olympus omd em5 10 bar housing? Other housings?

Any word from 10 bar, on their housing for this?

I'd really like a housing and port that supports 12-50 in manual zoom mode.

The nauticam only supports it in motorized zoom mode..

Thanks!

Don

And the Nauticam port and ring for the 12-50, sold as a set, is around $800- evidently starting to ship next week. We knew it was going to be expensive, but... I was also told that it works well with +7 diopter, yielding an image about an inch across at close focus when the 12-50 is in macro mode. NOTE: All second hand from a dealer with one in their hands who have been testing it out.

The question becomes what combo do you go with?

8mm/4.33 port + the 12-50mm/Port OR 8mm/Port + 14-42/port + 45mm(60)/Port

From a quick calculation the "3 lens combo" is only about $50 more (Nauticam system). So how good is the 12-50mm vs. 45mm or 60mm???

(sure there are other interesting possible lens lineups)

IMHO, the best choice is going to be:

1. 8mm behind the little dome port. Fantastic WA.

2. 12-50mm with the new Nauticam port, supplemented by a SubSee 10X diopter.

The 45mm hunts too much for me.

A cheaper combo that will cover all your needs:

1. 8mm

2. 14-42, supplemented with a SubSee

The 14-42 is a very good lens - with a SubSee 10X you will be able to do macro comparable to the 45mm, but with much faster autofocus.

I've posted images here: http://diver.net/bbs/posts003/86335.shtml

I used the EM5 with Nauticam housing and the Panasonic 45mm macro and I didn't find it hunting at all. At this point I didn't have a focus light either and it was under a pier in the UK. I was very impressed with the focusing performance of the camera compared to the NEX5 for example.

This was a full frame shot, no hunting issues.

I would agree that the 45 macro is excellent and that most of the hunting issues I see with the lens releate more to user experence than to the lens. The 14-42 zoom comes nowhere near the 45 macro or the 12-50 at the macro end in turms of IQ or magnification with the 45 being by far the best.

Phil,

User experience? You mean with the 45mm?

I changed to single focal point, used a focus light (FIX),...what more could I do to help the damned lens grab focus?

Which camera are you using? Are you using S-AF or C-AF. With the E-M5 I use S-AF on the F-1 button with the center nine auto focus blocks most of the time. I get the lens focused into the range of the subject size I am trying to shoot and move towards the subject until I can see it in the EVF then I AF to get sharp focus. If needed I will first focus on a rock next to the subject to get the focus into the correct range. Because focus limiting on this lens is for the the end from infinity to about 18-20 inches it is useless. I don't use IS on the lens, I use the Olympus 5-axis IS in the camera body. If both are on that will screw things up. I only use my Solo focus light as a very last resort, in I would guess less than 5% of my images. Last and most important, time in the water with the equipment. With AF on the F-1 button I can get a focus range, take my finger off the button and AF won't move until I push the button again. I always (99.8% of the time) use the EVF over the LCD for much better focus in my view.

It appears to me that the new Olympus 60 mm macro lens is going to include focus locking ranges in the macro/closeup range. It appears you will be able to lock the lens at say 1:1 to 12 or 18 inches so it will not hunt as much. The range may to able to be set even less than that to keep things within a much faster focus range. All macro lenses will hunt regardless of the camera being used if you are at infinity trying to shoot a 1:1 subject. How well you are able to hold steady to your subject is also an issue in locking focus.

By the way, very nice photo Alex, hope to see you at the DEMA show in November.

Phil Rudin

EM-5. S-AF, center focus block only (I like to tell the camera where I want focus and move the camera for composition after focus lock at half-press).

IS OFF on both lens and camera body. I'll try using the camera's IS.

Your suggestion of pre-focus helps with the 45mm, but the 14-45 & 10X SubSee is quicker to focus without it.

I look forward to the 60mm lens.