Olympus E-PL1 U/W photos part #3

[PHIL RUDIN]

Six more from the E-PL1 using the Olympus PT-EP01 housing with the 14 to 42 mm zoom "kit" lens and Athena ring flash.

A photo of the entire system is attached, the flash head has a 67 mm thread and attaches to the Olympus macro lens adapter which clips to the front of the lens port. The gray unit on top of the housing holds two AA batteries which power the flash head. Recycle time is about 3 seconds on average. The sending unit has a manual control, NO TTL. Next to the sending unit is a focusing light which can also be used in a pinch for a video light. A +6.5 Inon close-up lens is attached on the grip and can be placed on the ring flash or between the ring flash and port for greater magnification.

This ring flash has been discontinued and a new one is on the way which is more robust, uses four AA batteries and on some cameras will TTL.


Phil Rudin

 

[Dee]

Love the photos! I hope my S-2000 strobe will give lighting results that good.

Phil....what tray are you using? I like the size of it.

Also....what kind of holder are you using for the close-up lens?

I have the macro lens adapter and an Inon 165 close-up lens. I'm not pleased with the lens holder I have and am always searching for something better! My strobe is on a flexi arm, not the ULCS system, if that matters.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Dee,

The tray and grip are a SeaTool STG-4SL single grip tray. I already owned it from a past use and it fits for the time being. I will want a dual grip tray for wide angle where I use two Inon Z-240 strobes. The lens holder is also from SeaTool or Inon.

I would look into other choices as this was not a tray made to fit this camera/housing.

Phil

 

[MJSmith]

Question from a novice who is always fighting back scatter. With the ring flash, how does that effect back scatter? I assume your set up has a focus light on top, and there appears to be a second strobe flash as well? Just tying to understand the flash set up---

 

[davelew]

Six more from the E-PL1 using the Olympus PT-EP01 housing with the 14 to 42 mm zoom "kit" lens and Athena ring flash.

That kit lens is impressive at macro distances.

 

[wayne007]

Any idea what the buoyancy is for the PT-EP01 with camera and strobe? Do you use a counter weight?

Wayne

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Camera and housing are slightly buoyant, once you add a tray arms and strobe/s it will be negative. Exceptions would be using the Olympus UFL-2 strobes which add to buoyancy and float type strobe arms. I found the the housing to be quite well balanced with the ring flash and focusing light.

Phil Rudin

 

[Peter Guy]

I use an Inon D2000 single strobe and with the arms/tray/strobe, the whole package is slightly negative. One nice aspect (to me) is that if I hold the contraption by the strobe arm, the housing floats up just a tad keeping it against my chest with almost no force on my hand (nice when also scootering!).

I just got back from a 3-day live-a-board trip to the Channel Islands and must say -- I love the camera and the whole setup. It is such a step up from my S80!