Semi Dome Options

[Dann-Oh 40]

I have the Olympus EPL10 in the AOI PEN housing.  I just got the Olympus 9-18 f/4.0-5.6 M Zuiko ED Lens, I am a little confused if I should be looking to use the AOI DLP-04P or the ZEN WA-100.  My other ports are the AOI branded ports.  The AOI port is $225 and the ZEN is $400, I will also need to get the zoom gear.  I am leaning towards the AOI but I could use some help deciding.

 

I have been enjoying using my Panasonic 8mm F3.5 behind the AOI DLP-06, I just which I had a little bit more zoom and that's why I got the 9-18.  I mostly dive off the coast of Southern California and Catalina Island and when ever I bring my fisheye kit I always find nudies which are tough to get good photos with an 8mm.  I hope this makes sense.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Dann-Oh

[ChrisRoss 150]

It comes down to whether you want an acrylic or a glass dome port.  Otherwise the performance is going to fairly similar I would think.

On the topic of zoom , the fisheye as you know will focus down to the dome port, while the 9-18 has a minimum focus distance of 25cm.  As a result the fisheye can achieve 0.2x magnification according to the specs while the 9-18 is only 0.1x.  So the fisheye will be about 85mm across the frame at min focus while the 9-18 will be about 170mm across the frame.  The dome will probably get in the way of achieving an 85mm frame of course so I expect you'll see a similar framing with a bit more working distance.

If you are looking to shoot nudis on a more multi purpose setup I think other lenses like the 14-42 with 0.19x and the 12-45 (0.25x) might be better options.

[Dann-Oh 40]

@ChrisRoss thanks for the thoghts.

 

Ahh okay, so you think I would be better off sticking with my 8mm fisheye and 60mm macro options. The other option I have is the 14-42 with a +5 or +6 (I cant remember the strength) diopter.  I do enjoy the thought CFWA photography but I'm not too sure how well I'm performing it.