Stig

Thanks for all the responses, really helpful. Interesting to hear that the 'usual' wide zooms aren't that sharp. I'd also forgotten that the UWL-400 was designed for smaller sensors so yes, the UWL-09 would be a better choice. @Chris Ross As for fisheye, I've never got that many shots that have impressed me with my current setup -maybe it's the quality of the optics and/or maybe I'm not picking the right subjects. I did wonder about a 2nd hand setup but I'd like to get the size & weight down from what I have now -I struggle with strong currents these days plus I'm a bit sick of lugging several kilos of camera gear through airports! I didn't mention macro but I should be able to use my Nauticam CMC-2 lens with the 14-42 (or 12-45?) kit lens and flat port in the short term at least and get the 60mm macro and appropriate port later. Hmm, I should research "standard" zooms to check the 14-42 quality, though I like it's compact size as the camera will also be replacing my old SLR.

So, I'm pretty much decided on getting the OMD-E M10 and AOI housing to replace my aged Sony NEX-5 and Nauticam setup -I'm after something a bit more up-to-date in autofocus and image quality but want to downsize a bit for travel and can't justify the cost of a new Nauticam housing anyway. This seems to tick the right boxes for me. I'm now weighing up lens and port options and the UWL-400A wet lens looks very appealing on cost compared to a dome port and lens. I have the fisheye adapter for the Sony pancake lens and 4" dome port but to be honest I've rarely used it so I don't think I'd miss having a fisheye option -I would have preferred a wide zoom setup for versatility. I'm assuming that a wide zoom lens (9-18 or 7-14) with a small dome port would be sharper and lighter than the wet lens, anyone got any real world experience?

Thanks for the report, lovely photos. I'm especially jealous of the whale shark ones as I wasn't lucky enough to get so close when I was there a few years ago. I have to mention that there's some great muck diving just off the beach of the resort with frog fish, octopus, gurnards, sea horses and nudis.

I'm also considering switching to M4/3 from my aged Sony NEX5 and have been eyeing up the Olympus OMD-EM10 and AOI housing for reasons of cost and weight (especially cf. Nauticam). I'm undecided and lens/port choice though, I guess a fisheye (or wide zoom) and small dome would be lighter than a wet lens?

For fine-tuning wouldn't it be easier to lock focus and move the camera in and out slightly?

There's a trip report on thediveforum.com: https://www.thediveforum.com/forum/diving-opportunities-and-reports/trip-reports/768306-sal-cape-verde-june-2024

Have you considered a dive safari? -I don't mean a live-aboard, it's a sort-of island-hopping tour on a large banka boat where your gear stays on the boat and you stop off for 1-3 days/nights at various spots but spend the day diving from the boat. I've been on two trips like this and really enjoyed them, both started from Cebu, one went anti-clockwise from the west coast, the other went clockwise from Malapascua.

I've wrapped a piece of old wetsuit around my home-made floats as the foam I've used can be a bit like sandpaper on the skin.

I'm looking at diving Komodo next year and it sounds like April - October is best so I'm thinking of September for a week's live-aboard followed by a week in Bali visiting friends. I've heard it can get windy in August (and that's peak season) and I'll likely be away for work in October hence September for the trip. Any recommendations for Komodo boats or dive centres (doesn't have to be a live-aboard) and whether September is a good time?

I had a very similar disaster with a Sony NEX5 in a Nauticam housing. The housing was fine after thorough rinsing (even the leak detector circuit), the camera and lens were not. 😞 The battery & memory card survived but beyond an immediate rinse with fresh water I didn't try to repair the camera or lens. I found a used camera & lens on Ebay which I'm still using today.

Recently back from Grenada and I'd recommend Aquanauts Grenada as a friendly and professional dive outfit. They're not that photography focussed (sorry!) but have rinse tanks for cameras only and keep to small guided groups so we sometimes had a guide for just 3 of us on a dive.

When my friend's son was learning to dive I told him to ignore what PADI said as the first rule of scuba diving was "Wear black, look cool".

I think the "newer Z240" is the D200, still 4xAA batteries though.

Happy to join the community. I'm in the UK though I don't dive cold water much any more, preferring more relaxed tropical diving. Still using a Sony NEX5 but fancy getting something a bit more up-to-date.