Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?: Underwater Photography Forum: Digital Photography Review

Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

Started 11 months ago | Questions

DK Underwater • New Member • Posts: 3

Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

11 months ago

I currently use the Olympus PEN E-PL10 for underwater photography, 90% of my UW photography is macro using the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro and super macro with the INON UCL 90 or UCL 67 diopter added.

I am wondering if it will be worth it for me to upgrade to the OM-1 or GH6 and if I will see a noticeable different in sharpness on those systems.

My main concern is paying the $7k - $8k for upgrading the camera body and UW housing but then still be limited to the performance of the 60mm lens.

I like M43 for underwater macro as it's easier to fill the frame with the tiny critters but, if the lens is the limiting factor for getting sharper images, I would rather consider paying the extra money to upgrade to an APS-C or full frame system.

ANSWER:

This question has not been answered yet.

Olympus E-PL10 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro OM-1 Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6

Reply to thread Reply with quote Complain

Barmaglot_07 • Contributing Member • Posts: 633

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 11 months ago

GH6 is primarily a video camera, and it lacks good autofocus that you'd want for stills, especially for macro and supermacro.

OM-1, on the other hand, yes, that would be a good upgrade. Not so much in straight image quality, although there is that, but in overall ease of acquisition and percentage of shots that you bring back which are keepers.

Barmaglot_07's gear list:Barmaglot_07's gear list

Sony a6300 Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Sony E 30mm F3.5 Macro Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS LE Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS +5 more

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

kelpdiver • Veteran Member • Posts: 5,564

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 11 months ago

it's hard to see either being worth it. If you were going to spend that much, I think it would be far better put to a mirrorless FF from Canon or Sony. Big resolution, sensor size upgrades.

I have the GH4 and all the lenses and ports and have waited to see if the GH6 would bump the resolution enough, but to get the body and the nauticam housing (to fit the ports and gears) is still 6k. There is some thought that Panasonic may release a stills oriented update as well, but the $$ part would remain the same. I just don't see committing that many more dollars to a system of compromises and in decline. The resell value on the existing stuff is so poor that I think I'll just keep it for a lender for WA type uses.

A used OM setup for a good price might be a slight bump. Alternatively, if you could rig an external monitor to your existing housing (? maybe not for the Pen), that would at least give you the better viewfinder for doing a rocking focus.

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

Architeuthis • Regular Member • Posts: 491

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 11 months ago

DK Underwater wrote:

I currently use the Olympus PEN E-PL10 for underwater photography, 90% of my UW photography is macro using the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro and super macro with the INON UCL 90 or UCL 67 diopter added.

I am wondering if it will be worth it for me to upgrade to the OM-1 or GH6 and if I will see a noticeable different in sharpness on those systems.

My main concern is paying the $7k - $8k for upgrading the camera body and UW housing but then still be limited to the performance of the 60mm lens.

I like M43 for underwater macro as it's easier to fill the frame with the tiny critters but, if the lens is the limiting factor for getting sharper images, I would rather consider paying the extra money to upgrade to an APS-C or full frame system.

The OM-1 may be an option: some, but not tremendous, improvement in IQ (16 to 20 Mpixel) and substantial improvement in AF (important mostly for macro). In case you are not satisfied with the Zuiko 60mm macro IQ, this upgrade will, however, not help. I personally like the Zuiko 60mm (sometimes with Nauticam CMC-1), find IQ very good (at least) and I do not understand what you do not like, regarding IQ (please specify). For me as an EM1II user the improvements are too little (none in IQ, but better AF) to justify an upgrade, maybe an OM-2 that may have better IQ too..

Regarding GH-6, this seems to be a great video camera, but IQ for stills is suboptimal (so is its AF). I would not consider upgrading to GH-6 for stills...

APS-C will give little improvement in IQ. In case you want something substantial, FF is indicated (but I wonder what your expectations regarding IQ are and fear you may be disapponted)...

Wolfgang

Architeuthis's gear list:Architeuthis's gear list

Olympus E-M1 II Olympus E-M5 II Sony a7R V Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 +10 more

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

OP DK Underwater • New Member • Posts: 3

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to Architeuthis • 10 months ago

I find pictures with epl 10 to be not very sharp, perhaps its the auto focus that is lacking making it difficult to get sharper images.

my girlfriend recently got a sony a6600 with a 90mm 2.8 macro lens and I find that the pictures I get when using her camera is significantly better.

The better AF on the om-1 may just be what is needed.

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

kelpdiver • Veteran Member • Posts: 5,564

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 10 months ago

DK Underwater wrote:

I find pictures with epl 10 to be not very sharp, perhaps its the auto focus that is lacking making it difficult to get sharper images.

my girlfriend recently got a sony a6600 with a 90mm 2.8 macro lens and I find that the pictures I get when using her camera is significantly better.

The better AF on the om-1 may just be what is needed.

All things equal, 'focus' on the larger APC sensor is slightly harder due to the reduction in depth of field. But there are so many other variables in play.

What F-stop are you using on the Pen? And what method used to get the focus and then pull the shutter?

You want to rely on your strobes for lighting, and keep the lens itself pretty closed to maximize the depth and to remove the background. If you're shooting at f/4, it won't be as sharp.

On the GH4, I employ the back focus button and then just push/pull the camera while watching the screen. This is a poor man's version of getting the manual focus gears. The shutter pull on the nauticam is a very easy one, so I'm not torquing the housing when doing it. In contrast, on my wife's G7X compact housing (also nauticam), it takes a more forceful pull.

One way you could test for this is to use the timer, though it still relies on you keeping the distance to the subject still (or tripod it). If you could do a practice session in a pool, you could prop it on a brick or tripod.

It may well be that the higher end 4/3rds will make it easier to get good focus, but you want to explore the methods you do have control over to ensure it won't just be the same problems several thousand dollars later.

Also note that the 90mm on APC is 135mm equil, while the 60 on the 4/3 is 120. Both are pretty aggressive versus the traditional 60 on APC or 100 on FF.

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

daveco2 • Contributing Member • Posts: 953

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 10 months ago

daveco2's gear list:daveco2's gear list

Sony RX100 Sony a7R II Sony a7R III

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

Dann-Oh • Contributing Member • Posts: 894

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 10 months ago

DK Underwater wrote:

I currently use the Olympus PEN E-PL10 for underwater photography, 90% of my UW photography is macro using the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro and super macro with the INON UCL 90 or UCL 67 diopter added.

I am wondering if it will be worth it for me to upgrade to the OM-1 or GH6 and if I will see a noticeable different in sharpness on those systems.

My main concern is paying the $7k - $8k for upgrading the camera body and UW housing but then still be limited to the performance of the 60mm lens.

I like M43 for underwater macro as it's easier to fill the frame with the tiny critters but, if the lens is the limiting factor for getting sharper images, I would rather consider paying the extra money to upgrade to an APS-C or full frame system.

You might want o take a look at the Olympus EM1-3 with the newly released AOI housing for the EM1-3. The new housing is still using the PEN port system so all your ports will be re-useable. you will get a much better focusing system with the EM1-3 vs the EPL10.

I personally am planning to upgrade my housing from the EPL10 to the EM1-3. I already have the EM1-3 so the housing is a smaller investment, its currently MSRP at $1,000 from Backscatter. As soon as I finish both my DM and Sidemount training I am planning to upgrade my housing as a treat for myself. I think I might still keep the EPL10 and standard 14-42 lens for a small compact setup for taking photos of clients/students. I might also sell it as that would easily fund the new housing.

-- hide signature --

I take photos, not particularly good photos, mostly abstract photos. Yeah abstract is what I would call them, you might call them blurry.

Dann-Oh's gear list:Dann-Oh's gear list

Olympus E-M5 III Olympus E-PL10 Olympus E-M1 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F3.5 +20 more

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

OP DK Underwater • New Member • Posts: 3

Re: Are the OM-1 or GH6 good upgrade options for underwater stills?

In reply to DK Underwater • 10 months ago

Thanks for the feedback. I actually just preordered the Canon R7 and I'll get the RF100 macro once I know an underwater housing will be available from Ikelite, Marelux or Nauticam.

Reply Reply with quote Reply to thread Complain

Keyboard shortcuts:

FForum MMy threads

Latest sample galleries

Sony ZV-E1 pre-production sample gallery (DPReview TV)

The Canon EOS R3 goes to the rodeo

Fujifilm X-H2 review samples

Nikon Z 28mm F2.8 Sample Gallery

See more galleries »

Latest in-depth reviews

The Sony ZV-E1 is the company's latest vlogging-focused camera: a full-frame mirrorless camera based the FX3/a7S III sensor, aimed at YouTubers and 'creators' looking to go pro.

The Sony ZV-E1 is a full frame camera targeting YouTubers. Chris and Jordan are Youtubers, what do they think?

Fujifilm's X-H2 is a high-resolution stills and video camera, that sits alongside the high-speed X-H2S at the pinnacle of the company's range of X-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras. We dug into what it does and what it means.

Review: Holy Stone's HS710 and HS175D are drones with a ton of limitations

Holy Stone produces dozens of low-cost drone models aimed at consumers. We look at the HS710 and HS175D to see if they stack up to other sub-250g offerings. Are these secretly great or more like toys?

DPReview TV: Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM Review

It's small, light, cheap and extremely wide but is it any good?

Latest buying guides

Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.

There are a lot of photo/video cameras that have found a role as B-cameras on professional film productions or even A-cameras for amateur and independent productions. We've combed through the options and selected our two favorite cameras in this class.

What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both the speed and focus to capture fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.

The best cameras for family and friends photos in 2022

Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with loved ones or friends in better quality than your phone can manage. We've selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens.

Best affordable cameras for sports and action in 2022

What's the best camera for shooting sports and action? Fast continuous shooting, reliable autofocus and great battery life are just three of the most important factors. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting sports and action, and recommended the best.

Check out more buying guides »


Valley of the Ten Peaks, Moraine Lake by punman from Magnificent Mountains	Windows Shopping in Old Town by wam7 from Urban Night Scene	Babcock State Park by GoBucks from Creeks Unlimited	Mud Slinger by cjf2 from Mud, mud, glorious mud

3	PHXAZCRAIG
1	kelpdiver
1	Kofla Olivieri
1	mfinley
1	Architeuthis