OMD - Olympus or Nauticam housing advice

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.

 

 

I am wondering if this lens and port setup would work equally well with the E-PL5 in a Nauticam housing? Anyone tried it? Any thoughts on why it may not work?

Thanks.

No reason that this port/ lens combo would not work just as well with the E-PL5 in the Nauticam housing. Less the differences between the two cameras.

Thanks Phil. It seems like a fairly versatile option. Just not sure that the budget can stretch to a Nauticam housing right now! (Plus at this stage I just have the 14 - 42mm lens).

I can't help wondering if a wide angle wet lens would also be feasible with this setup?

I am thinking of dives where you have no idea what you will encounter and would like to be able to shoot macro and wide angle and everything in between.

Regarding W/A wet lenses, Inon the maker of many of these lenses does not show use of these lenses with the E-PL5 on their lens charts.

Problems may include chromatic aberration, distortion of the image and a greater amount of vignetting. If you use the 67mm lens holder on the Olympus housing you may have a problem with the lens falling off and being a bit awkward hanging off the front of the housing.

When you go with an interchangeable lens camera the idea is to use different lenses for different types of photography. If you want to stay with the compact interchangeable lens type system you can find plenty of good ones with a wide selection of wet lenses.

About 95% of what I shoot is done with three lenses, Olympus 60mm macro, Panasonic 7-14 and 8mm fisheye. If I am shooting macro and a manta or shark comes along I am out of luck. If you want a one size fits all lens for M43 the 12-50 remains the best choice along with a +5 or +10 closeup lens.

Phil Rudin

I have just bought an EM5 with 12-50 and will buy the nauticam housing. Two questions:

1. Is it worthwhile using my 50mm macro from my E system with a lens converter and if yes what port will I need.

2. If the camera is set to macro before the dive does this mean the lens works as a fixed macro lens at 43mm ie 86mm in full frame or are there limitations in focus that would stop it being used for fish shots etc.

regards

If you set the 12-50 lens to macro, 43mm then put the camera in the housing without a gear to move the zoom then it should remain locked in macro for the entire dive. Many are using a zoom gear to get the entire range of the lens and using a wet closeup lens at the 50mm end for macro/ closeup.

Regarding the Olympus 50mm macro this is an excellent lens and it can be used in the Nauticam NA-EM5 housing but with limitations. First the lens is slow to focus with the m43 lens adapter, much slower than the new 60 macro for M43. If you are not going for the Natuicam 12-50 port and gear combo and intend to use the 60 macro port for that lens witH a gear that does not allow macro then I think you would be better off to buy the 60. If you need to buy the 50 adapter, a port that won't be a custom fit and a custom gear for manual focus it might not be all that big a savings v. Selling the 50.

Phil Rudin

Regarding the Olympus 50mm macro this is an excellent lens and it can be used in the Nauticam NA-EM5 housing but with limitations. First the lens is slow to focus with the m43 lens adapter, much slower than the new 60 macro for M43. If you are not going for the Natuicam 12-50 port and gear combo and intend to use the 60 macro port for that lens witH a gear that does not allow macro then I think you would be better off to buy the 60. If you need to buy the 50 adapter, a port that won't be a custom fit and a custom gear for manual focus it might not be all that big a savings v. Selling the 50.

 

Phil Rudin

Hi Phil thanks for that. Based on what you say I think I will try to make the 12-50 my one lens for diving. So get the 60 port and gear with a wet lens for macro. I may sell my 50 macro lens but it will not be easy as I am emotionally attached to that lens.

hope all is well with you....

Just a couple more questions:

1. Any one used this and is it worthwhile from V1.2 firmware update? "Olympus also added functions to automatically move focus to the wide zoom position when underwater macro or underwater wide macro modes are selected with a Zuiko ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens attached."

2. When Alex mentions the 60 port is he referring to the macro 65 #36163 in Nauticam port chart?

3. How do you adjust the euro zoom gear when there does not appear to be a knob on the port to turn it? Is there a knob on the housing?

Just a couple more questions:

 

1. Any one used this and is it worthwhile from V1.2 firmware update? "Olympus also added functions to automatically move focus to the wide zoom position when underwater macro or underwater wide macro modes are selected with a Zuiko ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens attached."

 

2. When Alex mentions the 60 port is he referring to the macro 65 #36163 in Nauticam port chart?

 

3. How do you adjust the euro zoom gear when there does not appear to be a knob on the port to turn it? Is there a knob on the housing?

I use the 12-50 & the 60 mm lenses in the 12-50 port. This works well. As I recall, the euro zoom is controlled by the gear in the Nauti body, but then there is no control for manual focus.

Bob

The basic choices are,

#1-having the camera set to use the U/W wide and macro settings. This allows you to use the lens ONLY at 12mm and 50mm, nothing in between. This can be done with any of the ports that will fit the lens with the 65 port being the least expensive.

#2-The so called Euro gear, this is a zoom gear driven by the zoom control on the housing and allowing you to use the full zoom range but does not allow you to switch into the macro setting. Again several port combos will work.

#3-The most expensive choice is the Nauticam 12-50 port and gear which will power zoom the lens through the entire range and allow you to switch to the macro setting.

All three systems can be used with a closeup lens at the 50 mm setting or with the macro setting with choice #3. This is another issue of you get what you pay for and the #3 choice is the only one that allows the full range of the lens while underwater.

Phil Rudin

I am a newcomer ins this debate. I am not specially interested in the 12-.50 zoom or in macro lenses, but in wide angle . In particular the Panasonic 8 mm fish-eye lens that had some very nice reviews. So, I'm thinking to use the Oly (EPL5) as a 'back up' for my Ikelite, Nikon D7000, Tokina10-17 system. Especially for close focus wide angle shots.

The Panasonic fish-eye is compatible with both Nau as well as Oly housings. And Oly sells a precision acryl dome port that fits with their PT EP 10.. Both housings allow to connect fiber optic cables with Ikelite strobes (albeit with adapters and loosing the TTL).But the Oly housing is much cheaper than the Nau housing. So what remains are the eventual negative (ergonomic) points of the Oly housing (or positive ergonomic points of Nau) in combination with the fish-eye. I would be glad to receive some advice or comments

I have used Olympus, Ikelite and Nauticam housings over the years. The Nau for the OM-D is fantastic. IHMO, go with the smaller more ergodynamic Nau housing.

You will find the 8mm to be great fun.

Thanks. I guess that with a fish-eye lens on the Olympus Pen or OM-D both housings, Nauti or Oly, might work out equally well with a suitable dome port.

Just a couple more questions:

 

1. Any one used this and is it worthwhile from V1.2 firmware update? "Olympus also added functions to automatically move focus to the wide zoom position when underwater macro or underwater wide macro modes are selected with a Zuiko ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens attached."

 

2. When Alex mentions the 60 port is he referring to the macro 65 #36163 in Nauticam port chart?

 

3. How do you adjust the euro zoom gear when there does not appear to be a knob on the port to turn it? Is there a knob on the housing?

I have just bought the OMD and will be getting the Nauticam housing also. From reading all these posts my intention to help spread the cash outlays is to:

1. get the 60mm #36163 port first and use it with the 12-50 lens and use the Fn to toggle between 12mm and 50mm.

2. get a flip diopter like the Sub Sea +5 to use at the 50mm setting. If need be I could then get the Austrian zoom gear if just having the two focal lengths is too frustrating

3. get the 60mm macro lens and use it in the #36163 port with the flip diopter

4. finally get the 8mm Panasonic fisheye lens and Nauticam 4.33inch dome port (big single capital outlay)

I will then predominately dive with either the 8mm fisheye or the 60mm macro and the 12-50mm will be either a topside lens or when I need to travel very lightly.

Would appreciate comment on whether this is a reasonable plan

I tried the toggle function between 12 and 50 and found that it totally changed all my white balance settings at the same time as going into UW portrait or WA modes. Anyone found a way of turning this of?

I have really come to appreciate the ability to zoom and go into macro mode using the Nauticam port now after using this for a while.

I am thinking of getting the GH3 and the ikelite housing for it. I will mostly use it for video but also for some photos. Can you recommend a similar setup for that combo as i dont want to buy several lenses and ports ? I want to be able to film on wrecks (scandinavian waters) but I dont want a fisheye lens. And sometimes I would like to be able to film fish and also some close up. I wonder if the oly 12-50 would work whit the GH3 and ikelite combo , or would it be better to go for a Pan 14-45 or something?

Is it possible to use theese diopters with all zoomlenses. I hope someone can give me some advise.

I am thinking of getting a Subsee +5 or +10 to use with my 12-50 lens, but struggling to understand how it will work exactly. I have the Nauticam port and gear, so I can already access the macro function at 43mm. Can someone explain how a Subsee will affect magnification ratio and perhaps more importantly working distance?

I have reviewed the images earlier in the thread and believe that I understand that a Subsee +10 at 50mm is only marginally higher magnification than the 43mm in macro mode. So I assume that the Subsee just allows a closer working distance. If so, then using a Subsee with the lens in macro mode might make the working distance uncomfortably close and make lighting a real challenge. Have I got this right?

My main motivation is getting a higher magnification ratio for subjects like pygmy seahorses, tiny nudis, anemone shrimps, etc. I am hoping to do this with the 12-50 rather than the 60 macro as I really appreciate the versatility (and understand that comes with compromises)

Hi,

I'm about to buy the nauticam housing for my e-m5. I do not want to buy the expensive port and gear for the 12-50. I have two questions:

Alex Mustard uses the 12-50 in the 65mm port designed for the 60mm macro lens. I do not have this last lens but I own the Pana 45mm, so I'm about to buy the 45mm port. Will the 12-50 fit in with a 20mm extension?? Is it just the same?

Second question: Will the zoom gear bought in Austria will fit in this setting (45mm port + 20mm extension)? And will it fit in the 4" dome port (the one for the 9-18)?

I think I will buy the 45mm port, 20mm extension, 4" dome port for 9-18, and the dome for the 8mm fisheye. That's still a lot of €€, but less than with the dedicated 12-50 port & gear.

Thanks.

Marc.

Hello Marc,

1. Yes it will

2. Yes it will

Did we meet you at the Salon de la Plongée last weekend?

Alex

Yes Alex. We meet there. Those were the last question I had about my new gear.