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Nauticam NAEM1II Housing Review Part 1 – Wide Angle
The Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark II accompanied by the Nauticam housing and accessories has so much to offer the underwater photographer that we are going to have to cover this review in two parts. In this one, we will focus on wide angle underwater photography. For this we have two options, the 8mm lens and port, or the kit lens, with the WW1 wet lens.
We got this system to replace one of our SLR systems to reduce the weight of the equipment we were carrying overseas. With luggage restrictions getting ever more strict, and neither of us getting any younger, investing in a high quality, yet smaller, more compact, lighter system seemed like a good idea. We have had the opportunity to use this system on two diving trips now: one to The Bahamas and one to Egypt.
The first thing you notice about the Nauticam housing is the quality of the build. It feels solid. But then on closer inspection, there is much more to admire. The vacuum leak detection system included in our housing gives peace of mind when setting up the equipment and subsequently going diving. Green light and everything is going to be alright! The handles are sturdy, fitted securely to the housing with no movement or wobble and positioned so that you can access every button without removing your hands from their primary position. The camera locks securely into position in the housing too. In fact, everything in the set-up procedure gives you the confidence to take it diving.
Our initial tests were with the Olympus 8mm lens and the corresponding dome port. We used this in The Bahamas whilst diving with sharks and it was a challenging environment to get used to a brand new underwater photography system. But, with intuitive controls, this was made easy by the Nauticam team. Everything is where it should be, as you go to change settings in the camera.
Our second dive with the system was a bucket list dive for us – Tiger Beach! We had some concerns that after only a couple of dives, would we be able to get the shots we wanted? Even though the visibility was not perfect, and the sharks did not come in quite as close as we would have liked, the camera and housing performed really well, and changing settings was effortless.
Our second time out with the system we decided to switch to the Olympus kit lens, 14-42mm zoom, with the Nauticam WW1 wet lens attached on the front. The WW1 screams of quality, but this pin sharp image quality also makes the lens heavy, which is resolved by adding a float to the lens to give your wrists a rest. WWL-1, paired with an Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Lens provides a full zoom through the ultra-wide angle field of view. Our tests showed this combination has excellent corner sharpness and clarity.
The WWL-1 will focus on its front element for unmatched close focus wide angle performance, and full zoom through means you can zoom to crop in-camera for tighter framing. This option gives the user incredible versatility on shot selection. One minute you can be shooting a wide reef scene and then, you can zoom through the lens and be shooting small fish, without having to change any lenses. Alternatively, if you encounter a super-macro critter, the simple bayonet mounting system, allows you to switch to a macro wet lens and be shooting tiny nudibranchs with ease.
So far, we have only had the chance to explore the wide angle underwater photography this system has to offer, and we are impressed with the quality and ease of use. We also love that it weighs significantly less than our old DSLR system. Next time out, we will be using the macro wet lenses on some tiny critters. Watch this space for our thoughts on how the Nauticam NAEM1II housing for the Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II performs in this field of underwater photography next month.
For more information please visit the Nauticam websites:
For UK click here
For USA click here
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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