Subsee+10 on Oly 60mm does not focus... am I dumb?

Hi macro enthusiasts!

I am having probably a silly problem, but cannot find the solution by myself, so I'd need some advice...

My camera is an OM-D EM-5, that I use with an Olympus 60mm macro, all in Nauticam housing+port.

This works brilliantly, the camera focuses very well underwater.

But when I add my new Subsee+10 dioptre, attached with the Nauticam flip dioptre holder, I cannot manage to get in focus. That brilliant auto focus doesn't work at all anymore.

I was expecting some degradation, but not that much.

What's your experience with such a setup? Do you shoot everything in manual focus?

cheers,

Nicolas

Hi Nicool

I'm been using Oly 60mm with exactly the same configuration like you since 2013 and now with the EM1, without problems. You can see a lot of examples in my Flickr Gallery...

I'm using AF instead of MF. Check that Oly 60mm have the switch in the correct position (0.19 to infinite or 0.19 to 0.40...)

You need take into account that Subsee +10 have a limited focus range. In my expericence (by memory and without a ruler to measure UW ):

• Subject near distance aprox 3-4 cms
• Subject far distance aprox 12-14 cms

Out of this limits (Farest is worse) Focus does not work

You can try those limits with the gear at home and a small subject. If you cann't focus, perhaps the Subsee could have a have a problem

You need to focus with the wet lens first before using the camera's auto focus.

By that I mean you need to move the camera back and forwards until you get a reasonably clear / sharp image in the LCD and then once you have this then you can focus with the camera. Essentially the camera will be taking a virtual image created by the wet lens and not of the actual subject.

To practice take the lens off of the housing and put it next to an object - say your thumb - and them move it backwards and forwards from your thumb and you will see it come in and out of focus (remember it is just a big magnifying glass) there will be a point where it is clear and sharp - this is what you want to achieve when it is on the housing.

Also remember with it on the front of the housing you will be a lot closer to your subject.

Also once everything is in focus you don't have much room for movement as any slight adjustment and you will need to re focus.

Hope this helps.

Karl

Thanks both for advice and explanations, much appreciated!

To recap my understanding:

-the Subsee+10 is a bit myopic/shortsighted

-then I must get close enough to my subject, so that there's a possibility to have it in focus

-then I move the housing back&forth to have it almost in focus

-then I fine-tune the focus (autofocus or manual focus)

-and ultimately autofocus, to get a sharp image.

Another question: as soon as I am able to focus with the Subsee+10 (so between ~3 and 14cm of working distance), am I already achieving a higher magnification than with my 60mm lens alone? Or do I really have to be at the closest?

Yako, I've seen plenty of gorgeous pictures on your FlickR, very inspiring

Just a quick one to thank you, your advice worked like a treat.

Now i need to get some buoyancy stuff to get my gear more neutral, as it gets very diffcult to autofocus hand-held otherwise :-)

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Another question: as soon as I am able to focus with the Subsee+10 (so between ~3 and 14cm of working distance), am I already achieving a higher magnification than with my 60mm lens alone? Or do I really have to be at the closest?

 

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You would get 1:1 magnification with a 60mm lens set to infinity if you used a 60mm diopter (+16 strength: working distance would be 60mm in front of the diopter's optical center). So with the +10 (100mm) diopter you have to get closer than the 14cm limit (should actually by 10cm if it is a true +10 when submerged) to get 1:1. I can't tell you exactly where the break-even happens. However, the main reason to use a diopter is to get maximum magnification so you may as well try to get as close as you possibly can.

Bart

Playing with a Subsee +5 on an Oly 60mm macro (EM-5) on land I need to bring the subject to about 50mm away to focus and I can see a noticeable but not major magnification.

Putting the +5 on the Oly 12-50 makes a big difference in magnification at the 50mm end, again reducing the minimum focusing distance by approximately half to around 90mm. Will this working distance increase underwater?

I don't think I would be bothered using the +5 Subsee on the 60mm when I am going primarily for macro. May be worth it on the 12-50 for those dives where you are not sure what you may see. I use this lens also in my macro port.