OM-D Rig, Its HEEEEEEERRRRREEEEEE (almost)

So are you leaving the gear on permanently and making this exclusively an underwater lens?I really like many aspects of this lens and port but the apparent effort to assemble is definitely putting me off at the moment. I think I'd have to travel with another lens for topside, which works against the whole minimalist promise of a single lens that covers nearly everything...

 

I am leaving the gear on and dedicating it to UW use. For land, I use the combo of the 14-150 and 9-18 zooms anyway for their versatile range and compact size. I bet that it won't be long before we can find used 12-50s on e-bay for $200 and I might pick one up then for land use if I feel I need it.

Burhan,

I am going to get the SOLA 4000 but need to sell a few things, first. Also, the 45 degree finder was worth every penny! it does stick out but no different from using it on any other housing. I don't worry about it breaking off because you would have to have a really disastrous drop on the deck for that to happen (it could happen, of course, but I am extra-careful and have it insured). I carry a soft cooler on every boat trip, with water in it for my own personal rinse tank (they are called AO coolers and the 48 can model is what I got). I NEVER let my camera get put into the boat's general dunk tank unless I am personally holding it. For travel packing, the finder pops off very easy and everything goes in my roll-on.

---------- Post added December 3rd, 2012 at 12:59 PM ----------

You can see some photos on page 2 of this thread. Due to windy weather (yes, even in FLA) I have not gotten out for the past 3 weeks. Will be in Curacao from the 8th-16th on work (but have 4 days of dives scheduled) so should have everything, wide, macro, fish, video, afterwards.

 

It took us a while to figure out there was a fish mode to allow the flash to fire when it was down. And it needed updating to the current body and lens firmware.

 

I assume you're using Nauticam.
I wonder if it's worth to have expensive special zoom gear for 12-50mm port, noted the difficulity to install and uninstall the gear.
I do not have the housing right now, but I assume with 12-50mm macro port you can press the macro button to get the lens at macro mode at 43mm. With the upgrade firmware, you can also control the camera to 12mm and 50mm. Add a wet diopter, I think this should be sufficient for most underwater situation.

 

Its worth it. You get instant macro and full zoom access. You cannot access macro wighout it. By the tome you buy diopters and a flip adapger you are spending just as much with nowhere near the versatility. You have to try it to really und er understand what you get.

Guy

 

For all of the E series macro guys to think about and salivate over...

 

Hi
So pleased someone else bought this set up. I just put the whole thing together (nauticam housing, 14-42 port) with the camera inside. I couldn't get the monitor to display when the housing was closed. Is there a trick to it? the button works when I sit the camera in the door, but not when i've got it all together. I can see through the viewfinder. This is also a brand new camera for me (Canon G7 before), and tips on white balance, macro shots, anything?

Look forward to see your photos so i can aspire to them
Many thanks
Bel

 

Others have reported that the aperture dial cover falls off. It is true mine came off. A drop of loctite seems to have corrected it

 

You need to go into the menus and turn the EVF control off. To save battery power, the camera senses when you use the view finder and turns the LED off.

menu, gears icon. OK, down to J Built-in EVF, OK, down to EVF Auto Switch, OFF

 

jlyle,

I am confused, do you turn off the feature that turns the EVF off when you are not using the EVF?