Image Only Image Only -> Off
 When looking through the viewfinder you can change the infomation presented to you by pressing the INFO button. By reducing the number of options, you'll spend less time messing about. Here we enable highlight and shadow clipping indicators, which allows excellent control over exposure (turn the shutter speed until highlight clipping can be seen, then turn in back slightly.)

Info Info Off -> Hold
 This simply ensures that the information about various settings is always shown in the viewfinder, otherwise it disappears after the time (in seconds) set.

 

 

 

Fn1  Fn1 Function -> MF
 Allows switching between AF-ON focus and shutter button focus modes. See Underwater Operation below. This is not essential as changing the focus mode can be done easily though the SCP. Feel free to map this to some other function you might use more frequently.

Fn2  Fn2 Function -> Magnify 
Quick access to the magnify function which isn't used for magnify but rather is used to gain access to a small focus point. Tap once to bring up the autofocus point, hold the button down for 0.5 seconds to cancel this mode. Taping the button a second time will actually magnify the image; do this and then turn the dial until you see 14x; tap again to return to your autofocus point. Now the autofocus point will be very small which allows for better focus point selection. You only ever need to do this magnify and set to 14x once, the camera will remember your choice.

[Rec]  [Rec] Function -> AEL/AFL
 Allows the record button (thumb lever on the Nauticam housing) (instead of a shutter half-press) to be used for focus, when using AF-ON (mode3) focus (see Focus Strategies Below).

[v] Function [v] Function -> Flash Mode 
Direct access to flash mode by pressing the down arrow key. Could be assigned to some other function.

[<^v>] Function [<^v>] Function -> Direct Function

 

- AF AF Mode -> MF or S-AF 
Use MF if you want to focus using the record button (thumb lever on Nauticam housing), S-AF if you want to focus on half-press of shutter. Whatever you chose, you can easily change this via the SCP underwater.

- Full-time AF Full-time AF -> Off
 You don't want this on for any focus mode.

- S-AF S-AF -> mode1
 When S-AF is the focus mode chosen in the SCP, then focus will be on half press of shutter button.

- C-AF C-AF -> mode3
 When C-AF is the focus mode chosen in the SCP, then focus will be manual with continuous autofocus available by holding down the record button (thumb lever on Nauticam housing). Note that you generally will want to continue holding the record button/thumb lever in while pressing the shutter in continuous focus mode to ensure focus during the exposure.

- MF MF -> mode3
 When MF is the focus mode chosen in the SCP, then focus will be manual with autofocus available by pressing the record button/thumb lever.

Rls Priority S Rls Priority S -> On
 This ensures that images can still be taken if focus was not achieved in S-AF mode.

Rls Priority C Rls Priority C -> Off 
This ensures that images are not taken unless focus was achieved in C-AF mode. Note that this only applies if you are holding down the record button/thumb lever; if you have released the record button/thumb lever, you'll still be able to take images without focus lock.

Half Way Half Way Rls With IS -> On
This allows image stabilisation to start when the shutter is released half way and thus provides an image stabilised EVF when the shutter is pressed half way.

 

Manual:

Has the advantage of longer camera battery life, no shutter lag and minimal recycle time. Press OK to see the SCP, select flash with the arrow keys, press OK and use the arrow keys or dial to select "Manual Value", press OK. Back at the SCP, just underneath the flash mode is the manual flash power, select this and choose 1/64 (the minimum).

TTL:

Press OK to see the SCP, select flash with the arrow keys, press OK and use the arrow keys or dial to select "Fill In", and press OK.

 

With the settings above, you'll never have to use the menu system to change settings underwater. You'll be able to get to everything directly through buttons on the back or through the SCP which can all be done with your eye on the viewfinder.

You can obtain a smaller focus point to more accurately target what you want in focus using the magnify mode. Tap the F2 Button to switch into Magnify mode. In this mode a single focus point is shown. If this is the first time you've done this, then tap the F2 button again to magnify the image (you will not normally ever enter magnify mode underwater), turn the dial until you see 14x. Now tap the F2 button a third time. You'll return to the single focus point mode, but now the focus point will be small. You can move this focus point around using the arrow keys (note that the magnify focus point is independent of the main focus point(s) position.) To cancel the magnify focus point, hold the F2 button down for 0.5 seconds or longer.

Just press the right arrow key, then use the arrow keys (or dial) to select the ISO and press OK.

Shooting wide angle, we often want to use the longest exposure that doesn't blow out the highlights. The advantage of the EVF is that we can see, before we take the image, whether we are going to blow the highlights. We enabled shadow & highlight mode (pressing INFO will still toggle our highlights & shadows on/off), so now we just increase the exposure until the highlights start getting colored orange, then back off slightly until the orange goes away. When shooting directly into the sun, the sun will always be orange no matter what settings we choose, but we can limit the amount of water around the sun that's blown out. And, given the settings we've used, you'll also see the highlights and shadow warnings shown after the image is taken.

 

It's also worth considering setting up the LCD playback (blue arrow button) to show shadow&highlight, when this is done, the image review in the EVF will also show shadow&highlight clipping blink, which is useful for ensuring the strobes didn't cause blown highlights.

 

FLASH SETTINGS FOR UNDERWATER HOUSINGS (Optical Ocean Addition)
If you have the Olympus housing or another housing that requires the flash to be in the down position and you are using a strobe - follow these steps:

(Make sure your camera is not in iAuto when going through these steps.)

 

 

 

 

Step 5  -> Use the right arrow to go into "Disp/-)))/PC"
Step 6  -> Scroll down to the picture "Live View Boost"
Step 7  -> Use the right arrow to select "On"
Step 8  -> Press menu button 2 times or press the shutter release button once to exit the menu

BASIC CAMERA SETTINGS (Optical Ocean Addition)

ISO: Make sure that your ISO is between 200-400 for macro. It can be set faster 800-1200 for wide angle photography, but you may start to see some noise (grain) in the photos. We do not recommend the use of Auto ISO, except for shooting available light or video, as it will over expose while using external strobes.

MODE: We recommend that you use Manual (M), Shutter (S), or Aperture (A) modes for more control. Shutter mode allows selecting the Shutter speed to allow for how quick the light comes in - with the aperture being set automatically by the camera. Aperture allows changing the size of the Aperture to allow for more or less light to come in with the shutter speed being set automatically by the camera. Manual allows the photographer to perform both Shutter and Aperture changes. Manual allows for ultimate control of the camera, especially important for the best results with strobes and the difficult lighting situations found underwater. Both Aperture and Shutter Priority allow for some control and are a good starting place for newer photographers, or in fast changing situations.

WHITE BALANCE: Use auto white balance (AWB), or go with the underwater white balance mode provided by Olympus. Setting manual white balance is important when shooting video, or when you are shooting available light, or can't get enough light from your strobes on animals or wrecks that are further away.

If you are shooting manual white balance, don’t forget to bring along a white slate or something that is neutral in color. This will allow you to get an accurate representation of what the white looks like at different depths. You can also capture different manual WB by using the right arrow and going to the “Capture WB 1”, “Capture WB 2”, “3”, and “4”. When you are there, press the “Info” button to allow you to “Point the camera at a sheet of white paper” to allow for the camera to know what “white” is and set the white balance color temperature.

Basic Starting Settings: There are no perfect settings for underwater, conditions vary too widely but you might try these to start out with. You'll need to adjust shutter speed to show more or less background (and control the ambient sun light) and aperture for depth of field, while adjusting ISO for overall exposure.

Macro: (using the Olympus mz60mm lens is best): 1/180th sec., f/14-16, ISO 100. Turn your strobes up and move them in close.
Wide Angle: (using the Olympus mz9-18mm or Panasonic 8mm FE lens is best): 1/125 sec., f/8, ISO 200-400+. Turn your strobes up and move them out and point them away from subject slightly.

Please refer to our Handbooks for Better Underwater Photography for much more information about use of strobes and lighting, types of shots and many other topics.