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This thread is for everyone to post their images from this camera. It will be linked to a master list in the Sticky. Please make sure to include which lens you used, your settings and your strobes. This is also the place for you to add your personal, summarized Pros & Cons. Discussions and questions go in separate threads, please!
Please make sure to attach, or better yet embed, some images as these threads are intended to be one stop resources. Please do also add links to your full galleries if you wish, so those who want to see more can easily find more images.
Sexy new housing arrived today and I'm quite pleased with the design. I've got photos of the housing and I'll point out the improvements.
There are two improvements to the front. The first is a stylish black color. The black front and sides will prevent stray light from entering from the sides and top. 2nd are the fiber optic connections build in. These can either hold a raw fiber cable or a Sea&Sea style connector. All very nice improvements.
This improvement is huge in my opinion. Its a rotary dial with a recessed locking switch. This lines the two halves up perfectly and locks them tightly together.
The first thing that pops out at you is how well the switches are labelled. They've added plastic caps to the posts for easier identification. A subtle, but really cool improvement, are the buttons. They depress easier and are further apart. They retain the offset of the previous housing.
The largest of the improvements is the area around the flash is now a much more subtle curve. This allows the housing to not have a large gap between the shells there. I will say the gap is slightly larger at the top than elsewhere however there's another improvement which I think will alleviate any concern. The main oring seal faces the outside edges (bore seal just like a video housing) and the first clamshell is recessed to allow the two pieces together.
This is an overpressure valve. I think this is an outlet for any gases that might expand if the housing were left in the sun or if you were just firing away and the camera heated up.
The housing base now locks into the base, again with a recessed lever. This insures a good seat of the camera in the housing.
Since the buttons are easier to depress you can now change aperture and shutter with 1 hand. In my PT-E03 the button was so tough to depress I couldn't manage it with an outstretched finger. They also retained the hotshoe mount.
Finally the gap at the top of the housing is much, much smaller than the previous generation however it is slightly more noticable than at other points. With that said, I'm much more confident this will be a much more robust housing than the PT-E03.
As a curiosity, I installed my wifes E510 camera inside the housing and it fits as perfect as the E520. The only noticable difference was the mode dial is larger on the E520 so it doesn't quite grip the dial on the E510 the same way. Not that I would encourage anyone to buy this based on this subjective view, I would have no problem with using her camera should I flood mine on vacation I should get an opportunity to dive with it in the next few weeks in a local lake. I'll keep you posted.
Overall, I'm really excited about the new design and can't wait to field test it.
Excellent review Gary. Thanks to this, I ordered the PT-E05, too. I also bought the PPO-01 port so I can use the 14-45mm lense (left from my trusty E330). One other advantage is that I can use the Oly 35mm macro lense with this port. This way I don't have to buy and carry around anather port if I wanted to shoot full macro.
I saw on Letsgodigital that Dutch uw-photographer Karin Brussaard has tested the PT-E05 in a mountainlake in Austria. Her review will be online soon.
Gary, if you have any results you want to share, I am very curious to see them.
The only disadvantage of my new housing is... that I do not yet own a E520 camera...
Everything in the right time, but I can hardly wait to use it in the water.
I just got my E550, 14-54 lens, with Oly housing a week ago. These pictures were from my first dive in Laguna Beach (Shaws Cove). I also have a YS110 and YS110a, still working and experimenting with settings and modes. I don't think I have the TTL working yet but just need the right settings. These were taken with the fill flash setting.
Brian
Aperture Priority F3.5 1/100 and fill flash. 54 mm
I think you need to rethink your choices a bit. First the 14 to 42 is head and shoulders above the 14 to 45 zoom and could be sold with your older camera and replaced with the E-520 kit with the 14 to 42 zoom for about the same amount as keeping your older lens.
Second the port for the 14 to 45 is longer and larger than the port for the 14 to 42 and costs a bit more in most places. When the 35 mm macro is fully extended (set at 1:1) inside BOTH housings it will focus inside the port because of the length of the port v. the lens length fully extended. So at 1:1 you are focused inside the port. With a diopter you move even closer to you subject so the point of focus will be even further inside your port at 1:1. By adding the diopter on the outside of the port you are gaining nothing because you can't focus outside the port at closest focus.
The only port made for the 35 macro comes from Athena. I have the port and at 1:1 the point of sharp focus is about 3/4 inch outside the glass. If I add a diopter I have no distance between the glass and subject. I need to add a X-1.4 or x-2 tele-converter to use the diopter with any success. The tele-converters put more distance between the lens and the subject.
you will be able to use the 35 macro with the 14 to 45 port but at an inch or so outside the glass you will at about 2.5 times lifesize.
you may also want to read my review of the PT-E05 housing here, http://www.divechronicles.com/ click on read latest edition.
Excellent review Gary. Thanks to this, I ordered the PT-E05, too. I also bought the PPO-01 port so I can use the 14-45mm lense (left from my trusty E330). One other advantage is that I can use the Oly 35mm macro lense with this port. This way I don't have to buy and carry around anather port if I wanted to shoot full macro.
I saw on Letsgodigital that Dutch uw-photographer Karin Brussaard has tested the PT-E05 in a mountainlake in Austria. Her review will be online soon.
Gary, if you have any results you want to share, I am very curious to see them.
The only disadvantage of my new housing is... that I do not yet own a E520 camera...
Everything in the right time, but I can hardly wait to use it in the water.
Pascal
Well living in Colorado hasn't afforded me any dive opportunities since I my original post. I will be doing a pool session Monday and will report back here. My first official dive with the rig appears to be at the end of January as I'll be heading to Florida on business.
So at 1:1 you are focused inside the port. With a diopter you move even closer to you subject so the point of focus will be even further inside your port at 1:1. By adding the diopter on the outside of the port you are gaining nothing because you can't focus outside the port at closest focus.
To me this sounds as though the lens would never focus correctly?
The lens will focus without a problem at say one or two inches from the port glass out to infinity it just won't to its closes range because that is inside the 14 to 45 mm lens port.
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I should get an opportunity to dive with it in the next few weeks in a local lake. I'll keep you posted.
I got one too!
Originally Posted by Mantha
