A Quick Guide to Olympus Underwater Housings and Accessories

There’s a different and vibrant world beneath the ocean surface. It is a world where we are treated to the diversity of marine creatures and the beauty of structures such as corals and rock formations. Not everyone gets to see this first-hand. However, photography has helped us freeze the richness of the seas in frame. But with water pressure threatening to wreck any camera, it pays to have Olympus Underwater Housings and Accessories in hand.

Protection starts with the underwater housing. Olympus has created a number of high-grade polycarbonate cases that fits their digital cameras. While smaller Olympus cameras will easily fit into bigger housings, doing so still puts the device at risk. Aside from the fact that you will not be able to utilize the buttons due to loose space, that same space can be penetrated by water easily. Thus, it is advised that the proper housing is used for every camera.

For example, you should use the PT-EP13 underwater camera case with the Olympus E-M5 Mark II. Likewise, the PT-EP12 is the suitable case for the PEN E-PL7 and the PT-EP11 is perfect for the E-M1. For smaller Olympus digital cameras, make sure that you will partner the TG-3 or the TG-4 digital cameras with the PT-056 underwater case. Meanwhile, the TG-850 and TG-860 fits well with the PT-057 underwater housing. There are more to choose from and they cover the entire range of Olympus cameras. They also make the camera waterproof for up to 45 metres of water pressure.

All Olympus underwater housings are capable of colour correction to prevent blue hue in dominating the image. They also have neutral buoyancy for easy handling even when water pressure increases. To maximize their function, several related accessories can be used with these durable cases. If you will use more than one flash, you might need to attach the housing bracket. For better handling of the set-up, there’s the short arm and long arm adapters. Anti-reflection rings will also come in handy to block unnecessary glare. Finally, the LCD hood helps give a clear view of the camera screen.

Next to the camera itself, the lens must also be kept water-proof. Fortunately, Olympus has created lens ports to make it happen. While some lens ports are built into the underwater camera housing, some can be detached like the PPO-E01 for the Olympus 35mm Macro Lens and the PPO-EP01 for Micro Four-Thirds Lenses that will be used with the PT-EP08 housing. The Olympus lenses in use can also be turned into Macro or Wide Angle options with the PTMC-01 and the PTWC-01 conversion lenses respectively.

Macro lenses can also be attached to an adapter for more versatility. Speaking of versatility, step-up rings allow the conversion lenses to be mounted onto lenses of varying diameter. If you are using wide angle lenses, then the zoom gear enables you to adjust focal length and depth of view underwater. Just like the underwater housings, these camera accessories act as a second line of defence for the camera and are built to be durable against potential disruptive elements.

Light gets scarce as you go deeper into the ocean. Luckily, Olympus won’t let you defeated by the dark thanks to their reliable underwater flash. There’s the UFL-1 flash for the PT underwater housing series and the UFL-3 electronic underwater flash. They easily fit onto Olympus underwater housings and they are covered by a devoted case for flashes. To create a better mood for your light, you can attach a flash diffuser to soften the intensity of the flash’s light. You can also connect two underwater flashes onto a camera using the optical cable adapter and the optical fibre cable.

They may look like simple pieces made from elastomeric rubber. However, O-rings repel water by keeping the underwater housing intact. Without it, the camera will be easily flooded. Every underwater housing has a compatible O-ring that must not be stretched or scratched at all times. Otherwise, they will not function well anymore. On the other hand, O-rings must not be forcefully removed by hand. Rather, the O-Ring Remover must be used to safely detach it.

Also, they are used with silicon grease that prevents it from getting dry or cracking. Once that happens, the O-ring will not be flexible enough to deal with increased water pressure which endangers the camera and the flash. The Olympus Silicon Grease comes in two sizes: the five-gram tube and the 40-gram tube. Often used with O-rings are silica gel packs that absorb moisture inside the camera housing. Silica gel packs come in small and large sizes.

There are still a number of accessories that you can use with these camera housings. To keep the set-up on an even keel, you can attach a balance weight. You can also make use of the optical cable adapter which allows the optical fibre cable to pass through in order to connect camera flashes onto the camera itself. Finally, the hand strap provides a secure handle for both camera and case.