new micro 4/3 camera and goes underwater

[nikitich]

Dear JackConnick!
So you said that it is ok to post questions and here are mine:
1. AF reasonable. How reasonable? Can it be compared to DSLR after all tweaks are done? Does the shutter button have a good feel of halfway AF point? Do some lens focus faster? What should be max dimensions of lens to fit in the housing without vignetting? Would bigger lens fit with adapter?
2. does 9-18 lens focus at 25 of 15 cm?
3. UW modes are they any good?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hi Jack,

In a WP post Ryan said that the housing port has a bayonet mount which is held in place by a locking screw. Did you ask about removing the current port? It seems to me that if this is the case an after market dome port is a real possibility for the 9-18, 8 fisheye and 7-14. Any thoughts, other than the voiding of any warrenty?

Phil Rudin

Phil Rudin Bio

 

[shoturtle]

The camera are in stores already, BH has the one lens zoom kit, adorama has the body only. I actaully got to hold the box at BH but would not let me open it.

 

[petemoss]

According to BH website they arrive in March

 

[JackConnick]

Yeah they wouldn't let you open the box because there's nothing in it... ;-) The cameras are a couple weeks out at least. The units here are pre-production.

Phil; Yes there is a screw holding the port in. It looks from the back like a bayonet with an inner sleeve. No one has taken it apart yet, there are only 3 prototypes in the world right now ;-). So a possibility exists, but we won't know until we get a production unit and play with it. Oly did say - and emphasized - that doing that sort of modification would void the warranty.

I'll ask about the close focusing on the 9-18, they only have one working prototype.

I'll pl;ay some more with tweaking the focusing speed, but it's never going to be as fast as a DSLR, but a huge, much faster improvement over most P&S.

I have no idea about vignetting; it will work with the 9-18 ok.

Some of the other questions are pretty hard to determine right now, but I'll take a look.

Jack

 

[davelew]

What is the magnification factor of a M4:3 vs 4:3 when using 4:3 lenses with the adapter?

N

There is no change in magnification, the optics are in exactly the same place relative to the sensor when you use the adapter.

Some of the 4:3 lenses have trouble focusing when used with the adapter. I use the 8mm fisheye for the 4:3 mount on my E-P1, and it takes about 2 seconds to autofocus. I usually set the FN button to switch between AF and MF, then focus once with AF, switch to MF and leave it there. This only works because of the DOF of the fisheye means precise focus isn't required.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

The larger question is why anyone would want to buy from B&H or Adorama when they can buy the camera and housing for the same price from Jack, Ryan and others who know the U/W photo market backwards and forwards. I don't see those large mail order companies spending any time in these forums helping us understand the ins and outs of
this new equipment. Guys like Jack will fade into the sunset if we act on their advice but don't spend our money with them.

Phil Rudin

 

[Nemrod]

There is no change in magnification, the optics are in exactly the same place relative to the sensor when you use the adapter.

Some of the 4:3 lenses have trouble focusing when used with the adapter. I use the 8mm fisheye for the 4:3 mount on my E-P1, and it takes about 2 seconds to autofocus. I usually set the FN button to switch between AF and MF, then focus once with AF, switch to MF and leave it there. This only works because of the DOF of the fisheye means precise focus isn't required.

Thanks.

I long ago had a Nikon FM in a Ikelite with dome. I focused the fisheye lens on the apparent image and from then on I do not recall having to do anything other than fine tune if I got really close, like subject against the dome. If the Oly fits out the same way in whatever future dome/housing comes along, I would assume it would be focus once at the beginning of the dive and then you are done thus eliminating auto-focus delay. The camera should then shoot as fast as you push the release. Of course a real camera like a film Nikon titanium FMIIt did not have auto focus so there was ZERO delay. WTH is up with this auto-focus c---p, can I just manual focus the lens and be done with it? Turn the stupid auto-focus OFF ? For 40 years I did not have auto-focus so why do I need it now

N

 

[under water]

...

I'll play some more with tweaking the focusing speed, but it's never going to be as fast as a DSLR ...
Jack

Jack,
Why would this format necessarily be slower to focus? I realize that phase detect is used by the SLRs but Panasonic seems to have managed to get good performance with their contrast-detection auto focus. Do you (or anyone) know why the Oly's are so much worse?

 

[davelew]

My feelings exactly. That's why I'm building adapters and a housing to use manual focus Nikonos lenses with my E-P1.

Thanks.
WTH is up with this auto-focus c---p, can I just manual focus the lens and be done with it? Turn the stupid auto-focus OFF ? For 40 years I did not have auto-focus so why do I need it now