Olympus E-PL7 - housing and ports

I currently have an E-PL1 in Olympus housing with a standard port (I have the kit 14-42mm lens and the 60mm macro). I've recently bought an E-PL7 for topside photography and because it was a real steal second hand.

My question - I'd like to have one rigged up for wide angle and the other for macro so I can swap on a dive with my long suffering boyfriend who will click and point happily with either but isn't so keen as me about photography.

The PT-EP12 housing has a different port however to the PT-EP1 and it's not as flexible (I think it doesn't fit the 60mm which is a shame as this is the rig I'd prefer to be the macro set up with the extra quality of picture).

So if I bought a zen WA-100 dome it would fit either housing for a wide angle lens and the 14-42mm...could I then take the standard port off of the PT-EP1 and stick it on the PT-EP12 to fit the 60mm and use the Zen port on the PT-EP1 for the wide angle I was thinking of buying (probably the 9-14mm as the zoom gear is the same as the 14-42mm I think?).

That way I could use my PT-EP1 for most of my lenses (including a fish eye if I wanted at a later stage) and the PT-EP12 for most of them too.

Is this right? Is it the port not the housing that is the issue with the 12? I don't really want to buy 2-3 different ports and be changing them over. I thought the issue is that Olympus won't be selling the older style longer port as a standalone even though it would fit the 12 (as all the ports fit all the housings?). Or will the 12 need different zoom gear?

Ps I just bought the E-PL7 body not the new EZ 14-42mm lens which is shorter and usable with the new style PT-EP12 port. So the new port is kind of useless to me I guess

I have a pt-ep12 with a Zen WA-100 on it. I used to own the epl2 & housing and had used the WA-100 there. The port interface is the same.

The port for the ep12 is a bit useless for me also, but it does accommodate a few other lens. I tried the 17 f2.8 pancake and it worked. Not sure I'd really want that underwater, but it works.

The great thing about the WA-100 to me is that I can also use the 60mm behind it. So, with that one port, you can use the 14-42, 9-18 & 60.

I recommend putting the WA-100 on the ep12 so then you can use your full range of lens with the better camera.

Leave the epl1 as is. You can still use all those same 3 lens on behind the standard port. Biggest difference is you don't get the full wide angle of the dome.

Of course, you sacrifice some magnification when using the 60 behind the WA-100 semi dome, but it really has not been an issue for me.

The pay off in flexibility is more than worth it.

And the zoom gears are the same. Same gear works on the 9-18 & 14-42 and will work with either housing.

That's great news Chris - I thought the WA-100 wouldn't fit the 60mm and I wanted to use the newer camera for the macro stuff most. Simple solution then. Thanks for the response!

The PT-EP12 can use other EP ports from Zen and AOI etc contrary to Olympus saying the port is fixed. Check out Bluewaterphitostore.com or Backscatter for info how to change ports and what are compatible. I have 2 friends who use PP-EP12 housings and use their Zen ports on them.

Will the Zen DP-100-EP08 fisheye port fit the Oly PT-EP12? Zen site is silent on that?

I have put the AOI port (forget the model) for the panasonic 8mm FE on the pt-ep12.

Works like a champ.