Micro 4/3 based UW filming system, what to choose, housing, port lens combo ??

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

I've been very happily using a hacked Pana GH2 for about a year now. I won't comment on your lens questions, because I'm a simple 14-42 power zoom/flat port/red filter bloke:shocked2:
However, I really do think it would be well worth waiting to see what the real-world experience of the GH4 is like, particularly with regard to manual white balance.
For me, there's one feature the GH4 has which really puts it far ahead, and that's 120 fps shooting. I sometimes find action only lasts a few seconds, but at that frame rate you should be able to slow it down and still have smooth footage.
Cheers,
Matt
 
I've been very happily using a hacked Pana GH2 for about a year now. I won't comment on your lens questions, because I'm a simple 14-42 power zoom/flat port/red filter bloke:shocked2:
However, I really do think it would be well worth waiting to see what the real-world experience of the GH4 is like, particularly with regard to manual white balance.
For me, there's one feature the GH4 has which really puts it far ahead, and that's 120 fps shooting. I sometimes find action only lasts a few seconds, but at that frame rate you should be able to slow it down and still have smooth footage.
Cheers,
Matt


I have looked extensively at all possible lenses port and for me the 14-42 power zoom with the 35 macro port is the best option.
A friend has also shot this with an Inon UWL-H100 and with the UCL-165 the results are in the first case same as Panasonic 7-14 at the corners (actually a bit better) and at close range with the diopter they also look good

In general terms though the video shot with the micro four third system look scatty compared to my RX100 because most of the lenses do not have any optical stabiliser. In video I think this is quite important and this is the reason why I am not moving to micro 4/3
For stills instead I think the only issue I can see is the lack of a fisheye zoom lens. 8mmfe is too wide for most uses
 
most of the lenses do not have any optical stabiliser
Er.... are you sure about this Interceptor 121?

My Panasonic lenses (PZ 14-42 and 300 mm) both have "mega O.I.S" marked on the outside.

I posted some footage here recently that was definitely more shaky than I'd like, but I just put it down to incompetence/excessively negatively buoyant rig. I'd be almost happy if I could blame it all on the lack of O.I.S. on the lens instead :D

Matt
 
Yes I am. The zoom lenses 14-42 and 12-35 have is however none of the wide zoom 7-14 and 9-18 not fisheye has is. Which means you need a 14-42 plus a wet lens. Don't see much benefit of a micro 4/3 other than higher bitrate of some models gh3/4
 
Yes I am. The zoom lenses 14-42 and 12-35 have is however none of the wide zoom 7-14 and 9-18 not fisheye has is. Which means you need a 14-42 plus a wet lens. Don't see much benefit of a micro 4/3 other than higher bitrate of some models gh3/4

It would be so awesome if the panny 7-14mm (which I have) had OIS. I don't know if the f4 would have to sacrifice with that built into the lens? The announced Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 would be worth double $$ (IMO) if that lens included OIS. IBIS seems to be the route Olympus is going. I know it works great on the E-M5 and E-M1 from the videos I've seen, and my wife has the E-M10 even it's 3-axis IBIS is really nice. I prefer Panasonic for video overall, but if Panasonic incorporated the IBIS that would would be HUGE, HUGE I SAY!

I also use the Olympus 12-50mm (also with no OIS), but I prefer that kit lens with it's macro capability and range over the Panasonic 14-42 and diopter.
 
I have GH2 + 7-14, 12-35, and 45mm.
Even with OIS, i dont use the 12-35 underwater much (while all the time on land).
basically, for WA, 7-14 is a great lens, especially for video. And if macro, i use the 45 (i bought it before the 60mm was out, which would be my choice now as the 45 hunts like crazy).

The 7-14 isnt that shaky and focus very well even in difficult conditions. Also (to be verified), i think it focus closer than the olympus, so in some case, using the doubling function for video panasonic offers, you can use the 7-14 and create some closeup shots. For some reasons (and maybe it's me not doing it well), i was not able to do it as easily with the 12-35.

Bottom line, for uw, i really like the combo 7-14 for wreck and then dedicated lens for macro. not really saw the need of having something in between.
 
However, I really do think it would be well worth waiting to see what the real-world experience of the GH4 is like, particularly with regard to manual white balance.

Just an update...the Manual White Balance, and the range in which it will White Balance is MUCH better than any other camera I've used previously.

They have also fixed the 'bug' from the GH3, where you had to press the 'Set' button to set white balance - you can now use the shutter, so its a much faster process. So the Process now is [ISO] [^] [Shutter]

I do however wish I could customise a Fn button to do one press white balance, like I used to be able to do on my vintage Olympus E-1...
 
TheTrickster,
thanks a lot for that info. Could you just confirm that you're talking about WB underwater?
On the GH2 it's also a 3-button process: "WB, ^, OK"... on my old LANC-controlled PDX10 it was just one button, but hey, that's progress for you:D

I'm seriously interested in this cam, and would love to see some underwater footage with wide angle manual WB.
Cheers,
Matt
 
Hi Mat,

Yes underwater...it deals with with many shades of blue / green that my old cameras wouldn't even touch - and they used to give 'Err' on screen. Put it this way - it hasn't failed to MWB yet :D

I've only played with photos at the moment, as I'm still waiting for my 170mm WA dome and carbon arms for video...so I'm stuck with the 60mm macro and not having a tripod that extreme macro and trying to do video, I'm having a hard time - so give up :D

I might look at a gorilla pod thing - but like the look of the XIT404 tripod, to get some awesome macro video.
ExTele works on 1080p60 too now - so you can get some super slowmo and extreme close up!!

Also the Flash Sync is up to 1/250 which is nice :)

Real happy I swapped the GH3 for the GH4
 

Back
Top Bottom