EPL2 with 14-42 lens .. should I buy?

[DuskySound]

I am about to return to diving after a few years away and need a camera. I was going to buy a package built around the Lumix LX 5. However I have been offered a well priced package deal including Oly EPL 2 with 14-42mm lens & focus gear, Sea & Sea YS-01 strobe and the Oly EP-03 housing. The quality of the images I have seen from the the 4/3 format blow the Lumix out of the water.

Most of the impressive EPL2 photos I have seen on line seem to have been taken with wide angle lenses and dome ports. Can anyone tell me how the 14-42 kit lens performs?
The dome port & wide lens is another $1000 but I am wondering if I would be better advised to spend that money on video light and macro converter first.

Final question - is the slow focusing of this lens mentioned in a number of reviews a problem in reality?

Any advice gratefully received.

I am not new to underwater photography - my first rig was a Sea & Sea film camera with dedicated strobe & wide angle & macro converters, my first digital a high end Olympus (can't remember the model but it looked like an older rangefinder, got it in 2004). It had the advantage full manual control and shooting in RAW. The dedicated housing was excellent but the camera eventually had a terminal electronics failure.

 

[chris196]

I have the EPL-2 in the olympus housing and love it. I also have the Zen dome and the 9-18, but that was because I got a deal on them.
You're not going to do wide angle with the stock setup, but I'd bet it's fine. You can always add the Zen dome later.
And now that it's been confirmed that the port interface is the same on the epl3 housing, it makes a dome a much better investment.

Like I said, I have the 9-18, but also found the 14-42 to be very nice and I enjoyed it. In fact, some of my best photos were from the 14-42.

The slow focusing is with the epl1 and the original 14-42. The epl2 with the 14-42II is fine. I didn't notice any difference between 14-42II and the 9-18.
While I have never used the EPL-1 underwater, I did try it in the store and the EPL-2 is much faster.

 

[DuskySound]

Thanks Chris. Very helpful.

I did have a play with the EPL3 in a store yesterday. It will be interesting to see how the housing with the LEDs tests but I don't have time to wait for that. One of the attractions of the 3/4 system, apart from image quality, is that lenses and some accessories will be transferable.

 

[DuskySound]

Now that I have had time to peruse the postings going back almost a year I find nearly every question I have has been asked by someone else and answered. Thanks to everyone out there especially Phil, who is a font of wisdom on these matters and Chris for his prompt reply.
The EPL2 kit mentioned in my first posting is now on order with the addition of a video light. Yahoo!!! Macro, wide angle, dome port and a second strobe can come later when I have seen what the basic set up can do where I dive and with the sort of pictures I take.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

It's a great kit. I love mine.

You should get the Oly macro adapter that goes on the front of the standard port. That allows you to attach a diopter and get surprisingly good macro results depending on the strength of the diopter. No need for separate macro lens and port. My "general" set-up is the 14-42 int he standard port, with the adapter and a diopter tethered (it just snaps on in a second). With this, I can get semi-wide angle, fish portraits, and also macro photos all in same dive.

I have heard the adapter with diopter can be adapted to the zen dome port as well, allowing the 14-14/Zen port combo to also do macro (and better wide angle with the dome), but I have not checked this out yet. (I have the dome and the 9-18mm, something I recommend as your first upgrade!).

 

[DuskySound]

Thanks for the suggestion Guy I will check it out. I had like someone else who posted in the last few days noticed a 35mm macro lens at a good price but your suggestion would make for a more flexible set up.

 

[smoore]

If you buy the Oly adaptor you have several choices for your macro lens. There is the Oly lens, there are +5 and +10 lenses from Reefnet.ca and there is a +7 and another lens from Dryon.

If you get the Zen dome port see nudibraco's posts at this thread to see how to attach the Oly adaptor. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/olympus-outlet/375737-e-pl1-first-pictures-review-3.html#post5881796

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

If you want a dedicated macro lens, get the Pana/Leica 45mm. It has autofocus and works fine in the standard port. The quality of that lens is just amazing in its ability to render fine detail. It does cost a bit of $$$, but well worth and used ones come from time to time. Spending money for a manual focus macro that you can't manually focus in the standard port (no gear available), I don't think you will be very happy. You would be much better off with the standard zoom/diopter set-up which autofocuses quite well.

 

[DuskySound]

Thanks very much for the advice. For a start I think I will go with the adaptor and something like the Dryon +7. The flexibility mentioned reminds me of my old 35mm film Sea & Sea kit which I enjoyed using until digital became available.

I had not read the full specs of the 35mm macro lens - now I understand why it is so cheap.