Questions about lenses/ports for Olympus PT-E0X housing

In my ongoing quest to understand all my options and to select the most appropriate UW SLR system I have begun investigating the Olympus E-620 camera body paired with the PT-E06 housing. Based on what I've read it sounds like the PT-E06 housing will be available sometime in June 2009 and it will be compatible with all the existing Olympus and Athena ports.

General Questions

From my initial investigations it would appear that I could purchase an Olympus E-620, lenses, PT-E06, and ports/dome for considerably less than a Sea&Sea or Aquatica based Canon 50D system. I also assume that comparing the Olympus PT-E0X system to the Sea&Sea/Aquatica systems is like comparing a Hyundai to a Lexus, but is it late 1980s Hyundai when their quality/reliability was horrendous or is the Olympus PT-E0X system more comparable to recent Hyundais where the quality is much more competitive with other mid-range car brands?

Is this PT-E06 housing limited to optical sync TTL only?

What mechanism does this housing use to attach ports to the housing?

Macro Questions

Does anyone use the Sigma 105mm macro lens with an Olympus PT-E0X housing?

Would this lens be recommended for UW macro?

Is the long (210mm effective) focal length a problem?

I assume the camera's built-in image stabilization would noticeably help this lens?

Is the autofocus on this lens reasonably fast?

Does this lens extend the barrel when focusing?

Is there a 'better' alternative for a macro lens system? For instance would the Olympus 50mm macro + 1.4x converter (140mm effective focal length) provide better autofocus speed/accuracy?

Regarding the Olympus 50mm macro lens, does it produce 1:1 (lifesize) images or not? I have read that it can produce 1:2 images (35mm 1:1 effective). What exactly does that mean?

WA Questions

Which lens/port/dome would be recommended. Since I am exploring the Olympus option in order to save money, the Olympus 7-14 WA zoom lens ($1750) is not an option. It seems like my WA lens options would be either: 9-18mm f4.0-5.6, 11-22mm f2.8-3.5, or 8mm f3.5 fisheye.

Which dome would be recommended for the 9-18?

Does it require a diopter?

Which dome for the 8mm FE?

Since the 8mm FE has a 5.3" min focal distance is it safe to assume that no diopter is needed?

My preference (assuming it can produce good image quality) would be to start with the 9-18WA and eventually add the 8mm FE. Is there a single dome that works well with both the 9-18mm and 8mm FE?

Athena has a 100mm dome that they recommend for the 9-18mm lens. Color me ignorant, but how does a 100mm dome work with a lens that has a min focal distance of 9.8"?

Midrange zoom questions

The Olympus 14-42 'kit' lens would be a cheap ($100) addition. How well does this lens work UW? Would the Athena OPD-SZ14-42 dome port work better with this lens than the Olympus PPO-E05 port? From pictures on the interweb, it looks like the Olympus PPO-E05 has a flat lens whereas the Athena OPD-SZ14-42 has a dome lens. I assume the Athena is better at the wide end and but it loses focal length at the long end?

Is the Olympus 14-54 lens ($450) a substantial upgrade image quality wise over the 14-42? As with the 14-42, it appears there's a choice between the Olympus PPO-E02 port and an Athena port for this lens. Which of theses ports produces better UW images?

I apologize for all the questions but the learning curve for these UW SLR systems is pretty steep.

Thanks for all information and opinions.

Doug

Doug,

I can answer a couple of your questions.

The 14-54 is the choice for this kind of lens. It is worth the upgrade. In the Olympus port this lens provides the ability to take halfway decent macro shots and semi-wide angel shots with the same lense.

My wife shoots an E-330 in an Olympus housing and athena ttl connected to an INON Z-240. She gets good shots all through this lenses range. However, on our last dive the Athena failed so she shot my d-200 (IIkelite case, dual Ikelite strobes) She used a 60mm lens and, frankly, her pictures were better. We are not sure if this was due to the dual strobes (the olympus has only a single Z-240) or the D-200 was simply better. However, as a result we have abandoned our plan to sell the D-200 setup and take the path you are now taking with the Olympus line.

The oLympus housing that we have (plastic) for the E-330 is not as robust as my Seatool (metal) D-300 housing. This is not surprising given the cost. It is however, sturdy enough so we don't worry about it. The Athena is another matter. We have had two fail so we now carry a primary and a backup. This adds significant expense to a Olympus setup.

Last, I would not scrimp on a wide angel lens. By the best when you have the money

Hi Doug,

The E-620/PT-E06 combo is going to be the best Olympus DSLR offering to date. The housing will have much the same specs as the PT-E05 housing so I will attach two reviews to help you out regarding Olympus in general.

The new Olympus DSLR housing are very robust for the price and I would provide the following based on your cost issues. The PT-E06 can do TTL three ways, #1 using the Olympus FL-2 strobe with the Olympus style sync cord attached to the housing, #1 using conversion circuitry like the Athena TTL unit or #3 by fiber optics. I have used all three and the fiber optic choice with the Inon Z-240, S-2000 or the Olympus FL-2 are by far the best choice. The Athena TTL converter I had never failed me in over 300 dives but the fiber optic choice is much cheeper in the long run, less likely to fail due to flood bad cords and so on. Fiber optics also work as well as any TTL choice I have ever used. It have just tested the Inon S-2000 strobes and they are outstanding for the cost.

Dome ports are threaded to the housing on a metal mount and provide a very secure mounting system for the over twenty different ports from Olympus, Athena and Inon.

I don't like the Sigma 105 mm lens for the following reasons, #1 to go from AF to manual focus requires a switch on the lens to be moved which can not be done inside the housing with any of the macro ports, #2 the Olympus 50 mm macro is faster in AF with the Olympus 1.4 or 2 X tele converters and even with the 2 X tele converter image quality is better. These tele converters are not cheep but they provide a range of lens choices and I would go with the 1.4 X first. Life size, 1:1 in 35 mm is an image size of 36 mm X 24 mm for the subject area. At 1:2 or twice life size with the Olympus sensor size the image size is 36 mm X 27 mm or about the same size as 35. At 1:1 the olympus image area is 18 mm X 13.5 mm or about what twice life size would be with 35 mm.

For the Olympus 50 mm macro I like the Inon macro port (least expensive) and the Athena 50 macro port. Both port are threaded at the end so that +diopters from Inon, ReefNet and others can be added on the outside of the port. The Athena ring flash can also be easily threaded to these ports.

For W/A I recommend the 9 to 18 mm zoom. It is a bit slow but at more than a third the cost of the 7 to 14 mm it is a very nice lens. I would go with the 170 mm dome port from Olympus or Athena. These ports use the same dome glass and coatings and with the 9 to 18 mm they don't require any diopter and NO additional port extension like the 7 to 14 (another $350.00) savings. This dome also works very well with the 8 mm fisheye which does not require a diopter. You can get a cheeper 8 mm dome port from Inon and a smaller and cheeper 9 to 18 mm dome port from Athena but the domes are not interchangeable between the two lenses so in the long run if you intend to have both these lenses the more expensive 170 mm port is still the best choice. With this dome you can also use the 1.4 X tele converter and extension ring for the 50 macro with the 8 mm fisheye to gain a bit more distance between you and your subject and extend the range of your 8 fisheye.

The Athena port is by far the better choice for the 14 to 42 zoom. If you can't afford to start with the 50 and a wide lens the camera, housing 14 to 42 lens, port and an Inon S-2000 are the best system for the money you will find. You can then add to the system as you wish.

With the verity of lens and port choices this is not a system you will outgrow anytime soon. If you can afford the 14 to 54 zoom and port you may as well go for the macro or wide choices they will be a lot more useful in the long run.

http://news.fourthirdsphoto.com/node/11

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/olympus-e-4...rwater-housing/

Phil Rudin

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

Phil and Tom,

Thanks for taking the time to reply with great information for my many questions.

Phil,

If I wanted to start with the Olympus 50mm macro + 1.4x converter which Inon port/extension ring would I want (I see Inon ports listed only for Canon lenses?)

Does the 9-18WA lens require an extension ring when used with the Olympus PPO-E04 (170mm?) dome? The Olympus website says of the PPO-E04:

This sounds like I would need to PER-E02 Port Extension to use it with the 9-18 lens. Right?

Thanks again for all the useful information.

Doug

You won't be sorry with the 50mm lens as it is an excellent piece of glass. Oly recently started to make their housings with a cam and bore seal which is much better than previous generations. Their ports screw on and are very secure. The system is light underwater which also a plus. I'd have to second Phil's nomination of the optically fired Inon Z240s. I've rarely had a misfire or no fire using the fiber optics. Additionally, travelling with extra fiber optic cable is cheap and easy. The 14-42 is a very nice lens underwater I'm not sure what is gained by going to the 14-54. If I were going to move up, I'd have to go with the 12-60 as the next lens. Here's my flicker photos taken with an E410, Inon Z240s, 50mm lens with a woody's diopter on some of them. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25230308@N07/

Doug,

The 1.4X tele extension comes from Athena (my first choice) or Olympus but works with the Inon 50 mm macro port. You can buy this port with or without the magnetic rings for manual focus. Olympus AF works very well with this combo so the extra magnetic rings can be added later if you can't live without them. I use auto focus even with the 2X tele about 99.5% of the time.

PER-E02 is the extension port for the much longer, fatter 7 to 14 zoom and comes with a rubber push on gear which will not fit the much smaller 9 to 18 zoom.

The Olympus 9 to 18 is the smallest zoom in its angle of view range (100 to 62 degrees) that I know of and does NOT require any extension when used with the Olympus PPO-E04 port or with the Athena 170 mm and 100 mm ports. Olympus makes a nifty rubber compound gear for the lens which is flared at the front end of the lens to keep any light from the pop-up flash entering the lens when using strobes with fiber optics.

Phil Rudin

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

Hi

Do athena make a dome suitable for the 11-22mm lens?

vinny

Hi Vinny,

Athena does not make a dome system for the 11 to 22 or the 14 to 54, my guess is that the 12 to 60 will replace both going forward as the U/W lens of choice in that range. I used the 11 to 22 with great success in the 170 mm dome with the 7 to 14 zoom extension.

You also need the Olympus 11 to 22, 14 to 54 gear. If you don't already own this port system it would be a lot to spend to use that lens. If you have the port for the Olympus port for the 8 mm and 7 to 14 it can also be used for the 9 to 18 11 to 22, 14 to 54 and the 12 to 60 with the proper gears and port extension.

Phil Rudin

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

cheers phil

i have the port for the 11-22 / 14-54 and l like what the 11-22mm gives you

its just the size of the port , rather large , i was just thinking about the athena 100mm port for travelling

but it doesn't fit the 11-22mm which is a shame

i know the 9-18 mm fits the 100mm dome but its a standard lens and the 11-22mm is a bit better

i want to go forwards not back really

for travelling i only want to take 2 lenses and 2 ports really , 50mm + 1.4 TC + inon macro lens/inon port

and w/a lens and port

cheers for the help

Vinny,

I would never argue that the 11-22 zoom is not an outstanding lens with the F/2.8 at the wide end, the weather sealing and high I.Q. Everything I have seen would indicate that the I.Q. of the 9-18 zoom is just as high within its slower speed and lower build quality range. I find the tradeoff of the wider AOV, small size and the 100 mm Athena port to be very compelling as a travel lens. I dumped the 11-22/14-54 port within a year, kept the gear and shot behind the 170 mm dome with the 7-14 extension. I have the 9-18 and will be using it behind the 170 mm dome as my W/A travel lens.

Phil

Hi everybody

my name is marcos

i have a question for you guys(probably is a silly question)

i am planning to buy an olympus e-520 with a 14-54 lens

plus a pt-e05 housing with an olympus port ppo-e02

is there any one that can explain to me how does the focus underwater work?

if i will use a 14-54 lens,can i use all the range of this lens underwater?

sorry for the silly question but i am also new with DSLR

what do you think about the olympus ufl-2 strobe?

many thanks

Dear all master,

i use inon dome for 8mm FE, i wonder if it can fit 9-18mm......

can 11-22mm work in this combination (inon dome +per-e01).....

Peter

Hi ra1969mon

you use auto focus with this lens underwater

as far as i know you can use all the range using a zoom gear ( which i think comes with the port )

i am sure phil will give you alternatives to use aswell

vinny

1969,

The PPO-

E02 port comes with a focus gear that fits both the 14 to 54 (old) and the 11 to 22 zooms. I am not sure if the gear fits the just released and upgraded 14 to 54 lens. Both are good lenses, I really like the 11 to 22 but they are limited by the flat PPO-E02 glass.

Peter,

The Inon 8 mm dome is designed for a fisheye lens and may not work well with these lenses. The inon dome and 1.4 X tele extension would not work with the 11 to 22 and may not fit the 9 to 18. A longer extension would need to be used with the 11 to 22 for sure and would likely vignette. I continue to recommend that if you are going to use the 8 mm fisheye only that the Inon dome is a great choice, but if you intend to add the 9 to 18, or other wide zooms plus the 8 mm bite the bullet and go with the 170 mm Olympus dome for the extra $400.00.

Phil Rudin

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

Hi,

May be I'm repetitive, but I'm going to order it, and in Spain, Olympus Spain is unable to answer the question.

PT-03 housing, and I have just bought a new wide lens Zuiko 9-18 on E-410 doesn't require any diopter and neither dome extension, and just the PP0-E04 will work?

Has anyone already tried a similar configuration underwater to be sure that there is no need for a diopter?

Thanks in advance.

Nacho

Hi. I have Olympus PT-E03 housing with E-410 and 14-42 and 9-18 Zuiko. I need a Domeport for both.

1) If I just buy Athena Domeport 9-18, does it work for 14-42 lens too? Do I need extension tube for 14-42?

2)Do I need ring zoom just for manual focus or for changing focal range?

3) Do you ship to Italy? How much insured shipping for a domeport?

<H1 style="FONT-SIZE: 12px">Hi. I have Olympus PT-E03 housing with E-410 and 14-42 and 9-18 Zuiko. I need a Domeport for both.

1) If I buy just one Athena Domeport, new 9-18 domeport, does it work for 14-42 lens too? Do I need Athena or Olympus extension set for using 14-42 with Athena Domport dor 9-18 lens?

2)Do I need zoom gear just for manual focus or for changing focal range zoom too? If yes for changing focal range zoom Should I buy two zoom gears (9-18, 14-42)?

3) Can you tell me Athena's seller with cheap prices?

Thanks

Gianluca</H1>

Hi Gianluke,

First the Athena domes for the 14-42 and 9-18 are not the same, the 14-42 dome is longer. The lenses are very close in diameter so the Olympus 9-18 zoom gear may fit both which will reduce cost. The Olympus gears are rubber compound and press onto the lens while the Athena gears are hard and more expensive.

Since the Athena 9-18 zoom port is a bit shorter it would need an extension to work with the 14-42 zoom and Athena does not make that extension. Both lenses could be used with the Olympus/Athena 170 mm dome which cost $400.00 more than the Athena 100 mm dome. The upside to the 170 mm dome is that it can be used with the 7-14 (with extension), 9-18, 8 mm fisheye, 14-54 (with extension), 11-22 (with extension), 12-60, 14-35 (with extension) and more. With the 9-18, I would expect best results with the 170 mm dome over the Athena 100 mm dome although I have never made that test.

Site sponsor, http://reefphotovideo.com/ stocks all of this equipment and ships internationally.

Phil Rudin

http://www.sfups.org/Galleries/PhilRudin/index.html

Hi. Some people said me Athena has an extension to use 9-18 domeport with 14-42 lens? Do you know something about it?

I'll like avoid 170mm dome because is too big and expensive and I have not plan to buy other lenses at the moment.

No extension that I am aware of.

Phil

So can I use just 170 mm domeport for both lenses? Or I must buy two domeport for 14-42 and 9-18