e-pl2/pt-ep03 strobe, tray/arm and other options for a budget newbie?
- Thread starter thespoons
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Here's the picture of the S-Tray from Ocean Optical:
Jack says "If you move it to the back of the tray there is a lip that will hold it in place. Or you can move it off to the right hole and add another screw and large washer to hold it in place on the left."
I'm still a little leery. I'm sure it will work at least 99% fine. But will that 1% bug me and could I just avoid it by ordering a different one right away? I gotta make up my mind soon, though. Vacation is just over three weeks away and I want to have everything in hand to play with a bit before then.
Thanks on the YS-01 strobe mention, but I've already bought another strobe. Plus it looks like yours has sold already anyway!
Jack says "If you move it to the back of the tray there is a lip that will hold it in place. Or you can move it off to the right hole and add another screw and large washer to hold it in place on the left."
I'm still a little leery. I'm sure it will work at least 99% fine. But will that 1% bug me and could I just avoid it by ordering a different one right away? I gotta make up my mind soon, though. Vacation is just over three weeks away and I want to have everything in hand to play with a bit before then.
Thanks on the YS-01 strobe mention, but I've already bought another strobe. Plus it looks like yours has sold already anyway!
denniscloutier
Contributor
My wife and I rented a second camera for a photo clinic we attended. It was an EPL-1 in an oly housing c/w a tray that only had one screw with a thumb wheel in the middle hole. it also had a lip, similar to the one in your picture. I had it for a week and it drove me nuts as i couldn't seem to get the thumb wheel tight enough to keep it from swivelling around. Maybe i was doing something wrong, but I"d be leery of a tray with only one central hole.
Our camera is an EPL-2 in an oly housing. Our tray is an ultralight with a slot that allows you to use two of the three screw holes on the housing (like this):
Ultralight Control Systems
It works well. The basic tray only has room for one strobe, but there is an extension that allows you to add a second strobe.
Regards,
Dennis
Our camera is an EPL-2 in an oly housing. Our tray is an ultralight with a slot that allows you to use two of the three screw holes on the housing (like this):
Ultralight Control Systems
It works well. The basic tray only has room for one strobe, but there is an extension that allows you to add a second strobe.
Regards,
Dennis
Good info to have, dennis. Always especially nice to have someone with the exact same housing weigh in. I'm liking the look of the ULCS setup. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is what I need to order:
Ultralight TR-DM Tray for Ikelite Fisheye Olympus PEN Seatool Recsea underwater housings | Bluewater Photo & Video
Ultralight TR-DHB Digital Handle with BA-HD Ball Adapter | Bluewater Photo & Video
This arm is coming with my YS27DX:
And I plan on mounting my video/focus light to the cold shoe using either this:
Olympus Hotshoe Light Mount - DSLR Accessories - Olympus E-System Camera & Housing Systems - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!
(which is only $45 and would fit the YS adapter that came with the it)
or buying this instead:
Ultralight AD-HS Hot Shoe Mount | Bluewater Photo & Video
Ultralight AC-CSL Long Clamp for Focus Light | Bluewater Photo & Video
Downside to going with the UL mount and clamp is that it would be $70 total instead of $45. Then again, I might save shipping since bluewater doesn't have the $45 and opticalocean doesn't have the UL stuff.
Finally, I think I'll spring for the zoom ring:
Olympus Zoom Ring for the 14-42mm and 9-18mm lenses (PPZR-EP02) | Bluewater Photo & Video
Any thoughts? Does that look right to you, dennis, considering your experience with the PT-EP03 and the UL gear?
Thanks again.
Ultralight TR-DM Tray for Ikelite Fisheye Olympus PEN Seatool Recsea underwater housings | Bluewater Photo & Video
Ultralight TR-DHB Digital Handle with BA-HD Ball Adapter | Bluewater Photo & Video
This arm is coming with my YS27DX:
And I plan on mounting my video/focus light to the cold shoe using either this:
Olympus Hotshoe Light Mount - DSLR Accessories - Olympus E-System Camera & Housing Systems - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!
(which is only $45 and would fit the YS adapter that came with the it)
or buying this instead:
Ultralight AD-HS Hot Shoe Mount | Bluewater Photo & Video
Ultralight AC-CSL Long Clamp for Focus Light | Bluewater Photo & Video
Downside to going with the UL mount and clamp is that it would be $70 total instead of $45. Then again, I might save shipping since bluewater doesn't have the $45 and opticalocean doesn't have the UL stuff.
Finally, I think I'll spring for the zoom ring:
Olympus Zoom Ring for the 14-42mm and 9-18mm lenses (PPZR-EP02) | Bluewater Photo & Video
Any thoughts? Does that look right to you, dennis, considering your experience with the PT-EP03 and the UL gear?
Thanks again.
denniscloutier
Contributor
That looks like it would pretty well duplicate my setup, which works pretty well for us. I would recommend the zoom ring. Sometimes you go down planning to shoot at the wide end of the zoom, and decide you need to get a little more length, like with the turtle below.
As far as the focus light, one thing you need to remember is that when you are shooting macro you need to get the focus light high enough so that the port doesn't cast a shadow on the subject. If you use a wet lens, or if you someday spring for a macro lens, then you may be trying to focus on subjects that are only 2 or 3 inches from the front of your port, so you need some flexibility in positioning your focus light. I have the long clamp and the ultralight cold shoe mount and it works for me. I don't know if the Optical Ocean sales mount would get your light up high enough. I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying I don't know.
Hope that helps.
As far as the focus light, one thing you need to remember is that when you are shooting macro you need to get the focus light high enough so that the port doesn't cast a shadow on the subject. If you use a wet lens, or if you someday spring for a macro lens, then you may be trying to focus on subjects that are only 2 or 3 inches from the front of your port, so you need some flexibility in positioning your focus light. I have the long clamp and the ultralight cold shoe mount and it works for me. I don't know if the Optical Ocean sales mount would get your light up high enough. I'm not saying it won't, I'm just saying I don't know.
Hope that helps.
Attachments
Well, that's definitely a good point and I think worth it, then (for the UL focus mount/clamp). Plus, I can get free shipping at bluewater since I'm ordering $200+, so that'll make up some of the difference.
Thanks for the input and LOVE the turtle pic. Great pics on flickr, too. Now I'll know when my first batch of pictures come back that it's not the camera
BTW, did you get the shading ring?
https://us.buyolympus.com/posr-ep03-uw-shading-ring.html
Thanks for the input and LOVE the turtle pic. Great pics on flickr, too. Now I'll know when my first batch of pictures come back that it's not the camera
BTW, did you get the shading ring?
https://us.buyolympus.com/posr-ep03-uw-shading-ring.html
Nflor001
Contributor
hope this helps
Thanks, that does help. FYI for everyone else, I got the laluz 800 from Nflor001 so this would be basically the same setup.
And on the plus side, it looks like Reef Photo has this mount, as well as all the stuff I wanted to order. And free shipping on $200. I had to ditch Blue Water because they didn't have the zoom ring anyway.
And on the plus side, it looks like Reef Photo has this mount, as well as all the stuff I wanted to order. And free shipping on $200. I had to ditch Blue Water because they didn't have the zoom ring anyway.
Nflor001
Contributor
Here is my GoPro setup, using my camera tray and arm
