Olympus 9-18mm lens with flat port

[BlueDevil]

Seeking some urgent advice from anyone who has actually used the 9-18 Oly lens behind the Olympus flat port. From what I have heard I understand that you can get some distortion (and obviously you're not going to get the full angle of view). However I'm keen to hear from anyone who has had success (or otherwise) with this lens and port combination.

(Reason for question is that my flat port is jammed onto the housing so I can't put my dome port on. I'm heading off on a trip in a few days where I expect some fabulous wide angle options so I'm shattered I can't use my dome).

 

[Furnari]

It's pretty bad in the corners (especially at the wide end of the range), but workable if you choose your background- open water subjects are ok. I would take it over the 14-42 for wide stuff and think pretty hard about using the 12-50 instead if that were an option. Maybe try pouring cold water into the port after you've had the housing at room temperature?

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Hmmm, success? That's what the Zen dome will give you but in a pinch (sorry, since you already seem up against a port pinch!) it is useable. Both shots below are flat port (w/ EM-5 in Oly housing), using the 14-42 and 9-18 (shot at Bunaken, full frame). Like Funari sez, 14-42 works out better behind the flat port.

For added encouragement (but no ideas) on removing your stuck flat port, both lenses are nicely improved with the Zen dome (wider field of view, sharper corners). I lucked out and bought Funari's Zen dome (THANKS!) and was very impressed with the improvement. Get a bigger pipe wrench or something on that flat port, you will enjoy the dome port a lot. // ww
Oly 14-42mm f/11

Oly 9-18mm f/13

 

[jgnu]

I have shot quite a bit with the 9-18 behind the standard flat port. I put off buying a dome for way too long

Some things to keep in mind:
- The FoV is a lot worse than behind a dome. I'd approximate 9mm behind flat port to be something like 14mm when in a dome (just by feel, I have no idea if that is accurate)
- The corners (and quite a lot of them) will be really blurred and smeared. Try to shoot compositions where blurry corners won't distract
- I found that at 10-11mm the corners are quite a bit better (still quite bad, but not too horrible)
- I haven't used the 12-50, but I have the 14-42 and I'd definitely prefer 9-18 /at say 11mm) over the 14-42
- ... but first I'd do whatever I could to get that dome port back on. The difference is pretty huge in my opinion!

Examples from the 9-18 behind flat port, and one with the dome port:

These two are at 11mm:

....This one is at 9mm

...And this one is at 9mm behind the AOI dome port: