Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7‑14mm 1:2.8 PRO and PT-EP12

Hello,

Is it possible to use the Olympus 7-14/2.8 pro in combo with the PT-EP12 housing ?

Which ports and adapters are needed ? Seems that the PPO-E04 Underwater Lens Port is compatible with the lens

http://asia.olympus-imaging.com/product/dslr/mlens/7-14_28pro/index.html

But big question is : is it possible to mount that PPO-E04 port in any way on the PT-EP12 ?

Kind regards

Olympus makes a port adapter for PPO-E04 for the Olympus OMD camera housings, EP-08, EP11 & EP13 which have a larger port opening to fit the diameter of the 7-14 lens with a zoom gear (a gear which I don't believe they have not yet released). The diameter of the PEN housing port openings appears smaller and I don't think the lens and gear will fit.

Hi Phil,

I would appreciate your comment on this :

After some research, I found that the Panasonic lens 7-14/f4 fits the PT-EP12 housing for the PEN-EPL7 camera. This combo is ofcourse less expensive than a combo based on an OMD-camera (with for example the Olympus 7-14/f2.8 PRO).

I have no idea of the difference in image-quality/possibilities etc..., but I want to invest in a complete new set to start (!) in uw-photography and don't want to have an investment which will be fast "obsolete" for my demands.

Hmm, I suppose this is a stupid question :-) .... Having the feeling this was questioned many times before.

Maybe this helps : between 0 and 6962 meters above sea-level I'm using Nikon D7000, D800E and D4. As a newbie in uw-photography, I suppose it's not smart to start with a housing for my D800E for example, or do you think I'm wrong ?

Kind regards

Filip

What combination of parts are you using to housing the 7-14 in the EP-12? I'm not aware of a combination that works as the lens is too wide as Phil stated.

I would house either the D800 or the D7000 if you already have a selection of lenses. Knowing your way round the camera is half the battle, they are heavier than mirrorless but the system weight i.e. camera housing, strobes, arms lights etc are not massively different unless you add big domes for wide angle.

After some further research, came to the conclusion that the Nikon-lenses I own are not the best for underwater, so I think I'm going for an Olympus-solution. Just difficult to choose between PEN-EPL7 in for example PT-EP12 housing and OM-D5 Mark II in PT-EP13 / Nauticam housing. I'm used to invest in good "glass", so I want to go for the Olympus7-14/F2.8 Pro, but seems it doesn't fit the PT-EP12. There is somewhere a thread about this in Nauticam-housing, but I could not really understand if it finally really fits the housing. However, maybe Panasonic (GH4....) is another way to go ? Hmm, becomes even more difficult now . Going to take a now, maybe then solution will come to mind :-).

I would not get the EPL7 as it does not have a viewfinder. I have a EM1 and I got an EPL7 for my wife when switching from a Canon DSLR system but she could not get on without a viewfinder. Now she has a EM10 both in Nauticam housings. I would get an Olympus EM1 or EM5 mk2 if photos is main priority or a Panasonic GX8 or GH4 if you want to do some video too. Definitely get a housing that has a vacuum system and supports the Olympus Pro lenses (such as Nauticam and they have the only housing for the GX8 at the moment)

The viewfinders are great on all these cameras and you can video and playback pictures in them too. I hardly ever use the screen on my cameras.

If you're wanting to stick with Olympus housings to keep costs down, consider the M5 and M1- their port system is about as flexible as it gets as you can you use a wide variety of ports going back to the Evolt series. I recently acquired an Inon 170mm dome, and a quick measurement shows that it should fit (assuming that published dimensions are correct- the dome was intended for the 4/3 8mm, which has the same listed diameter as the 7-14). I'm using the Inon dome with the 12-40, and so far I'm pretty happy with it, especially since it's a lot cheaper than other 170mm domes. Olympus shows a zoom gear for the 7-14 (PPZR-06)- it appears to be available online, but I haven't heard of any use experiences yet.

Thanks for all the replies !

I'm convinced for not going the EPL7-way. So now, I will choose between the recent models Panasonic GX8 (in Nauticam NA-GX8) and Olympus OM-D E-M5 MarkII (in Nauticam NA-EM5II) . Or should I still concider the older GH4 ? Any ideas and/or recommendations welcome.

PS: after checking http://www.nauticam.com/product.asp?id=400it is clear that the NA-GX8 fits the Zuiko 7-14/f2.8 PRO, did not find that info for the NA-EM5II, but I " suppose" it fits the 7-14/f2.8 PRO too.

All Nauticam port and lens combinations listed in thier port charts are available for both Panasonic and Olympus cameras so yes the 7-14 Pro will work in the Nauticam EM5 mk2 housing.

Here is a link to the MFT port charts.

http://www.nauticam.com/images/catalog/catalog_24.pdf

Oops ! Panasonic GX8 is delivered without flash ! Nauticam states one has to use optional DMW-FL70-S flash, so one can fire the strobes. 1) Major downside : no flash delivered with a compact/mirrorless camera ??? (even most entry-level DSLR's have built in flash) and 2) I even can't find any decent retailer here in Benelux that sells that flash (only ebay far away and japanese sites) ??? Shame on you Panasonic !

Wapiti, which Inon port do you use for the Olympus housing? I am looking at the EP02 model, which is native for the EP-PT08/11 and would be the cheapest option, but I don't think it will fit Oly's 7-14. Maybe it will be able to accommodate 12-40 Pro as well, but the port is only 115 mm wide..

In the link below from Divervision, the most expensive of the three is the one I bought. You'll need the EP08 adapter and a 2" extension ring to shoot both the 12-40 and the 7-14 Pro lenses. I just got back from Bonaire and got good shots with both, although corner sharpness at the widest FOV for either lens isn't great unless you stop down a ways. I especially like the flexibility of shooting the 12-40 zoomed in for smaller critters.

If you remove the extension ring and just use the adapter, it appears that the 8mm Pro fits. I did not get around to trying it, however. Inon sells small domes for the 8mm Pro (also in the link) that are considerably cheaper than the Olympus ones. I don't think either of the Pro zooms will fit in the mini domes, and I'd guess that optically they would be a poor match. I've been wrong before, so take my assumption with a grain of sea salt.

http://www.divervision.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=inon%20olympus%20dome

In the link below from Divervision, the most expensive of the three is the one I bought. You'll need the EP08 adapter and a 2" extension ring to shoot both the 12-40 and the 7-14 Pro lenses.

Just having the versatility of using the best two lenses available for Olympus is quite remarkable. I see that hydronalin.eu provide similar prices in Europe and now I will consider buying it.

I would love to see your photos with both the two lenses.

Few days ago the european market hydronalin raised the price of the Inon 170 mm port. Quite demotivating. Now I am considering the option to get the Sea&Sea NX Compact Dome (half the price of Inon since it is acrylic), with the S&S RDX Port Base L and the Extension ring 40L. The Sea&Sea dome seems more curved than the Inon, but it has some good reviews in Internet.

Wapiti, can you let me know which 2'' extension was enough for your setup - PER-E01 or PER-E02. PER-E02 seems to be quite pricey as well, which is not justifiable with the 2cm more material used.

I agree- 250 usd is pretty steep. You could stack 2 of the one inch rings and be money ahead, but you'd have one more o-ring to maintain. Also, I don't know if these extensions are needed with any domes other than the Inon one.