OLY E-M1 New Camera

[Jak Crow]

Not clear on the Oly lens port adapter. If it could be used in conjunction with the Oly to Zen dome port adapter, that would get my e-m1 into the water sooner.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The Olympus lens port adapter to Nauticam Mini housing mount allows the use of Olympus DSLR style THREADED ports like the ones from Athena, Inon and Olympus. These are for Olympus 43 lenses ( not M43 lenses) and Olympus 43 lens gears. With the port adapter which has a zoom/focus gear you can mount lenses like the Olympus 50mm macro, 11-22, 7-14, 8mm fisheye and more using the old gears and ports for the Olympus DSLR housing line.

No adapter for the PEN style ZEN ports to Nauticam has been made that I am aware of, to many design issues involved.

 

[watboy]

They were supposed to ship my EM1 today, but i've been told that some delays in manufacturing has pushed the shipment to next week. Hopefully customs can clear it quickly as i'm heading to R4 next sunday.

What to do w the EM5... though I now realize i've got enough spare bits to have a 2nd complete system.

 

[Jak Crow]

Keep it as a backup. That's what I'm going to do with my E-PL3. Last thing I'd want to do is go on a dive trip and and something happens to my camera and I'm doing the rest of the trip without something to take photos with.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The other way to go is to have a backup body for the type of housing you are using rather than a complete system. I have one Nauticam NA-EM5 housing and two Olympus EM-5 cameras. One camera is setup for the housing and the other is ready to shoot on land. Chances are that if you flood the housing and trash the camera the housing will still be usable once it is field serviced. I see several floods a year during my several weeks of workshops and we have never had a housing that could not be salvaged and reused. This is not to say that it couldn't happen but all of the floods so far have been pilot error. The new Nauticam vacuum system makes the chances of flood even lower.

I have sold my EM-5 system and I will be moving to the EM-1 system soon. I should have a backup body in time for my Philippines trip in February and plan to carry a GoPro as well. Last I have lost more equipment while traveling to theft than to flood so if you don't have the two systems if different locations you may still be SOL.

Nauticam has also announced the gear and port for the Olympus 12-40mm F/2.8. The recommended port is the 7" port also designed for the Sony 10-18zoom for NEX. This is not a lens for everyone and not a replacement for the 12-50 zoom in terms of how it will be used. This lens is for advanced shooters who do pool work like fashion, large animal photography, mid range wide shoots with shallow DOF and more. It is one more tool and not meant to be a quasi macro lens like the 12-50 with macro gear.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Phil,

Would the lens work in the 7 inch dome for the 7-14 with an appropriate port extension? That would be a very reasonable way for me to get the lens into my UW stable for big animals.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I would ned to get back to you on that. The Nauticam 7-14 dome port is six inches not seven is it may work but of course seven will work better it appears. I like the ZEN 170mm glass port, that would also be about 7mm less than seven inches because I can change the extensions to suite the lens. No extension for Olympus 12 F/2, 20mm extension for Panasonic 7-14 and 12-35, perhaps 25mm for 12-40zoom. Also most of the other lenses except for 8mm fisheye work with 0-25mm extension. One reason I like the 12-40zoom is because I have already used the Panasonic 12-35 with a 170mm dome and it was very nice. I expect the 12-40 to be even better.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hmm, would the 7" dome for the zoom also work for the 7-14? I only want one dome to work with the 7-14, 9-18 and 12-40. I guess it is too early to tell. No hurry.

 

[watboy]

I thought of the two bodies, one housing idea. But that only gives me protection in the case I flood, there are no serious housing issues and the camera body is no longer easily found. I think for this route, i'd wait till the EM2 comes out, and get a 2nd EM1 body cheaper. However, it doesn't address the actual trip, what do I do if my once in a lifetime Galapagos trip I flood on first dive? I think i have a solution... let my girlfriend use my EM5 / S2000s and that will be my reserve camera... she's already carrying my reserve air.

The other way to go is to have a backup body for the type of housing you are using rather than a complete system. I have one Nauticam NA-EM5 housing and two Olympus EM-5 cameras. One camera is setup for the housing and the other is ready to shoot on land. Chances are that if you flood the housing and trash the camera the housing will still be usable once it is field serviced. I see several floods a year during my several weeks of workshops and we have never had a housing that could not be salvaged and reused. This is not to say that it couldn't happen but all of the floods so far have been pilot error. The new Nauticam vacuum system makes the chances of flood even lower.

I have sold my EM-5 system and I will be moving to the EM-1 system soon. I should have a backup body in time for my Philippines trip in February and plan to carry a GoPro as well. Last I have lost more equipment while traveling to theft than to flood so if you don't have the two systems if different locations you may still be SOL.

Nauticam has also announced the gear and port for the Olympus 12-40mm F/2.8. The recommended port is the 7" port also designed for the Sony 10-18zoom for NEX. This is not a lens for everyone and not a replacement for the 12-50 zoom in terms of how it will be used. This lens is for advanced shooters who do pool work like fashion, large animal photography, mid range wide shoots with shallow DOF and more. It is one more tool and not meant to be a quasi macro lens like the 12-50 with macro gear.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I just came home with a new Nauticam NA-EM1 housing today, including vacuum system. Many changes for the good from the prototype housing I handled at DEMA. Many new features over the NA-EM5 housing which is also quite good. Still much smaller than any DSLR housing and value compared to DSLR housings.

Open for any questions. My review on the Nauticam Vacuum seal system will be released in the next few days in UWPMAG.com.

E-M1 Housing and camera review should be out around March 1st.