Olympus 17mm f1.2 in Octohousing

[Shreddyandable 0]

Hi All,

My current rig is the Olympus epl10 in Backscatter Octohousing.  I was wondering if anybody has successfully configured a port setup for the 17mm f1.2 Pro.  I know that the dimensions are very close to the Olympus 60mm Macro lens, so it seems like it should fit in this port https://www.backscatter.com/AOI-Underwater-Flat-Lens-Port-FLP-02P-for-Olympus-PEN-Housings.  Alternatively, the 34mm extension could be paired with the flat port that comes stock with the housing, but I like the idea of two less O-rings to maintain.

I know that 17mm behind a flat port is considered "narrow" for underwater, but I'd like to minimize my lens collection.  I own the Panasonic 8mm fisheye, but find it largely unusable topside.  The fast aperture of the 17mm is also appealing because I don't want to invest in strobes (too little space in my carry on suitcase) and f1.2 will help in dark conditions.  

Am I placing too much value in f1.2 vs f1.7?  The Panasonic 15mm 1.7 is another option, but the Pro is calling my name.

Cheers,

Eduardo

[ChrisRoss 150]

I think the greater issue is a 17mm lens behind a flat port is going to have seriously degraded performance due to the flat port.  You might as well use the zoom kit lens as any benefit of the better glass will largely be cancelled out by flat port performance and all the extra water you'll be shooting through, plus if you really plan to shoot wide open I expect the flat port aberrations would be more pronounced.   The 8mm panasonic on the other hand has outstanding optics and is particularly well suited to UW work on reef scenics, CFWA etc.

[hyp 111]

You really do need different lenses for topside and underwater. If you want a lens that is dual purpose look at the Panasonic 8-18 or the Olympus 8-25. Both need large domes though and I don't think a suitable port is made for the EPL10 Housing. In the end, I don't really see a benefit of "reducing the lens collection". Considering how small it is the Panasonic 8mm is not exactly using up any space and if you're considering the Olympus 1.2 PRO lenses money doesn't seem to be a big issue either. You'd be better of using the Panasonic 8mm underwater and the Panasonic-Leica 15mm above water. They would probably be smaller together than a single 17mm 1.2 PRO and about the same price.

[Pomacentridae 22]

I agree with ChrisRoss, great topside lens performance doesn't necessarily translate well for underwater use. Given the port choices, you would be better off with the 14-42mm kit lens which would do the same job.

[Shreddyandable 0]

Thank you all for the great feedback!  Agreed that it is worth keeping the 8mm and packing an extra lens for topside.

A follow-up question - I noticed that this semi-dome (https://www.backscatter.com/AOI-DLP-04P-Acrylic-Sem-Dome-Port-Plastic-for-Pen) lists several compatible lenses in the product description.  Am I to assume that they will all  have varying levels of optical quality based off of their respective distance from the semi-dome?

[Dann-Oh 40]

Double check that you can actually install the lens onto the camera and also remove the lens from the camera when in the housing.  The EPL10 housing does not have a lens release button on it like the EM1-3 or OM-1 housings do.

[hyp 111]

The 60mm macro and the 12-50 can share a Port with Nauticam and have similar dimensions. The 12-50 and the 9-18 also share s as similar domeport in the Nauticam charts. Probably they will be fine behind the Aoi Potts too. Generally though the 9-18 will probably not have great performance behind that port. The fisheye will be a log better behind the correct port. 

Edited February 16 by hyp