Olympus OM-D E-M5

[Alex_Tattersall 90]

You can get a longer hand strap option if your hands are too large for the standard one.

[Jock 14]

Bart,

 

I feel the same. The handstrap IMHO is too wishy-washy, and a right hand grip doesn't do a much better job: It has been constructed for housings with a lever at the side, which you can operate with your index finger when holding the grip. But on the OM-D housing the shutter release is on top. I ended up holding the housing with my hand and using the handle as a support. Not comfortable.

 

For my old Nikonos RS there was a "wrist support" made by ULCS

http://www.ulcs.com/images/DSCN0242.jpg

That one was just perfect! With this device my hand and wrist never got tired. The whole rig just lay perfectly on the back of my hand, and there was no need to "grab" or "hold" the camera actively, it just safely "hung". A similar device is available for Inon housings, but from the pics on their page I feel that it is not perfect - the "curvature" is not right (not enough space in the upper part).

 

I sent an email to Edward Lai from Nauticam with the specs of my my old RS handle; he replied that it looks promising and that he would start engeneering some prototype samples. Hopefully, sooner or later they will be available!

 

Jock

 

Here is a Photoshop-Solution to illustrate what I mean:

Edited June 12, 2013 by Jock

[edtv75 0]

EDTV,

 

Great pictures with the 60 mm. Do you have the 45 macro and if so, do you use it much as the 60 looks so good?

 

I am trying to decide if I should buy the 60 and thr 45 or just the 45???

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

I don't have the 45...60 is enough for me with a diopter.

[MarkB 2]

I don't have the 45...60 is enough for me with a diopter.

 

Thanks. I did purchase just the 60 mm and the diopter also. I will decide after using the 60 mm lens if I have a need for the 45.

[Glasseye Snapper 47]

Thanks Jock & Alex,

 

For now I will just take the strap off and do without as it is just in the way and I didn't really need it. Although the housing was distinctly negative (it also carries an iTorch and no buoyancy enhancers) I had no trouble hand holding it 4 dives a day for 2 weeks. However, I would consider your solution as it doesn't block access to the Fn2 button and it does help if you want to hold the housing with just your right hand.

 

Another little thing that tripped me up a few times is that I accidentally switched off the camera during the dive. The on/off switch can use a bit more resistance.

 

Here are some images from the trip

12-50mm kit lens at 12mm, F8, ISO 200

 

at 50mm, F11, ISO 200

 

40mm, F8, ISO 200. Cropped but it still amazed me to be able to see eyes and swim bladder of these anemonefish eggs without use of diopter.

 

60mm macro, F8, ISO 200. Cropped. Recently settled damselfish.

 

Bart

 

 

 

[fatky90 4]

Hey Guys!

Has anyone figured out a way to lower the output of the little clip-on flash, so that I can fire with flash in more rapid succession? I'm feeling limited by the refresh rate (feels like 2-2.5 seconds but I couldn't find a stat) of the on-board flash, since the strobes can definitely fire much faster then that.

 

Would love any suggestions!

[Phil Rudin 446]

Manual mode 1/64th power for fastest recycle.

[troporobo 237]

Interresting point. I am not sure that I understand the relationship between the camera flash settings and sTTL on my Inon S2000 strobes. When I have tried to use manual mode with the Oly clip on flash as you describe, the Inon's also reduce output drastically and I get very dark exposures. In other words the camera setting seems to control the strobe output as well. Does setting the camera flash to manual mean that I also need to switch the Inons to manual?

 

I know I need to get to the point where I get better exposures with all manual seetings, and am working on that, but I have to say that the sTTL function on the Inons (with the camera flash set to Fill) is giving me very good results

[Phil Rudin 446]

Perhaps I was not clear, on board flash in manual at 1/64th power and strobes set to manual, the question did not say anything about S-TTL. This will speed up recycle time for the on board strobe which is much slower than most U/W strobes in manual or TTL.

[glee719 6]

Phil is right, if you lower the output it will also lower the output of your external strobes because the S-TTL sensor received a lesser signal. If you want to have faster refresh, then you have to be in manual mode on the strobes. OM-D has a pretty good battery life and I can usually get 2 dives out of each fully charged battery. However, refresh time for onboard flash can't be fixed.

[audsred 5]

Hi Guys,

 

I have an Olympus 9-18 lens am interested in buying the Pan 8mm fisheye lens and was wondering if there is a dome port that would with both? Have you tried the 9-18 in the 3.5 port? Which would you recommend the 3.5 vs the 4.33?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Audrey

[Deep6 7]

Hi Guys,

 

I have an Olympus 9-18 lens am interested in buying the Pan 8mm fisheye lens and was wondering if there is a dome port that would with both? Have you tried the 9-18 in the 3.5 port? Which would you recommend the 3.5 vs the 4.33?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Audrey

Why not check this out with a Nauti dealer like Reef Photo Video or Nauticam USA? Maybe the 4.33" port, 36132 with an extension may work for the 9-18.

Bob

[Phil Rudin 446]

You could also just go to Nauticamusa.com and download the port charts which clearly show that the Nauticam four inch port is the only port recommended for the 9-18 zoom. To use a port which is not recommended should result in a falloff in image quality. The lens should also work well with the ZEN Underwater 170 mm optical glass port with an extension. That port however will NOT work with the 8 mm.

 

Phil Rudin

[audsred 5]

Hi Phil & Bob,

 

Thanks for the input - I have looked at the chart on Nauticam's website - but I would like to only buy one port if possible as I travel with my camera and want to keep it lite as possible not to mention the cost. Since I live in MN there isn't any way to 'rent' and try lens so I am trying to find out what ports others have tried with the two lenses.

 

Thanks,

Audrey

[Deep6 7]

Hi Phil & Bob,

 

Thanks for the input - I have looked at the chart on Nauticam's website - but I would like to only buy one port if possible as I travel with my camera and want to keep it lite as possible not to mention the cost. Since I live in MN there isn't any way to 'rent' and try lens so I am trying to find out what ports others have tried with the two lenses.

 

Thanks,

Audrey

Hi Audrey,

Phil is VERY knowable about the Oly & Nauti systems. Please heed his advice.

Bob

[Jock 14]

Hi Phil & Bob,

 

Thanks for the input - I have looked at the chart on Nauticam's website - but I would like to only buy one port if possible as I travel with my camera and want to keep it lite as possible not to mention the cost. Since I live in MN there isn't any way to 'rent' and try lens so I am trying to find out what ports others have tried with the two lenses.

 

Thanks,

Audrey

 

One port - multiple (wide angle) lenses: Everybody has that wish - but you cannot cheat the physical laws!

 

I use the 8mm Panasonic fisheye with the 3.5'' port. For me (!) it works perfect. The full pic has benn auto-corrected with Irfan View, the other pic is an unprocessed 100% crop of the lower right corner from the original RAW file (which I cannot attach, so it is jpg with highest quality setting).

 

Greetings, Jock

Edited June 19, 2013 by Jock

[jdiver 1]

If you're going to limit yourself to one port, an option would be to use prime lenses in the 4.33" dome port. The 8mm FE, 12mm, 45mm, and

sigma 19mm all work in that port. No zoom gears or port extensions to fuss with. The downside is you are stuck with one focal length for the dive.

 

cheers

Jon

[Draq 114]

I know how you feel, but...

 

If you really, really need to stick with one port, and your prime interest is wide angle, then I would opt for either the 8mm fisheye in the 3.5 or 4.33 port, or the 7-14 in the 6" port. Of course you could also use just stick with the lens you have and the 4" port. The advantage to that would be that you could also use the 12-50 lens in that port, but then there is a fair bit of overlap in those lenses. I think this option is quite a compromise.

 

By the time you add up housing, tray, arms, strobes and so on, one more small port and small lens is not that much more space.

 

Since you already have the 9-18 and presumably like it, and because of $$ issues, and assuming your main interest is wide angle, I would suggest you add the 3.5" dome for the 8mm. It and the lens are both pretty small, very light and as ports go,the 3.5" is relatively inexpensive. If space is a big issue you could pretty much put the 9-18 and the 8mm in padded pouches in a couple coat pockets and then just pack the housing and port and other stuff.

 

Alternatively, as was already suggested, you can go with the 4.3 dome and the 8mm fisheye and 12mm rectilinear. Both excellent lenses, but not as flexible as a zoom.

 

ps: I don't believe Nauticam lists the 45mm as working properly in the 4.33 port, but I have no personal knowledge of that combo.

[Glasseye Snapper 47]

If you wondered why my footer still lists the Canon 20D and Ikelite housing after all the talk about my OM-D setup, then perhaps you can help me. I updated the equipment section of my profile after I received my new system a few months ago, but my posts still show the old information. The profile does show the correct info for the new setup. I asked this question a while ago in the "contact us" page of wetpixel but without reply, so hopefully one of you or a moderator can tell me how to get this to work.

 

Bart

[Steve Williams 0]

Hi Bart,

Try going to "My Settings" on the profile page and update the "Signature" (third down). That should work.

 

Cheers,

Steve

[glee719 6]

Has anyone tried the Zen glass dome port on Nauticam m4/3 housing? I am not too happy with the Nauticam acrylic dome and I want to see if the Zen port is worth the upgrade.

 

http://reefphoto.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80_148_149&products_id=6302

[Draq 114]

I have not used it so cannot comment, but I am curious..in what way have you been unhappy with the Nauticam dome?

[Phil Rudin 446]

Glee,

 

I have the ZEN Underwater 170mm port and I have tested it with the Nauticam EM5 and NEX5r housings and a verity of lenses. I will have a full review of the port in the next issue of UWPMAG.com in July. I used the 20mm port extension with the Panasonic 7-14 zoom.

 

I have posted some thoughts and a few photos on Scubaboard in a thread in the Olympus forum.

 

Phil Rudin

[divingdoc 2]

Nauticam Macro Port Lens Caps---Looose!

 

I have just purchased an O-M5 with a Nauticam housing. The macro ports come with these lens caps that keep falling off. I haven't even taken them diving yet, but the I'm afraid to take them on the boat because the port glass would be unprotected. Moving down from a Subal ND20, I'm a little miffed about this. Does anyone have any ideas or leads to other port covers for the 12-50 and 65 mm ports?

[Phil Rudin 446]

The Nauticam cap is for storage only. I use a beer can cozy cut down to cover the macro and 12-50 ports.