over-under shots with OMD ,How can I do it?

[FranzoMCK]

Hello my invisible friends!

I'm trying to do over-under shots with my OMD Camera in a Nauticam Housing with the pany 8 mm.
It is possible to use the Nauticam 8-inch fisheye dome port #18802?
Thanks
Franzo

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

No ... That would be a port for larger DSLR housing.

 

[FranzoMCK]

Thank you Phil, in your opinion, what would be the best way to do over/under shots with the OMD?

 

[mjh]

I am in the same boat and as far as I can tell at this time you have to use the 4.33 dome and hope for glass flat water. I am not aware of any Nauticam "step down adapter" that would allow for using a larger dome. Anything is possible if you are willing to pay, lol. Plus have to admit packing a 8" dome feels like subverting the whole concept behind 4/3s.

 

[jlyle]

Just an added note. You can easily lift your OM-D rig out of the water to take surface shots!

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

As I posted in this fourm several weeks ago ZEN underwater has an adapter for the mirrorless camera line which allows the use of ZEN Underwater Subal type III dome ports. I have attached photos of the adapter, the adpater with the ZEN 100mm optical glass port for the 8mm Fisheye and the adapter with an 8 inch port all mounted to the Nauticam NA-EM5 housing. ZEN has Subal type III ports up to 230mm which should work with this adapter. I also intend to test the system at some point with an extension like the 20mm and an 8 to 9 inch port with the 7-14mm zoom. I will also be testing the 100mm mini port with lenses like the excellent Olympus 12mm F/2 the Sigma 19mm and other compact lenses to see how sharp they may be.

The issue is how much are you willing to spend to get the very best in image qaulity.

For over/under shots the best results come with very wide lenses and very large dome ports. That is not to say that the 4.33 inch port won't work for this type of photography I have done several shots with that port.
I have attached an O/U shot done with the 4.33 dome, Olympus E-PL3, Olympus 12mm F/4 and Nauticam housing at F/22.

Phil Rudin

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Phil, I and I am sure a lot of others will await with interest the test with the 8" dome and the 7-14 lens.

 

[ConchyJoe]

Oly housing, Zen 100mm dome and 8mm Pany work pretty good...

 

[mjh]

Thanks Phil, I had a rational for not packing big chunks of acrylic and now I could be back to packing a big dome, doh!

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Well if we compare apples to apples this is what we come up with. For the 8mm fisheye and small prime lenses like it, the appropriate ZEN Underwater 100mm optical glass dome is smaller than the 4.33 inch (110 mm) acrylic port from Nauticam.

Regarding the larger ports guy's are hung-up on the idea of six inches being about average and think that eight inches is drastically larger when in fact it has more to do with your packing ability. If we begin with the premise that the eight inch dome would be most helpful for the very wide zoom lenses (in this case 7-14) and for over/under then the port it would be compared against is the Nauticam six inch port for the 7-14 zoom. The eight inch dome port would not appeal to the 9-18 user and to many 7-14 users based on cost. If you look at the attached images you will see that size wise they will both take up about the same amount of space, one being taller and the other being wider. Keeping in mind that a much shorter extension would be needed for the larger port and that the dome shade can be removed it all gets back to your packing ability and of course how much you are willing to spend for the very best image quality. If you are willing to pay for the larger port, extension and adapter chances are you have been packing long enough to know how to deal with extra bulk.

Phil Rudin