60mm Oly macro and +10 SubSee?

[Warmwater Wank]

I use a SubSee +5 & +10 w/ a dual hinge on my current setup (a G-12) and figured to upgrade and do the same with an E-M5 in an Oly housing. I would love to use the 60mm f/2.8 Oly macro lens but I wonder--can you use the +10 SubSee to any practical degree uw with the Oly macro lens? I'm thinking the +10 may be overkill with a lens that already does 1:1 repro on it's own, seems it might get me so close to the subject that lighting etc. could be a real problem. Anyone have experience w/ a SubSee +10 and the 60mm macro UW? // ww

 

[JackConnick]

You've already got a lot of magnification with the 60mm on the m4/3rds; 120mm equivalent on 35mm. So the +5 should be plenty unless you really are shooting small critters.

Jack

 

[Warmwater Wank]

I agree Jack, the Oly 60mm has plenty of magnification on it's own, let alone with a +5. Just wondering if anyone has parked a +10 in front of the 60mm Oly UW yet. I don't know how to run the numbers but my suspicion is with a +10 you would get way too close to the front of the SubSee lens to be of much use. // ww

 

[PatW]

WW,

i use use the Nikon 2.8 60 mm with a 5 Subsee. Sure the 60 will do one to one but there is a caveat. To get one to one, you have to get so close as to make it nearly impossible to light the subject with strobes that is if the subject has not already taken off. I find that the 5 and 60 gives me a nice stand off distance for the magnification.

I don't think the 10 works that well with the 60. It does better with a 105.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Starting with the assumption that the lens is dialed in at 1:1 (life size) or 17.3 X 13mm of coverage adding a +10 gets you to about 9 X 7mm of subject. I have used the Olympus 60mm with Sage +5, SubSee +10, Saga +15 and Nauticam CMC-1 and SMC both about +15 also. The higher the magnification the closer you need to be to the subject with CMC and SMC being the exception giving a little more distance for the magnification because of their excellent design characteristics. At +15 you are at less than 10mm to the subject.

I agree with Jack that a +5 is ideal with the 60mm but you can go higher.

The image is Olympus E-M1, 60mm macro, F/13 with SAGA +15, small crop.

 

[Ran Mozaik]

I agree with all the above.
Here's a sample of the 60mm with the Aquatica +10.
The Blenny's head was about 3-4mm in diameter.
Focusing was a bitch here, and I could only manage the shot by using the pillars of the pier as a steady surface to stabilize the housing.
Shooting with just the 60mm or with a +5 is an easier experience and plenty magnification.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Talk about eyeballing your subjects! I appreciate the input and understand the limitations. (Huh, never thought about having a +10 to do fisheye shots! ) Thanks all, the images helped me a lot. // ww

 

[deeper thoughts]

interesting

 

[watboy]

I use an EM1 with 60mm macro. I found with no diopters, the 60mm was pretty straight forward. With the +5 subsee, shots required a bit more concentration and patience, but great for small stationary things (pygmies, emperor shrimps, crazy crustaceans). But with the +10 subsee, I was driven to absolute madness trying to get a shot of a hairy shrimp (very short working distance, razor thin depth of field). I found it to be significantly more challenging than the +5.

 

[victor]

I am looking at these options after Lembeh at Christmas. The dive guides would find these tiny subjects and I would be frustrated without a diopter. Currently I have it behind a Zen dome so no option for a diopter. Looking to use a Zen port and extension tube or other options to allow a wet lens.
Reading with interest.
Here are a couple of the larger examples that I attempted





These were out in the open. Many are in much more difficult locations, hidden in corals etc. So getting very close with a housing and a strobe is very challenging.
P.S. I stayed at NAD Home | NAD-Lembeh Resort, the best value resort in Lembeh. Muck Diving Capital of Indonesia and I would recommend them to anyone going to Lembeh for photography.