Hands-on Review E-PL1 & PT-EP01

[zcello]

I am another happy E-PL1+PT-EP01 owner. Just back from Fiji and quite happy with my first shots with this combo.

Now I am considering getting the 9-18mm. A question for it, can I still use the 67mm macro add-on wet lens with the 9-18mm to take some "wide macro"? If yes, how macro it can be?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Using a 67 mm threaded close-up lens like the Inon M-67 close-up lens with the 9-18 wide angle zoom is not an option. Behind a flat port the lens has less than steller corners to begin with. The C/U lens would vignette and leave only the very center of the image in focus. The C/U lens could be used at the 18 mm end of the lens but by the time you zoom out to 14 mm or less the problem begins, just like it does with the 14-42 zoom. you are much better off to stay with the 14-42 for close-up and the 9-18 with the ZEN PEN underwater dome port for close focus, wide angle work.

Phil Rudin

 

[zcello]

Using a 67 mm threaded close-up lens like the Inon M-67 close-up lens with the 9-18 wide angle zoom is not an option. Behind a flat port the lens has less than steller corners to begin with. The C/U lens would vignette and leave only the very center of the image in focus. The C/U lens could be used at the 18 mm end of the lens but by the time you zoom out to 14 mm or less the problem begins, just like it does with the 14-42 zoom. you are much better off to stay with the 14-42 for close-up and the 9-18 with the ZEN PEN underwater dome port for close focus, wide angle work.

Phil Rudin

Thanks Phil.

For the 14-42, I can only use the macro at 42 end, but that's OK, at that end the macro is at least closer than without a U/C and it's still sharp.


For the 9-18, if I use the U/C at 18mm only, how's the quality of the image? I will expect some blur at corners as you suggested, but I am also interested to know how close it can take the shoot? If it's not a macro at all then I won't bother, but if it is not too bad, at least when I taking the 9-18mm for majority of wide angle shoots, I still have the option to take some macros, even if that can't be as good as a macro lens can.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

At 18 mm the 9-18 zoom will do the same thing as your 14-42 zoom at 18 mm. You would see little difference as they would both have the same angle of view used at 18 mm with or without the close-up lens.

At 9 mm you will get something like the attached with the Inon UCL165-M67 close-up lens.

Phil Rudin