Panasonic GF1

Seatool finally released its housing for GF1.

http://www.seatool.net/list/GF1.html

I have been watching that site for over a month. No telling when we will see deliveries to US dealers.

Bob

Seatool GF-1 looks beautiful!

I think I'm starting to become VERY interested in m4/3.

Seatool GF-1 looks beautiful!

 

Here is another beauty from Inon .......4/3 system is getting very interesting indeed.

Pics of my GF-1 setup with the arms and strobes.

Ultralight Base Plate

Ultralight Quick Disconnect Handles

Ultralight 8" Buoyancy Arms (5 total)

Ultralight Clamps

Inon S2000 Strobes

Pics of my GF-1 setup with the arms and strobes.

Ultralight Base Plate

Ultralight Quick Disconnect Handles

Ultralight 8" Buoyancy Arms (5 total)

Ultralight Clamps

Inon S2000 Strobes

Very nice. I want.

Interesting idea that, putting a buoyancy arm between the handles. But is it really all that negative?

You can pull the electrical bulkhead on these and use a plug on the opening. I think it simplifies loading if you're just using fiber optic sync anyway.

Jack

Interesting idea that, putting a buoyancy arm between the handles. But is it really all that negative?

It's something I'm experimenting a little bit with. I have a set of regular (non-buoyancy) arms as well if the unit starts to float a little too much. I definitely like having that cross bar in the middle though. It makes the unit much more robust feeling and just so happens it makes a nice handle.

It's something I'm experimenting a little bit with. I have a set of regular (non-buoyancy) arms as well if the unit starts to float a little too much. I definitely like having that cross bar in the middle though. It makes the unit much more robust feeling and just so happens it makes a nice handle.

Not to put a damper on the adulation here, but I do have a question. It would seem that one of the draws of housing such a camera would be the reduction in size over a traditional DSLR rig. Your setup looks very cool, but I wonder how much one really saves in footprint over, say a Seatool xTi housing with a rig like this . . .

Mike

I was wondering if we could see one of these rigs with a hand next to it.

Has anyone tried this camera free diving? I'm wondering if it could take the place of a Nikonos. Especially as regards to shutter lag and AF speed.

Thanks.

Not to put a damper on the adulation here, but I do have a question. It would seem that one of the draws of housing such a camera would be the reduction in size over a traditional DSLR rig. Your setup looks very cool, but I wonder how much one really saves in footprint over, say a Seatool xTi housing with a rig like this . . .

 

Mike

I don't think you would be saving much in terms of footprint. Once you drop the camera into a housing, it's going to be pretty chunky (especially is you plan to do macro). The reason I decided to put together an underwater setup around my GF-1 rather than my Canon 5D mk II is the GF-1 uses the LCD for composition, and it performs fabulously. I would think composition with the rear LCD would be easier than using a viewfinder.

The Canon does have live view, but the AF speed between the two systems are not that comparable. The Panasonic is responsive and blazing fast (at least on par with lower-end DSLR's). The GF-1 shutter lag is significantly slower than the Canon though.

Hi!

Great forum!

How is the video capabilities of this camera in dark. low light conditions? Does the AF (which I hear is very good) catch up, or is it simply better to use manual AF, or shut the AF off?

I am asking cause I realy consider to buy this system, but I must admit I am not sure wether Its better to just buy a dSLR for the same price (NIKON D500, Canon 550, Pentax K.X (lacking house though..))

My primary consern is shooting video with m43 in the dark, cold waters og Norway. Should I rather buy a dSLR??

I am new to UW-photo/video, so Id be very glad for any advice!

All best.

Even

Not to put a damper on the adulation here, but I do have a question. It would seem that one of the draws of housing such a camera would be the reduction in size over a traditional DSLR rig. Your setup looks very cool, but I wonder how much one really saves in footprint over, say a Seatool xTi housing with a rig like this . . .

 

Mike

For me, the draw of these cameras is not so much the size as the potential for low-cost, high quality wide-angle lenses. When designers can put lens elements right next to the focal plane, it's possible to use smaller pieces of glass, which either saves money or lets lens makers use higher quality glass.

Think of the Nikonos 15mm lens, which had quite a following. There was no magic pixie dust in the 15mm, no special coating or exotic glass or new optical formula. It was just a simple retrofocus wide angle lens, but it was famous for the high quality of the images and the unbelievable sharpness of the corners. The performance of that lens was so good because it was for a mirrorless system, and took advantage of that to put lens elements right next to (OK, 10mm away from) the film plane. That optical trick can't be used on an SLR camera, and our best hope of a super high quality wideangle lens is the micro-four-thirds cameras today (the Tokina 10-17 is a convenient lens for composition, but I'm not in love with the optical performance and it would cost hundreds less if designed for a MFT camera).

Dave,

Good point about the NV not using a mirror, BUT the other reasons the 15mm was so good were that it was DESIGNED to be a water contact lens. You couldn't use it in air.

Also, because the light collecting medium was film, it was possible to put the lens elements close and it didn't matter if the light hit the film at an angle. Digital sensors need the light to hit at a right angle, so the rear element design of a lens is also sensitive to that.

Cheers

James

I have been watching that site for over a month. No telling when we will see deliveries to US dealers.

Bob

Any idea on cost on the Seatool housing? That dome port looks sweet, looks like the H-F007014 7-14mm lens behind it with that hood.

I just ordered a GF1, not sure what I should do about the housing. Pardon my amateur math here but the 10bar housing with the 14-45mm on wide would be (in 35mm terms) approx: 14 * 2 * .67 (dome port correction factor) = 18.8mm

The 20mm w/ a UWL-100 would be approx: 20 * 2 * .56 (UWL-100 factor) = 22.4mm

The 20mm w/ a UWL-100 + Inon Dome port would be approx: 20 * 2 * .56 * .67 = 15.0mm

The 7-14mm w/ dome port would be: 7 * 2 * .67 = 9.4mm

Does that math look right? If thats the case I might skip the dome port if I go with the 10 bar housing and keep my Inon 67mm wet lenses. I wonder how the quality would compare with the UWL-100 + 20mm vs the 14-45mm.....

Rob

1oBar will have a port for the 7-14 fairly soon. The 8mm isn't really out so that he can test it yet.

As far as video, one of the big advantages that I saw on the M 4/3s is that you can turn on Continuous AF and have the video continue to focus, something that the DSLRs can't do.

Jack

1oBar will have a port for the 7-14 fairly soon. The 8mm isn't really out so that he can test it yet.

 

As far as video, one of the big advantages that I saw on the M 4/3s is that you can turn on Continuous AF and have the video continue to focus, something that the DSLRs can't do.

 

Jack

Anyone know what strobes will work in TTL mode with the GF1 / "Olympus" TTL protocol? I've shot manual, never TTL, and manual was fun and didn't seem too frustrating, but if I'm getting a new strobe, the option to do TTL would be nice... tho the Inon strobes are real nice and compact, I wonder how the Inon S-TTL would compare with wired TTL...

Rob

Only slightly off-topic, but it looks like the GF-2 has been leaked. No idea on availability, but one certainly hopes they didn't alter the form factor much so the housing(s) can be quickly altered to match.

You would shoot a housed Oly or Panasonic land strobe. Probably not the best idea. I think the Inon would work in manual mode only via an electrical cord, but I've not tried it.

Jack

Only slightly off-topic, but it looks like the GF-2 has been leaked. No idea on availability, but one certainly hopes they didn't alter the form factor much so the housing(s) can be quickly altered to match.

Where'd you see this!? 43rumors.com has no mention of it; just a G2 and G10 which appear to be the same size as the G1...

Rob