Just got EM5 mk 2 and HDR?

[Ardy]

Anyone given HDR a go underwater? I picked up an EM5 mk2 yesterday with 5 exposures!!!! Also got a housing for it with only 4 dives on it. Both look brand new and the camera is! Bit lucky I guess..
Been messing around with HDR and think you might be able to do a decent job with nudis and anything else that doesn't move too fast ie my nemesis ghost pipefish.

Am I suffering from the 'old timers disease'? Or is this something do-able and of interest?

BTW anyone got a list of UW setup for em5 mk2? It is a fair bit different to mk1

 

[FezUSA]

For Nudis you may want the 60mm macro lens, and whatever UW port etc. is needed for your specific camera housing. Great camera and lens, although I've only used my sons topside. This year I plan to improve my lights. Maybe next year I'll split the cost of the UW housing stuff for his camera!

@pelsasser can probably chime in with some input. He has a EM1 mk ii, but can likely say what trays/arms/lights etc. he likes & uses etc.

 

[pelsasser]

@Ardy - I have never attempted to use the HDR features on my em1 mk2 underwater. I shoot with strobes and think that the camera has more than enough dynamic range with the strobes to avoid the need for HDR. To be honest, I don't use HDR much on land either, typically I find better results with merging images in post processing with gradient filter masks than I do directly with HDR in camera or in light room.

You would certainly need to shoot with ambient light to even attempt an HDR underwater, you maybe could get some interesting results, I just haven't ever attempted.

I am using UL arms and Sea and Sea ysd2 strobes with the nauticam housing. I believe the Panasonic 8mm Fisheye and the Oly 60mm macro give you a pretty incredible two lens set up which probably would work similarly well on the em5 mk2.

Enjoy the new camera!

 

[Ardy]

Thanks Guys, I was going to try it with a new uw torch I have and see what I got out of it.

pelsasser, will do some macro tests on land and compare the results. I was looking for end to end focus of nudi's but, if, as you say there is minimal difference in results that is disappointing. In that case will be happy with upgrade from my EM5 mk1's.
fez, I have those lenses, don't have a diopter but do crop a fair number of my shots.

 

[bvanant]

I have shot HDR (and a bit of focus stacking) with nudis mostly using bright UW LED lights. Color balance post is interesting but can be done. That being said, in my hands at least HDR did not significantly improve the results compared to a strobe.
BVA

 

[Chris Ross]

I had the EM-5 MkII a few years back. Diving in Sydney I found the 60mm macro problematic with AF at times, the camera would lock onto floaties instead of the subject, which is why I use the 30mm more. A few settings - you have 4 function buttons and other buttons are assignable. I setup a few mysets one for TTL and another for manual flash I assigned the aperture stop down button to one of the mysets and manually selected the other as my main function, You can then press the button assigned to the myset to toggle between the two. In the myset for manual flash I had exposure mode, SS and aperture, ISO, flash at manual 1/64, AF illuminator and face detect off and all the custom buttons I wanted programmed. One thing that doesn't move with mysets is the eye detect at the EVF - this needs to be off with the camera in the housing. I generally set AF to S-AF plus MF, full time AF off, reset lens off. I also had AEL/AFL assigned to the video button - this work well on the Nauticam housing as it had a lever for that button so was convenient for back button AF. There is probably a more convenient button you could use on th eOlympus housing.

 

[Ardy]

Thanks Chris will try those but I am a few months away from the next trip I have some time to mess around with it.
I don't dive in Sydney anymore it is too bloody cold and the struggle into a 5mm wet suit is too much for my old body.
Can I get an upgrade? No - oh! well.