Need some advice: What lens setup for m4/3 (OM-D)

I just spent 2 weeks with OMD on land, and about 15 dives with E-PL3 underwater in Olympus housing in Hawaii. I bought the OMD couple weeks before the trip and learning from my past mistakes I decided not to get a brand new housing/ports right before the trip even though I was tempted. I have to say, OMD is one solid camera and the lenses are spetacular (12mm f/2, 20mm f/1.7, and 45mm f/1.8 for land, 9-18mm for uw). Now I have to get on the bandwagon to put together a Nauticam housing/port system before my next dive trip. It will allow me to travel as light as I can with all micro four third setup.

So I guess nobody is jumping on the Olympus PT-EP08 housing for the OMD huh?

I got to demo dive the OM-D in the Nauticam housing. I have heard the Oly housing will be about the same price as the Nauticam, but I have not seen the Oly housing available for sale in the U.S. yet. Having the OLY housing for the E-PL2, I can certainly say I have no intention of getting anything other than the Nauticam when I am finally able to upgrade if he prices are close. If the Oly housing is much cheaper (say, $500-600 cheaper including the ports) then I might be tempted because I could buy another lens).

That Nauticam is sure one sweet well-designed housing, I can say that!

Hey Guy, yeah you and Phil got me to try OMD. B&H is selling the Olympus housing now, but it looks like the ports are about as much as Nauticam and the polycarbonate Olympus housing is only $200 cheaper than the aluminum Nauticam housing. So it doesn't sound like the Olympus route is worth it.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/885082-REG/Olympus_v6300560g000_PT_EP08_Underwater_Housing_for.html

I agree, at this time Olympus only has one port designed for the M43 kit lens and it does not come with the housing like The past PEN housings. It seems that they expect owners to buy the adapter and use the older ports from Athena, Inon and Olympus and the 43 DSLR lenses.

Phil Rudin

Based on that info, the Nauticam for sure. They are way ahead on ports and overall quality and design. Not worth to save $200, not at all.

I am currently debating between going "all the way" with a housed d800 or going with the OM-D, but now in a Nauticam for sure if I go that way.

I may have an opportunity to go work in Taiwan for 3 months. I will definitely pick up a Nauticam setup before I go.

Here's something coming from someone who just went in the other direction.....

I had (still have, its all for sale in Classifieds) an E-PL2 with 14-42 with OEM flat port, Pana 7-14 with Zen Dome, and Leica 45 Macro with Zen flat port. To answer the OP's question, unless you must have fisheye, those 3 lenses/ports are all you will ever need underwater with a m4/3. The 12-50, which I have only played with in the store, could replace the 14-42 and Leica 45, although I seriously doubt its as sharp as the Leica. That lens is stupid sharp.

I loved the system and was about a millimeter away (waiting to see the price on the Oly housing compared to Nauticam) from going to an EM-5. Then, thanks to Stephen Frink, I came accross an incredible deal on a Seacam 5D2 housing that I just could not resist. I've been shooting Canon topside for longer than I care to admit, so no lenses to buy, etc.... Sorry to say, although m4/3 is very nice and, as Alex has said before, the EM5 can and will give 1.6 crop SLR bodies a run for their money; full-frame still rules.... but I digress.

On almost every dive (about 5-10 a week) I would have 2 or 3 decent shots that there is no way in hell I could have made with anything bigger than my E-PL2. There's the critter in the crevace, the low-angle upward shot under the rock, the slit between two railings on the wreck... list goes on Those are shots I will now absolutely not ever get with my 5D2, Seacam housing, and trashcan-lid sized SuperDome. I am hoping that what I gain is more than what I lost.

Moral of the story: You have an awesome system and you will be able to do things with it that us with physically larger setups cannot. Enjoy and welcome aboard!

Moral of the story: You have an awesome system and you will be able to do things with it that us with physically larger setups cannot. Enjoy and welcome aboard!

Thanks! I am really looking forward to taking this setup underwater. I finally decided on the first set of lenses. I'll start of with not buying the expensive port for the 12-50 but get the dome for the Panasonic 8mm fisheye first. The dome will not only accept the fisheye, which I'll get anyways, but also the very good 12/2 prime which will give me some moderate wide angle as well. Besides, I am going to buy the almost-released 60 macro and the corresponding flat port. With that setup I'll start and see where it takes me and what I may need in the future as an addition.

Thanks for all the input, very much appreciated!

Thanks! I am really looking forward to taking this setup underwater. I finally decided on the first set of lenses. I'll start of with not buying the expensive port for the 12-50 but get the dome for the Panasonic 8mm fisheye first. The dome will not only accept the fisheye, which I'll get anyways, but also the very good 12/2 prime which will give me some moderate wide angle as well. Besides, I am going to buy the almost-released 60 macro and the corresponding flat port. With that setup I'll start and see where it takes me and what I may need in the future as an addition.

 

Thanks for all the input, very much appreciated!

Best of luck....

IMHO, you should have a look at the Panasonic 7-14 before you commit to the 8 Fisheye and 12. Although not a fisheye, at 7, its very wide and quite sharp at all focal lengths.

I like primes topside because changing lenses is no big deal, but UW, I prefer zooms. There's nothing more frustrating than being down there with a fisheye prime on the day that every possible awesome fish portrait opportunity presents itself. This is the reason the 12-50 intrigued me.. specially if someone makes a port that supports switching to macro mode underwater. Almost sounds too good to be true to have 12-50 zoom and a 50mm 1:2 macro all inside the housing at the same time. IDK that anyone makes this yet, although Chris from Nauticam told me several months ago that they were exploring the concept.