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Very good choice. I am a fan of the PEN camera. I currently shoot with Canon 50d in a Sea and Sea RDX housing with the TTL electronics and two 250PRO strobes. If I was doing it all again, I would save myself a lot of trouble (and money) and just gone with a PEN...
The E-PL3 is an excellent choice, I think it is on sale at many spots and has several housing options including Olympus, 10Bar and Nauticam. We are seeing stunning shots taken with a variety of lenses from the 8mm to the 45mm macro. As much as I like the S100, my pocket cam, if you can afford it go with the E-PL3.
For any of the interchangeable lens cameras you can use wet Macro Diopters but for wide angle the best route is going to wide Lenses. The 9-18mm, 7-14mm, 8mm. This will require putting them behind some kind of Dome Port. For the Oly housing the preferred combo is the 9-18mm with a Zen Pen Dome.
We played with the new Sea and Sea YSD1 with the EPL3 and the TTL results were excellent. (Have 28 units coming in soon Have not tried it with a 110a, but many have and have not heard of any issues. Gurnie is right the PEN/43 cameras have many of us DSLR shooters thinking twice about our next purchase.
Thanks MJH....my initial thought was the 9-18 with ZEN....but am I not sacrificing ability to do close up on same dive...that is why I was thinking "wet lens" option
Welcome to the world of interchangeable lenses, lol. Yes now you have to commit! As far as I know there is no good "wet wide angle lens" that can be used with this kind of system. Excuse the pun but many find having a specific lens, for a specific type of photography helps focus what they are looking for which often results in better framed photos.
Welcome to the world of interchangeable lenses, lol. Yes now you have to commit! As far as I know there is no good "wet wide angle lens" that can be used with this kind of system. Excuse the pun but many find having a specific lens, for a specific type of photography helps focus what they are looking for which often results in better framed photos.
Might have to start diving more than one camera, like wedding photographers. One camera with a macro and another for wide angle.
One thing interchangeable lens cameras can not do well is wide angle macro! A W/A lens means a dome port and a short lens. Macro means a standard port and a longer macro lens. So we are talking a 7-14mm (14-28mm equiv) lens vs. a 45mm (90mm equiv). If you want interchangeable lenses with true 1:1 macro and WA lenses you have to choose as macro can not do wide angle, and visa versa.
You can choose the big compromise which is the do it all but not as well PnS or go with the bigger sensor and interchangeable lenses. The 12-50mm zoom does .75X macro and that is rater good for a standard zoom but I do not think there are ports for this lens yet as its been out for a couple months. The 12-50mm at 3.26 inches is quite a bit longer than a 14-42mm at 1.9" zoom without the extension, so a new port is needed.
All that said the 4/3 system is going to someday replace my d200 setup as its just too big for travel. I have a GF2 so not sure what I will put underwater but likely a Oly EPM1.
I've had very good overall experience with wet WA for my old C5050 and then SP350 and using native lens for close up
I was hoping for the same with the E-PL3..I have some time and can wait until there is some definitive info (I know the 9-18 with ZEN will work fine...I do a lot of wreck and WA marine life shots (closer is better)...but I'd hate to miss that close shot when it comes...and no ..dc the idea of 2 cameras, diving is complicated enough with one camera (especially up here with dry suits, pony bottles etc..don't need to complicate it even more)
rescuediver, if "definitive info" regards interchangeable lens cameras and wide angle wet lenses you don't have to wait. I try to avoid absolutes as there are always exceptions...but that said there are no wide angle wet ports for interchangeable lens cameras. If they existed every DSLR shooter would have one. As others have mentioned there are some fair zoom lenses like the 14-42mm that you can add diopters to for shooting decent macro and pop off for decent wide. But as with DSLRs most end up with dedicated Macro lenses in the 60mm range and dedicated WA lenses like the 9-18mm or 8mm. Without a doubt shooting interchangeable lens cameras requires a shift in ones shooting routine.
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Have not tried it with a 110a, but many have and have not heard of any issues. Gurnie is right the PEN/43 cameras have many of us DSLR shooters thinking twice about our next purchase.
Originally Posted by mjh
A W/A lens means a dome port and a short lens. Macro means a standard port and a longer macro lens. So we are talking a 7-14mm (14-28mm equiv) lens vs. a 45mm (90mm equiv). If you want interchangeable lenses with true 1:1 macro and WA lenses you have to choose as macro can not do wide angle, and visa versa. 
..but that said there are no wide angle wet ports for interchangeable lens cameras. If they existed every DSLR shooter would have one. As others have mentioned there are some fair zoom lenses like the 14-42mm that you can add diopters to for shooting decent macro and pop off for decent wide. But as with DSLRs most end up with dedicated Macro lenses in the 60mm range and dedicated WA lenses like the 9-18mm or 8mm. Without a doubt shooting interchangeable lens cameras requires a shift in ones shooting routine.
