New Oly M4/3 camera + housing coming!

[PHIL RUDIN]

Danny,

Olympus has a port cap with the 67mm thread to add a close-up lens. 14mm is about as wide as you can go behind a flat port. The 9-18 zoom will suffer, see the zenunderwater.com
web site for the 9-18 port and see the test between flat port and dome.

Nik,

The camera is a little bigger with the bump for the EVF and hot shoe so yes the housing may be a little bigger.

Bruce,

The 60mm macro is rumored near the end of the year. It also appears to have an AF/MF and focus limiting switch on the lens. I think this would be a popular lens for all M43 cameras so my guess is that a port would be designed for it.

Phil Rudin

 

[danny.hightower]

I have a full T2i system and have done 100's of hours of analysis over the last few weeks on the various options on making the T2i UW capable, going with the NEX or E-PL3 systems. Ifyou really get into the details of each systems performance, price and accessory capabilities for above and below water use it makes this system appear very compelling.

Also please consider the benefits of weather sealing. I've seen first hand at a depth of 15 feet where a tiny amount of water ruined a plastic camera that was inside an UW housing. It certainly wont protect from a flood but I do believe the weather sealing is a benefit worth considering.

 

[terson]

Sorry to be a curmudgeon guys,

I just love this word. . . .thank-you 'slowhands' you have made my day.
As a matter of fact, I'm now going to try and use this word at least ten times today, and with the people that I have to deal with, it shouldn't be too hard!

On a different note, as referred to above, I think that Olympus' legendary 'splash proof' qualities alone will make this new camera an u/w winner; any small leak can be handled without disaster.
Bruce

 

[dna77054]

The 60mm macro is rumored near the end of the year. It also appears to have an AF/MF and focus limiting switch on the lens. I think this would be a popular lens for all M43 cameras so my guess is that a port would be designed for it.

Phil Rudin

Phil,

I have a question about ports. I have an E-PL2 with Olympus housing and, cost permitting, would like to get this upcoming 60mm macro. Any chance Zen or somebody else will produce an (don't know what to call it) ""extender" that would go between the stock port and the housing, thus extending the port to allow the new lens to fit. In theory such a device should be cheaper than an entire port with glass. Would it not be practical to have that extra seal (possible leak) that such a device would introduce.

Thanks
Mike

 

[derway]

Yup, this is the first m43 to get my interest, as a land camera and underwater! Very exciting developments.
Great EVF, good exposure controls. Updated, to the latest m43 sensor - same as the pany gx1.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Regarding a port for the 60mm macro, an extension tube for the ZEN 45 macro port could work for the Olympus housing but until more info. is provided about the lens and how it works no one will even begin to design a solousion.

We still have not seen the 12 to 50mm zoom and I don't see anyone rushing to build a port for that lens which has to be much better than the 14-42 kit lens.

Phil Rudin

 

[terson]

Regarding a port for the 60mm macro, an extension tube for the ZEN 45 macro port could work for the Olympus housing but until more info. is provided about the lens and how it works no one will even begin to design a solousion.

We still have not seen the 12 to 50mm zoom and I don't see anyone rushing to build a port for that lens which has to be much better than the 14-42 kit lens.

Phil Rudin

Hi Phil,
I haven't seen the specs/reports on the Olympus 12-50zoom yet and I'm wondering if it is like the 14-42 zooms whereby it doesn't extend during the zoom process? I know that the nitpickers will say that the 14-42 zomm does in fact change length during the zooming action, but for all intents and purposes this is such a small movement that it doesn't need an extended port to cover its action.
If the 12-50 does in fact work like the 14-42, then the 50mm end will/should come in very handy for macro/close-up work. What is its closest focus and maximum magnification ability like compared to the 14-42?
I know that Olympus, on the Aust site, have shown a pic of the new housing to suit, but were there any details of the port released anywhere?
C'mon Phil, you're our go-to Olympus man??? hehehehe
Bruce

 

[nikitich]

new official info about UW housing here OLYMPUS | News Release: The OLYMPUS OM-D, a new generation system camera compliant with the Micro Four Thirds System standard scroll down
If I got it right there will be an adapter which will allow the use of 4/3 ports

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Hello Bruce,

I think the Olympus press release is quite clear that the PT-E08 standard port will accept the M14-42 II, 14-42 IIR and 9-18 zoom lenses. It appears to me from the PT-E08 housing photo that it is the same port used in prior housing before the headlights were added to the last E-PL3 housings (a short lived gimmick to add to the price of the housing).

We are well aware that the 9-18 zoom does not work well in this port at the wider end of the zoom range. This would account for the brisk sales of the ZEN Underwater 9-18 / 14-42 optically coated glass dome port.

The spec's for the 12-50 zoom look really good with excellent minimum focus distance and magnification we have yet to see the first one though.

Regarding the 60mm macro coming at the end of the year, according to Olympus you can clearly see a focus limiting switch on the barrel of the lens. I has a setting from 0.19-.4 meters (about 6 to 16 inches). That means the lens will only focus within that range which should greatly speed-up auto focus and prevent the hunting you get with the Panasonic 45 macro to a great degree.

Phil Rudin

 

[derway]

Yeah, everything about the 12-50 looks wonderful. But it is a power zoom!?! What a drag. Fine for video perhaps, but yech for still photos.