OMD - Olympus or Nauticam housing advice

By the way, I don't understand why people seem to prefer shooting the OM-D via the viewfinder underwater.

The ability to use a large (tiltable!) screen, that is visible from a distance, to take pictures looks quite appealing to me, at least it's something I've envied to compact photographers quite often.

Can someone enlighten me?

Nicool,

I agree with you. I have a Nauticam Viewfinder ($1K) for a D7000 rig but I don't plan to use it on the OMD/Nauticam system. There may be occasional instances where bright light or glare may make bringing an eye close to the VF a necessity, for the vast majority of the time, having a compact system with Live View on the tilted LCD makes the most sense. If you want to see real focus, the magnify/teleconverter modes will help with this. The whole point of this system, at least IMHO, is that its a smaller lighter system. If I want to start adding a bunch of accessories, I may as use well the bigger bulkier D7000.

With regard to the post above, about increasing the autofocus speed, the setting to accomplish this is with the frame rate for the EVF, but its unclear to me whether this adjustment will increase focus speed irrespective of EVF vs OLED monitor, or if it only applies to the EVF mode.

Nicool,

I agree with you. I have a Nauticam Viewfinder ($1K) for a D7000 rig but I don't plan to use it on the OMD/Nauticam system. There may be occasional instances where bright light or glare may make bringing an eye close to the VF a necessity, for the vast majority of the time, having a compact system with Live View on the tilted LCD makes the most sense. If you want to see real focus, the magnify/teleconverter modes will help with this. The whole point of this system, at least IMHO, is that its a smaller lighter system. If I want to start adding a bunch of accessories, I may as use well the bigger bulkier D7000.

 

With regard to the post above, about increasing the autofocus speed, the setting to accomplish this is with the frame rate for the EVF, but its unclear to me whether this adjustment will increase focus speed irrespective of EVF vs OLED monitor, or if it only applies to the EVF mode.

If it applies to both, the OM-D would get an even better AF! What a camera

Focusing of the 45 was very fast compared to my old E-PL2. Remember, focusing speed is pretty much a function of the camera as opposed to the lens (so long as the mechanics in the lens are similar, such as USM high-speed motors, which both the 45 and 60 have). EM-5 has much faster focus algorithims and it really shows.

 

There is some hunting at ultra-close ranges, but I don't think the 60mm (or any other lens) really hunts much less. Hunting is just somethign to live with and work around at ultra-close range. You can see that the lens delivers very well.

 

Also, on my 60mm, I NEVER engage the macro limiter as you are stuck with that range during the dive. What if some nice fish or other larger subject swims by? I always keep things on full range. The only thing I miss is not being able to use the "instant 1:1" button which would be VERY handy for macro shooting, but you can't have everything. Maybe Nauti will make some high-tech port that will allow it . . . .

It would be great to have everything

Might be a dumb question, but couldn't the switch to "focus limited mode" be controlled by the menus of the camera? I mean, does it have to be via a switch on the lens itself? Olympus are definitely following the underwater usage of their cameras, so I could only dream of a firmware upgrade where they would enable the ability to change the focusing range of your lens via the menus during the dive, and... focus peaking control?

Come on Olympus! It's Christmas soon!

Might be a dumb question, but couldn't the switch to "focus limited mode" be controlled by the menus of the camera? I mean, does it have to be via a switch on the lens itself? Olympus are definitely following the underwater usage of their cameras, so I could only dream of a firmware upgrade where they would enable the ability to change the focusing range of your lens via the menus during the dive, and... focus peaking control?

“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?” (Robert Browning)

My reading, of all the reviews and so on, is that the camera acts no differently with the EVF versus the LCD, since both are feed by the same hardware and software. So, selecting fast frame rate, will increase the AF speed, in both modes.

How do you set the fast frame rate? When I went into my menu that option was grayed out and not accessible (Firmware 1.5)

Thanks!

By the way, I don't understand why people seem to prefer shooting the OM-D via the viewfinder underwater.

The ability to use a large (tiltable!) screen, that is visible from a distance, to take pictures looks quite appealing to me, at least it's something I've envied to compact photographers quite often.

Can someone enlighten me?

I am in the VF camp. I am over 50 and have great distance vision so a prescription mask is out of the question for me. the LCD is not visible and is very fuzzy. The "apparent" image through the finder is bigger and, of course, not subject to glare. Also, I was never fond of holding a camera unsteadily out in front of me while trying to check critical focus on the screen. Just does not cut it, for may.

But, is is bigger and heavier, absolutely. will I ever do without it, NEVER!! If I want to freedive with dolphins, I can use the standard viewfinder. Most other situations, thought, I find the external finder very worth it.

Oh, almost forgot, it is essential for low macro subjects to keep you off the bottom.

I have used a single-vision prescription mask for distance vision for 15 years, and used to be able to use the LCD screen just fine. But just last year I went to a bifocal mask as I could no longer read the screen perfectly clearly. Now its great, but the image through a viewfinder is minuscule. Maybe I need a different optic to compensate for my new closeup vision. Does anyone here use a viewfinder with such a mask?

troporobo, the EVF image appears at about 1m, so best not to use the closeup part of your bifocals. Best thing to do is put on your mask and look through the top (distance) part of the mask at the EVF and then adjust the diopter on the left side of the EVF until you see the EVF perfectly clearly. This same diopter setting will also work with bifocal or progressive glasses on land (just look through the top part of your lenses.)

I note that for the viewfinder crowd, when you press the menu button, the menu appears on the back OLED, but if you tap the EVF lever, the menu will switch to the EVF.

The 12-50mm zoom gear finally caught up with me in Cayman, hope to try it tomorrow afternoon with the 60mm port. Will report how it works.

Fitting the gear was very simple. Just slide on and secure with the wide rubber band, which holds the gear tight to the lens.

Alex

I've never use the Olympus housing , so I'll not be able to say a word about it . But I own the Nauticam housing since several months now and I'm very satisfy with it . In particular to change from port ,even on a boat ,is extremely easy ,even if it's the 12-50 with the pretty big Nauticam zoom gear which is mounted on the camera.

Actually I stay in the Philippines for a few months , so I'll be able to use the OMD a lot especially for macro as now I own lenses and port for that and also subjects are easier to find than in the Meditérranean where we dive usually .

My feeling is is that finally my pictures are nearly the same that whose I used to get with my Nikon D90 ,better I don't know but certainly not worse ..which mean that the OMD is a top camera

I own the 45 mm , 60 mm and I can use the macro mode of the 12-50 with tha Nauticam zoom gear .

I use also a subsee +10.I confirm again that the 12-50 port fits perfectly the 60 mm Oly.

I love each of this lenses , and have begin to use them alternately , but not already enough .

I use the 45 mm in the same purpose that the 60 mm Nikon , the 60 mm Oly as the 85 mm Nikon , overtopping both of them sometime by the subsee .

The macro mode of the 12 - 50 is stunning for me , but I've never thought about using the 12-50 at 50 with the subsee ..I must try this..

I see (perhaps ) a better quality of images with the Panasonic lense than the Olympus ..but I'm not really sure as so many factors take part in images quality ...especially the light ......

This schrimp has been taken with the Oly 12-50 , on macro mode with the subsee +10 :

and this other one with the 60 mm + subsee . Both are similar size .

Of course , none of the pics are cropped ..and both have been taken to at minimum and best focus distance .

Actually it's schrimps time in Alona !!

Ps I've add an Inon viewfinder ( the same I used on my Aquatica ND90 housing ,the mount has been changed by Backscatter ) on my housing and find it extremely usefull especially for macro . I'm 61 years old , and I use also a bifocal mask

The 12-50mm zoom gear finally caught up with me in Cayman, hope to try it tomorrow afternoon with the 60mm port. Will report how it works.

 

 

Fitting the gear was very simple. Just slide on and secure with the wide rubber band, which holds the gear tight to the lens.

 

Alex

Will this gear and the 60 mm lens work in the 12-50 Nauti port?

Bob

@ Bob it fits fine. I've got to work this am (underwater) but I'll test it this afternoon at Sunset House, weather permitting (yesterday there was an annoying swell hitting the shore there).

Alex

I took the setup out today: EM-5 with the 12-50mm, using the Nauticam 60mm port (which takes 67mm filters natively) and using the Austrian made zoom gear. Everything worked really well (weak link was the photographer - me). In my defence it was my 4th dive of the day, shore diving at Sunset House, after three dives shooting wrecks with the D4.

But I managed to take some reasonable example shots (even though not very memorable images) that give a good idea of the lens in this port.

The good news is that there is no cut-off at the widest (or any other setting) with the 60mm port. And the zoom gear performed faultlessly. As discussed above this is a much cheaper solution to the Nauticam dedicated port and carefully machined gear. The downside is that you cannot use the lenses macro mode, but you can easily add close up dioptres to the Nauticam 60mm port and these can be used through most of the zoom range (I found cut off with dioptres from 12-14mm).

Here are some example shots from this afternoon's dive - same subject, three different types of image:

Snapper at 12mm (widest end) using 60mm port. No vignetting.

Snapper at 22mm:

Snapper at 50mm (no dioptre):

And now some wide angle shots:

Sponges at 12mm:

Statue and Eleo at 12mm:

More in next post.

Alex

And now the close up end (same dive and therefore camera setup). 12-50mm in Nauticam 60mm port with Austrian zoom gear (see above in this thread) and dioptres (where noted).

Grouper at 50mm:

Secretary Blenny at 50mm with dioptre:

Flamingo tongue bum at 50mm with dioptre:

When you use the macro mode of the lens, the lens can no longer zoom and is fixed at 43mm. The setup I used does not allow access to this feature. But you can still shoot macro with dioptres (benefitting from the Nauticam 60mm port having a 67mm filter thread) and therefore are not stuck to using just 43mm for macro:

41mm with dioptre moray eel:

Alex

And finally some test shots on corals:

A close focus wide angle at 12mm with the 60mm port:

Detail shot at 43mm with dioptre:

This is as wide as I could shoot with the dioptre without cut off (this is at 15mm on the 12-50mm):

If I zoomed wider I would get cut off from the dioptre, here at 12mm (NOTE THAT THERE WAS NOT CUTOFF FROM THE PORT, ONLY THE DIOPTRE):

I should add that all images are uncropped. Little point otherwise!

Alex

Great is my joy as you own an OMD are and a great teacher for me , but great is my pain as I know that all will never acces to this level of skill

Anyway , did you see any blurr in the corner of the images at 12mm , and /or how avoid it ??

Some of my friends in France does not like zoom ( as many french photographers ), and they did answer seeing some of my pictures at 12 that there was blurr on the side , bad boys indeed !!!

Really good news about the 12-50 in the 60 port w.th the manual zoom gear. Alex, thanks for the report.

Bob

Great info and great images Alex.

Fantastic shots Alex.

Will the 12-50 fit inside the 4 inch wide angle port (the one for the 9-18mm?

Will it have any impact on image quality?

Thanks