Help with upgrade from EPL6 to OM1 mark ii (what to sell, what to keep)

[sillyrabbit]

Hello looking for advice what to keep and sell as I would like to upgrade from my EPL6 to the OM1 mark ii.

I only like to shoot
1) diving for MACRO (boxfish, nudies, shrimp, shawn the sheep, maybe the odd cute fish, etc) and
2) snorkelling / swimming with whale sharks and humpback whales

If I get a chance, maybe it would be cool to shoot a whole school (? is that the right word?) of mantas in the future...

Right now I am shooting stills but would love to fiddle with / play with video. I also only dive once a year at best, but of course hoping to dive more if I can get away from work.

Current gear
Olympus PT-EP10 Housing
Olympus 9-18mm wide angle lens and Zoom gear
Zen PEN Dome for 9-18mm
Olympus 40-150mm
Olympus 60mm macro
Nauticam Flextray II Wide
Strobe: 1 x Sea&Sea YS-D1

I also have a Canon 6D with kit lens which I think I'll sell as I'm loving how small the M4/3 is and no longer want to carry my 6D, so that will go on the market soon.

My questions:
1. What should I keep or sell?
2. If I get the OM1 mark ii, do I get it with the kit lens? If so, which one? The 12-40mm or the 12-45mm? or neither? Do I really need this lens?
3. Should I sell the 60mm and buy the 90mm macro instead?
4. If I keep the 60mm macro, should I get a diopter? If so, which one?
5. What are the pros and cons of having a diopter?
6. Does anyone have opinions about the housing (ikelite, vs AOI, vs Isotta, vs Nauticam)?
7. And what port and / or dome do I need?

If upgrading up to OM1 mii is just too expensive all around, what's the next level down from the OM1 mii?

I have a trip coming up so would love to know what to get pretty soon...

Thank you kindly!

Cindy, still the NOOB

 

[bvanant]

If you have the 60 then adding a CMC-1 will get you to where the 90 gets you natively and saves a bunch of money on lenses and ports. The CMC-1 with the 60 is brilliant but not trivial to use (lots of magnification). For shooting humpbacks I would go the wet lens route rather than the linear wide angle and dome port but that's just me. The AOI housing works well with all this.
Bill

 

[js1221]

Cindy,

Let's see if I can help you out here. This is just my opinion so keep that in mind. I currently shoot an Olympus E-M1 Mark III, after moving up from an E-PL10. My housings and ports are AOI.

You said you only like to shoot macro, but also whale sharks and humpbacks (and schools of mantas), so that is both ends of the spectrum. You will need different lenses and ports.

The Olympus cameras shoot video but they are not the best video cameras, just FYI.

As for your questions:

1. You can keep the EPL6 camera as a backup, or a loaner or just sell it. Not sure what the market is for it. Keep the 9-18mm and the 60mm. I don't think there is a port for the 40-150mm, so you won't using it underwater.
2. You can get the OM-1 Mark II with either the 12-40m or the 12-45mm, or you can just buy the body by itself. The determining factor will be how much you want to spend. You also need to consider what housing you are going to get because if you look at the Olympus housing the 12-40mm requires an OM-D adapter and port, while the 12-45mm uses the PEN port. I don't think it matter with Nauticam and I don't know about Ikelite/Isotta.
3. Do not sell the 60mm for a 90mm. The 60mm is much more useful, especially for the amount of underwater photography you do. The 90mm is a much more specialized lens.
4. Personally, use the 60mm until you are happy with your photos and then think about a diopter. You're going to get great macro with the 60mm.
5. Pros of the diopter are that it allows you to take super macro, you can easily remove it to go back to your primary lens. Cons are that your focal distance is now a lot smaller.
6. As far as housings, since you already have a the ZEN port and the 9-18mm zoom gear for your Olympus, I'd stick with an AOI housing. While I like Nauticam, the housing along for the OM-1 costs as much as the camera, and that is without ports or zoom/focus gears.
7. You already have the port for the 9-18mm (which can also be used for the 14-42mm lens), so you'd need a flat port for the 60mm. You can get the dedicated 60mm flat port, or you could get a shorter port and an extension ring for a bit more versatility.

Hope that helps.

 

[Furnari]

If you didn't want to spring for the OM-1mkII, the mkI is available for cheaper and there are no significant differences between the two for underwater use. I have both, and use the mkI for underwater and the mkII for topside. The UW use is a little higher risk (even with the vacuum system), so I go with the cheaper camera for that. I used to shoot the M1mkIII in an AOI housing, and it was fine but the upgrade to the OM-1 was worth it due to improvements in autofocus (especially subject detect) and image quality. If you're willing to buy once cry once, get the OM-1mkII as it's a little more future-proof. While I'm spending your money, I would get the 12-45 kit because you can use that lens in your current dome. The advantage of the 12-40 is faster aperture, which could be helpful topside if you don't have any fast glass.

The AOI housing is the way to go for any of those choices based on value. I dive with dry gloves and have no issues with ergonomics, plus you can keep your current ports.

For macro, I think you're set with the 60. I'm pretty sure you could use your existing PEN flat port for that (assuming that's what you have), but the AOI macro ports are pretty cheap. You can use the one called out in their port charts for the 60, or do like JS said above and get one for the 14-42EZ or 30mm and add an extension ring. That route gives you a little more flexibility. In a pinch, your dome for the 9-18 will also work.

For wide stuff, the 9-18 is ok but it was marginal even back in the day with 12mp and 16mp M43 sensors. Unfortunately, there isn't a good option for wide angle zoom with the PEN port system (image quality with the Panasonic 7-14 isn't any better, and I'm pretty sure it takes a different mini-dome according to Zen). For me, I would go with the 8mm Olympus fisheye, but that also takes a different dome. You can also use the AOI port adapter, which allows you to use the Olympus 7-14, Olympus 12-40, and Panasonic 8-18 behind a 170mm dome or the Olympus 8-25 behind an 8" dome. There are advantages to this because of the flexibility- I've got some posts kicking around here about my experience with this. Note: I also have some posts whining about not being able to use the 8-18 in the AOI housing, but I'm very happy to report that I was wrong. I recently discovered that f you use the AOI zoom gear for the 12-40 slid over some rubber bands, it works. I much prefer the 8-18 to the 8-25 underwater as even with the 8" dome the 8-25 has lousy corners.

If you only see yourself snorkling for wide angle and not shooting with a strobe, I would sell the D1 and get the Backscatter MF-2. It's great for macro (the M in it's name), and having RC TTL is a helpful shortcut if you don't get enough dives to build skills for manual shooting. That's not a criticism- I dive locally a fair amount, and much prefer TTL so I can just get it right the first time.

If you do any topside shooting, keep the 40-150 as it's a pretty good value and not worth much on the resale market (assuming you have the cheap kit lens).

 

[sillyrabbit]

If you have the 60 then adding a CMC-1 will get you to where the 90 gets you natively and saves a bunch of money on lenses and ports. The CMC-1 with the 60 is brilliant but not trivial to use (lots of magnification). For shooting humpbacks I would go the wet lens route rather than the linear wide angle and dome port but that's just me. The AOI housing works well with all this.
Bill

Thanks Bill!

A CMC-1? That's with Nauticam, yes? That sounds like a good idea. The 90mm is crazy expensive...

When you say to go with the wet lens route rather than the linear wide angle and dome port, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting not to get a dome port for the new OM1mii for the 9-18mm lens? What wet lens would I use instead then?

Do the AOI housings allow access to all the functions / controls of the camera?

C

 

[sillyrabbit]

Cindy,

Let's see if I can help you out here. This is just my opinion so keep that in mind. I currently shoot an Olympus E-M1 Mark III, after moving up from an E-PL10. My housings and ports are AOI.

You said you only like to shoot macro, but also whale sharks and humpbacks (and schools of mantas), so that is both ends of the spectrum. You will need different lenses and ports.

The Olympus cameras shoot video but they are not the best video cameras, just FYI.

Hi js1221!
Thanks for this lengthy reply!

Did you have Olympus housings and ports before or have you always had AOI?

Yes... I like the tiny or the ginormous so I totally understand I will need different lenses and ports. Just not sure which of what and what will give me the best 'bang for the buck' I guess...

I've been reading reviews about the not so amazing video capabilities of the Oly cameras, but I am hoping they will improve those soon. I'm not sure I want to jump ship to Panasonic at this point, especially as I've gotten used to the Oly menus, etc.

I've been considering buying another used EPL6 but eventually the image stabilisation feature will die (as that's been the big issue with them), so I will need to upgrade anyways. It's just a matter of time. At the moment, they are going for a couple of hundred, so that could be the more 'cost-effective' route. Honestly, there are other things about the Pen lite cameras that have been frustrating me, so I feel now is the time to upgrade!

As for your questions:

1. You can keep the EPL6 camera as a backup, or a loaner or just sell it. Not sure what the market is for it. Keep the 9-18mm and the 60mm. I don't think there is a port for the 40-150mm, so you won't using it underwater.
2. You can get the OM-1 Mark II with either the 12-40m or the 12-45mm, or you can just buy the body by itself. The determining factor will be how much you want to spend. You also need to consider what housing you are going to get because if you look at the Olympus housing the 12-40mm requires an OM-D adapter and port, while the 12-45mm uses the PEN port. I don't think it matter with Nauticam and I don't know about Ikelite/Isotta.

Struggling to understand what I could shoot with the 12-45mm. Is it just an all-rounder lens for everything from close-up to landscape? So, good for schools of mantas, and ...?

1. Do not sell the 60mm for a 90mm. The 60mm is much more useful, especially for the amount of underwater photography you do. The 90mm is a much more specialized lens.
2. Personally, use the 60mm until you are happy with your photos and then think about a diopter. You're going to get great macro with the 60mm.
3. Pros of the diopter are that it allows you to take super macro, you can easily remove it to go back to your primary lens. Cons are that your focal distance is now a lot smaller.

Great!

1. As far as housings, since you already have a the ZEN port and the 9-18mm zoom gear for your Olympus, I'd stick with an AOI housing. While I like Nauticam, the housing along for the OM-1 costs as much as the camera, and that is without ports or zoom/focus gears.

Ugh.. Nauticam is crazy $$$. Would I need an adaptor in order to use my Zen port and the 9-18mm in the AOI Housing?

1. You already have the port for the 9-18mm (which can also be used for the 14-42mm lens), so you'd need a flat port for the 60mm. You can get the dedicated 60mm flat port, or you could get a shorter port and an extension ring for a bit more versatility.

Hope that helps.

Hmm.. what kind of versatility are you referring to with the shorter port and extension ring?

Thank you!
Cindy

 

[bvanant]

More versatility means you could in the future use a short port for the OLY 30 or Leica 45 macro and then use the 60 macro with that port and an extension ring. I believe the port for the wide angle will work, but if it were me and I was doing a real wide angle trip, I would ditch the OLY and use either a GoPro or other action camera, the results are amazing in natural light. Alternately you could use one of the AOI/Kraken wet wide lenses behind the short port.

Bill

 

[sillyrabbit]

If you didn't want to spring for the OM-1mkII, the mkI is available for cheaper and there are no significant differences between the two for underwater use. I have both, and use the mkI for underwater and the mkII for topside. The UW use is a little higher risk (even with the vacuum system), so I go with the cheaper camera for that. I used to shoot the M1mkIII in an AOI housing, and it was fine but the upgrade to the OM-1 was worth it due to improvements in autofocus (especially subject detect) and image quality. If you're willing to buy once cry once, get the OM-1mkII as it's a little more future-proof. While I'm spending your money, I would get the 12-45 kit because you can use that lens in your current dome. The advantage of the 12-40 is faster aperture, which could be helpful topside if you don't have any fast glass.

Understood! That was really well explained for my noob brain!

The AOI housing is the way to go for any of those choices based on value. I dive with dry gloves and have no issues with ergonomics, plus you can keep your current ports.

For macro, I think you're set with the 60. I'm pretty sure you could use your existing PEN flat port for that (assuming that's what you have), but the AOI macro ports are pretty cheap. You can use the one called out in their port charts for the 60, or do like JS said above and get one for the 14-42EZ or 30mm and add an extension ring. That route gives you a little more flexibility. In a pinch, your dome for the 9-18 will also work.

I only have the Olympus PT-EP10 Housing flat port... no other PEN port, besides the Zen dome. Is that what you mean by the "PEN flat port"?

I don't have the 14-42EZ lens. Do I need this lens? I only have the 60mm.

I'm not understanding what you and JS mean by "versatility" by getting a port with an extension ring... Can you explain in what other situations it would be good to have a port with an extension ring instead of just the flat port for the 60mm?

For wide stuff, the 9-18 is ok but it was marginal even back in the day with 12mp and 16mp M43 sensors. Unfortunately, there isn't a good option for wide angle zoom with the PEN port system (image quality with the Panasonic 7-14 isn't any better, and I'm pretty sure it takes a different mini-dome according to Zen). For me, I would go with the 8mm Olympus fisheye, but that also takes a different dome. You can also use the AOI port adapter, which allows you to use the Olympus 7-14, Olympus 12-40, and Panasonic 8-18 behind a 170mm dome or the Olympus 8-25 behind an 8" dome. There are advantages to this because of the flexibility- I've got some posts kicking around here about my experience with this. Note: I also have some posts whining about not being able to use the 8-18 in the AOI housing, but I'm very happy to report that I was wrong. I recently discovered that f you use the AOI zoom gear for the 12-40 slid over some rubber bands, it works. I much prefer the 8-18 to the 8-25 underwater as even with the 8" dome the 8-25 has lousy corners.

So for wide angle, is my 9-18 not good enough? If i stick with the 9-18, I would need an adaptor in order to use the Zen dome, yes?

The fisheye is $$$. Is that my only option if i want to get 'better' wide angle shots?

If you only see yourself snorkling for wide angle and not shooting with a strobe, I would sell the D1 and get the Backscatter MF-2. It's great for macro (the M in it's name), and having RC TTL is a helpful shortcut if you don't get enough dives to build skills for manual shooting. That's not a criticism- I dive locally a fair amount, and much prefer TTL so I can just get it right the first time.

If you do any topside shooting, keep the 40-150 as it's a pretty good value and not worth much on the resale market (assuming you have the cheap kit lens).

I'm only using strobe for my macro stuff when diving, not for snorkeling...

Thanks again Furnari!

 

[sillyrabbit]

Hey all, I've done a bit more research and looking at the prices of the OM1mii and housing, I'm now thinking the OM5 or the EM1miii might be the most cost conscious way to upgrade.

@js1221 how are you liking your setup? Why did you choose the EM1miii over the OM5?

C

 

[js1221]

Hi js1221!
Thanks for this lengthy reply!

Did you have Olympus housings and ports before or have you always had AOI?

Struggling to understand what I could shoot with the 12-45mm. Is it just an all-rounder lens for everything from close-up to landscape? So, good for schools of mantas, and ...?

Ugh.. Nauticam is crazy $$$. Would I need an adaptor in order to use my Zen port and the 9-18mm in the AOI Housing?

Hmm.. what kind of versatility are you referring to with the shorter port and extension ring?

Thank you!
Cindy

Cindy,

I started off with Olympus E-PL3 in an Olympus housing. Moved to the E-PL10 in an AOI housing and now the E-M1 Mark III in an AOI housing. You asked why the E-M1 vs O-M5; the E-M1 has two SD card slots so I use one for photos and the other for videos. I do this by programming the AEL switch to let me switch back and forth. The E-M1 has 4 custom modes too, so I can set one for macro, one for wide, one for night etc. Plus, I got it on sale, used, for a great price.

The 12-45mm is just an all around good lens, IMO. It can do macro or wide, although it does not excel at either. I shoot a lot of fish portraits and it is great for that. The attached photo was taken in Fiji using the 12-45mm.



Plus, it is one of the least expensive PRO series lenses and it can be used with the PEN port, which for you is the ZEN port.

AOI housings use the same PEN attachment as the Olympus housing, so your ZEN port will attach just fine. Additionally, with the newer AOI housing you will get a vacuum seal so you know your housing is not leaking.

To jump on Furnari's post, AOI/Olympus have two different sized ports: the PEN and the O-MD. The O-MD port is larger in diameter than the PEN, allowing for larger lens to be used i.e. 7-14mm, 12-40mm and 8-18mm. The Olympus 8mm Fisheye also requires an O-MD port. There is an adapter that attaches to a PEN housing which allows you to use the O-MD ports. The ZEN port you have is a PEN port, so the it will attach directly to the housing without and adapter.

Using the FLP-02 port for the 60mm and the 12-50mm lens. If you get the FLP-04 with a 24mm Extension you can use the 60mm, 12-50mm, then if you remove the extension you can use the 30mm macro and the 14-45mm lens.

Hope this helps.

Jon