LeeParrish
Contributor
I'm moving to an Olympus E-PM1 and I'm trying to decide on the housing. I see two options for this camera, either the PT-EP06 (no lights), and PT-EP06L (with LED lights). The PT-EP06L is $200 more than the non-lighted version, but since it's already set up for a 67mm threaded accessories you don't need the ~$45 Macro adapter that is needed for the non-lighted version. And based on reading the users manual the PT-EP06L seems to include a shading ring, so that's another ~$50 item that isn't needed. Since I expected to need both of these that makes the net difference in price about ~$110, and from what I understand the PT-EP06L can use wet mount wide angle lenses where the non-lighted version can't, even with the 67mm adapter. I hear the LEDs aren't really useful as focus aids, they are pretty weak, but I guess they can't hurt anything, and can always be turned off. While you can use the PT-EP06 (unlighted) with a wider lens such as the 9-18mm zoom, with the flat port I haven't heard any good results and it seems that to use any wide angle lens properly you need a dome port such as the Zen, so that would be true of either of these housings.
Are there any other downsides or upsides to the PT-EP06L lighted version versus the unlighted version that I'm missing? I'm not worried about using the internal strobe, I have a YS-02 I'll be able to use, so while I hear the PT-EP06L comes with a diffuser for the internal strobe, I doubt i'd use it unless as a backup. And while I think everyone would agree that for best wide angle having a dome and wide lens is probably better than a wet lens for quality, it's also not as flexible as you can't change during a dive, and the cost is signifcantly more at ~$1100 for the dome and lens combo. A wet lens is probably between $500 to $550, so about half for either an Inon UWL-100 28M67 Type 2, or an Olympus PTWC-01.
Anything else I'm missing?
Are there any other downsides or upsides to the PT-EP06L lighted version versus the unlighted version that I'm missing? I'm not worried about using the internal strobe, I have a YS-02 I'll be able to use, so while I hear the PT-EP06L comes with a diffuser for the internal strobe, I doubt i'd use it unless as a backup. And while I think everyone would agree that for best wide angle having a dome and wide lens is probably better than a wet lens for quality, it's also not as flexible as you can't change during a dive, and the cost is signifcantly more at ~$1100 for the dome and lens combo. A wet lens is probably between $500 to $550, so about half for either an Inon UWL-100 28M67 Type 2, or an Olympus PTWC-01.
Anything else I'm missing?
. So for my immediate needs maybe the non-lighed version with an economical focusing light will work out better as the focus light will also be able to be used with the dome in the future. I guess the other thing to consider is that I can pick up the Zen dome any time and at least get more out of the kit lens, then buy the wide angle when I get the budget freed up.
