Decided on a new micro 4/3 setup now need help deciding on which camera?

[troporobo 252]

Please explain what you mean by "sensor goes into diffraction limit". AFAIK, lenses diffract, sensors do not.

 

Also, I don't mean to be unkind, but what on earth did you do to that photo in post? I am quite sure I have never seen saturation or contrast like that near a moray, and the background looks more like motion blur than bokeh even for f6.3. I'm a huge fan of Olympus IBIS (and have shot hand held at 300mm successfully using it) but I don't think it worked for you this time. FWIW this is what a moray looks like to me using ambient light (thought this was about 5m on a very bright sunny day):

 

[kstokell 4]

So after a lot of thought and research here is my current choice still a couple of months to change my mind of course, what do you think?

 

- EM5 mkII + internal strobe

- Sea & Sea housing + Handles, shutter trigger, and leak sensor

- 2 x Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes + Arms, optical cables, etc.

- Olympus MSC ED M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (for macro and portrait use)

- Sea & Sea port for 60mm macro lens

- CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

- Olympus M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens (for wide angle and general use)

- Sea & Sea Port for 7-14mm lens ??????????

- Sea and Sea 1.2x 45 Degree Viewfinder

- Batteries and chargers for strobes

- Housing Lanyard

- anything else I need ?????????

 

Not sue what port I will need for the 7-14mm f/2.8 lens does anyone know, also unsure as to whether to go with the Sea & Sea or Nauticam housing?

[Draq 135]

I was unaware that Sea & Sea even made a housing for the E-M5II. I don't think I have ever seen anyone discussing it. I would be a little concerned about buying into their system, since it appears they do not offer housings for the E-M5 or E-M1, and have very limited port offerings.

 

If it were me, I would go with a Nauticam housing and ports and Inon strobes.

[EspenB 15]

So after a lot of thought and research here is my current choice still a couple of months to change my mind of course, what do you think?

 

- EM5 mkII + internal strobe

- Sea & Sea housing + Handles, shutter trigger, and leak sensor

- 2 x Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes + Arms, optical cables, etc.

- Olympus MSC ED M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (for macro and portrait use)

- Sea & Sea port for 60mm macro lens

- CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

- Olympus M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens (for wide angle and general use)

- Sea & Sea Port for 7-14mm lens ??????????

- Sea and Sea 1.2x 45 Degree Viewfinder

- Batteries and chargers for strobes

- Housing Lanyard

- anything else I need ?????????

 

Not sue what port I will need for the 7-14mm f/2.8 lens does anyone know, also unsure as to whether to go with the Sea & Sea or Nauticam housing?

 

Not supported. http://www.seaandsea.jp/products/system_chart/mdx_olympus.html

 

Seriously for M43 ports nothing beats Nauticam; http://www.nauticam.com/images/catalog/catalog_24.pdf

 

Bear in mind that the Olympus 7-14 PRO needs a expensive and cumbersome solution. The Panasonic 7-14 might be a better option. Or a regular lens with the new WWL-1 wet dome (semi-fisheye).

Edited February 14, 2016 by EspenB

[EspenB 15]

Please explain what you mean by "sensor goes into diffraction limit". AFAIK, lenses diffract, sensors do not.

 

Pixel pitch affects diffraction effects.

[SimonjYates 0]

Really interesting thread as I too am looking at a new 4/3 set up. The look and feel of the Nauticam housings have me sold - now what to fill it with?

Is there really much of a difference from an u/w photographers point of view between the Oly M5 mk 2 and the M10 mk 2?

I am aware of the difference in weatherproofing but any opinions on pluses and minuses for each?

[thetrickster 328]

Or a regular lens with the new WWL-1 wet dome (semi-fisheye).

 

I would whole heartily also suggest (and agree with EspenB) you look at a 14-42mm lens and the WWL-1 Wet lens.

 

Nothing comes close behind a dome on m43, that has the same corner sharpness as the WWL.

[EspenB 15]

 

I would whole heartily also suggest (and agree with EspenB) you look at a 14-42mm lens and the WWL-1 Wet lens.

 

Nothing comes close behind a dome on m43, that has the same corner sharpness as the WWL.

 

On the other hand for split images nothing comes close to the 180 mm glass dome with either Oly or Pana 7-14 ;-)

[kstokell 4]

Thanks for all the quick feedback.

 

So it seems for wide angle the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens is probably not the best choice. Currently I use a fisheye wet lens with a 130 degree angle of view which I actually find too wide, before that I used a Epoque DCL-20 which I believe had a 110 degree coverage which I found much more suitable for the type of pictures I like taking.

 

Bearing this in mind perhaps the Olympus 9-18mm (supposedly 100 degree coverage) behind a 4 inch wide angle port would be my best option for general/wide angle use, does anyone have any experience with this combination?

 

Also the Nauticam housing may be a better option due to the better port support, so my revised list now reads as follows:

 

- EM5 mkII + internal strobe

- Nuaticam housing (NAU-17809) + Handles, shutter trigger, and leak sensor

- 2 x Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes + Arms, optical cables, etc.

- Olympus MSC ED M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (for macro and portrait use)

- Nauticam port (36163) for 60mm macro lens

- Nauticam focus gear (36149) for 60mm macro lens

- CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

- Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 (for general/wide angle use)

- Nuaticam 4.33 Dome Port (36132) for 7-14mm lens

- Nauticam zoom gear(36144) for 7-14mm lens

- Nauticam 45 Degree Viewfinder for MIL Housings

- Batteries and chargers for strobes

What do you think?

[thetrickster 328]

Bearing this in mind perhaps the Olympus 9-18mm (supposedly 100 degree coverage) behind a 4 inch wide angle port would be my best option for general/wide angle use, does anyone have any experience with this combination?

 

What do you think?

I had (a few years ago mind) the 9-18mm behind a Zen dome on a EP05L housing with a EPL3.

 

It was as soft as a soft thing in soft land, even at f7. Definitely cross the 9-18mm off your list.

 

The Oly or Pana 12mm zooms are 84' AoV at their widest (behind a dome) Would that be wide enough for your general lens?

 

 

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[thetrickster 328]

As a side note, that's a super impressive shopping list. Quite a lot of gear all I one go...You sure the 7-14mm fits behind the 4.33" dome (that's normally for the 8mm? )

 

 

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[Draq 135]

I can't speak personally to whether the 7-14 Olympus or WWL-1 will provide better corner sharpness. I have heard those who should know advocate both ideas. On the other hand, the 14-42 is not considered a particularly stellar lens in general and I can't imagine it gets better with the WWL-1 attached. The 7-14 has a modest speed advantage over a 14-42 and is lighter weight under water due to the large dome. The WWL-1 is heavy both in air and water.

 

The WWL-1 and a port for a 14-42 will run about $1300.00. The Nauticam 180mm port and N120 adapter run $1470. Both are two piece sets so I don't one is significantly more awkward or significantly different in price. The 180 port is certainly larger in diameter, though. The big selling point for the WWL-1 for some people is that it can be removed and replaced underwater. Although that is nice in theory, in actual use that doesn't appeal to me.

 

Of course the 7-14 lens itself is quite expensive.

[thetrickster 328]

There is 3 variants of the Panasonic 14-42mm, all with varying image quality.

 

The one I'm using is the 14-42mm ASPH f3.5-5.6 Mk II (and for additional confusion there is two sub variants, one metal mounted, one plastic)

 

For sure its not a 'super' or Pro level lens, but provides nice contrasty images which aren't far off my 12-35mm f2.8 - can't tell them apart. As I've found recently the build quality isn't top notch, but image is fine.

 

Compared to my Panasonic 7-14mm behind a zen 170mm dome. The 14-42mm and WWL offer to me, a massive difference in corner sharpness. Not to mention the addition of OIS. But as the OP is looking at the EM5ii that's a mute point.

 

As Espen points out thou, you won't be getting any spilt shots with the 14-42 combo. :-)

 

Yeah the WWL is heavy in the water. Make sure you got a bit of bungee on it when you detach! Hehe

 

Another option would be to go for the higher end Olympus f2.8 12-40mm ?? (Or 12-50mm. Confused) in a flat port. And just live with the fact it won't work with the WWL until you zoom to 14mm

 

 

 

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[kstokell 4]

Again great feedback, I seem to have a lot of the gear nailed down, now I only need to sort out the wide angle/general purpose setup. I really don't want to go with the WWL, what I'm looking for is a compact widish (100 degree) zoom for general/widish use that fits behind a small dome (4 inch) or flat port.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

[Draq 135]

You can use the 9-18 in a 4" semi dome (curved) port. Someone had good success adding a +2 diopter (dry) to the front of the lens to improve performance. I believe you can also use the 12mm lens in the 3.5 wide angle port with an extension or in the 4.33 port.

 

One other option would be the Panasonic 12-32 in either a flat port or the 3.5 wide angle.

[kstokell 4]

As a side note, that's a super impressive shopping list. Quite a lot of gear all I one go...You sure the 7-14mm fits behind the 4.33" dome (that's normally for the 8mm? )

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It's a lot to buy in one go and that's why I'm trying to get it right. I've been using an RX100 with fisheye and macro wet lenses for three years now and have finally decided to upgrade. Unfortunately no cheap way to upgrade other than buy a whole new setup.

 

You're correct the 7-14mm will not fit behind the 4.33 dome but the 9-18mm fits behind the 4 inch wide angle port (36137), so the list should read:

 

- EM5 mkII + internal strobe

- Nuaticam housing (NAU-17809) + Handles, shutter trigger, and leak sensor

- 2 x Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes + Arms, optical cables, etc.

- Olympus MSC ED M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (for macro and portrait use)

- Nauticam port (36163) for 60mm macro lens

- Nauticam focus gear (36149) for 60mm macro lens

- CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

- Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 (for general/wide angle use)

- Nuaticam 4 inch Wide Angle Port (36137) for 9-18mm lens

- Nauticam zoom gear(36144) for 9-18mm lens

- Nauticam 45 Degree Viewfinder for MIL Housings

- Batteries and chargers for strobes

Edited February 15, 2016 by kstokell

[kstokell 4]

I've priced up my wish list to a total of about USD 8100 and the following is a breakdown of the approximate costs:

 

$900 - EM5 mkII + internal strobe

$2100 - Nuaticam housing (NAU-17809) + Tray, ball mounts, shutter trigger, and leak sensor

$1470 - 2 x Sea & Sea YS-D2 Strobes + Arms, optical cables, etc.

$400 - Olympus MSC ED M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro lens (for macro and portrait use)

$300 - Nauticam port (36163) for 60mm macro lens

$170 - Nauticam focus gear (36149) for 60mm macro lens

$480 - CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

$500 - Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 (for general/wide angle use)

$630 - Nuaticam 4 inch Wide Angle Port (36137) with zoom gear (36144) for 9-18mm lens

$950 - Nauticam 45 Degree Viewfinder for MIL Housings

$100 - Batteries and chargers for strobes, lanyard for housing

Expensive business this underwater photography !

[Draq 135]

Might want a focus light and may or may not need the focus gear for the 60 and if you are going to get the 9-18 and the 4" port, you should search through some older posts for the discussions about adding a diopter to improve image quality. I assume you have something in which to transport all of this stuff, if travel is anticipated?

[thetrickster 328]

Coming from experience. IMHO I still think the 9-18mm is a mistake. Never bothered with diopters, mind, just upgraded to the 7-14mm.

 

Seriously look at one of the zooms starting at 12mm for your general use.

 

The 9-18mm will disappoint

 

 

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[kstokell 4]

I already have a focus/video light, and am still open to discussion regarding my wide angle options. The Panasonic 7-14 is still an option I'm just a little worried about the overall size of the rig with this lens and a 6 inch wide angle port.

 

Thanks for all the help so far.

Edited February 15, 2016 by kstokell

[EspenB 15]

 

I've priced up my wish list to a total of about USD 8100 and the following is a breakdown of the approximate costs:

 

$170 - Nauticam focus gear (36149) for 60mm macro lens

$480 - CMC-1 macro converter with flip mount (for super macro)

 

For stills, seriously auto focus usually is the king. Save the gear!

 

Bear in mind that the 60 mm Oly allready fills the sensor width with a 17 mm long creature. The CMC might not be needed or preferable. The operating range is short with the CMC, ususable focus depth extremely small.

[EspenB 15]

I already have a focus/video light, and am still open to discussion regarding my wide angle options. The Panasonic 7-14 is still an option I'm just a little worried about the overall size of the rig with this lens and a 6 inch wide angle port.

 

You can't get smaller than the Panasonic 8 mm fisheye in the 4,33 inch dome, or the Oly 8 mm fisheye in the same dome with a 20 mm extra extension. If fisheye is a wide option that is. Not everybody likes it.

[EspenB 15]

There is 3 variants of the Panasonic 14-42mm, all with varying image quality.

 

The one I'm using is the 14-42mm ASPH f3.5-5.6 Mk II (and for additional confusion there is two sub variants, one metal mounted, one plastic)

 

It seems that the kit versions of the 14-42 MkII has a plastic mount. The separate boxed version has a metal mount.

 

I was positivly suprised when I bought it in january. The exhibited shop versions was probably all from kits and with plastic mounts.

 

The one I got in the box had metal mount.

[kstokell 4]

 

For stills, seriously auto focus usually is the king. Save the gear!

 

Bear in mind that the 60 mm Oly allready fills the sensor width with a 17 mm long creature. The CMC might not be needed or preferable. The operating range is short with the CMC, ususable focus depth extremely small.

 

Auto focus is nice and the 60mm lens seems to be pretty good, but I'm used to using manual focus with focus peaking which I've found allows me to focus on a particular part of the subject (for instance the eye) whilst the rest remains slightly out of focus. I love super macro and as far as I understand it, the 60mm zoomed to 1:1 and fitted with the CMC-1 will give me 2:1 magnification with an operating distance of 22mm, which although close is doable.

 

Here is an example of an "eye shot" taken with my RX100 and +7 diopter:

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by kstokell

[kstokell 4]

 

You can't get smaller than the Panasonic 8 mm fisheye in the 4,33 inch dome, or the Oly 8 mm fisheye in the same dome with a 20 mm extra extension. If fisheye is a wide option that is. Not everybody likes it.

 

I have looked at the Panasonic 8mm and I believe it will even fit behind the Nuaticam 3.5 inch wide angle port (perhaps with a little vignetting in 4:3 aspect ration), but being so wide I'm not sure it would work for me as general/wide angle lens. I do like to take "wide angle macro" shots but I'm pretty sure you need to get really up close for more general shots, if you have any experience with this lens I would appreciate your feedback on this?