Nauticam to produce housing for Panasonic GX1

[shaker]

I have my eye on this camera. I want it for above ground. There are so many lenses I would like. I don't know if I like it better than E-P3 though. I want to know if any housing maker will accomodate the EVF. That would be dope.

All the fine lenses and fast focus in the world won't get this shot, unless you can see it, and thats not happenin' without an EVF.

Try this housing: ;-)

 

[bullshark]

The viewfinder probably have a sense using a 4/3 reflex, like my old Oly E-520, with a very very slow Contrast Detection Autofocus.

There is absolutely nothing similar about your E-520 with OPTICAL viewfinder as compared to an EVF which stands for Electronic View Finder.

Using the viewfinder you can avoid the Contrast Detection Autofocus and use the Reflex like a Reflex, with a better autofocus.

Connecting an EVF to the hotshoe has absolutely nothing to do with autofocus methods or speed.

The problem is that the viewfinder of a 4/3 reflex like my Olympus E520 is very very small and it is quite impossible to use (i need a magnifier to use it, like the 45° magnifier of Inon).
The advantage of the Micro4/3 cameras, like the new Panasonic Gx1, is the fast autofocus system.
This let you to use the LCD like a compact camera, avoiding the tiny viewfinder.

Suggesting that attaching an accessory to the hotshoe will change or slow down the focus system, or that the autofocus system has anything to do with the LCD is just completely mistaken. It's not true and they are not related.

One of the principle reasons people demand hotshoes is for the EVF option as well as external flash. The GX1 accomodates the DMW-EVF2. I don't think any serious photographer would be with it. In bright sunlight, or for low angle shots it is indispensable. We're talking about an $800 body, and supporting lenses that could cost thousands all-told. I don't want to squint at 460K LCDs trying to display 1600K images washed out by the glare of bright sunlight.

The GX1 is one of my favorites (E-P3) being the other, but I won't spend thousands of dollars on lenses and be saddled with all the complexity and fragility of DSLR systems for something (as yet) so inferior. The GX1 at least supports ISO filmspeed equivalents down to 160; but they need to get to 100 or better, otherwise there is no point in bright, beautiful f/1.8 lenses. None of the MFT offerings are good enough yet for underwater use yet (because of the housing costs), and for me, the lack of EVF is just one of the reasons.

 

[bullshark]

Try this housing: ;-)

Dude! Way cool! Who is making that? Is that an E-P3?

Soooo out-of-the-box. The front pops off instead of the back. That makes it so much easier to insert the camera. The port is permanently attached to the lexan faceplate?

 

[swee sin]

You obviously have never used one. I thought the same thing as you until a friend of mine let me look through her DSLR with EVF at the safety stop. It took about 8 microseconds to adjust, and then fall in to the image projected in my eye.

Have you ever used binoculars or telescope?

Which do you think is better?

• Looking at a camera LCD attached to the Telescope
• Putting your eye to the telescope

.
Which one do you think has more details?

• The LCD on the camera is less that 460,000 pixels.
• The image on the DMW-LVF2 with 1,440,000 pixels.

.
The EVF provides a 100% field of the live image and projects it on your retina, just like the telescope or binoculars. Near or far sighted is doesn't matter; you don't have to focus and everything is perfectly sharp. It isn't large or small. Shut one eye and just like the telescope, it fills your whole mind. The LCD is puny, dim and washed out by comparison.

I have shot thousands of photos using LCD not knowing if the details were there or not until later examining on the computer. It's not my eyesight, it's the LCD. They get washed out in bright light. The colors will turn to muted B&W when the light is intensely blue. There isn't enough contrast to see the ribs in a transparent fin. There aren't enough pixels to show the details.

Having the small space between your eye and the face plate of the mask is not perfect, but low-volume black-skirted masks like the Atomic frameless gets your eye close enough for optics on the housing to take care of the rest. It still projects on the back of your eye like binoculars or telescopes filling your whole world.

The difference is night and day.

yes, i do shot astrophoto like what you mention, and you can check my picasa web album for it.
i do understand what you mention but do you think you can achived perfect focus with the optical or evf view finder?
i think you also familiar that normally astrophoto ppl tend to used other tools to help in doing perfect focus ... do they rely on the high resolution evf?

talk about the resolution on the evf ... it like shrinking a 8mp photo into less than half size and view on screen ....
is like watching 42" full HD LED tV from 20 feet away ... which one do you think will be useful?

don't get me wrong as i do shot macro photo with optical view finder(20D) ... i know how hard to achived the perfect focus ...
and i do shot super macro with S90 ... with live view ... so do i miss anything here?
any space between mask and the view finder only will reduce the size of the image ...
and if you familiar with astro photo ... do 1.25" EP give you better view that 2" EP??
think about it ...

 

[swee sin]

Having the small space between your eye and the face plate of the mask is not perfect, but low-volume black-skirted masks like the Atomic frameless gets your eye close enough for optics on the housing to take care of the rest. It still projects on the back of your eye like binoculars or telescopes filling your whole world.

The difference is night and day.

oh yeah ... talk about contrast ... do u familiar with those eyepeice with big cover? like hyperion EP?
i remember the only way to increase constrast is to reduce scatter light ... so do you think the space between ur EVF and ur mask will not degrade the contrast?

all i had to said ... by all sense ... not the EVF nor view finder will help you get better shot ... is the man behind the camera to do the job ...

if u free enough ... go browser the flicker .. i think you will find tons of compact ppl shooting better that thosse DSLR user ... and they didn't use any EVF at all ...

 

[scipionems]

Probably i was not able to explain me clearly.
My Optical magnifier viewfinder is necessary on my reflex, so i can avoid the contrast detection autofocus used in Live-view on my oly E-520 (when i try to use the lcd). Using the viewfinder the mirror of the E-520 is always up and the focus is perfect and istantananeus.
The Electronic VF is useful OUT of water on the Pana GX1 because the direct sunlight don't allow you to use the LCD under the direct sunlight.
But underwater the Evf is absolutely useless, because the autofocus system is the same with or without the EVF on the panasonic, and underwater the lcd is larger and you can see better the objects and you don't have the problem of direct sunlight underwater.
This is my personal opinion, don't get angry for my opinion ok ?
Peace
Ciao.
Scipionems

 

[shaker]

Hi,

Dude! Way cool! Who is making that? Is that an E-P3?

Soooo out-of-the-box. The front pops off instead of the back. That makes it so much easier to insert the camera. The port is permanently attached to the lexan faceplate?

The E-P3 housing is made by PROMO FACTORY in Japan. They also made housings for the GF1, GF2, GF3, GH2 and others. They will soon make a housing for the GX1.
Yes the Ports are attached to the Faceplates, the back is attached permanently to the body. The new GX1 housing has a new design, they melt the faceplate with the port and the back with the body.
The whole housing is made of ABS Plastic.

Here is the new GX1 housing with the 8mm fisheye Inon dome port and the 14-42x port:
Google Übersetzer
Here is the E-P3 housing with the Pana 14-42x port, the 45mm macro port and the Inon viewfinder:
Google Übersetzer

They also have a port the 14mm. Notice, all flat ports have the Inon LD Mount fin order to attache maco or WA wet lenses.

One can buy it here:
Google Translate

 

[shaker]

Hi,

Dude! Way cool! Who is making that? Is that an E-P3?

Soooo out-of-the-box. The front pops off instead of the back. That makes it so much easier to insert the camera. The port is permanently attached to the lexan faceplate?

The E-P3 housing is made by PROMO FACTORY in Japan. They also made housings for the GF1, GF2, GF3, GH2 and others. They will soon make a housing for the GX1.
Yes the Ports are attached to the Faceplates, the back is attached permanently to the body. The new GX1 housing has a new design, they melt the faceplate with the port and the back with the body.
The whole housing is made of ABS Plastic.

Here is the new GX1 housing with the 8mm fisheye Inon dome port and the 14-42x port:
Google Übersetzer

Here is the E-P3 housing with the Pana 14-42x port, the 45mm macro port and the Inon viewfinder:
Promo's Blog::E-P3

They also have a port the 14mm. Notice, all flat ports have the Inon LD Mount fin order to attache maco or WA wet lenses.

One can buy it here:
Google Translate

 

[scipionems]

About the Pana Gx1 , today Dpreview has published a review of this Camera.
Panasonic DMC GX1 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review
It seems very good for pictures, very very bad for video (it is better Gh2 for video).
ciao
Scipionems

 

[xahhax]

Just got the housing Can't wait to try!