OMD - Olympus or Nauticam housing advice

[Alex_Mustard 0]

I ordered one of the gears from Austria. I'll report on how it works when it arrives. And assuming it is here in time, be able to try it in Cayman next week.

 

Alex

[derway 2]

Which ports and lenses will you be using Alex?

[Karl 7]

Oliver,

 

Here are a couple of photos from the dives on the weekend with the 60mm lens in the Nauticam housing.

 

The Seahorse is the one we saw on the ropes at the Rockingham Wreck Trail:

 

 

The second one is from the Ammo Jetty from yesterday's dive:

 

 

For both dives the vis was about 3m with lots of silt and floaty bits in the water - so I think the camera and lens did okay under the circumstances.

 

Karl

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

Here are a couple with the pany 45mm in a nauti port. This was the very first (and only) dive I have had the chance to make. All of these were shot at the Blue Heron Bridge and all the subjects were about 1" to 3" in size. There is a garden eel, mantis shrimp, seaweed blenny, and hermit crab.

 

Glad to be finally contributing some shots!

[Jock 14]

If you have a look at the recent posts and views in this forum, the Oly OM-D is really HOTTER THAN HOT! What a shame that there are only two housings on the market... At the Photokina I asked Rolf Sempert from Subal if they have a housing in the pipeline, the answer was no. Of course there are soooo many new cameras every 6 months or so, and no manufacturer can hold up, but it seems that many of them miss a big opportunity.

 

Back to the topic: Mumbat, at the Photokina I held the Olympus and the Nauticam housing physically in my hands. There is a saying that you get what you pay for, but here it is wrong: With the Nauticam you get more and with the Oly you get much (!!) less than what you pay for!

 

If you cannot afford the Nauticam right now, save some more money and wait - you will not not regret it.

 

Jock

[deepbluemd 9]

Like Alex, I'm thinking about ordering a D&D 12-50 Oly zoom gear for the Nauti housing as well. My rationale is that while I'm predominantly a dedicated WA (Pan 8mm) or Macro shooter (oly 60mm), there may be times I'll be interested in trying the 12-50, and yet I'm not really intrigued enough to drop $800 on the complex Nauti port. I've watched the video that accompanies the assembly, and all the screws and complexity of it made me even less inclined to go that route. On the other hand, a digi dive 12-50 zoom gear, that would fit inside my 60 mm macro port, and let me shoot the 12-50, seems both economical while at the same time offering flexibility. Given that the 12-50 is fun to shoot topside, there wouldn't be as much hassle getting it in and out of a zoom port, and I actually like how fast it autofocuses. Plus I've seen some nice shots taken with it, and it could be fun to take down when you have absolutely no idea what you're gonna see. For others similarly interested, the price is 79 Euros at unterwasser kamera (no sales tax for shipping stateside), but 30 Euros for shipping. With current conversion rates, thats about 142 bucks. Not bad for being able to house that lens.....provided that it works.

 

[Deep6 7]

Like Alex, I'm thinking about ordering a D&D 12-50 Oly zoom gear for the Nauti housing as well. My rationale is that while I'm predominantly a dedicated WA (Pan 8mm) or Macro shooter (oly 60mm), there may be times I'll be interested in trying the 12-50, and yet I'm not really intrigued enough to drop $800 on the complex Nauti port. I've watched the video that accompanies the assembly, and all the screws and complexity of it made me even less inclined to go that route. On the other hand, a digi dive 12-50 zoom gear, that would fit inside my 60 mm macro port, and let me shoot the 12-50, seems both economical while at the same time offering flexibility. Given that the 12-50 is fun to shoot topside, there wouldn't be as much hassle getting it in and out of a zoom port, and I actually like how fast it autofocuses. Plus I've seen some nice shots taken with it, and it could be fun to take down when you have absolutely no idea what you're gonna see. For others similarly interested, the price is 79 Euros at unterwasser kamera (no sales tax for shipping stateside), but 30 Euros for shipping. With current conversion rates, thats about 142 bucks. Not bad for being able to house that lens.....provided that it works.

 

 

I believe Dr. Mustard is the guinea pig

 

Bob

[Numbat 0]

Oliver,

 

Here are a couple of photos from the dives on the weekend with the 60mm lens in the Nauticam housing.

 

The Seahorse is the one we saw on the ropes at the Rockingham Wreck Trail:

 

Karl

 

Cheers Karl. Looking great. Can't wait to get mine. I ordered the OM-D Panasonic 45mm and two new strobes (Sea & Sea YS-01) with the TTL and focus lights. This Saturday after the dive I'll get the Nauticam housing and port. Also new tray and arms. Big credit card dent for sure......

 

It should be a huge improvement over the G12, and the crappy stiff Fantasea arms.

[Numbat 0]

Here are a couple with the pany 45mm in a nauti port.

 

How did you find focusing? Unlike the Olympus 60mm it doesn't have a focus limiter to macro only and am worried it will hunt a bit in close ups.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

the Oly OM-D is really HOTTER THAN HOT! What a shame that there are only two housings on the market... At the Photokina I asked Rolf Sempert from Subal if they have a housing in the pipeline, the answer was no.

There is a saying that you get what you pay for, but here it is wrong: With the Nauticam you get more and with the Oly you get much (!!) less than what you pay for!

 

My understanding is that Subal would have loved to make a housing for the OM-D. They already make some housings for the Panasonic M43 cameras. But since the OM-D was released after the D800, D4 and 5DM3, Subal were busy with them and knew that the wouldn't get a OM-D housing to market until early 2013 (especially as 2012 was also a transition year for Subal, the first under a new boss).

But I think when Olympus makes a second OM-D camera, remember the EM-5 is just the first in this new line, like the first PEN a few years ago, I think Subal will consider it very seriously.

I too definitely prefer the Nauticam housing to the Olympus housing. It feels super solid and has many really neat features.

 

Like Alex, I'm thinking about ordering a D&D 12-50 Oly zoom gear for the Nauti housing as well. My rationale is that while I'm predominantly a dedicated WA (Pan 8mm) or Macro shooter (oly 60mm), there may be times I'll be interested in trying the 12-50, and yet I'm not really intrigued enough to drop $800 on the complex Nauti port.

 

This is exactly my rationale too. I will get a chance to test the zoom gear when I am in Grand Cayman during the next couple of weeks. I'll share the results on the forum and try and write up something formally too.

 

I believe Dr. Mustard is the guinea pig

 

Undeniable.

 

Alex

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

How did you find focusing? Unlike the Olympus 60mm it doesn't have a focus limiter to macro only and am worried it will hunt a bit in close ups.

 

Focusing of the 45 was very fast compared to my old E-PL2. Remember, focusing speed is pretty much a function of the camera as opposed to the lens (so long as the mechanics in the lens are similar, such as USM high-speed motors, which both the 45 and 60 have). EM-5 has much faster focus algorithims and it really shows.

 

There is some hunting at ultra-close ranges, but I don't think the 60mm (or any other lens) really hunts much less. Hunting is just somethign to live with and work around at ultra-close range. You can see that the lens delivers very well.

 

Also, on my 60mm, I NEVER engage the macro limiter as you are stuck with that range during the dive. What if some nice fish or other larger subject swims by? I always keep things on full range. The only thing I miss is not being able to use the "instant 1:1" button which would be VERY handy for macro shooting, but you can't have everything. Maybe Nauti will make some high-tech port that will allow it . . . .

[deepbluemd 9]

Focusing of the 45 was very fast compared to my old E-PL2. Remember, focusing speed is pretty much a function of the camera as opposed to the lens (so long as the mechanics in the lens are similar, such as USM high-speed motors, which both the 45 and 60 have). EM-5 has much faster focus algorithims and it really shows.. . . .

 

On the dpreview guide to the EM-5, the photogs say that their testing shows that faster autofocusing by the camera can be achieved by changing the frame rate of the viewfinder. This can be found under the Custom section J.

 

See the guide via the link below for a detailed illustration of how to do this but you basically just change the frame rate from Normal to High. Coroander notes in the UW Settings post that this may diminish the ability of the display to show shadow/highlight info but when shooting moving subjects (eg. little speedy fish) I'm in favor of achieving focus as fast as possible. I haven't done any formal testing but just walking around shooting household stuff with the Oly 60mm macro lens, it does seem to focus quicker.

http://www.dpreview....s-e-m5/2/#Func3

 

And I'm with GHP on the limiter switch, unless you are specifically planning on shooting nudis or something small and predictable, I'd prefer not to engage the macro limiter. It seems very frustrating to wait for the lens hunt all the way in and out, only to fail to focus because the subject is outside the range limits.

[troporobo 251]

. . . faster autofocusing by the camera can be achieved by changing the frame rate of the viewfinder.

 

Interesting, I will have to try this. One question: would this apply only when using the EVF, or also when using the LCD screen? It seems a dumb question, but then, I can't quite understand how the EVF frame rate would affect AF

 

I ask because the EVF through the Nauticam housing does not seem compatible with my prescription mask, presenting a view that is way too tiny to be useful. Still trying to figure out what to do about that (short of adding the replacement window and external viewfinder, which is a $1000+ upgrade)

[Numbat 0]

So.... Got the housing, port and 45mm Leica. OM-D will be here in a couple of days.

 

I can't find a decent tray that I like. The Fantasea I had doesn't fit. The Nauticam flexitray is over engineered, too many bolts and pieces, and feels too flexible, not rigid.

 

I bought an iDas tray which doesn't fit either. Right way up won't fit because of the lip, and upside down I can't fit the extensions.

 

I want one that can adjust the tray extensions downwards with a spacers like the UCLS one, but both sides, not right hand side only. I like it to be symmetrical.

 

I won't be needing ball joints as I'll be using a pair of loc-line arms with the tray.

 

 

[Nicool 30]

Interesting, I will have to try this. One question: would this apply only when using the EVF, or also when using the LCD screen? It seems a dumb question, but then, I can't quite understand how the EVF frame rate would affect AF

 

I ask because the EVF through the Nauticam housing does not seem compatible with my prescription mask, presenting a view that is way too tiny to be useful. Still trying to figure out what to do about that (short of adding the replacement window and external viewfinder, which is a $1000+ upgrade)

By the way, I don't understand why people seem to prefer shooting the OM-D via the viewfinder underwater.

The ability to use a large (tiltable!) screen, that is visible from a distance, to take pictures looks quite appealing to me, at least it's something I've envied to compact photographers quite often.

Can someone enlighten me?

[deepbluemd 9]

By the way, I don't understand why people seem to prefer shooting the OM-D via the viewfinder underwater.

The ability to use a large (tiltable!) screen, that is visible from a distance, to take pictures looks quite appealing to me, at least it's something I've envied to compact photographers quite often.

Can someone enlighten me?

 

Nicool,

I agree with you. I have a Nauticam Viewfinder ($1K) for a D7000 rig but I don't plan to use it on the OMD/Nauticam system. There may be occasional instances where bright light or glare may make bringing an eye close to the VF a necessity, for the vast majority of the time, having a compact system with Live View on the tilted LCD makes the most sense. If you want to see real focus, the magnify/teleconverter modes will help with this. The whole point of this system, at least IMHO, is that its a smaller lighter system. If I want to start adding a bunch of accessories, I may as use well the bigger bulkier D7000.

 

With regard to the post above, about increasing the autofocus speed, the setting to accomplish this is with the frame rate for the EVF, but its unclear to me whether this adjustment will increase focus speed irrespective of EVF vs OLED monitor, or if it only applies to the EVF mode.

[Nicool 30]

Nicool,

I agree with you. I have a Nauticam Viewfinder ($1K) for a D7000 rig but I don't plan to use it on the OMD/Nauticam system. There may be occasional instances where bright light or glare may make bringing an eye close to the VF a necessity, for the vast majority of the time, having a compact system with Live View on the tilted LCD makes the most sense. If you want to see real focus, the magnify/teleconverter modes will help with this. The whole point of this system, at least IMHO, is that its a smaller lighter system. If I want to start adding a bunch of accessories, I may as use well the bigger bulkier D7000.

 

With regard to the post above, about increasing the autofocus speed, the setting to accomplish this is with the frame rate for the EVF, but its unclear to me whether this adjustment will increase focus speed irrespective of EVF vs OLED monitor, or if it only applies to the EVF mode.

If it applies to both, the OM-D would get an even better AF! What a camera

 

Focusing of the 45 was very fast compared to my old E-PL2. Remember, focusing speed is pretty much a function of the camera as opposed to the lens (so long as the mechanics in the lens are similar, such as USM high-speed motors, which both the 45 and 60 have). EM-5 has much faster focus algorithims and it really shows.

 

There is some hunting at ultra-close ranges, but I don't think the 60mm (or any other lens) really hunts much less. Hunting is just somethign to live with and work around at ultra-close range. You can see that the lens delivers very well.

 

Also, on my 60mm, I NEVER engage the macro limiter as you are stuck with that range during the dive. What if some nice fish or other larger subject swims by? I always keep things on full range. The only thing I miss is not being able to use the "instant 1:1" button which would be VERY handy for macro shooting, but you can't have everything. Maybe Nauti will make some high-tech port that will allow it . . . .

 

It would be great to have everything

Might be a dumb question, but couldn't the switch to "focus limited mode" be controlled by the menus of the camera? I mean, does it have to be via a switch on the lens itself? Olympus are definitely following the underwater usage of their cameras, so I could only dream of a firmware upgrade where they would enable the ability to change the focusing range of your lens via the menus during the dive, and... focus peaking control?

Come on Olympus! It's Christmas soon!

[deepbluemd 9]

 

Might be a dumb question, but couldn't the switch to "focus limited mode" be controlled by the menus of the camera? I mean, does it have to be via a switch on the lens itself? Olympus are definitely following the underwater usage of their cameras, so I could only dream of a firmware upgrade where they would enable the ability to change the focusing range of your lens via the menus during the dive, and... focus peaking control?

 

 

“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?” (Robert Browning)

[derway 2]

My reading, of all the reviews and so on, is that the camera acts no differently with the EVF versus the LCD, since both are feed by the same hardware and software. So, selecting fast frame rate, will increase the AF speed, in both modes.

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

How do you set the fast frame rate? When I went into my menu that option was grayed out and not accessible (Firmware 1.5)

 

Thanks!

[guyharrisonphoto 21]

By the way, I don't understand why people seem to prefer shooting the OM-D via the viewfinder underwater.

The ability to use a large (tiltable!) screen, that is visible from a distance, to take pictures looks quite appealing to me, at least it's something I've envied to compact photographers quite often.

Can someone enlighten me?

 

I am in the VF camp. I am over 50 and have great distance vision so a prescription mask is out of the question for me. the LCD is not visible and is very fuzzy. The "apparent" image through the finder is bigger and, of course, not subject to glare. Also, I was never fond of holding a camera unsteadily out in front of me while trying to check critical focus on the screen. Just does not cut it, for may.

 

But, is is bigger and heavier, absolutely. will I ever do without it, NEVER!! If I want to freedive with dolphins, I can use the standard viewfinder. Most other situations, thought, I find the external finder very worth it.

 

Oh, almost forgot, it is essential for low macro subjects to keep you off the bottom.

[troporobo 251]

I have used a single-vision prescription mask for distance vision for 15 years, and used to be able to use the LCD screen just fine. But just last year I went to a bifocal mask as I could no longer read the screen perfectly clearly. Now its great, but the image through a viewfinder is minuscule. Maybe I need a different optic to compensate for my new closeup vision. Does anyone here use a viewfinder with such a mask?

[coroander 16]

troporobo, the EVF image appears at about 1m, so best not to use the closeup part of your bifocals. Best thing to do is put on your mask and look through the top (distance) part of the mask at the EVF and then adjust the diopter on the left side of the EVF until you see the EVF perfectly clearly. This same diopter setting will also work with bifocal or progressive glasses on land (just look through the top part of your lenses.)

Edited December 11, 2012 by coroander

[coroander 16]

I note that for the viewfinder crowd, when you press the menu button, the menu appears on the back OLED, but if you tap the EVF lever, the menu will switch to the EVF.

[Alex_Mustard 0]

The 12-50mm zoom gear finally caught up with me in Cayman, hope to try it tomorrow afternoon with the 60mm port. Will report how it works.

 

 

Fitting the gear was very simple. Just slide on and secure with the wide rubber band, which holds the gear tight to the lens.

 

Alex