E-PL5 with wet lenses?

[BlueDevil]

I am wondering if there are any options for using wet lenses, both wide angle and close up, with an E-PL5, preferably with a bayonet mount system? Is there any housing/port/lens combination that would allow for wide angle through to macro with wet lenses?

Yes, I know it may seem a little strange to be asking about wet lenses when one of the benefits of an ILC camera is being able to use high quality purpose specific lenses but I am just wondering if there are options that would give versatility on a dive where you could encounter anything from nudibranchs to whale sharks.

Thanks.

 

[BlueDevil]

So it seems no one has tried this or has any advice to offer?

A few options I have come across with a bit of further research would include:

1. Use an E-PL3 housing which has a 67mm screw thread. I believe I would lose the use of the dedicated video button which is a compromise I would be reluctant to make.

2. Buy the Oly E-PL5 housing and replace the port with an E-PL3 housing port. I am not entirely sure they are compatible so would need to check on this. I would need to source an E-PL3 port seperately somehow.

3. Assuming Nauticam will make a housing for the E-PL5 it seems they have a flat port with a 67mm thread suitable for the 14 - 42 and 9 - 18 lenses. Nauticam Flat Port 56 for Olympus 14-42mm and Olympus 9-18mm lens, with 67mm thread nau 36136 | Bluewater Photo & Video This would certainly be an expensive option going by the price of the Nauticam E-PL3 housing. Plus $300 for the port, plus wet lenses etc

I am not sure with these options whether there are any potential issues with vignetting. Also there may be considerations of distance from camera lens to wet lens - could this stuff up the use of a WA? Also not sure if a '67mm to LD bayonet' adapter would be feasible?

I'm pretty new to this so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[antattack]

subscribed

 

[madakuska]

I wish there would be any update on this thread. I'm curious as well whether wet lens is possible for epl-5 or not.

 

[BlueDevil]

Yeah..I would love some feedback or advice. I now have the E-PL5 and the Olly housing (which has no inbuilt thread - what were they thinking!). I also have access to an E-PL3 port at a reasonable price. But I would really like to know if this can be made to work.

Can the E-PL3 port be put on the E-PL5 housing and provide a means of using wet lenses? If so what lens do I put on the camera (I am guessing the 14-42mm - would prefer the 12-50mm but don't know if it fits into the E-PL3 port???) and what WA wet lenses would work with this combination?

 

[Audsred]

Hi BlueDevil,

I have an EPL3/Oly w/threads & EM5/Nauticam. Olympus does have a wet wide angle that I used in front of 14-42mm but it was so heavy. If you want to shoot both macro and wide angle at the same time my recommendation is the 12-50 lens - but to take advantage of the lens (zoom and macro) I believe the only manufacture that makes a port to do this is Nauticam.

My suggestion is you talk with the retailer you bought it from and see what options they recommend. I've worked with BlueWater and ReefPhoto and they are both excellent.

 

[koksie]

Maybe I totally don't get this thread, but I believe there is an Olympus M67 adapter that fits on the outside of any Olympus PEN port (not the L housings, they have M67 built-in) and thereby enables M67 wetlens use. It costs around 45 dollars or so.

 

[BlueDevil]

Hi Audsred,
thanks for the feedback. Interesting that you found the WA wet lens too heavy. I have heard this said about other wet lenses and wonder if the olympus is any heavier than others. It is probably one downside of this approach.

I have the 12-50 lens but I don't think it is quite as wide as I would like. The macro feature is great (I have used it a lot for topside photos) but for underwater use there is always the dilemma as to whether to set if for macro or wide (I don't have the Nauticam housing with the special gearing for the macro mode). I would like to be able to shoot macro and WA on the one dive as opportunities present.

---------- Post added September 16th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ----------

Maybe I totally don't get this thread, but I believe there is an Olympus M67 adapter that fits on the outside of any Olympus PEN port (not the L housings, they have M67 built-in) and thereby enables M67 wetlens use. It costs around 45 dollars or so.

Yes, there is an adapter available for the E-PL5 housing since it doesn't have an inbuilt thread (the E-PL3 did). The adapter however is only suitable for macro lenses, not WA wet lenses. Not sure why Olympus thought it was a good idea to leave off a built in thread from the E-PL5 housing - maybe they thought they would make a fortune out of selling the adapters, but instead they just pissed people off and made their housing a less attractive option. I only went for the Olly housing because at present I just don't have dollars to buy Nauticam. It is quite possible thought that I will sell of the Olly housing and get a Nauticam down the track.

 

[koksie]

Aha, so that is the issue. Why is the adapter not suited for WA wet lenses? Because of mechanical issues (size, weight, ...) or because the optics won't work?

 

[BlueDevil]

From what I can gather I think the adapter is simply a 'click on' fitting so it would be okay with relative light weight of macro lenses but not with the greater weight of WA lenses.

I seem to recall looking on the Olympus website and when they mention the adapter they only talk about macro lenses. The fact they don't mention it as being suitable for WA lenses makes me think that it is therefore not.

If anyone has any better info let me know.