OM-D Rig, Its HEEEEEEERRRRREEEEEE (almost)

[guyharrisonphoto]

My OM-D kit just arrived on Friday and spent the afternoon at Reef learning how put it all together. Here it is:

Camera: OM-D
Wide Angle: Panasonic 7-14mm
Macro: Olympus 60mm
General: Olympus 12-50mm zoom

Housing: Nauticam
Wide Port: Nauticam 6"
General Port: 12-50 with zoom gear and macro function lever (this did NOT arrive, bummer, long wait list for it but should come in this week).
Macro Port: 12-50 which fits the 60mm macro.

Nauticam flextray with two handles.

BIG TREAT: Nauticam 45 degree magnified rotating viewfinder.

Because I was going to shoot macro at BHB, reef loaned me the port for the Panaleica 45mm macro. Reef is just great!!

Shot macro with it at BHB. Handling is incredible in the housing. One dial for shutter speed, one for aperture, one button press for ISO and all exposure parameters instantly handled. Custom function button instantly puts me in focus-point-select mode for off-center compositions. One-button push for instant video, or a quick turn of the mode dial to video (video and manual are right next to each other on the mode dial, what a nice feature) for full manual exposure control in video. The ease of use is just amazing, can't say enough. It is a whole order of magnitude different from my E-PL2 kit. The camera operation is worlds faster, with wider AF coverage across the frame and much faster autofocus.

Having the viewfinder was the biggest treat of all. It is like looking at a movie screen and the angle keeps me off the bottom. Also, for putting the camera in tight spots for macro, the rotating feature of the viewfinder is a huge benefit. No more chimping. Even the Nauticam's standard viewfinder was a little cramped in the view. It was a big decision to drop $1100 on the viewfinder (900 for finder and 200 for a special back panel to hold it), but this is well worth it and I will use it all through the future no matter what camera/housing I switch to (although I plan to stick with this one for many years).

Still haven't processed the images as I am updating Lightroom so I can download, but on our TV it looked wonderful. Video quality is great.

Continuous focus in video is a problem, lots of hunting. I switched to single AF. When the subject moves, just touch the shutter and re-focus is instant even while video is running. A little more work but much better. However, I was shooting macro-video, which is the hardest challengs for camera and shooter alike. Will update when I get the chance to do wide angle on a goliath grouper dive.

This is an amazing system. Thanks goes to Phil Rudin who let me use his at a workshop and got me hooked, and to Reef for their great help, and, most of all to my wife Maribi who gave me the greatest anniversary present ever by letting me buy this!

 

[ConchyJoe]

Can't wait to see pics!

 

[Wisnu]

Can't wait the pics as well. 7mm pls

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Wisnu, no wide angle yet. My first dive with the system last week was macro. Now, it is blowing hard with a tropical storm on the way which will kill the vis for wide angle work for at least a week. Maybe some pics next weekend!

 

[unclebob]

Hi Guy,
Does the 45 degree viewfinder make it difficult to see the back LCD display? I don't spend a lot of time looking at the back display, since almost everything is visible through the viewfinder, but that 45 degree viewfinder looks quite big. Thanks!

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Yes, it's big and it does block the upper part of the screen. I am going to post photos of my rig this weekend (tropical storm is ruining the diving). If you want to see the screen you can rotate the finder 90 degrees and that allows a view of the entire screen if you tilt the housing and "look up" slightly under the viewfinder. I had to go into the menu once during the dive to make an adjustment through the menu (to turn live view boost ON) and it was not a problem at all.

The main purpose for the viewfinder was so that I don't have to chip at the LDC through my out-of-focus 54 year old eyes, or struggle to get my mask diopter in the right position to see the screen. Plus, the magified view is much bigger and easier to see what is going on in the frame than using the screen.

Really, I can't see any need to use the screen at all during shooting or reviewing images. The EVF shows you everything and the Nauty viewfinder gives you a big, bright, very sharp view. You can change any shooting parameters you need just by looking throuigh the EVF and of course it shows you your video as well. Just no need to use the screen for shooting and, if you need to dive deeper into the menus, the view of the screen visibility is definitely adequate to do that.

That being said, the viewfinder would make using the screen for shooting or video more difficult of you have a need to shoot that way. However, the beauty of the viewfinder on an EVF camera is that there is never a need to look at the screen. With a traditional OVF, you have to shoot still through the viewfinder and video off the screen. That would be a real problem for those trying to switch back and forth between the two during the dive and who are using the external viewfinder that makes it more difficult to use the screen. With the EVF, you only look one place, all the time. I actually thinkthe external nauty viewfinder is more of a benefit to EVC cameras that optical finder cameras.

On balance, I would not go back to the standard viewfinder (where the view of the EVF is more cramped, and more dim that through the external viewfinder) just to have easier visibility of the screen.

I might swap out my big 45 degree one for a standard small one that comes with the housing if I were freediving and had a specific need for a straight-through view and a very compact profile, but not for just for seeing the screen.

 

[deeper thoughts]

nice.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Congratulation Guy on the new system, I am glad you are as pleased as I am with the Nauticam choice.

it is getting ugly up here near the BHB and I am sure the recovering vis. Will be dropping of again soon. I will be out of the country until nov.13 them off to DEMA until nov.18. Let me know when you are headed for the bridge after that and I will try to hookup with you. I am out again Nov. 27 for the PI for three weeks.

enjoy the new equipment.

Phil

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hi Phil,

I will pm you about getting together. We would love to dive with you before you leave for the Phillipines (do you need assistants to carry your gear over there???).

Vis was odd last week. Actually decent vis and blue water, but lots of large sand particles that made photos more difficult than usual. Still, will be posting some nice ones here probably later tonight.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Guy, I will add you to the very long list of friends who have ask to be "assistants"

Phil