Olympus has recently revamped their mirrorless line of lenses, releasing several new options that give underwater photographers more variety and better glass for capturing the world beneath the waves. One of these new lenses is the Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye F1.8 PRO lens. This lens provides direct competition to the extremely popular Panasonic Lumix G 8mm Fisheye F3.5 which just about every micro-four thirds underwater shooter get’s their hands on.

Let’s look at at the differences:

Panasonic Lumix G 8mm Fisheye F3.5:

• $675
• F3.5 – pretty fast speed
• Angle of view 180º
• Minimum focus (3.94″)*
• Weight .36 lbs
• Length 2.04″

Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye F1.8 PRO:

• $999
• F1.8 – really fast!
• Angle of view 180º
• Minimum focus (4.72″)*
• Weight .69 lbs
• Length 3.15″

*Note: Minimum focus distance is measured from the sensor plane, so effectively the new Olympus has a closer focus distance of only 1.57″ from the front of the lens since it is longer in length. The panasonic will be about 1.9″ from the front of the lens.

Both lenses work great for underwater photography. I recently returned from a week in the Sea of Cortez where I had the chance to use the 8mm Fisheye PRO from Olympus. I was definitely impressed, as a long time lover of the Panasonic 8mm, I was tempted to switch for one main reason. The lens is longer, which I found made it much easier to position my strobes behind the dome and avoid excess glare. Having that little bit of length gave me more flexibility with lighting positions which was nice.

I think both the Panasonic and the Olympus 8mm Fisheye’s work fabulously underwater. If you are okay shelling out a few more bucks for the Olympus, want the best quality glass you can get for the micro four thirds camera, or shoot a lot of ambient light, then the new Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye PRO is the way to go.

The Olympus 8mm Fisheye PRO is compatible with Nauticam, Aquatica and Olympus OM-D Housings. Olympus PEN style housings have yet to be tested but should be compatible with a combination Zen Port and extension. The lens was announced in May, and is scheduled to begin shipping at the end of August 2015. Email or Call us with any questions!

The post Shooting the Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye Underwater first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

There has been exceptional visibility this past weekend at Catalina Island (including the dive park), ranging from 60-90ft, at Santa Barabara Island, Anacapa Island,and also at the Oil Rigs and Farnsworth Banks. Get out diving while you can!

Bat rays are out in full force, and there  are also a lot of sea lions out. Black sea bass are scattered around the islands. A Mola Mola was seen at the Oil Rigs this weekend.

Many people are saying it is the best visibility that they have seen in years.

Roeland and a sealion, photo by Michael Zeigler

Water temps are also quite warm, with most islands experiencing water temps between 65 and 70 degrees from the surface down to 60ft deep. We haven’t had such great conditions in Southern California for years, so enjoy! I’d expect these conditions to expect to last for at least the next few weeks. The swellwatch is not showing any significant swell until Sept. 25th.

Photos shown were taken at Santa Barbara Island on Saturday, Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17mm fisheye lens. First photo (taken by Scott) is at 17mm, F4.5, ISO 125, 1/100th.

The post Great vis in Southern California first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The Panasonic Lumix 8mm Fisheye lens is a fantastic wide angle lens, which allows you to be able to capture large scenes in your image such as this huge satellite dish on the wreck of the Vandenberg in Key West.

We are a huge fan of this lens for dramatic shots. It can be used on any Olympus or Panasonic micro-four thirds camera like the PEN E-PL3, OM-D E-M5, or Panasonic GX1. Recsea, Olympus and Nauticam make mirrorless camera housings.

Lens Tips – The lens has a 180 degree diagonal angle of view. Photos are very sharp, and focusing is fast with most cameras. It is recommended to use two strobes, and you should avoid placing the strobes in the  upper right or upper left positions, since there will be no dome shade to protect the camera from flare from the strobe.

Other lens choices – the Panasonic 7-14mm and Olympus 9-18mm lenses are other choices. The 7-14mm is useful for a great topside landscape lens, and the 9-18mm is less wide and easier to shoot with. But neither will result in photos that are as dramatic as with the 8mm fisheye imho.

Black Sea Bass at Catalina Island

Starfish and Kelp at Catalina Island, close focus wide-angle shot, dual strobes

There is a much more detailed Panasonic 8mm fisheye lens review on the Underwater Photography guide.

The post Lumix 8mm Fisheye Lens first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.