Olympus OM-D E-M5

Coroander - Thank you for the reply and advice. I will continue to work on my underwater photography technique. However, I do encourage everyone who has a OMD or Panny mirrorless camera to do some simple testing of their camera ability to produce sharp images. My tests show that with my 60mm macro (handheld) there is a distinct difference and clarity of the shots in the range of 1/60th to 1/160th shutter speeds (and at f-stops that minimize diffraction) with or without an 1/8sec anti-shock active. Once again, I encourage everyone to do their own testing and come to their own conclusion.

I just wish to point out this situation and a solution, if some photographers are getting less than satisfactory clarity and sharpness on many of their macro shots. It maybe that they nailed the focus and DOF at the time, but the image is soft because of this situation.

Thanks again for your advice - Also I am very grateful for your post on setting up the OMD for underwater shooting. I have incorporated many of your wonderful suggestions in my setup.

Mike S

I just got to try the 3.5" dome for the first time with the 8mm, and I am loving the results because I could focus so closely.

Now could someone teach me how to properly light subjects very close to the dome without getting flare and white-outs?

I've discovered the downside of just having the single 12-50mm lens and port. On my recent trip to the Red Sea I set up my kit on the first night, test shots done and no problems.

 

Come the next morning I turn the camera on and get a "Check the status of your lens" error message. Taking the camera out of the housing I can hear a grinding noise from the inside of the lens.

So it's back to Olympus to see if they will fix under warranty. Gutted though to lose the chance to use my kit!

 

Although, if I had been using the camera I might have missed the Whale Shark that I saw at the jetty on Daedalus reef...

So having sent the lens off to Olympus last week, I got it back today - in between it's been out to Portugal and back. The repair notes say "Software Fault - Verified and Cleaned" so that doesn't particularly help me.

The one thing that worries me is that when I turn the camera on there is a constant and faint whirring noise from the lens which I hadn't noticed before. Is this noise present in other people's lenses? If not then I need to go back to Olympus again.

 

So having sent the lens off to Olympus last week, I got it back today - in between it's been out to Portugal and back. The repair notes say "Software Fault - Verified and Cleaned" so that doesn't particularly help me.

 

The one thing that worries me is that when I turn the camera on there is a constant and faint whirring noise from the lens which I hadn't noticed before. Is this noise present in other people's lenses? If not then I need to go back to Olympus again.

So I guess I should learn to use Google first before asking questions on here!

It seems to be due to the stabilisation, and different users report differing levels of noise. I'm guessing mine has got louder since repair!

Regarding the Austrian 12-50 mm gear that you can get from unterwasserkamera.at . I had some problems initially with this gear but found that it needs to be positioned so that there is a 5 mm (or so) gap between the camera body and the gear. If you push the gear all the way back, like in some photos of it, it will not function properly. I also needed a second rubber band (the band supplied is a thin red one which is much smaller than the thick black one that Alex received for his review). When positioned correctly, and using two rubber bands, it works like a charm and I am so far very happy with it. Just in case someone else runs into these issues I thought I'd share my solution.

I bought the Austrian 12-50mm gear about 2 months ago and it no longer comes with a rubber band. I used it in the Red Sea and it works well. Just slide over the lens barrel, a tight fit but ok, and insert in port. The distance of the gear to the camera body is relevant. Initially it worked but the manual focus was not very smooth. Later it worked much smoother but I didn't experiment to see what distance was best. On one occasion, there was a grating noise when switching on the camera in the housing and I opted not to use the camera for that dive due to an earlier report on this thread of a lens malfunction and my worry that the sound was a lens trying to zoom continuously, possibly damaging it. Again, I didn't trouble shoot afterwards, and the next time I used the lens all was fine. In the end I never use the motorized zooming underwater though I expect it can be done.

I was switching between the 12-50 kit lens and 60mm macro, both in the macro port. The port never came off in the 2-week trip and I think I took out and re-greased the back door o-ring only once. Just visually inspect if the o-ring is clean and close the door. Very easy and, knock-on-wood, fool proof.

I liked the button layout on the housing but not the hand strap that I had placed on the right-hand side. The strap wasn't wide enough, even with the velcro adjusted to the max, and found it restricted my ability to control the shutter and especially access to the function button on top of the housing. Perhaps it is supposed to go on the left side where you only need to hold the housing and use the zoom knob. I need to play around more with it top-side to try other arrangements or simply leave it off. Any tips would be appreciated.

Bart

You can get a longer hand strap option if your hands are too large for the standard one.

Bart,

I feel the same. The handstrap IMHO is too wishy-washy, and a right hand grip doesn't do a much better job: It has been constructed for housings with a lever at the side, which you can operate with your index finger when holding the grip. But on the OM-D housing the shutter release is on top. I ended up holding the housing with my hand and using the handle as a support. Not comfortable.

For my old Nikonos RS there was a "wrist support" made by ULCS

http://www.ulcs.com/images/DSCN0242.jpg

That one was just perfect! With this device my hand and wrist never got tired. The whole rig just lay perfectly on the back of my hand, and there was no need to "grab" or "hold" the camera actively, it just safely "hung". A similar device is available for Inon housings, but from the pics on their page I feel that it is not perfect - the "curvature" is not right (not enough space in the upper part).

I sent an email to Edward Lai from Nauticam with the specs of my my old RS handle; he replied that it looks promising and that he would start engeneering some prototype samples. Hopefully, sooner or later they will be available!

Jock

Here is a Photoshop-Solution to illustrate what I mean:

EDTV,

 

Great pictures with the 60 mm. Do you have the 45 macro and if so, do you use it much as the 60 looks so good?

 

I am trying to decide if I should buy the 60 and thr 45 or just the 45???

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

I don't have the 45...60 is enough for me with a diopter.

Thanks. I did purchase just the 60 mm and the diopter also. I will decide after using the 60 mm lens if I have a need for the 45.

Thanks Jock & Alex,

For now I will just take the strap off and do without as it is just in the way and I didn't really need it. Although the housing was distinctly negative (it also carries an iTorch and no buoyancy enhancers) I had no trouble hand holding it 4 dives a day for 2 weeks. However, I would consider your solution as it doesn't block access to the Fn2 button and it does help if you want to hold the housing with just your right hand.

Another little thing that tripped me up a few times is that I accidentally switched off the camera during the dive. The on/off switch can use a bit more resistance.

Here are some images from the trip

12-50mm kit lens at 12mm, F8, ISO 200

at 50mm, F11, ISO 200

40mm, F8, ISO 200. Cropped but it still amazed me to be able to see eyes and swim bladder of these anemonefish eggs without use of diopter.

60mm macro, F8, ISO 200. Cropped. Recently settled damselfish.

Bart

Hey Guys!

Has anyone figured out a way to lower the output of the little clip-on flash, so that I can fire with flash in more rapid succession? I'm feeling limited by the refresh rate (feels like 2-2.5 seconds but I couldn't find a stat) of the on-board flash, since the strobes can definitely fire much faster then that.

Would love any suggestions!

Manual mode 1/64th power for fastest recycle.

Interresting point. I am not sure that I understand the relationship between the camera flash settings and sTTL on my Inon S2000 strobes. When I have tried to use manual mode with the Oly clip on flash as you describe, the Inon's also reduce output drastically and I get very dark exposures. In other words the camera setting seems to control the strobe output as well. Does setting the camera flash to manual mean that I also need to switch the Inons to manual?

I know I need to get to the point where I get better exposures with all manual seetings, and am working on that, but I have to say that the sTTL function on the Inons (with the camera flash set to Fill) is giving me very good results

Perhaps I was not clear, on board flash in manual at 1/64th power and strobes set to manual, the question did not say anything about S-TTL. This will speed up recycle time for the on board strobe which is much slower than most U/W strobes in manual or TTL.

Phil is right, if you lower the output it will also lower the output of your external strobes because the S-TTL sensor received a lesser signal. If you want to have faster refresh, then you have to be in manual mode on the strobes. OM-D has a pretty good battery life and I can usually get 2 dives out of each fully charged battery. However, refresh time for onboard flash can't be fixed.

Hi Guys,

I have an Olympus 9-18 lens am interested in buying the Pan 8mm fisheye lens and was wondering if there is a dome port that would with both? Have you tried the 9-18 in the 3.5 port? Which would you recommend the 3.5 vs the 4.33?

Thanks for your input.

Audrey

Hi Guys,

 

I have an Olympus 9-18 lens am interested in buying the Pan 8mm fisheye lens and was wondering if there is a dome port that would with both? Have you tried the 9-18 in the 3.5 port? Which would you recommend the 3.5 vs the 4.33?

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Audrey

Why not check this out with a Nauti dealer like Reef Photo Video or Nauticam USA? Maybe the 4.33" port, 36132 with an extension may work for the 9-18.

Bob

You could also just go to Nauticamusa.com and download the port charts which clearly show that the Nauticam four inch port is the only port recommended for the 9-18 zoom. To use a port which is not recommended should result in a falloff in image quality. The lens should also work well with the ZEN Underwater 170 mm optical glass port with an extension. That port however will NOT work with the 8 mm.

Phil Rudin

Hi Phil & Bob,

Thanks for the input - I have looked at the chart on Nauticam's website - but I would like to only buy one port if possible as I travel with my camera and want to keep it lite as possible not to mention the cost. Since I live in MN there isn't any way to 'rent' and try lens so I am trying to find out what ports others have tried with the two lenses.

Thanks,

Audrey

Hi Phil & Bob,

 

Thanks for the input - I have looked at the chart on Nauticam's website - but I would like to only buy one port if possible as I travel with my camera and want to keep it lite as possible not to mention the cost. Since I live in MN there isn't any way to 'rent' and try lens so I am trying to find out what ports others have tried with the two lenses.

 

Thanks,

Audrey

Hi Audrey,

Phil is VERY knowable about the Oly & Nauti systems. Please heed his advice.

Bob