Olympus OMD EM5 Mkiii

I have been considering the getting Olympus OMD EM5 Mkiii to step up from my Sony RX100Va for underwater photography. The sales on the camera and 60mm macro lens are pretty amazing right now. I image on a Sony A7iii for landscape and astrolandscape (I cant justify the risk of bringing the A7iii underwater).

Currently I can get the EM5 Mkiii and its housing for the same price as the A7iii housing. Is the EM5 mkiii camera going to be a let down? It should be a step up from the Sony RX100Va, right?

Ive also considered the Olympus Pen E-PL 10 but I think Id be happier with the EM5mkiii in the longer term.

Any thoughts or advice?

Dann-Oh wrote:

I have been considering the getting Olympus OMD EM5 Mkiii to step up from my Sony RX100Va for underwater photography. The sales on the camera and 60mm macro lens are pretty amazing right now. I image on a Sony A7iii for landscape and astrolandscape (I cant justify the risk of bringing the A7iii underwater).

Currently I can get the EM5 Mkiii and its housing for the same price as the A7iii housing. Is the EM5 mkiii camera going to be a let down? It should be a step up from the Sony RX100Va, right?

Ive also considered the Olympus Pen E-PL 10 but I think Id be happier with the EM5mkiii in the longer term.

Any thoughts or advice?

Hi Dan,

#1.: what kind of housing ar you planning? plastic or alu?

In any case you should go for a vaccum check. Alu (e.g. Nauticam) is better and more expenisve at the beginning, but when considering longer time intervals it is cheaper: you can continue do use all ports and extensions, when you upgrade later to a newer camera...

#2.: The EM5III is certainly a substantial upgrade to the compact. SInce the future of MFT for photography is uncertain and you have already a Sony FF camera, I would go for a Sony APS-C (A6XXX): the cropped sensor is an advantage for UW optics, bringing smaller domeports and better macro and you will be able to use the lenses on both cameras. Taking the FF camera UW makes sense, in case you are a real enthusiast, but means going for a WACP port for WA (or at least a 230mm domeport for WA) and using several different diopters for macro...

#3.: You can transfer the risk to an insurance company, wich one depends where you live. Here in Europe (Austria), for example, I pay about 240 Euro per year to "Fotofairsicherung" and am insured for flooding etc. up to 7000 Euro...

Wolfgang

Architeuthis wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

I have been considering the getting Olympus OMD EM5 Mkiii to step up from my Sony RX100Va for underwater photography. The sales on the camera and 60mm macro lens are pretty amazing right now. I image on a Sony A7iii for landscape and astrolandscape (I cant justify the risk of bringing the A7iii underwater).

Currently I can get the EM5 Mkiii and its housing for the same price as the A7iii housing. Is the EM5 mkiii camera going to be a let down? It should be a step up from the Sony RX100Va, right?

Ive also considered the Olympus Pen E-PL 10 but I think Id be happier with the EM5mkiii in the longer term.

Any thoughts or advice?

Hi Dan,

#1.: what kind of housing ar you planning? plastic or alu?

In any case you should go for a vaccum check. Alu (e.g. Nauticam) is better and more expenisve at the beginning, but when considering longer time intervals it is cheaper: you can continue do use all ports and extensions, when you upgrade later to a newer camera...

#2.: The EM5III is certainly a substantial upgrade to the compact. SInce the future of MFT for photography is uncertain and you have already a Sony FF camera, I would go for a Sony APS-C (A6XXX): the cropped sensor is an advantage for UW optics, bringing smaller domeports and better macro and you will be able to use the lenses on both cameras. Taking the FF camera UW makes sense, in case you are a real enthusiast, but means going for a WACP port for WA (or at least a 230mm domeport for WA) and using several different diopters for macro...

#3.: You can transfer the risk to an insurance company, wich one depends where you live. Here in Europe (Austria), for example, I pay about 240 Euro per year to "Fotofairsicherung" and am insured for flooding etc. up to 7000 Euro...

Wolfgang

Wolfgang,

Thanks for your reply.  I'll answer your questions below but I just placed my order for an Olympus PL-10 and AOI Housing from Backscatter.

1) I got a plastic housing, I'm currently using a plastic housing from Fantasea Line and it works just fine for my needs.

2) I was able to pick up the Olympus PL-10 with 14-42mm lens, 60mm macro and port and housing for less than $1800 (USD).  The price was too good to pass up, and the camera body was less intimidating for my wife, who recently expressed interest in photography. For me this this was the best combination of variables that lead to the decisions.

I also plan to get an 8mm wide-angle and associated dome in the near future.

3) I looked into the cost of insurance for the FF camera, its going to cost me about $100 (USD) per year for the camera insurance which would include a deductible of $1,000 per item.  That means the insurance would make me pay $2,000 if I flooded my housing and my current camera kit costs about $2,400 so it doesn't really make sense to go that route.

I look forward to sharing photos and learning from this forum.

kelpdiver wrote:

The vacuum systems do remove a lot of fear and paranoia, though they can still be defeated by user error. The newer nauticam vaccuum system with a button to purge is far less idiot proof than the prior one where you have to unscrew it to purge, as proven by an unlucky fellow on a trip I did a couple years back.

How, exactly, did your friend manage to purge the vacuum UW? Did he forget to screw the protecting cap on the vacuum valve and then pressed the red button unintentionally? What was the result, complete or partial flooding?

I am asking, because we have both types of vacuum valves in the family and it is good to know what to avoid...

Wolfgang

kelpdiver wrote:

The housing should allow for two strobe arms to be mounted, while you can still get a good grip as this combo is rather heavy above water. The macro port should have a 67mm thread so you can attach flip ports or close up lenses.

I decided to go with the Olympus E-PL10 with an AOI housing. It was a really good deal and I am really looking forward to useing it and exploring the world of M4/3

I got the Weefine 3000 ring light, which also screws into the 67mm threads and can substitute for strobes with decent success. It can't match the peak power, but it eliminates a huge amount of drag and expense, and removes worries about bad aim. This does allow for multiple shots to be taken in short order, without waiting on flash refresh. But, no good for shy subjects.

I also have the weefing 3000 light.  I am actively trying to sell it.  I don't really like it.

the 60 mm macro is effectively 120, which is a bit more aggressive than an APC + 60, or FF + 100. Sometimes this is tighter than you'd like, esp coming from compact cams where you can zoom back out.

You would do well to get a model that allows for back button focusing. It goes by a few names, but this separates the shutter button from the focusing function. With it, you get the focus about right, and then you rock the camera back and forth until it's sharp and the subject is doing what you want. Then pull the shutter with no delay. It's extremely difficult to get a good 60mm macro shot of a moving little guy without doing this.

The Olympus e-PL10 has the ability to back button focus, this is a major selling point for me.

I have and like the Nauticam housings, but they do cost you. For macro, the port selection doesn't matter nearly so much as it can for WA. The vacuum systems do remove a lot of fear and paranoia, though they can still be defeated by user error. The newer nauticam vaccuum system with a button to purge is far less idiot proof than the prior one where you have to unscrew it to purge, as proven by an unlucky fellow on a trip I did a couple years back.

I can see the push button valves being accidently depressed while entering or exiting the water if the user forgets to reinstall the protective cover.

I think it makes sense to get the Olympus set up for macro, and then if you really like it, consider finding a more robust housing for it later, or if you want to start using the 8mm for true wide angle. The 14-42 is not going to do that well.

I decided to get the 14-42 with the camera body because my wife expressed slight interest in learning photography.  but is intimidated by my full frame camera.

kelpdiver wrote:

I have and like the Nauticam housings, but they do cost you. For macro, the port selection doesn't matter nearly so much as it can for WA. The vacuum systems do remove a lot of fear and paranoia, though they can still be defeated by user error. The newer nauticam vaccuum system with a button to purge is far less idiot proof than the prior one where you have to unscrew it to purge, as proven by an unlucky fellow on a trip I did a couple years back.

I wondered about that when I got my D850 housing.  The D810 had to be unscrewed - no real way to screw that up easily, even if the cover was off.   That new design with the push button?  Oh, that could be bad in the water!

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Hi Dann,

First congratulation on your new E-PL10!

However (there is always a "however" ), I would like to make a suggestion to you. If you are still able to return the E-PL10, I would suggest to see if you can get an E-PL7 with the original Olympus Housing (PT-EP12), instead. AOI is the OEM manufacturer for Olympus, therefore it would be exactly from the manufacturer, meaning you can also use the cheaper ports from AOI, and don't have to use the overpriced Olympus ports.

I have ordered the housing from AOI so I can use the less expensive AOI housing and ports.  Im planning to focus on Macro and then move into CFWA.  I am leaning towards a Backscatter MF1 strobe or two depending on Black Friday sales.

So, you ask "why"?

The E-PL7 and E-PL10 are almost the same, except for:

- the video capabilities (E-PL10 has 4k);

I kind of dabble in video so it will be a nice feature to have for future needs.

- the E-PL7 has no build-in flash, but comes with an attachable flash and the ability to attach an EVF;

I don't use the EVF on my Full Frame camera (A skiiing crash broke it a few years ago so I havent used it).  The E-PL10 is supposed to come with a mini flash in the package AND the AOI housing has a hotshoe to LED adapter for strobe fireing.

- the menu on the E-PL10 is dumbed down;

I also use Sony cameras so the menus are going to be an improvement

- E-PL7 is partial metal built;

The key here is the attachable flash, which is powered by the the extra contacts, which are missing on the E-PL10's flash socket. The E-PL7 housing is build to be used with the flash attached, so that you can use it - especially for macro - without an external flash. The Oly E-PL7 housing is slightly larger than the AOI E-PL10 housing, but since you safe the external strobes, it becomes significantly easier to handle. The operations become more alike to point-and-shoot camera.

Nevertheless, this is only true if you are using the 14-42 EZ lens (or any of the other lenses compatible with the port that comes with the housing: 12mm f2.0; 17mm f1.8; 25mm and 45mm f1.8) once you are attaching another, longer port, you will still need some external lighting.

Im using the 60mm lens and port so Ill need to use my external lighting.  Im currently using a Kraken Hydra 5000 S+ it has the ability to strobe up to 7000 lumens when needed.

So, that are my 2 cents...

Good luck!!!

Lars

your photos are awesome.  I cant wait to get my EPL10 and practice photos with it.  I will be sure to share them when I have some.

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

LarsPolarBear wrote:

Hi Dann,

First congratulation on your new E-PL10!

However (there is always a "however" ), I would like to make a suggestion to you. If you are still able to return the E-PL10, I would suggest to see if you can get an E-PL7 with the original Olympus Housing (PT-EP12), instead. AOI is the OEM manufacturer for Olympus, therefore it would be exactly from the manufacturer, meaning you can also use the cheaper ports from AOI, and don't have to use the overpriced Olympus ports.

I have ordered the housing from AOI so I can use the less expensive AOI housing and ports. Im planning to focus on Macro and then move into CFWA. I am leaning towards a Backscatter MF1 strobe or two depending on Black Friday sales.

Actually, I meant that you would not need the expensive Oly ports for the Olympus housing, obviously the AOI ports fit to the AOI housing.

Please let us know how you get on with the Backscatter MF1, once you have used it, since I am also contemplating it and I think a lot here in the community would be interested as well. Thanks!

Ahh okay thanks for clarifying.

- the menu on the E-PL10 is dumbed down;

I also use Sony cameras so the menus are going to be an improvement

It's not about the menus being complicated, Oly started to take functions out and dumbing down the cameras for product segmentation purposes.

Oh okay that kind of makes sense.

Thanks, but the 14-42mm has its limitations and I am sure you will get better results with the 60mm, at least for macro.

Good luck, and let us know of your progress!

Lars

I will defiantly share my photographic progress, I'm always looking for constructive criticism and feedback.

Hey all,

I just wanted to take a min to share some photos of my new underwater kit. I'm super excited to see what this kit can do. I have a few other accessories that just got delivered today, ill put them together and then share a photo of the whole underwater rig if anyone is interested in seeing it assembled. needless to say I'm pretty darn excited.

Olympus PEN E-PL10 with lenses (Left to right) 60mm Macro, 14-42 kit lens, Panasonic 8mm fisheye

PEN E-PL10 + 60mm macro inside the underwater housing

PEN E-PL10 + 14-42 inside the underwater housing. I wont be using this lens underwater.

PEN E-PL10 + 8mm fisheye inside the underwater housing

Looks cool....

Wolfgang

Here it is fully assembled.

Set up for Wide Angle

Set up for Macro and Snooted Macro

Fototomy wrote:

Hi,

I am totally confused with AOI system charts. No new lenses, errors, mismatches part numbers etc.

I want to use Zuiko 12-45 F4 pro with OM-D EM5MKIII. What port and zoom gear should I use?

Is it proper selection?

UH-EM5III
DLP-03P prefer glass
AD-LP-01
PPZR-EP05 zoom gear

Can LG-OM1-1245PRO zoom gear and all LG-OM1-xxx work UH-EM5III housing. It is hard to understand what can work with what.

I also think about using flat port with 12-45 F4 PRO to use wen converters. It give me more flexibility. Does anyone have experience with it.

I think about FLP-04 with

ER-PN_PN-34 - 34 mm extension and AD-LP-01.

The UH-EM5III housing has an OMD size port.

The DLP-03P is a PEN size port (PEN is smaller than OMD). But I just noticed you are planning to use the PEN TO OMD adapter AD-LP-01)

This is the kit I would look into getting:

UH-EM5III (EM5-3 housing - OMD port)
DLP-09 (glass semi dome OMD port)
LG-OM1-1245PRO (zoom gear)

When using the adapter, I don't know if you would need to load the camera body into the housing then load the lens through the port side of the housing. using the OMD ports you should be able to pass the lens attached to the camera from the housing side of the unit. It would be worth a call to Backscatter West Coast (USA) +1 831 645 1082 East Coast (USA) +1 603 432 1997