Olympus C-4040 and PT-010 housing review

[SubMariner]

:lol: It seems you two have succeeded admirably! I just got a call today and ALL the components will be shipped this week, INCLUDING the Ikelite strobe. :yea:

BTW, we looked seriously at both the S&S & Ikelite, but the Ikelite is synced to the TTL in the camera and has a remote sensor that shuts down the large strobe when the camera flash shuts off. Hence there is no need to play with light as will be necessary with the Sea and Sea.

Tres kewl!

~SubMariner~

 

[ScubaJorgen]

I've got the C3000Z and a PT010 housing. I use a slave strobe Epoque ES-150-DS (See Nautilus Equipment). I blinded the internal strobe. I built a strobe arm myself (including a small dive light).

I use to fix diafragm and shutter speed. Strobe Light can be controlled on the strobe.

I am fond with it!

The PT-010 can be bought at www.japan-direct.com at $242, which is fairly sharp I guess. (I did not buy it there though')

 

[ScubaBurt]

Hello Dee,
Just read your post about you new Olypmus C-4040 camera, PT-10 housing and S&S Strobe. Congratulations! I now have a S&S MM IIex, YS-60 with 16 mm lens. I am looking at going digital to increase my ability to see the particular shot before the film developing. I have looked at the C-4040 are local stores however, we do not have stores that offer the housings. When you purchased yours, was it a camera and housing package or did you have to purchase each separately? If you purchased as a package, who was your vendor? How is the strobe connected via the housing to the camera? Is the display viewer clear underwater? SubMariner mentioned the TTL ability on the Ikelite, will the S&S strobe not link TTL to the C-4040?
Sorry for all the questions, just trying to compile some info before I take the plunge :drown:.
Burt

 

[Dee]

Originally posted by ScubaBurt
Hello Dee,
Just read your post about you new Olypmus C-4040 camera, PT-10 housing and S&S Strobe. Congratulations! I now have a S&S MM IIex, YS-60 with 16 mm lens. I am looking at going digital to increase my ability to see the particular shot before the film developing. I have looked at the C-4040 are local stores however, we do not have stores that offer the housings. When you purchased yours, was it a camera and housing package or did you have to purchase each separately? If you purchased as a package, who was your vendor? How is the strobe connected via the housing to the camera? Is the display viewer clear underwater? SubMariner mentioned the TTL ability on the Ikelite, will the S&S strobe not link TTL to the C-4040?
Sorry for all the questions, just trying to compile some info before I take the plunge :drown:.
Burt

Hi Burt....I bought my camera locally when the price dropped to close to what the web was offering. My housing was purchased from Japan Direct, the link is in the post just above yours. The price was quite a bit lower but by the time I paid shipping, it was right in line with everywhere else. And I didn't do enough research to know where to order it from. In hindsight, I would order it from Underwater Digital. That's who I bought my strobe from for a very good price.

I'm using a S&S YS90Dx strobe. The fiber optic cable connects via a velcro patch over the internal strobe area. It's really very simple and effective. And since it isn't mechanical you don't have to worry about it flooding like sync cords can!

The display is very easy to see underwater...at least in the pool. I have 17 days to go before I can test mine in Roatan. BUT I asked the same question of several photogs who are using the same set-up and they've all said there's not a problem.

No, the S&S YS90DX doesn't do TTL on digitals but that was never a concern for me since I've never used TTL very much anyway. I've never been able to explain why until I read something recently that Cathy Church wrote. Go here....http://www.cathychurch.com/latestdv.html and scroll down to the section on the S&S YS90DX strobe. She explains very well why I never depended on TTL and why you don't really need it with that strobe.

I had your same basic MMII set-up with dual strobes when I decided to go digital. I must admit to a bit of panic when the old camera sold on eBay and I had to ship it off before I even got the digital! But the photos I've seen taken with it, alot from rank beginners like myself, the smaller overall package, and the versatility of it all really convinced me to take the plunge.

Let me know if you'd like a list of links I used in my research about everything pertaining to digital cameras!

 

[ScubaJorgen]

Yo ScubaBurt :hi:

Olympus only sells the PT-010 housings in Japan. Fortunately it is available from third parties on the internet, like Japan Direct (see my previous message in this thread). I don't know about warranty. Probably none....

Easiest way 'round is using a slave strobe, reacting on the internal strobe (see my previous message in this thread). I blinded the internal strobe at the outside of the PT-010. Still enough light is left to trigger the strobe.

Like a lot of digital cams, the Olympus cams flash twice :deadfish: : first to measure, second to illuminate. When you use a slave strobe (reacting on the internal strobe) be sure to use one that is able to count the flashes and flashes on the second internal flash. I use the Epoque ES-150 DS

As for the PT-010 housing: the display is perfectly visible. All knobs on my C3000 can be serviced (I guess this holds for the 4040 as well)

For mounting a flashlight to your cam you can buy a holder (for my Epoque a S&S holder should do, see Nautilus Equipment ), which can be mounted to the bottom of the PT-010 (standard thread). I made one myself .

 

[alexeames]

Dee

With this Olympus setup, do you notice a significant time lag between pressing the shutter release and the actual recording of the shot?

I have a Fuji Finepix 1400, which I find has about half to one second time lag, which can be pretty annoying when you're taking pictures of moving fish.

The only way I found round it was to try and prefocus on them and pan the camera with them while they move. But it's quite a quick learning curve because you can see the results immediately.

Does the Olympus suffer a similar thing?

On the up-side, it's great to be able to delete all those shots of fish tails while you're still underwater

 

[Dee]

There is a short lag time but you can prefocus by depressing the shutter halfway to set the focus then take your shot. Like you said, it's a quick learning curve that wasn't hard to get used to. Keep in mind my experience so far has been in the pool but it works very well on the torpedo toys we throw for fun! Another couple of weeks and I can give you a full report.

ScubaJorden mentioned the preflash on digital cameras. Another reason I chose the S&S YD90DX strobe is it's designed to work with the preflash. It ignores the first flash and is triggered off the second.

The one thing they left off the C-4040 that is on most of the other digitals is the immediate review of your shot and the choice to delete it. If that feature works like my Nikon CP880, it only stays onscreen for a second or two...much too short to decide to delete or not then do it. I much prefer to view all shots on my laptop, PC monitor or TV screen in order to see the details. I'd sure hate to delete a great shot because I couldn't see the details on that small LCD screen! To view the shot you just took with the C-4040, just press the monitor button twice. You can delete it if you choose.

I'd like to mention one thing about the small monitor. Yes, it's very clear and easy to see, but.... Since I wear glasses and need a prescription mask, it's sometimes hard for me to tell just by looking in the mositor if the shot is in focus yet. Short arm syndrom, you know! So I use the prefocus thing on almost every shot. When the shot is in focus, a green light in the viewfinder shines steadily. That little light is easy to notice since I'm not looking through the viewfinder.

 

[alexeames]

Originally posted by Dee
I'd like to mention one thing about the small monitor. Yes, it's very clear and easy to see, but.... Since I wear glasses and need a prescription mask, it's sometimes hard for me to tell just by looking in the monitor if the shot is in focus yet

Dee,

I think it's hard to check focus on a 1-2" screen
when the final image will be viewed much larger than
that. This is regardless of being optically challenged
or not

At least, that's what Stephen Frink said on the Rodale
site, and who the heck am I to disagree?

I guess it's only a bit better than trying to look at
35mm slides with your naked eye to see if they're
sharp.

But at least it shows you if you got the shot you
wanted or not.

Guess you still can't have your cake and eat it

 

[pit]

In case if anybody is interested, I can get the PT-010 (brand new) for US$200 (exclude shipping).

Just send me a Private Message for details.

 

[ScubaJorgen]

Dee,

Are you sure they left off the option of choice to delete the image after taking the image? I've got a C3000Z, an ancestor of the C4040Z I guess. On this cam it is a setting that enables this feature.

Would be queer if they took it out on the C4040Z.....

Anyway, buy a lot of storage (128 MB) and don't delete imaged donw under. You don't want this option.....