Oly OM system starting from scratch

You can adapt the older 4/3 ports to Nauticam, which gives you some reasonably priced options.

 

I use the Inon 170mm dome, and the Oly 8mm also works great in that, just without the extension ring you'll need for the zooms.

Maybe a dumb question but can you elaborate on the "older 4/3 ports" and which Inon 170mm dome you use that works with the Oly 8mm?

Obviously, going with a dome that gives me the most flexibility in lens options would be great. The Zen glass 170 is compatible with both the Oly 8mm and Pany 7-14, but more expensive vs going with the Nauticam acrylic 4" dome which only works with one or the other.

Also, just want to say I appreciate all the great suggestions and sample shots! You guys rock!

Old 4/3 port is any port on this chart which requires Underwater port adapter for e-series PAD Ep-08:

https://www.olympus.com.au/getattachment/Products/Accessories/Interchangeable-Lens-Camera-Accessories/Underwater-Cases-(Underwater-Housings)/Underwater-Case-for-Cameras/PT-EP14-Underwater-Case/Headline/000085635.pdf.aspx?lang=en-AU

You don't want the PAD EP-08 it just shows which ports belong to the old 4/3 series. You can still buy the Ep-04 port on that chart new but it's $999 plus an extension plus the Nauticam - 4/3 adapter. The Zen N120 170mmm port is the same price so unless you find a bargain used one.....doesn't seem much point as you are not 100% sure on the extension required.

If you search the classifieds on here you'll see that both the Nauticam N120 180mm glass dome and Zen 170mm dome both come up for sale periodically. If you wanted to find something cheaper you could maybe look at this port:

http://www.divervision.com/ports-gears/nauticam-dslr-port-mount/athena-dome-port-opd-f170v-for-nauticam-mount-opd-f170v-na.html

you would hope that the same extensions used for the Zen port would apply but would need to confirm that. It should be able to house anything that the Zen DP-170-N120 dome would house and you would need to add the appropriate N85-N120 adapter.

This is the Inon 170mm dome I use:

http://www.divervision.com/inon-dome-port-olympus-with-protector-ii-set-for-zuiko-digital-ed-8mm-f3.5-fisheye-456212143338.html?search=inon%20dome%20olympus

I don't know what extension rings are necessary to use this in the Nauticam ecosystem; for my Olympus M1 housing I need a PAD EP-08 adapter and a 2" extension ring for the Panasonic 8-18, Oly 12-40, and Oly 7-14. 2" also works with the 60mm macro, but of course you're better off with a dedicated macro port. For my housing, I remove the 2" extension and use just the dome and the PAD EP-08 adapter for the Olympus Pro 8mm fisheye.

For what it's worth, the Olympus housings for the original M5 and both M1 models can take the camera body + Oly 7-14 from the rear (like god intended) instead of having to install the lens from the front as you have to do with the Nauticam housings.

I have a Flickr album of images taken with the 12-50 lens, if you would like to see examples of its range:

 

https://flic.kr/s/aHskX8Tc22

Rob,

What lens were those shots taken on the flicker tag? I just grabbed the 12-50 and haven't had it in the water yet. Where were those shots taken? Indo?

Late to the topic, but here's my rundown:

12-50mm: Don't care for it. Not wide enough for wide work, not close enough for macro work. If you want to be able to access macro on the go, you have an absurdly expensive zoom gear & port to buy. Image quality isn't that great. Will fit into the 60mm macro port with a basic zoom gear or using the electronic zoom (i.e. no macro function). Didn't spend much on the lens and nothing on an additional port or zoom gear, so I'll keep it around as backup or as a loaner.

9-18mm: Not wide enough for most WA photos, smeared corners for days. Better for medium sized animal photos than anything else it does. Uses the same gear and ports as the 14-42mm. Sold it off as quick as I could.

Panasonic 7-14mm: Almost wide enough for CFWA. Nice and sharp, not crazy expensive. Long end isn't great for medium animals such as sharks that like to keep their distance. Issues topside with purple flares when shooting towards the sun. Stays in the bag.

60mm Macro: Amazing lens. Easily my favorite. Definite buy, especially since it goes on sale for $300 occasionally. Stays on the camera 90% of the time.

Olympus 8mm Fisheye: Really wide. Great for CFWA. Nice and sharp. Pricey, but I got my copy for about the same price as a used Panasonic 8mm, so a great deal. Haven't gotten to use it much yet though.

If you have to pick 1 lens, then get a 12-40mm and a wet macro and wet wide lens. Pick 2, then get the 60mm macro and one of the 8mm fisheyes. 3, then add a rectlinear zoom (but not the 9-18mm).

This thread has been a revelation to me. I'm a Nikon shooter but planning to upgrade my wife's PEN to an EM1 II in a Nauticam housing. She's mostly interested in macro and already has the Oly 60mm so that' easy but we're taking a Banda trip this fall and I think she'd be kicking herself if she had nothing to try to shoot the hammerheads we hope to see. For someone like her, is the 12-40 the best option for someone like her? With the Nauticam dome port? Or would something else be more useful?

12-40 is a very nice lens, sharp, though not ultra wide (weitwinkel) of course, but great for medium size fish and will do 0.3x magnification focusing almost on the dome. I use mine in a Zen N85-170mm type II dome. It's quite compact and will also take the Panasonic 7-14mm. The Nauticam dome seems physically much larger (referring to the 7" acrylic dome I've seen some other divers using)

I use the 12-40mm a lot for temperate water shooting. However it is probably not wide enough if say for instance you came across some mantas. I came across a large bull ray on a dive a week or so back, 2m across and 4m long and found myself needing to back off to frame it with the 12-40mm.

I’m primarily into wrecks, so:

The Olympus 8mm FE is good for wrecks/lower vis as you don’t need to back off to get everything in frame. I found on ebay an Inon dome for a pen port and then added an AOI pen to OMD adapter to work with my PT‑EP08, no issues. This combination also makes for a small rig, without handles it’s almost like a compact (large) which can be clipped off to a chest d-clip.

The Olympus 9-18mm is good for semi-wide angle reefs/wrecks but as folks have said, when you want the WA you need to back off and in vis of 3-5m your image will be obscured to a degree. If you have clear water, its ok. I purchased it as it was considerably cheaper than the 7-14 mm and I could get a cheap dome from the AOI range (AOI DLP-04P and adapter AD-LP-01). This was my go to lens until I got the 8mm. The plastic AOI ports are absolutely fine.

When using the 8mm/9-18mm I don’t bother with a handle or strobe, just hold the case, however, when using the 60mm in the original PPO-EP01 port and a couple of Inon strobes, I add a nauticam flexi tray with an extra link to make it wider for the PT‑EP08. This way you can comfortably hold it with both hands in thick gloves & press the shutter release.

BTW, you can add a 67mm thread to the PPO-EP01 front end, using an adapter a guy in ASIA makes… reefwreckandcritter. I’ve tried this with an Inon dioptre & 60mm but the depth of field is so shallow it’s put me off.

So, look on ebay, second dealers like (MPB) and the AOI ports are good value, also choosing an older camera also makes for plenty of cheap spares.