you had some good vis. I've been to Palau twice and one trip was OK and the other was not very good. Still world class diving even if the vis is down.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Finally got my hands on my housing today.

 

Alex

[MarkHerm 1]

I could get my Nauticam housing wet during last week while squeezing in some dives in Egypt (only land based house reef diving). It was kind of rough as I'd only used a P&S camera in full auto mode underwater before (no strobe(s)) and went to full manual with my OM-D setup with a (single) S-2000 as external strobe in manual mode too. To make things worse for me, the fisheye lens as well as the 60 macro had not been delivered before my trip so I had to use my 12mm prime lens behind the 4.3" dome exclusively for the six dives I did while being there. A macro lens would have been awesome for fish portraits down there but, oh well, next time...

Still, given my lack of experience with full manual mode and external strobes as well as being stuck with the Olympus 12/2 prime for all six dives, I am really pleased with the setup. I can definately see the potential that this setup can deliver. I am very happy with my purchase

 

(all attached pictures are only marginally cropped, if at all)

[fatky90 4]

I recently received the 12-50 port and it's a nice piece - perfect for what I'm looking for, allows me to keep a really low profile and carry around only one lens and one port with me everywhere I go. I probably lose some quality but the extra opportunities / adaptability it allows me is worth it. I'll get it in the water with some pelagics soon and will post the results, but here are some from this summer (Reef was kind enough to lend me a 14-42 in the meantime!)

 

I had some problems with my z240 this year and so was strobe-less for the season, so all the photos are ambient light (except the sculpin - was lit up with a dive light) and just bumped ISO. High ISO performance is great, the tuna was darting in and out and I was at around 30 feet, but still managed to freeze him with decent quality.

 

None of the photos are cropped, all post processed:

(it was a very pinniped-heavy year)

 

Overall I'm very pleased with the camera, the IBIS system is awesome for doing any kind of active video shooting, and the whole rig (camera PLUS housing) is light and small enough for me to even take backpacking (something I would never have considered with my old 40d/hugy). I had a bit of buyers remorse after comparing video specs on similar 4/3 cameras, but I'd have to say the image stabilization was the deal sealer after the results came through - I can walk around canyons and trek through water and with a little bit of effort the footage comes out as if on a moving pan-head.

You can imagine the same benefits this results in underwater.

[troporobo 245]

I love the seal in the kelp forest - what a great shot! Between that and the garibaldi, I'm guessing Catalina?

[Alex_Tattersall 90]

The photos on this thread are amazing!

[decimal86 0]

 

frogfish@lembeh Straits, Indonesia

 

 

the 'lure' at the end of its fishing rod..

 

OMD with 12-50mm in a Nauticam housing Inon Z240 strobes.

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

Reef says that I am NEXT IN LINE for the 12-50 port. Yeaaaa! Should be in next week and I can also deploy my 60mm macro. I want to join the posters and their great photos on this thread and will post some soon!

[Alex_Tattersall 90]

Well, you inspired me to take out the Nauticam EM5 today in the Sea of Cortez. These were with the 8mm Panasonic Fisheye and 2x YS-D1

 

 

Edited November 22, 2012 by Alex_Tattersall

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Finally joined the club. Here is a photo of my OM-D from today with the 8mm Panasonic.

 

 

I also did a short dive today with the 12-50mm in my 60mm port, which worked well - although it was fixed focal length, so I could not zoom. That setup definitely benefitted from quite a strong dioptre if not using the macro mode as the close focus is not great.

 

Shot the 60mm yesterday (with FIT +5, FIT + 16 and Subsee +10 dioptres - all worked well, although the strongest, the Subsee was more than you need). Still not sure on my preferred apertures for macro shooting with the 60mm - there is so much depth of field!

 

Alex

[deepbluemd 9]

Alex,

I am just curious about your decision regarding the center ball mount for your strobes and lack of traditional tray and handles on your new OM-D rig. I just ordered the E-M5 camera, Nauti housing, lenses and ports myself but I went with the Flexitray as well. I guess coming from a D7000 and Nauti system it seemed most natural for me to have handles and ball mounts for my s-2000s or z240s.

 

So I'm wondering if you really found the E-M5 small enough to dive and operate like a point and shoot with hand strap?

Does the top mounting point seem sturdy enough to support the weight and forces of dual strobes, both above and below water?

Do the short strobe arms allow the freedom and flexibility to get the lighting you want?

 

Certainly the way you have things configured, it appears to be the most compact way to enjoy dual strobes for the camera. Anyway, I was just wondering, given your experience diving with the system already, if you could expand on your rationale and ergonomic design. Other opinions are certainly invited as well. If others concur that a tray is unnecessary, or even undesired, it might help me save a couple hundred bucks by returning the flexitray.

 

thanks

 

Hugh

 

(also, thanks to Phil Rudin and his sage advice steering me in the direction of the oly/nauti system. My gear is still in shipping but having read all the enthusiastic posts here, and seeing some superb images, I'm jazzed about this decision)

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I'd say a tray is better than mounting from the center ball. I was just trying to build an ultra-compact rig. Bear in mind that this is a second rig for me - so less parts/weight for travel is advantageous.

 

Positioning strobes via the three way clamp is not ideal - it is hard to move one and not the other!

 

I was happy with this arm set up for wide angle (8mm) and with the 12-50mm (fixed zoom), but it was not ideal for macro (60mm), being a bit limiting at times. I think I will use double jointed sections for the 60mm and then the singles as shown for the other lenses. This is an example shot from (my one dive with) the 60mm (here with a +16 FIT dioptre - this nudi was super-tiny) - and I was not able to get the strobes exactly where I wanted for this shot - it is fine - but not perfect lighting.

 

 

I am certainly very happy holding the housing directly, with the strap. I really like using it like this.

 

Alex

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Here is the only photo I can find of the camera from the macro dive. Apologies for my rather scruffy appearance - my dive gear here is mainly my own hand-me-downs (although I did bring my main drysuit out here - as my old drysuit has a leak in the butt, which is annoying and a little embarrassing).

 

 

You can see that the rig is very compact like this. Eleonora says it looks as if either my camera has shrunk or I am a giant.

 

Alex

[Phil Rudin 461]

Like Alex I use the NA-EM5 housing without the tray some of the time. I go without the grips for macro with the 45 and 60 macro using an Athena ring flash with the sending unit mounted to the extra ball post on top of the housing. I also remove the right hand grip while shooting some macro with my two Inon Z-240 strobes, this allows me to get the lens very close to the bottom when shooting in vertical/portrait. I would not give up the Flex-grip, it works very well for everything else and can be adjusted for hand size and gloves. It also gives you extra mounting points for focusing lights and more.

 

Phil Rudin

[deepbluemd 9]

Excellent advice all round. As my second rig, and one the Mrs may be shooting (if she can pry it out of my fingers), I was thinking about a minimalist approach for weight and bulk as well. Discovered flying in and around the indopacific that airlines often weigh and charge you for carry on gear..so I think I'll order a hand strap for the mini version, but keep the flexitray for full performance mode.

 

cheers

 

Hugh

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I think that's the right call, Hugh.

 

Just to clarify - I don't have the tray. Cost was another consideration for me - as the price quickly builds up when putting these systems together. If money was no object I would have definitely got the tray at the 12-50mm port, but I had already spent enough on the OM-D and housing.

 

But I definitely recommend others use the tray as their main option for attaching strobes and get the 12-50mm port too - it is very versatile and optically impressive.

 

Alex

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

My 12-50 port is here!!! Just assembled it at Reef and took it for a spin in the store. This looks like the best, most versatile "general purpose" shooting lens imaginable. The angle of view at 24mm is quite wide, and the macro is very close, and very high magnification, much more so than any other kit zoom I have ever seen. It is a very complex set-up but operation is quite simple once you have it installed. Kudos to the folks at Nauticam for mastering this so-very versatile lens in their housing.

 

Hopefully will take it underwater this week, but in any event I will be in Curacao giving it a thorough workout (along with the 60 macro and 7-14 pany).

[Alex_Mustard 0]

Help! I can't update the firmware on my OM-D because it won't talk to my computer when connected via the USB. Anyone got a solution?

 

Alex

[troporobo 245]

This may or may not apply, but with mine there was a two stage process, requiring first an upgrade to an earlier version before the final upgrade. It might be worth checking the sequence depending on which firmware is already installed. Hope this helps

[Deep6 7]

Help! I can't update the firmware on my OM-D because it won't talk to my computer when connected via the USB. Anyone got a solution?

 

Alex

 

I though you had updated the camera's firmware to 1.5. I did on a Windows 7 box without any problems. I checked the the Olympus site and they do not have the latest version listed. http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_support_downloads.asp?id=1583&os=w

 

1.2 was a bomb. You want to go to 1.3 and then 1.5.

 

43rumors reports that there may be a new update in December.

 

Did you install the Oly software on your machine? The Oly updater s/w may be required.

 

Regards,

Bob

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I have the software on my computer - but when I plug in the camera it does not come up. :-(

 

My camera is stuck on Firmware 1.2 and I can't update it. V. annoying.

 

Alex

[Deep6 7]

Help! I can't update the firmware on my OM-D because it won't talk to my computer when connected via the USB. Anyone got a solution?

 

Alex

 

Ooo! I am working on my second cup and now I remember I did have a problem with the E-M5 communicating with the computer. It was a sequencing error. The problem is my memory or lack there of. I think starting the Oly program first and then plugging in the camera via USB may work.

 

Bob

[Deep6 7]

I have the software on my computer - but when I plug in the camera it does not come up. :-(

 

My camera is stuck on Firmware 1.2 and I can't update it. V. annoying.

 

Alex

 

Bollocks! I when from 1.1 to 1.3 and then 1.5. Oly recalled 1.2. Unfortunately, you can not revert to 1.1. In dpreview mentioned that Oly offered an update from 1.2 to ..., but I can not find the link.

 

Bob

[Alex_Mustard 0]

My camera came like this direct from Olympus - I've never been able to update it.

 

I can't believe it is a computer memory issue - I have a fair bit on my machines.

 

Alex