New Olympus 30mm macro - Any interest divers?

[JackConnick]

Yeah, but I'm not talking about using it for normal fish portraits, almost any lens can do that, and the new 25mm f/1.8 might even be a better idea as it's so fast. For macro it's going to be harder to get enough room for lighting, harder than a Nikon 60 for instance. Or so it seems, at first glance, YMMV, etc.

Here's the new housing and macro port:

There's much more info and product photos (including the housing) in a new pre-review by Chris Eyre-Walker.

 

[Furnari]

Hmmm- do I see threads on the end of that port? Nice!

 

[boy22ban]

In relation to the 30mm lens -- has anyone tried if it will fit in the PT-EP12 for the EPL7, with its stock port?

 

[JackConnick]

The lens isn't out yet. It would probably fit, but the standard port will be too long. I doubt that you'd be able to focus.

 

[boy22ban]

The lens isn't out yet. It would probably fit, but the standard port will be too long. I doubt that you'd be able to focus.

Thanks for the response. I ask because the macro setup could be an alternative to having wet diopters with the 14-42 EZ.

 

[bvanant]

I shot the 30 in the port for the 60 yesterday in the pool; and it is fine, but you will need a dedicated port to get it to 1:1. Adding the CMC should be fun.
Bill

 

[Ardy]

[QUOTE="PHIL RUDIN, post: 7785855,
Regarding the macro stacking question in a word no for U/W work. The basic premise is to take several photos different DOF without anything moving and them compress them into one photo. The first problem is that you would only get in one flash of the strobes while the say five to eight images were taken. The second would be keeping everything still and the third would be the excessive blue tint stacking eight images over each other to name a few. Stacking and high res will need to be used for still life from a tripod with controlled lighting.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Phil another dream goes up in a flash of reality.

 

[Sandy feet]

So the 30mm macro has been out now for a little while, is anyone useing it? What port would you recommend for the pt-ep housing? Zen fp-100-ep?

 

[Reefwalker]

I'm not sure about the Olympus 30mm, but I have been using the 30mm Panasonic Macro Lens on my Olympus E-PL6 and OMD EM5 MkII for the last 7 months and have been very happy with the results. I use it a lot for video, but also for still photos where the subject is a little larger (larger nudibranchs, frogfish, shrimps etc).
It fits perfectly inside the Zen Port http://www.zenunderwater.com/collections/pt-epxx-ports/products/fp-100-ep for the Panasonic 45mm Macro Lens (these two lenses are almost exactly the same length) on both of my Olympus housings. The Zen Port also has a 67mm thread on the front. I have used a variety of additional wet lenses and they all work well on this lens/port combo.
For the price of the lens (I paid around USD$250 for mine on a discount special) I think it is great value. I have written some notes and included photos and video on our blog: A look at the Panasonic 30mm Macro Lens Underwater

 

[Sandy feet]

I'm not sure about the Olympus 30mm, but I have been using the 30mm Panasonic Macro Lens on my Olympus E-PL6 and OMD EM5 MkII for the last 7 months and have been very happy with the results. I use it a lot for video, but also for still photos where the subject is a little larger (larger nudibranchs, frogfish, shrimps etc).
It fits perfectly inside the Zen Port http://www.zenunderwater.com/collections/pt-epxx-ports/products/fp-100-ep for the Panasonic 45mm Macro Lens (these two lenses are almost exactly the same length) on both of my Olympus housings. The Zen Port also has a 67mm thread on the front. I have used a variety of additional wet lenses and they all work well on this lens/port combo.
For the price of the lens (I paid around USD$250 for mine on a discount special) I think it is great value. I have written some notes and included photos and video on our blog: A look at the Panasonic 30mm Macro Lens Underwater

Thanks for the reply reefwalker I had read your review & decided to buy the lense useing it behind stock port. It seems to be good for fish portraits (on the 1 dive I've done) but the port is too long for close up macro. Will look at the zen port if a second hand one comes on the market. I have the 60mm in another housing for the close up shots so the 2 offer good flexibility on a dive.