Olympus M43 12-50 mm zoom

[chris196]

What about using the 12-50 on an epl2?
Will it work in the Zen 100 dome?
Is there a zoom gear for it that will work in the PEN housings?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

If you are talking about the ZEN 100 dome port for 9-18 and 14-42 I think it will fit but no gear has been released at that time and Olympus has not said that they intend to make one.

For those that don't owen the lens, macro is reached by pushing and button at the same time you move the zoom ring forward. This will require a custom gear that will both power zoom and shift to macro mode which locks the lens at 43mm and extendes the close focus range. Nauticam seems to have a solution for this issue coming which will work in their port but not the same size gear as in the Olympus housing.

Phil Rudin

 

[Prop Joe]

Phil,

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I just want to say, "Thank you!" You have been very helpful.

DSAO,
Jim (jlyle)

I have an affinity with Olympus products because they work.
Jim, Because of your images that you posted on the WWW I bought my beloved C-5050. I seek Phil's and also your incite to our wonderful world of underwater photography anytime I see either of your names. Its always a pleasure to see what you two think of these new offerings. Olympus should hire the both of you. One from either coast for coverage. Anyway, thanks to the both of you for keeping me thinking.
Keep up the good work!
Joe

 

[jlyle]

Thanks, Joe. If Olympus would just put a new brain into a C-5050, I'd be on it like a duck on a junebug.

 

[ProfF]

Nir, your question did not ask anything about magnification but between the two Olympus lenses (12-50 and 14-42) the 12-50 has the greater magnifaction of around 1:2 v. around 1:4. As already stated the 12-50 is going to have much better image quality than the 14-42.

Read my post again regarding the difference between the lenses at the wide end, I don't know how to make it any clearer.

Also read the last line, the 12-50 will get a new port and will need a new set of gears as well.

Phil

Phil,

Thanks for the answer (I asked how the 14-42 fare in the magnification test you started your first post with, but never mind).

My question about the wide end was regarding performance behind a flat port. As you wrote, out of water there is a big difference. But, as far as I understand, a flat port limits the FOV of a wide angle, and so my question is whether the focal length differences will be as noticeable behind such a port.

The one question I don't have an answer to is whether the lens will fit inside the nauticam 56 flat port (yes, I am aware that I will have to come up with a zoom gear workaround). I understood from Dan Bolt's article that it fits in the Oly standard port, so I assume it will also fit nauticam, but it would be nice to know if someone tested that or not. (Clearly once nauticam releases dedicated port + zoom gear that will be a better solution.)

Thanks again for all the info,

-Nir

 

[girellator]

Hello Nir,

Your question is a little more complicated than just image quality between the two KIT lenses. The quality of the 12-50 and the Panasonic 14-42 pancake lens are without question higher than the Olympus and Panasonic 14-42 kit lenses. The pana pancake can be used with the Nauticam 45 macro port and the new gear set for the Pana pancake is listed on the front page at reef photo.com. The other issue is that at 12 mm the 12-50 is much wider than the 14-42, (84 v. 75 degrees). This is a big difference on the wide end and without dought it will suffer on the wide end if put behind a flat port. Making a "quick choice" may not be the best way to go. I will want to see what type of port is offered for the 12-50 (dome or flat) to make an informed choice.

Phil Rudin

The dome port will be good for wide angle , but the flat port better for the macro mode of the 12-50 especially if there is a 67 mm thread , and the macro mode works extremely well on the 12-50..

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Olympus today released a firmware update (v.1.2) for the E-M5 when used in underwater mode with the 12-50 power zoom lens. In the U/W wide angle mode the lens will auto zoom to 12mm and when placed in the U/W macro mode the lens zooms to 50mm. This will allow those using the lens without a gear to get to both ends of the zoom range. It does not appear from the press release that you can get into the macro mode with this update. At 50mm close focus gives you an image area of about 1:4, in a 35mm equivalent V. about 1:1 in the macro mode. Still this will allow the lens to be used in the standard Olympus port or with the Nuaticam housing in both W/A and closeup on the same dive without a gear.

Also it does NOT appear that the standard flat port is included with the PT-E08 housing but is an add-on.

Phil Rudin

 

[ASA400]

Phil, I logged onto the Olympus site and they are not yet listing the firmware upgrade yet. Not a problem for me as I don't have the Nauticam housing yet.

 

[Nadine Beard]

Phil, Lost your number and can't find email either, please call me regarding one of your photos. Leaving for CR on Tuesday
TY Nadine

 

[Wisnu]

I tried the 12-50mm kit with my epl=1. certainly faster and wider than 14-42mm yesterday - still in Bunaken now,
will post some pictures once get back home and faster internet connection.
I also tried for macro at 50mm (with wet lens to shorten the working distance)
my housing is 10bar with semi dome port - can be used for 12-50mm, 14-42mm, 7-14mm, and 35mm macro (took lot of macro pics with this lens at lembeh).