12-50 mm lens -- ports and gears?

[Peter Guy]

Right now, what are the options for the 12-50 mm lens?

I've seen an Austrian company has a gear for the lens that fits the Oly housings but doesn't allow for changing from "normal" to "macro."

I've seen the hack that a Scubaboarder has for using the lens but doing electronic surgery seems to be a bit (hell way too much) out of my league.

There is the Nauticam port/gear that allows full range of use.

Any other options out there?

Phil, Jack, whomever, any talk of new add ons for the lens to make it work in an Oly housing?

 

[EskilJ]

Peter, If you can find someone capable of doing my "Lego" macro hack, it's quite quick to do - so it should be cheap. Some local cell phone repair guy? It should be cheaper than sending your lens to me in denmark and back. The only needed part costs 3USD from Newark/farnell. Or I could help you finding a local equivalent part.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I don't think I would ever hack anything like that. forget about warranty, and if something happened to the camera it would probably void the camera warranty as well.

The Nauti is the only port-gear with full functionality. You have to pony up the cost, but, when you compare to "cheaper" solutions there is not much difference at all, in the end. Remember, the "cheaper" solution is still (1) get a port for the zoom (2) get the Austrian zoom gear (3) get a diopter for macro work, (4) get a flip-up adapter for the diopter. Only then do you equal the capability of the Nauti rig, but you are still nowhere close to the ease of operation and have saved, maybe $150.00.

For the Oly housing there is no solution at all, but you asked about the Nauti port so I assume you have the Nauti housing, which is miles better than the Oly one. If you have the oly housing then the Nauti port is not even an option.

 

[Peter Guy]

Guy -- Thanks for the info. No, I don't have the Nauti housing (I have the Oly one); my camera is long out of warranty, as is the housing; the lens was bought off eBay so no warranty there either.

The gist of your post is, I take it, that the only gear which works with the Oly housing is the one from Austria.

Query -- for someone who actually knows this stuff -- would it be technically possible to do a software hack to allow a camera button to activate the macro switch?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Peter, since you are clearly looking for the cheapest option this is I think your best choice. If the 12-50 lens fits in your current flat port Olympus makes a gear for the 60mm macro lens which is slightly larger in diameter than the 12-50. I am sure with a little ingenuity you can make that gear fit the 12-50. This would allow you to zoom the lens from 12mm to 50mm and auto focus. You WILL NOT be able to access the 43mm macro function but you could add a closeup lens at 50mm and get fairly close. You can also add the Olympus 60mm macro later using the same port and the gear it you want to shoot real macro.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/901906-REG/Olympus_v6360410w000_PPZR_EP03_Focus_Gear_For.html Maybe you can fine one of these on E-bay as well.

Phil Rudin

 

[EskilJ]

I just took the 60mm macro focusing gear route. The 60mm macro seems to be around 3mm thinner than the 12-50. That's an awfull lot of butyl rubber to remove from the inside of the gear tube. You can't mill or use a lathe on the rubber. You need to sand it away.
Then you have the problem with those buttons, they are really in the way.
And as you remove all that rubber, it gets too soft, the gear teeth bend away. So you need to glue in some strenghtening hard plastic..
All the on and off testing on the lens is mechanically tough to the lens.

I succeeded getting a useable gear after a lot of work, but my lens is less pretty now. I don't recommend that route.

IF you should DIY the gear to save some money, I'd suggest making an extension to your 14-42 gear.

About the flip diopter - for the olympus you need that size converter from giant click-on to M67. It is really annoying to bring under water. It is a large thing to stuff away somewhere. I don't know a flip-up to mount directly on the olympus house, and you can't do wide through the size converter.

If there was a community that hacked the olympus software, they could probably make your hack. But I don't believe there is. Extracting the software and understanding it would take months for someone capable.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Too bad Olympus doesn't make a proper port for their 12/50 lens

 

[Ardy]

What happens if you combine the Austrian zoom gear and the macro/wide angle switch to a function button. What I am trying to say is can you select macro then zoom or select wide angle and then zoom or does the software macro/wide angle only allow the lens in a fixed position?

 

[Peter Guy]

Phil (and everyone else) -- thanks for your comments. When (if?) my housing floods I'll probably upgrade to a camera/housing that will offer more flexibility than the Oly housing. Until then, it looks like getting the Austrian zoom ring is the least worst solution and just choose macro or wide/mini-macro prior to the dive.

 

[Wisnu]

What happens if you combine the Austrian zoom gear and the macro/wide angle switch to a function button. What I am trying to say is can you select macro then zoom or select wide angle and then zoom or does the software macro/wide angle only allow the lens in a fixed position?

Hi Ardy, The Fn button will toggle you to UW macro mode (50mm + macro preset) or UW WA (12mm + WA preset). For me,focal lenght 12 mm or 50mm is sufficient, in fact make life easy. You need wet lens for macro.
But tnot for the macro or WA preset - so once select the mode, then go to any mode and return back to manual mode.