The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is a remarkable leap forward in the world of mirrorless cameras, offering not only exceptional performance above water but also outstanding capabilities for underwater photography. Known for producing high-quality mirrorless systems, Olympus takes underwater photography to the next level with the E-M1 Mark II. This camera boasts a robust design, advanced image processing, and improved autofocus speed, making it an ideal companion for underwater enthusiasts. Whether you are diving into coral reefs or exploring shipwrecks, this camera’s features are designed to elevate the underwater photography experience.
When using the E-M1 Mark II for underwater photography, you will quickly discover the versatility it offers, whether you're capturing macro shots of small marine creatures or wide-angle images of vast underwater landscapes. The camera's broad range of settings and shooting modes allows you to fine-tune every aspect of your photography to suit the ever-changing underwater environment. The key to successful underwater photography is mastering the camera's controls, so understanding its settings for different underwater conditions is essential.
Mastering Macro Photography with the E-M1 Mark II
For macro photography, which often involves capturing small marine life, such as fish, shrimp, and intricate coral formations, the Olympus E-M1 Mark II delivers stunning results with the right settings. Using lenses like the Olympus 45mm or 60mm macro lenses, you can capture detailed close-ups with exceptional clarity and sharpness. The recommended shooting settings for macro photography typically involve manual mode with an aperture range of F16 to F22 to achieve a deeper depth of field. Shutter speed should be set at 1/250th, and the ISO at 200 to ensure minimal noise in your images.
White balance is crucial for capturing accurate colors underwater. For most underwater shots, auto white balance should work well, but when working with strobes or other light sources, you may need to adjust this to fine-tune your results. To illuminate small subjects effectively, using the camera's flash in "fill-in flash" mode or strobe TTL mode ensures that your subject is lit properly without overpowering the shot. For a more controlled approach, setting the strobe to manual power gives you more flexibility and can help with precision lighting. If you're feeling creative, consider opening the aperture to F5.6 or F2.8 to create a pleasing bokeh effect, adding artistic flair to your images.
Macro photography often requires the photographer to get close to the subject, and lighting plays a critical role in producing stunning results. The strobe's light can help illuminate subjects effectively in close quarters, reducing shadowing and ensuring that the colors are vibrant and natural. When working with lenses such as the 12-50mm zoom lens, the same manual settings should apply, and the light balance is even more critical when shooting tiny creatures like skeleton shrimp. To maintain the focus and clarity of these small subjects, carefully adjust your shutter speed, aperture, and lighting settings.
For even closer shots, using a wet diopter with standard zoom lenses, such as the 14-42mm or 12-50mm, can provide even more versatility. This setup allows you to achieve impressive close-ups while still maintaining control over depth of field. As with the other macro setups, it’s essential to work with manual settings, adjusting the aperture and shutter speed for optimal results. Since the working distance is limited in these cases, you must approach the subject slowly and avoid making sudden movements that could startle it. When using a wet diopter, it’s best to zoom in completely and shoot at an aperture between F8 and F11, which helps control the focus and ensures sharpness throughout the image.
Wide-Angle Photography: Capturing the Underwater World
Wide-angle photography is one of the most captivating aspects of underwater photography, allowing you to capture sweeping views of the underwater world, including coral reefs, schools of fish, and sunlit seascapes. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II excels in wide-angle shots, especially when paired with lenses like the 8mm fisheye or the 9-18mm zoom lens. To get the best results in wide-angle underwater photography, the settings remain largely the same as those used for macro shots, with manual mode set to an aperture of F8, a shutter speed of 1/125th, and an ISO of 200.
One of the most crucial factors when shooting wide-angle images underwater is the balance between ambient light and artificial lighting from strobes. Depending on the underwater conditions, you may need to adjust your settings to capture the best exposure. For darker waters, slowing down the shutter speed to 1/60th allows more ambient light to reach the sensor, which is essential for preserving the natural look of the scene. In brighter conditions, a faster shutter speed can help to avoid overexposure, ensuring that the scene's highlights remain well-detailed.
Another consideration when capturing wide-angle shots is the direction of sunlight. If the sun is visible in the frame, you’ll need to be cautious of overexposing the bright areas of the image. To prevent this, using a faster shutter speed, such as 1/250th, and a smaller aperture (like F16 or F22) will preserve the details in the highlights. If your goal is to capture the ambient light in the scene while still maintaining some detail in the bright areas, you can open the aperture and increase the ISO to 400 or even 800. This will help achieve a better balance between the natural light and artificial lighting, ensuring a well-exposed image that captures both the highlights and the shadows.
For underwater photographers looking to capture the full breadth of a scene, it's essential to consider how light behaves underwater. In deeper water or murky conditions, the sunlight fades quickly, so additional lighting becomes critical. By adjusting your flash settings or strobes, you can ensure that the subject is well-lit while still keeping the background exposed to reveal the scene's depth and vibrancy. A successful wide-angle shot often relies on achieving the perfect balance between strobe light and the available ambient light in the scene.
Additional Features to Enhance Underwater Photography
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II comes with several features that enhance its performance in underwater conditions. One of the most helpful features is the Live View Boost, which is particularly useful in low-light or no-light environments. When activated in manual mode, this feature brightens the image on the LCD screen, allowing you to compose your shots even in the darkest underwater environments. Without this feature, the LCD screen would appear black in low-light conditions, making it difficult to see and compose images accurately.
Another feature that underwater photographers should be aware of is the EVF Auto Switch. This feature automatically switches the viewfinder mode when you bring the camera up to your eye. However, when you're using underwater housings, the housing door often triggers the sensor, causing the camera to display the image through the electronic viewfinder. To avoid this, it's important to disable the EVF Auto Switch in the camera’s custom menu. This ensures that the LCD screen remains active for easier operation, even when you're underwater.
Strobe lighting is another important element of underwater photography, and the E-M1 Mark II offers several flash modes to accommodate different lighting situations. If you're using strobes with TTL (Through The Lens) metering, the camera's default "Fill-in Flash" mode should work well in most cases. However, if you prefer using manual power for the strobes, you can switch the camera's flash mode to "Manual Value Flash." This option helps conserve battery life and reduces the recycle time between shots, giving you more shots in a shorter period. By adjusting the strobe power settings to 1/64th, the camera can fire with minimal energy use, allowing for efficient energy management during extended underwater sessions.
Mastering these settings and features can significantly improve your underwater photography, allowing you to capture the stunning beauty of the underwater world with precision and creativity. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II’s versatility and advanced features provide an excellent platform for both novice and experienced photographers to explore the depths of underwater photography with confidence.
Mastering the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II for Underwater Macro Photography
For underwater photographers looking to capture the fascinating details of tiny marine creatures, macro photography is an exciting yet demanding field. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is a powerful tool for underwater macro photography, offering advanced features that allow photographers to capture every intricate detail of sea life that would often go unnoticed. To fully maximize the potential of this camera for macro shots, there are several essential settings and techniques that you need to be aware of.
When shooting with a macro lens, such as the 60mm lens, the key to getting perfect shots lies in your control over exposure settings. In manual mode, photographers can fine-tune their exposure for the best results. For underwater macro photography, it is recommended to set your aperture between f/16 and f/22. This range ensures a large depth of field, which is crucial for maintaining sharp focus on tiny subjects like shrimp or seahorses. Additionally, your shutter speed should be set to 1/250th of a second. This speed is fast enough to avoid motion blur, which can often ruin delicate underwater macro images.
ISO is another critical setting to consider. Setting the ISO to 200 will provide excellent image quality without introducing unwanted noise, which is particularly important in underwater photography where light is often limited. Since natural light can be insufficient in deeper waters, the use of strobes or external flashes is essential to properly illuminate your subjects. It is advised to use the flash in "fill-in flash" mode, allowing the camera to automatically adjust the flash output to match the scene. For more control over the lighting, you may switch to manual flash mode, allowing you to adjust the strobe’s power according to your specific needs. This approach will enable you to fine-tune the lighting for perfect exposure without risking overexposure of your subject.
While the use of strobes in macro photography is essential, the choice of aperture also plays a significant role in achieving the desired look. For more artistic shots with a shallow depth of field, consider opening up the aperture to settings like f/5.6 or f/2.8. A larger aperture will allow you to isolate your subject by blurring the background, creating a pleasing bokeh effect that makes the subject stand out more. However, be aware that a shallow depth of field can make focusing more difficult, as it limits the in-focus area to a smaller portion of the subject. Therefore, if you're after more dramatic background blur and isolation of the subject, make sure you adjust the flash power to ensure the subject is still well lit and properly exposed.
Techniques for Macro Photography Using Wet Diopters
Another technique to explore in underwater macro photography is the use of a wet diopter. This tool is often paired with a standard zoom lens, like the 12-50mm, to allow for closer focusing. When using a wet diopter, your approach to shooting should differ slightly. The close focusing capabilities of the diopter allow you to get even closer to your subjects, providing more detail and sharpness in the resulting image. However, it's important to remember that the working distance between you and the subject is quite limited when using a wet diopter. As a result, you need to be extra cautious of your distance from the subject to avoid startling it, especially with small creatures like seahorses, which can quickly swim away when disturbed.
Like when using a macro lens, manual mode is your best friend when working with a wet diopter. Set your camera to manual mode, and use settings similar to those used with a macro lens, with aperture values between f/16 and f/22 and a shutter speed of around 1/250th of a second. The key to capturing the details without interference from the flash is patience and subtlety. If your subject is particularly skittish, you’ll need to approach slowly and maintain a steady hand to avoid scaring it away.
Using a wet diopter can be an effective way to get more detailed macro shots, but it's crucial to keep in mind that manual focus (MF) is often the best way to ensure sharp images. Autofocus may struggle to lock onto fast-moving or tiny subjects. To enhance your focus accuracy, use the AEL/AFL button to lock focus once you’ve achieved the desired sharpness. This technique will allow you to keep your subject in focus without inadvertently triggering the shutter or losing your focus lock.
Another tip for using a wet diopter effectively is to make sure your strobes are well-positioned. Since you're often shooting from a closer distance, the light from your strobes will affect the shot more directly. Position your strobes at a slight angle to the subject to minimize harsh shadows and ensure even lighting. Diffusers on the strobes can further help to soften the light, reducing overexposed areas and creating a more natural-looking illumination that highlights the details of your subject.
Flash and Focus Control for Perfect Macro Shots
When it comes to achieving perfect macro shots underwater, controlling your flash and focus is vital. In dynamic underwater environments, where subjects may move quickly or be obscured by water currents, you need flexibility. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II offers a number of focus modes to suit these changing conditions. For macro work, switching to manual focus (MF) is often the best choice, as it allows you to make precise adjustments to your focus, something autofocus might struggle with when dealing with small or moving subjects.
To further enhance your manual focus experience, consider assigning the AEL/AFL button to lock the focus once you’ve achieved the desired sharpness. This ensures that the focus remains locked on your subject even if you adjust the framing or slightly move the camera. To make transitioning between autofocus and manual focus faster and more efficient, assign the Fn2 button to toggle between these two modes. This gives you the flexibility to quickly switch between the two modes, which is incredibly useful when shooting a variety of subjects, from still invertebrates to fast-moving fish.
Another important consideration is the positioning of your strobes. Proper flash positioning is crucial for eliminating harsh shadows and ensuring even lighting. Position your strobes at a slight angle to the subject to prevent direct, hard light from creating overexposed areas. Using diffusers on your strobes can further soften the light, resulting in a more natural and aesthetically pleasing illumination. The goal is to light your subject evenly while maintaining a sense of depth and texture without overexposing the fine details.
Underwater conditions such as murky water, strong currents, or limited visibility can make it difficult to capture sharp images. To counter these challenges, stabilizing your camera can help. While a tripod may not always be practical in the water, a steady hand and proper buoyancy control will be your best tools. If you're photographing stationary subjects, consider using a tripod to keep your camera stable, but for most situations, mastering your buoyancy will help you achieve the desired sharpness without unnecessary camera shake.
Mastering macro photography with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II involves understanding how to control key settings like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, flash settings, and focus. By using manual mode to fine-tune exposure and selecting the right aperture for your creative vision, you can capture stunning underwater macro images that highlight the intricate details of the marine world. The ability to use strobes effectively and the advanced focus control features of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II ensure that you have the tools needed to photograph small creatures like a professional, no matter how challenging the conditions may be.
Mastering Wide-Angle Underwater Photography with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Wide-angle underwater photography opens up a world of vibrant marine life, breathtaking coral reefs, and expansive underwater landscapes. Unlike macro photography, which focuses on the intricate details of smaller subjects, wide-angle photography is all about capturing the vastness of the underwater environment. It requires a different approach, unique techniques, and the right gear to make the most of this art form. With the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, you have the tools needed to elevate your wide-angle photography to new heights. Paired with the 8mm fisheye lens or the versatile 9-18mm lens, this camera is designed to produce sharp, high-quality images that showcase sweeping scenes and majestic marine life with remarkable clarity.
The challenge with wide-angle underwater shots is how to manage and control the light. Unlike the natural lighting above water, underwater lighting is often limited by depth, water clarity, and environmental factors. To truly bring out the vibrant colors and fine details, underwater photographers rely on strobes or external flashes. These strobes help enhance contrast, provide a better sense of depth, and eliminate the blue or green color cast that often dominates underwater images. The goal is to use the strobe to illuminate the subject while allowing the ambient light to paint the background naturally.
Essential Camera Settings for Underwater Wide-Angle Shots
When it comes to achieving the best results in wide-angle underwater photography, understanding the manual settings on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is essential. For beginners, it’s a good idea to start with manual mode, which gives you full control over the camera settings. Set the aperture to F8, which is the ideal setting for a good depth of field, ensuring that both your foreground and background are sharp. A shutter speed of 1/125th of a second works well in most underwater conditions, as it strikes a good balance between the strobe lighting and natural ambient light filtering through the water.
The ISO setting plays a crucial role in your exposure as well. In well-lit conditions, an ISO of 200 is typically sufficient. However, when diving in murkier or deeper waters where light is limited, you may need to increase the ISO to 400 or 800 to compensate for the lack of natural light. Keep in mind that the higher the ISO, the more noise might appear in the image, so adjusting accordingly is key to achieving the best results in different lighting environments.
The most important setting to experiment with, however, is shutter speed. Shutter speed determines how much light hits the camera's sensor, and it significantly affects the mood and lighting of your wide-angle images. For shots in darker or deeper waters, a slower shutter speed, such as 1/60th of a second, allows more ambient light to reach the sensor. This is particularly useful when you want to brighten up the background of your image without overexposing your subject. It’s perfect for shots of sunken wrecks, caves, or deep-water landscapes where natural light is scarce.
In contrast, when photographing in clearer, sunlit waters, you may want to use a faster shutter speed, such as 1/250th of a second, to capture the fine details and prevent overexposure in bright conditions. This is especially useful when shooting in shallow waters where sunlight can flood the scene, and you want to keep the highlights intact while still providing proper exposure to the subject.
Optimizing Lighting and White Balance for Stunning Wide-Angle Photos
Another critical factor in achieving stunning wide-angle underwater shots is white balance. Underwater photography is challenging due to the change in color temperature as you descend deeper into the water. As you go deeper, the light wavelengths start to filter out, leaving blue or green hues that can make the image look unnatural. One of the easiest ways to counteract this is by adjusting the white balance setting. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II allows you to manually set the white balance to ensure that the colors in your image are as true to life as possible.
While auto white balance can work in some situations, switching to a custom white balance setting is often the best way to ensure more accurate colors. This is particularly useful in shallow waters where sunlight doesn't reach the depths sufficiently to maintain accurate color representation. In such cases, setting a custom white balance to neutralize the blue or green tint will give you more vivid and natural colors, bringing your wide-angle shots to life.
When it comes to using strobes for wide-angle photography, placement is everything. Proper strobe placement can dramatically impact the quality of your photos by eliminating unwanted shadows or harsh light spots. To achieve an even distribution of light, it’s generally recommended to position your strobes at a 45-degree angle to the subject. Ensure that the strobes are slightly away from the camera’s direct line of sight to avoid harsh lighting on the subject, which can often create an unnatural look. The goal is to achieve a soft, even light that enhances the textures and colors of the subject and the surrounding environment.
In situations where you are relying more on ambient light, such as when capturing the glowing blue waters at sunrise or sunset, you might need to open up your aperture to F4 or F5.6. This allows more light to hit the sensor, and with proper ISO adjustments, you can strike a good balance between the ambient light and strobe illumination. When photographing larger marine life, such as manta rays or sharks, it's essential to ensure that your strobes are powerful enough to freeze the motion while providing sufficient exposure to the background.
Wide-angle underwater photography with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is about finding the right balance between ambient light, strobe lighting, and camera settings. If you pay attention to these elements, adjust for the environmental factors, and experiment with different configurations, you’ll be able to create visually captivating images that showcase the beauty of the underwater world. Whether you’re capturing wide shots of coral reefs, sunken wrecks, or majestic sea creatures, understanding how to manage light and exposure will allow you to capture incredible images that reflect the true essence of your underwater experiences.
Mastering the Display and Viewfinder for Better Visibility Underwater
One of the key features that can greatly enhance your underwater shooting experience is the Live View Boost. When diving into murky waters or low-light conditions, it can be challenging to see what you're shooting on the camera’s LCD screen. Without sufficient ambient light, the display can become too dim, making composition and framing difficult. The Live View Boost feature solves this issue by ensuring that the screen remains bright, even in challenging lighting conditions. For the best results, it is recommended to activate Live View Boost in manual mode, setting it to ON1. This setting keeps the LCD display bright and easy to read, without overwhelming you with exposure information, which could distract you from framing your shot properly. The enhanced visibility makes a huge difference in darker underwater environments, allowing you to compose your shots with greater accuracy and ease.
Another important feature to adjust is the EVF Auto Switch. The camera’s Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) automatically activates when you bring the camera to your eye, a useful function on land. However, this can become a problem when you're underwater. The housing’s rear door can inadvertently trigger the EVF, causing the display to switch off. To prevent this, it's best to disable the EVF Auto Switch when using the E-M1 Mark II underwater. By turning off this feature, you’ll ensure that the camera remains on the LCD screen at all times, allowing for more straightforward operation and easier viewing during your dive. This simple adjustment eliminates the frustration of an accidental switch to the EVF and ensures that you stay focused on the task at hand.
Customizing Buttons and Focus for Quick and Precise Control
To get the most out of the E-M1 Mark II underwater, you’ll want to make the camera feel as intuitive as possible. The default button configuration on the camera works well for general photography, but underwater, you might find that you need more speed and control. The camera’s arrow keys, for instance, are set by default to control the focus point, which can be limiting when you need to quickly change other settings like flash modes or timer options. By customizing the buttons, you can assign critical functions to these keys, streamlining your workflow and reducing the need to dive into the menu settings every time you need to make an adjustment.
For example, you can assign the right arrow key to control flash modes, and the down arrow key could be used to activate the sequential shot or timer modes. This level of customization makes it faster to adapt to changing conditions without interrupting your shooting flow. When you’re working in dynamic underwater environments, every second counts. The ability to switch modes or settings quickly can help you capture moments that might otherwise slip away, ensuring that you never miss an opportunity for that perfect shot.
Additionally, focusing is an essential element in underwater photography, and the E-M1 Mark II offers several autofocus modes that can be optimized for different shooting scenarios. The AEL/AFL button allows you to lock focus separately from the shutter button, which can be particularly useful for macro photography. In these situations, you often need to fine-tune the focus manually to ensure that you're capturing the fine details of your subject. By customizing the autofocus settings—whether you’re using Single Autofocus (S-AF), Continuous Autofocus (C-AF), or Manual Focus (MF)—you can tailor the camera’s focus system to suit both stationary and moving subjects. For instance, S-AF can be ideal for still subjects, while C-AF is better for capturing fast-moving sea creatures.
Optimizing Housing Controls and Workflow for Seamless Operation
When using a housing like the Nauticam or Olympus PT-EP14, additional considerations need to be taken into account. These housings provide ergonomic access to the camera’s controls, giving you a more user-friendly experience underwater. The Nauticam housing, for example, offers dedicated buttons for functions like shutter release and aperture control, making it easier to access critical settings while submerged. One particularly useful feature is the ability to assign the Fn1 button to control white balance with a single press. This is especially helpful when shooting video or in situations where ambient light plays a significant role. With one-touch white balance control, you can achieve more accurate colors in your shots without having to fiddle with settings in the middle of a dive.
If you’re using the Olympus PT-EP14 housing, another option for customization is the reassignment of the Fn1 button. You could program it to control AEL/AFL, which locks the focus independently of the shutter button. This can be extremely helpful for keeping your focus accurate, especially when working with subjects that are challenging to track, like fish or underwater plants that sway with the current.
Aside from customizing buttons, the 1:2 Lever on the E-M1 Mark II offers another way to optimize your workflow. This lever allows you to easily switch between shooting modes and make adjustments to essential settings like shutter speed and aperture. For maximum efficiency, consider assigning White Balance (WB) and ISO to the rear control dial, making these critical settings quickly accessible during a dive. By setting up your camera for quick adjustments, you reduce the time spent making changes and allow yourself to stay in the moment while shooting. This is especially important when you’re capturing fleeting moments, such as a fish darting past or a sudden burst of light filtering through the water.
Enhancing Image Review Settings for Faster Adjustments
After capturing an image, it’s crucial to review it quickly to ensure that your exposure and focus are on point. The default image review time of 0.5 seconds may not provide enough time for an underwater photographer to make a confident assessment of their shot. Fortunately, the E-M1 Mark II allows you to adjust this review time, and it’s worth increasing it to 2 seconds. This extended review time gives you just enough space to assess the image quality before deciding whether you need to take another shot or adjust your settings.
Alternatively, if you don’t need to review your images at all, you can configure the camera to dismiss the preview automatically. By pressing the shutter halfway down, you can return to shooting mode immediately, saving precious time and ensuring that you're always ready for the next shot. This can be especially helpful when shooting fast-moving subjects or when you’re working in conditions where time is of the essence.
By investing a bit of time into customizing your camera’s settings, you’ll transform the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II into a powerful tool for underwater photography. From enhancing visibility with Live View Boost to streamlining your button controls for quick access, every adjustment you make will help you capture stunning images with ease. Whether you're capturing close-ups of tiny sea creatures or wide-angle shots of underwater landscapes, these fine-tuning options will ensure you’re ready to face any photographic challenge underwater. With these settings in place, the E-M1 Mark II becomes a true extension of your creative vision, enabling you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of the underwater world and capture its most breathtaking moments.
Conclusion
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II stands as a versatile and powerful tool for underwater photography, whether capturing intricate macro shots or vast wide-angle scenes. Its advanced features, like Live View Boost and customizable settings, ensure that photographers can adapt to ever-changing underwater conditions with ease. By mastering the camera’s controls, adjusting settings for lighting, and utilizing external strobes, you can achieve stunning, sharp, and vibrant images that showcase the true beauty of the underwater world. With thoughtful preparation and technique, this camera opens up endless possibilities, allowing you to explore and immortalize the deep in breathtaking detail.