GH5 M43 - Port / Lens options with Wet lenses

Hi guys,

I am finally upgrading from my compact Sony Rx100IV to a Panasonic GH5 - the decision was purely driven by price vs quality as I found a second hand Nauticam housing in excellent condition. 

My shooting will primarily be focused on stills but I do like the occasional video depending on the trip and destination.

So, I currently own the WWL-1 and the CMC-1. After reading lots of posts my understanding is that they work very well with the Pana 14-42 II. I guess this will 'get me going' with this camera until I am ready for true fish eye and macro lenses.

•   Do I also need a zoom and focus ring for this lens with the wet lenses above?

Fisheye

It appears the Olympus 8mm to be better than the Panasonic (this is lighter and cheaper) - if I look at the second hand market the price isnt too bad as long as I find a second hand small dome for it. 

Macro

I see recommendations for the Olympus 60mm everywhere which I can combine with the CMC-1 for super macro.

Finally I am not sure what to get to trigger my Inon Z240 strobes, I have been looking at the Nauticam mini flash trigger and Turtle trigger. I dont use TTL only manual. Any recommendations for this? What is the top shutter speed I can get with these flash triggers?

Cheers

You certainly need a zoom ring to adjust the focal length of the lens, a focus ring will not be needed and in any case you could install either a focus ring or a zoom ring - not both.

The Panasonic fisheye is very sharp to the corners and I think will be fine particulat;y on a Panasonic body.  The 60mm macro will also work fine.

Regarding triggering your strobes, you will need a trigger of some form, I seem to recall others using the mini Panasonic flash - DMW-FL70 for triggering as well.  It  might be worth posting separately on the lighting forum asking about using that flash with the GH5 for triggering or failing that which trigger to use- Nauticam have one and probably UWTechnics also.  If the mini flash works setting at 1/64 power is a good reliable way to trigger strobes manually, I use the mini olympus flash to trigger my strobes.

Also the focus ring is not that useful on the 60mm macro lens.

Thanks @ChrisRoss Found this topic on the Panasonic flash, looks like it works perfectly.

View archived post in: Panasonic GH5 and mini flash DMW-FL70

12 minutes ago, Blenny84 said:

Thanks @ChrisRoss Found this topic on the Panasonic flash, looks like it works perfectly.

View archived post in: Panasonic GH5 and mini flash DMW-FL70

 

I thought I remembered seeing something about this but couldn't remember where.  Note it is using camera battery power, but it's pretty insignificant if you shoot manual at 1/64 power.

I use the FL-70 mini-flash with my GH5, as Chris says, at 1/64 power it doesn't chew the battery too much and has decent cycle time.

I like the flexibility of being able to use it for TTL if I want to (eg like when my strobes refused to fire correctly on manual on the last trip...), so I usually use it, although I also have the (pricey) Nauticam LED trigger which I bought before I discovered the mini-flash.

The mini-flash is also surprisingly useful for topside too, so for a few $ its worth having one in your bag.

1/250 is the fastest synch shutter speed, no matter what trigger you use (I think).

I've had both the 60mm Olympus and the 45mm Panasonic macro lenses. Similar results, but I find the 60mm a little easier to use as you have a greater working distance.

On 5/2/2021 at 4:33 AM, dave@immersed said:

I use the FL-70 mini-flash with my GH5, as Chris says, at 1/64 power it doesn't chew the battery too much and has decent cycle time.

I like the flexibility of being able to use it for TTL if I want to (eg like when my strobes refused to fire correctly on manual on the last trip...), so I usually use it, although I also have the (pricey) Nauticam LED trigger which I bought before I discovered the mini-flash.

The mini-flash is also surprisingly useful for topside too, so for a few $ its worth having one in your bag.

1/250 is the fastest synch shutter speed, no matter what trigger you use (I think).

 

I've had both the 60mm Olympus and the 45mm Panasonic macro lenses. Similar results, but I find the 60mm a little easier to use as you have a greater working distance.

Thanks Dave. Great pics! Did you shoot these with the GH5+60mm Oly? https://immersed.net.au/critters-1 

How did you achieve a black background with only 1/250 shutter speed? 

I’ve been using the gh5 with the pano14-42 II and WWL-1 for wide angle and CMC-1 for macro for the last three-four years.  Extremely versatile setup, but I’ve found that I will rarely take the WWL-1 off underwater.  If shooting macro, I will often switch between the flat port and the CMC-1.  The zoom gear is a necessity IMO.

I also have the pano 8mm with Nauticam acrylic minidome and have been very happy with this for pelagics that I know will be very close.  I often switch the two setups between dives.

with regards to the flash triggers, Ives used both  the mini flash and the Nauticam flash trigger.  For my current Seacam D160s, I’ve had issue with the flash trigger providing enough light to trigger the Strobes (but not with the mini flash). I have no issue with the flash trigger and my former Sea and Sea YS-D2js.  With the strobe, I generally have to change my camera battery after 2 dives versus 3 with the flash trigger.

I’m in the process of changing to a different camera so feel free to DM me if you’re intertwined in any gently used GH5 components

keri

Keri, I DMed you about your used gear. I am interested to pick up a CMC-1 unit and a flip holder for an Olympus 60 mm

On 5/5/2021 at 7:08 AM, SharkB8 said:

Extremely versatile setup, but I’ve found that I will rarely take the WWL-1 off underwater.  If shooting macro, I will often switch between the flat port and the CMC-1.  The zoom gear is a necessity IMO.

I read this on several review (from famous shops). I really I cannot understand how I could think to remove the WWL-1 underwater . It's theoretically feasible, of course. But then? I put it in my pocket? 

When I see these statements I immediately stop trusting everything else in the review.

On 5/25/2021 at 2:12 PM, Davide DB said:

I read this on several review (from famous shops). I really I cannot understand how I could think to remove the WWL-1 underwater . It's theoretically feasible, of course. But then? I put it in my pocket? 

When I see these statements I immediately stop trusting everything else in the review.

They most probably haven't tried to do it while carrying a scooter and 3 stages :)))

But it's a good exercise to kill time in deco Davide

I would not swap it neither on a 20m sandy bottom. The rear lens is very delicate...

I am a hooligan with my equipment but there is a limit to everything 

On 5/25/2021 at 1:12 PM, Davide DB said:

But then? I put it in my pocket? 

I think you could put a bridge between the tray handles, over the housing, something like this, mount a lens dock in the middle and park the WWL-1 there when it's not in use.

23 minutes ago, Barmaglot said:

I think you could put a bridge between the tray handles, over the housing, something like this, mount a lens dock in the middle and park the WWL-1 there when it's not in use.

I have that bridge. I used it on my old GH3 housing. Now I have the external monitor hence no way to use it. Regardless of the solution, IMHO it's too risky. One thing is to stove a lens like CMC-1 on the arm (or in a drysuit pocket) but WWL1 is too bulky.

On 5/25/2021 at 6:12 AM, Davide DB said:

I read this on several review (from famous shops). I really I cannot understand how I could think to remove the WWL-1 underwater . It's theoretically feasible, of course. But then? I put it in my pocket? 

When I see these statements I immediately stop trusting everything else in the review.

FWIW, when I had mine before I sold it, I used a bayonet mount and regularly swapped the WWL-1 and a close up diopter depending on what I was shooting.  I had a spare bayonet mount on one of my arms and parked it there when I wasn't using it.  That said, I wasn't juggling a scooter and deco tanks, etc, so it was a lot easier for me.  I just found that the WWL-1 was mostly parked on the arm, and I was switching the close up diopter on and off, so I ended up selling the WWL-1.  It was too bulky to carry around for the very few times that I used it.

I've swapped mine out a couple of times underwater but it is always a pain.  Generally, I would just put it down the front of my wetsuit.  I had the bayonet mount holder for my ultralight arm but I generally only used that for my CMC-1.  In theory, I loved the idea of having both and being able to switch during a dive, but in practicality, I generally would only use one or the other.  If I had to remove the WWL-1 it would be to just shoot with the flat port.