Need Advice

[tarpon]

Not well versed on UW photography and need some advice. Will be using a 5060
in an Ikelite housing. When using TTL is it best to turn the camera flash off or better left on. Also wondering if you can still pick up a 7070 used. Thinking I might be wise to do so since I could use the same housing. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[illFisch]

If the TTL uses cables then turn off the flash. Using the built in flash firstly draws power and more importantly will highlight backscatter if there are suspended particles. The idea of external flashes is to light from the side and reduce reflection from particles.

 

[livewire]

Light and Motion also made a housing (now discontinued) called the Tetra. You can keep an eye out for one of those. It's cast aluminum though and flash is triggered electrically, so no point in having the flash on in that one. Ikelite also made a housing for the 5060, so you might also look for that one. Also, the 7070 does not use the same housing, neither in the Light and Motion nor the Ikelite lines. That camera was a little differently sized as I recall.

In all cases, external strobe is highly recommended as you'll get much better results that way. I've been shooting with a 5060, L&M housing, Sea & Sea YS-90DX strobes, and I'm very happy with it. Even after all these years! It's a bummer that it's discontinued and no longer supported for repair by Olympus, but such is the nature of digital cameras and their housings these days.

 

[Larry C]

) Also, the 7070 does not use the same housing, neither in the Light and Motion nor the Ikelite lines. That camera was a little differently sized as I recall.

Actually, though the C7070 will not fit in the original PT-020 housing designed for the C5060, the PT-027 backdates to the C5060 as well as the C7070. Newer Ikelite housings for the C5060 have a removable spacer that allows the C7070 to fit as well.

 

[calypsonick]

If the housing allows your flash to work (my C8080 pop-up flash will not work in Ikelite as there is not enough clearance for it to extend fully) you may want to look into the fiber optic cable triggered strobes if you are trying to save money. You will want to block the front of the flash to avoid harsh backscatter. Hope that helps.

 

[codhead]

any idea on the current value of a tetra c7070 housing, new?

 

[slowhands]

.. the 7070 does not use the same housing, neither in the Light and Motion nor the Ikelite lines. That camera was a little differently sized as I recall.

In all cases, external strobe is highly recommended as you'll get much better results that way. I've been shooting with a 5060, L&M housing, Sea & Sea YS-90DX strobes, and I'm very happy with it. Even after all these years! It's a bummer that it's discontinued and no longer supported for repair by Olympus, but such is the nature of digital cameras and their housings these days.

Actually Ikelite supplied a foam pad to accommodate slight differences in size between the 5060 and 7070. Both fit the ikelite housing, and the Olympus PT-027 housing. The Ikelite housing has a TTL converter for external wired strobes which is excellent. You can add a Heinrichs Weikamp TTL converter to the PT-027 for that function. See mine here:
ScubaBoard Gallery - Olympus 7070 with PT-027, YS90, HW conv, LocLine

It's true Olympus is not supporting these older cameras, but many repairmen can still do minor repairs on them. The problem is parts, which must be obtained from a donor camera. But if you have one in need, PM me and I can possibly arrange it.

 

[slowhands]

any idea on the current value of a tetra c7070 housing, new?

That's between the buyer and seller. I would not invest too much in one now, because there is no more support for the camera from Olympus. Spare parts are hard to get. I don't know if O-rings and other service necessities are still available from Light and Motion (consult Backscatter). This was all discontinued more than 5 years ago, so beware of support issues.

Honestly, there are better new cameras and housings available now. Take it from me, an Olympus C7070 dielhard.