Olympus OM-D E-M5

Camera, Underwater Housing and Port Bundle

SOLD OUT! Check out the awesome Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Camera, Housing & Port Bundle for $1,299

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Camera, Housing & Port Bundle is the perfect solution to get a great, professional quality camera and housing bundle at an incredible price. If you've been thinking about upgrading to a more robust camera, with dSLR like controls, fast and accurate focusing and excellent image stabilization, now is the time! The Olympus bundle offers amazing savings on the camera, housing and port for this great camera. We also have a great Nauticam OM-D E-M10 bundle for $2,499

Unsure if this is the camera for you? Read our comprehensive review on the Olympus OM-D E-M5 for all the details on this great camera.

Please Click here for instructions on setting up the Camera Flash for the Olympus Housing.

Olympus E-M5 underwater housing bundle includes:

• Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera + 14-42mm kit lens
• Olympus OM-D E-M5 underwater housing
• Olympus PPO-EP01 Port for the 14-42mm lens (also works great with the 60mm Macro!)
• 14-42mm / 9-18mm zoom gear
• This is everything you need to take the setup underwater and shoot!
• All items are brand new!
• This is a great deal, and an exceptional camera

Recommended Port Options:

• The included port also supports the 60mm macro lens, 9-18mm lenses
• Get the Zen 4" Dome for Pansonic 8mm Fisheye for excellent Wide Angle & Close Focus Wide Angle!
• For more options with zooming in and out use the Zen Wide Angle Dome port & OM-D Adapter for the Olympus 9-18mm (uses the same zoom gear as the 14-42mm)
• Zen also makes a dome port for the Panasonic 7-14mm (requires adapter) and a flat port for the Panasonic 45mm macro (requires adapter) if you prefer either of these lens options.
• Olympus OM-D port & zoom kit for 12-40mm lens

Olympus OM-D E-M5 recommended lenses for underwater photography

• Panasonic 8mm fisheye for coral reefs, whale sharks, mantas, schools of jacks
• Olympus 9-18mm lens for sharks, skittish schools of fish, large-ish marine life
• Olympus 60mm macro lens for macro - especially the very small things
• Olympus 12-40mm lens for fish, mid-range subjects

Learn More

Check out our comprehensive review on the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

Get all the important information you need to set up your new OM-D E-M5 for use underwater.

Video on why the OM-D housing bundle is incredible

Video Review of just the E-M5 underwater housing

Sample Underwater Photos

Garibaldi photo taken at Catalina Island with the OM-D E-M5, 8mm fisheye lens by Mel Moncrieff. Great color & dynamic range!

Oil rigs in Southern California, photo by Kelli Dickinson, 8mm fisheye lens

Tritonia festiva on Red Gorgonian, OM-D E-M5, 14-42mm w/ Dyron +7, ISO 200, F22, 1/250

Sample Underwater Video

OM-D E-M5 Camera Specs

• 16 MP, 4608 x 3456 max resolution
• Micro-Four Thirds CMOS sensor (17.3 x 13mm)
• ISO 200 - 25600
• Electronic Viewfinder with 100% coverage
• 3" LCD Tiltable screen
• Touchscreen capabilities
• Micro Four-Thirds mount with a wide variety of lenses
• Minimum Shutter speed 60 sec, max shutter speed 1/ 4000th
• Accessory flash sync speed 1/ 250
• Video recording at 1080i 60 (1920 x 1080 resolution) 
• Extensive weather proofing

OM-D E-M5 Underwater Housing Specs

• Polycarbonate housing, clear backplate allowing some view into the o-ring with a good front grip.
• Shutter lever is precise and easy to get half-shutter focus.
• All the buttons are tiered, making it easy to use underwater, even in gloves.
• Zoom control is placed well and easy to use with two fingers.
• One downside: the aperture and shutter speed dials are not easily reached, and require moving the hand off the housing and using two fingers to turn.
• Housing was designed to be more ergonomic, and to be used with the UW Mode activated so the flash will fire without being popped up. Unfortunately this also takes up one of the customizable Fn Buttons.
• The location of the video start button required me to remove my hand from my handle, making smooth video starts difficult.
• The port system was completely redesigned from previous housings, allowing quick and easy port changes, with a loud secure click on the locking mechanism.
• Includes a hot shoe mount and 2 fiber optic ports.
• Includes a button to switch between the EVF and LCD screen underwater.
• Depth Rated to 45m (~150ft)

Here are the instructions to set up the camera flash so that it will fire when in the "DOWN" or off position.

Olympus Assumes all users to be novices who don't plan to use any mode other than their built in "Underwater Shooting Modes" with the PT-EP08. Because of this they only tell you how to activate the UW mode in the housing manual on PG. 17, but they do not explain that it is required to set even if you don't plan to shoot in those modes. Once these steps are fired the flash will fire even when "off" or in the down position.

The PT-EP08 housing was designed to house the camera and flash with the flash flipped down in order to be slightly smaller in size. In order to use the flash you have to activate the "Underwater Mode" on the camera. This mode acts as an "Auto" mode designed for good settings underwater. It also allows the camera flash to fire when "closed"

Custom Menu -> B: Button/ Dial -> Button Function -> either Fn1 or Fn2 can be assigned this function. I recommend Fn2. -> Underwater Mode (fish icons).

Note: if you keep it in the UW Mode while shooting, you are limited in control of the camera. To exit out of the UW Mode simply hold down the Fn button for a couple seconds, change the mode dial to a different mode on the camera (remember to check all your settings before proceeding). As long as that mode is assigned to an Fn button the flash will fire when closed, so you can go back to Manual Mode and the flash will still fire in the down position.

For more information on overall settings please read this article.