Oly Wide Angle Advice Needed

[Eli]

I just bought an Olympus C5060 and will get the PT-020 housing for an upcoming trip to Cozumel. Do I need a wide angle lens given the stock coverage of "27 mm"? Any recommendations for a wide angle lens? I want something I can change underwater, and which has good optics. Can I change the WCON-07C lens with its housing underwater? Of the following M67 mounts which has the best optics? Sea & Sea, Inon, Epoque, UN PWC-01 ? Thanks in advance for your help.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=248149&is=REG

http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/euwdigitalindex.htm (fourth tab)

 

[lukeROB]

I just bought an Olympus C5060 and will get the PT-020 housing for an upcoming trip to Cozumel. Do I need a wide angle lens given the stock coverage of "27 mm"? Any recommendations for a wide angle lens? I want something I can change underwater, and which has good optics. Can I change the WCON-07C lens with its housing underwater? Of the following M67 mounts which has the best optics? Sea & Sea, Inon, Epoque, UN PWC-01 ? Thanks in advance for your help.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=248149&is=REG

http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/euwdigitalindex.htm (fourth tab)

Sorry to say but the 5060 downfall is in the fact that it doesn't have the capability to add WA while underwater. However 27mm is a good starting point. You cannot change the Wcon-07c and housing while underwater it is a port and needs to be connected and sealed before going under. Hence you are WA for the whole dive - this is not nessecarily a bad thing, SLR cameras are the same. Also don't buy the olympus port there are actually dome ports around which give you the full 99 degs of the WCON-07C lens.

Even though the other lenses you mention have a M67 thread they are ineffective. The lens element in the 5060 moves back when at wide hence all these lenses will vignette significantly - to compensate, you'll have to zoom in and end up with a WA not much better than your 27mm standard.

In my opinion dont get a WA port just yet. Learn your camera and learn to get very close. You will have heaps of fun anyway. By getting a WA port, you will also be needing to invest in a strobe - so take that into account.

 

[Eli]

I had no idea about the vignetting issue. Maybe I will just stick to the stock lens for now.

Sorry to say but the 5060 downfall is in the fact that it doesn't have the capability to add WA while underwater. However 27mm is a good starting point. You cannot change the Wcon-07c and housing while underwater it is a port and needs to be connected and sealed before going under. Hence you are WA for the whole dive - this is not nessecarily a bad thing, SLR cameras are the same. Also don't buy the olympus port there are actually dome ports around which give you the full 99 degs of the WCON-07C lens.

Even though the other lenses you mention have a M67 thread they are ineffective. The lens element in the 5060 moves back when at wide hence all these lenses will vignette significantly - to compensate, you'll have to zoom in and end up with a WA not much better than your 27mm standard.

In my opinion dont get a WA port just yet. Learn your camera and learn to get very close. You will have heaps of fun anyway. By getting a WA port, you will also be needing to invest in a strobe - so take that into account.

 

[ReyeR]

Here is the link to Yuzo's website for the ATHENA OPTi Dome WZ C5060 option:
http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/English/eC5060.htm

This has been jointly developed by Yuzo and Athena. Yuzo will be happy to answer any questions you have (info at naturephoto.co.jp) .

 

[DesertEagle]

The Athena dome is what you want. Ikelite also has a dome that looks like it.

Does anybody know if Sea & Sea or Inon will be making a larger wide angle adapter to fit the 5060 and cameras with larger lenses?