E-PL1 Users Group

[Peter Guy]

Thanks for bringing this back up.

a. We should do a "Users Group" dive -- if I could only find the time I'm try to organize one -- but not until the end of October!

b. I got an email last week (?) from Olympus advertising the housing for $199 -- trying to decide if I should get one (backup) or just keep shooting the E-Pl1 and wait until it dies (floods) and then upgrade to whatever is the newest version. (Hmmm -- maybe insurance should be considered?)

c. I keep thinking about getting a Zen port and the 9-18 mm WA lens but then I sit down, let the emotion pass, and stay with the kit lens (version 1) and just accept that I'm a duffer and that the cool kids with their big dSLRs, fancy smancy, ports, multiple lenses and huge strobes and arms may get some pics that just are better than mine!

[fmerkel]

So....yesterday at Skyline I thought I'd test the video of this camera. I found a bright orange sea cucumber and watched it do it's feeding thing. Via LCD it seemed to work. Great.
About half way back in 15' of water and come on a juvi wolf eel up in the kelp tangle. Lousy viz with bad particulate and it was skittery. Photos weren't working. Hey! Video! Damn if it doesn't come out somewhat OK-several little 15 sec > 1 minute segments as it darts in and out of the kelp.

Oh, oh, I need to video edit. The couple times I tried it were pretty much......
Well, I got Adobe Premier 10 with my last purchase of Elements. Load it up. Adobe....wait....wait.....wait.......
Ok, finally.
Start it, try to gleefuly load my first video and get: [required codec not installed]
WHAT! It plays in several different applications just fine.
I feel like a guy that just bought a knife with 52 trick blades only to find out it won't open a pull tab beer. :angry:
Can't edit an AVI! Very impressed I am.

[Peter Guy]

I hope you are "impressed" with Premier as opposed to the AVI. I'll confess I don't use video very much and when I do, I end up using Windows Movie Maker -- simple but it works

OK - All E-PLx users -- how about a Users Group Dive this Saturday with the Club Dive?

[Gooch]

A quick question- I didn't see it in the previous posts so sorry if I overlooked it:

Has anyone tried this macro adaptor with the EPL? I'm interested in it but not sure if it will fit in the housing.

http://www.olympus.com.au/Products/Comp ... erter.aspx

If not- what other options are their for more macro? External diopters, I suppose..

Many thanks for any and all advice

Pat

[cardiver]

That's not the one for underwater use. You're looking for the PTMC-01 and there are better choices out there. I use the Dyron + 7 and it seems to work quite well.....

[Furnari]

On a related question- do other wet lenses fit the factory adapter? I assume so, but I figured I'd ask and possibly save myself some hassle.

[Gdog]

Hey would you EPL folks mind an EPM guy in your group? Most of what I have read so far pretty much applies to the epm as well.

[cardiver]

On a related question- do other wet lenses fit the factory adapter? I assume so, but I figured I'd ask and possibly save myself some hassle.

Yes but I've been told that wide angle wet lenses do not work well. The Oly adapter is a 67mm thread mount.

[Peter Guy]

a. We should expand to an Olympus Pen Users Group

b. I just did an experiment using my E-PL1, kit lens at 42mm, f 5.6 and using various "macro" add on lenses starting with the Oly PMLA-EPO1 adapter & PTMC-01 and then stacking some AGFA addons I got at Amazon --



The eye of the croc is 4 inches from the end of the housing -- I used auto focus and tried to focus on the croc's right eye:

First one -- no add on at all:



Second -- Oly macro add on:



Third -- Oly plus Agfa +1 lens:



Fourth -- Oly plus Agfa +2 lens:



Fifth -- Oly plus Agfa +4 lens:



Sixth -- Oly plus Agfa +10 lens:



Seventh (last) -- Oly adapter but with the Agfa +10 screwed into it:

[Furnari]

Thanks for posting this- for $14, I figure I can stick a crowbar in my wallet and give it a shot...

[Jay H]

ISO 100 - 42mm - f8 - 125
Cropped and adjusted for WB, Tone and Prescence in LR4.

Anybody using the Oly 60mm?
Was disappointed it wasn't included in the last sale that just ended.
Hoping it comes around again before xmas.

I was tempted by the 40 - 150 for topside. At $119 it was a steal.

[cardiver]

The attachment 20130920-P9200925.jpg is no longer available

ISO 100 - 42mm - f8 - 125
Cropped and adjusted for WB, Tone and Prescence in LR4.

Anybody using the Oly 60mm?
Was disappointed it wasn't included in the last sale that just ended.
Hoping it comes around again before xmas.

I was tempted by the 40 - 150 for topside. At $119 it was a steal.

I have the 60 om my E-PL5.....

[Jay H]

Nice detail. Could you post the settings? Are you switching the 60 to macro before closing up your housing?

[cardiver]

Nice detail. Could you post the settings? Are you switching the 60 to macro before closing up your housing?

The 60 is a macro lens. I flip the switch on the side to the minimum focus just so it doesn't hunt but you can leave it at full range if you want to.

[Jay H]

How close to those rock fish were you? You've got good dof with lots of the subject in focus. What fstop?

[cardiver]

A couple of feet away. I'll have to check the settings when I get home...... Most likely 5.6 though.......

F13 1/250 ISO 200

[Jay H]

I see there is a focus gear available for this lens. I guess if you want to manually focus it's a must have. From what I've been hearing and seeing the auto focus is very accurate. Do you have/use the focus gear?

[cardiver]

I have it but I don't need it.

[Jay H]

Wondering about the different uses for the function button for the E-PL1 and why.

I set mine to manual focus.

That way if auto focus gets close but not dead on I can hit function for manual focus, rock the camera slightly backward or forward to get the focus I want.
Then when I depress the shutter the camera doesn't try to auto focus again.
Hit function again after the shot to go back into auto focus mode.

What's some other uses for the function button?

[Gdog]

I set mine to switch from raw to jpeg. For those topside snapshots.

[Dusty2]

So, I have been playing with the idea of getting a 4/3 camera and I'm curious as to what you guy think about the olympus pen e-pl1? The prices are coming down on the cameras and the cases so I'm gathering info.

[Jay H]

It's a slippery slope but you know that.

I got mine when it was camera/lens/housing for $399. So bang for buck it was hard to beat. Just needed the zoom gear for another $50. The E-PM1 was also priced pretty low just after I purchased.

I look at it as a future proof system. I can add lenses and still use them when I upgrade body/housing to the OMD-EM5/EM1. You can use Oly or Panasonic m4/3 glass with it.

There is a great selection of lenses for these cameras that are really good for the underwater photographer. Macro to Fisheye. And generally they are less expensive and much lighter/smaller than DSLR glass.

For video it needs a lot of light for these waters. I use 2,1500 lumen 110 degree video lights. It still hunts for focus in continuous auto focus if you're not lit up close and rock steady. It's 720p video which is fine for what I do.

For stills it is great.

I use 1 nano strobe in combination with the video lights and get by just fine. That does limit me to macro and close portrait shots but again for what I want it's great.

I've been using the kit 14-42mm lens which is pretty versatile. Almost wide angle to almost macro.
I'll probably get the Oly 60mm macro eventually. It's priced at $499 but comes on sale once in a while. I've seen it as low as $399.

I'm using the Oly housing. 10Bar makes one as well.

It's one of the first Oly m4/3 cameras so it's old tech now. But for the price....I've seen used ones on ebay under $100.

Cheers

[fmerkel]

I agree. I had a G9 and flooded it. The big 'housing nose' was a lighting pain underwater. Replacements on eBay were not attractive. The $400 Oly deal had the Canon system outclassed. But, I did add a strobe and new hardware more than doubling the price. My first dive got better results than a year with the G9....but no strobe on the G9. The strobe makes the dive package larger and adds expense but it added a lot to the picture quality I think. I can take photos now that were impossible before.

[fmerkel]

Anyone have and/or use the lens above? Seems to be a $100 off right now. More than an external diopter setup, maybe cleaner and better?
Interesting that a single lens on sale is the same as the entire camera+lens+housing was.

[cardiver]

Anyone have and/or use the lens above? Seems to be a $100 off right now. More than an external diopter setup, maybe cleaner and better?
Interesting that a single lens on sale is the same as the entire camera+lens+housing was.

Sharpest lens I own......
Great for macro and for portraits as the lens has fantastic bokeh.
Here's a pic that I took of my son with the 60 2.8 just to show you how sharp it is.....