Question Basic questions regarding EM-1 mkii/OM-1 with zoom as snorkeling camera?

[Trilobite]

Hello,

I can't dive due to sinus issues, but am becoming an enthusiastic snorkeler. I've used the EM-1 cameras for seven years for bird and insect macro photography, but have only used the TG-4 underwater (liked it and got some good results, but looking for something more capable). So I am something of a newbie with respect to underwater photography, but I'm thinking it would be preferable to use a camera that I am already experienced with above water. I had some basic questions about using the Olympus interchangeable lens cameras underwater.

1. I want to use a single zoom lens, hopefully around 100 mm equivalent zoom. Are there cases that accommodate zoom lenses and make it easy to zoom in and out?

2. Obviously, it is hard to swim with a camera in your hand. What are the popular ways for stowing the camera in a case so you can swim?

3. Alternatives I'm considering are high-end compacts with 1 inch 20 megapixel sensors, e.g. the Canon GX 7 ii/iii or the Panasonic LX 10 (I already own the latter). Any thoughts on how these would compare to the Olympus in terms of ease of use (I already know how the image quality compares above water)?

4. Any recommendations as to lens or case? Any decent cases that accomodate both the OM-1 and the EM-1 mkii? (I currently have two of the latter, but would be hesitant to buy a case for the mkii if it doesn't fit the OM-1.)

5. Any recommendations as to accessories such as simple strobes, etc. (obviously, for snorkeling strobes are less critical than when diving).

Thanks for any help,
Jim

 

[rmorgan]

This is strange, you put the camera body in the housing and come from the front of the housing to connect the 12-40 lens to the body?

Yes. The barrel of the lens is too big to go through the opening in the housing with the zoom gear in place. A bit awkward for the first few years, but just part of the drill now. I make sure the body and lens are both capped, so the environmental exposure is the same as any lens switch.

 

[Mike_4635]

I have an Olympus OMD 5 Mark II camera in an AOI housing. With the handles and two strobes found it was a hard swim in the Red Sea with dolphins. Great underwater.

 

[Trilobite]

I have an Olympus OMD 5 Mark II camera in an AOI housing. With the handles and two strobes found it was a hard swim in the Red Sea with dolphins. Great underwater.

Thanks. I think for snorkeling, I'd have to go without strobes or a bracket type handle. You usually don't need strobes since you are closer to the surface, and the oly cameras have good low light capabilities anyway. I don't know what type of strap options there are for the case.

Another basic question for you or anyone. With an AOI or similar housing, do you have to manually turn/rotate the zoom gear to zoom in or out, or is there a button or lever on the back of the camera to zoom back and forth electronically or otherwise? Having to reach in front of the camera to rotate something as with a regular zoom lens would seem rather awkward underwater.

 

[Mike_4635]

The Olympus OMD 5 Mark II AOI housing uses a knob on the front of the housing to zoom in and out. On the 14-42 and 9-18 Olympus lenses you need a zoom gear attached to the lense for zoom.

 

[Trilobite]

Thanks all. I need to decide between the OM-1 and maybe the AOI housing plus 12-40 zoom lens vs. Canon GX7iii and maybe the high end Fantasea housing. The difference in cost isn't decisive because I would use the OM-1 also as my primary birding camera, while I don't really need the Canon for anything else.

The way I see the pros/cons of the each set up for snorkeling use is as follows:

The Canon would have a longer zoom (100 mm versus 80 mm equivalent) and can easily zoom in and out electronically with the touch of a button. It also has a built in flash that I could use for close-up shots.​

​

The Olympus would have better image quality and better autofocus (another post on this forum suggests the bird AI would also work with fish), but be a bit heavier and bulkier and more awkward to zoom(?) Plus I guess I would need a dome port to accommodate the lens. (I could go with a different zoom lens, but then the Canon would have the advantage of a significantly faster zoom lens since I believe it is f2.8 at maximum zoom).​

I know most of you folks use your cameras when diving, so may not have much experience with snorkeling applications, but if I'm misunderstanding something or there are significant pros/cons I am missing please let me know. The Canon looks to be more convenient, while the Olympus has more bulk and weight but better image quality. But convenience and ease of use are more important underwater than above – especially while snorkeling I think – because you have to deal with waves and currents, etc. So I'm having trouble deciding. My main goal is to have a fairly high keeper rate – that can be achieved either through better image quality or ease of use.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

If I was snorkeling I would be most concerned about:
1) fast focus ability of the camera - how long can you stay in place to get a pic? How much time do you have to frame, zoom and then focus on a subject?
2) neutral buoyancy of the rig - I would not want to have to swim it down OR swim it up.
3) size / drag in the water - the big the housing the harder it will be physically handle it.

 

[Barmaglot]

Any decent cases that accomodate both the OM-1 and the EM-1 mkii?

You could look at Easydive universal housings, but they're quite expensive - one of those will run you more than two AOI camera-specific ones.

 

[Trilobite]

Thanks for all the help so far. Backscatter has talked me into considering the Olympus EM10 mkiv together with their proprietary Octocase made by AOI (Octo-housing). This appeals to me because it is light and should be fairly easy to travel/snorkel with, but still has what seems to be the equivalent of the em-1 mkii/iii sensor, which I'm fond of.

Two questions:
1. Does anybody think this is a bad choice? Or that there are obvious better ones?
2. What zoom lens to get? My main purpose for this will be using it on snorkel trips, so I typically won't know what I will be seeing, and I want a do it all lens (i.e. reef shots, fish portraits, and close-ups). The case comes with the port and gear for the Olympus 14-42mm EZ Lens. The lens is super light, but are there better choices for my purposes? I think the 12-40 Pro lens is too heavy and requires too big a port for my purposes. The other choice mentioned above was the 12-50; I'm not sure yet whether that would require an unwieldy port. I read elsewhere that it also has a macro mode--not sure if that would work with this housing. Anything else I should consider?

Thanks for any help.

 

[d^2b]

I generally prefer the 12-50 over the 14-42, if only for the extra reach at the wide end. You should be able to find one used fairly inexpensively; they are not so highly regarded for terrestrial use.

 

[Barmaglot]

I would say 14-42mm + UWL-09 wet lens.