GEAR TESTS: OLYMPUS PEN E-PL10 UNDERWATER CAMERA REVIEW

Carlos Quillichini Backscatter Team Member

This year during the Bonaire Digital Shootout 2022 I had an amazing experience using the Olympus EPL-10 with the Backscatter Octo EPL10 Underwater Housing. The housing is made of polycarbonate material keeping it light and compact. The killer design with the octo graphics make the housing stand out from the rest, but more importantly it features great ergonomics. The button positioning is perfect for muscle memory and quick access to all functions on the camera. The versatility and simplicity of the EPL-10 is great for anyone coming from a compact camera like a TG-6 or who wants to step up their photography level.

Being one of the smallest mirrorless cameras on the market at the moment makes it a perfect companion for traveling light. The high image quality of the EPL10 at 16mp from a micro 4/3rds sensors delivers great colors and sharpness. The EPL-10 paired up with the 14-42 EZ kit lens, with the AOI UWL-90PRO wide angle lens blew me away with the versatility and easiness of zooming the lens and maintaining great sharpness. This combo was used with the Backscatter Wide Double Handle Tray and Arch, and AOI Float Collar.

The peace of mind and security of having a vacuum system and humidity sensor in case any leaks occur was great. The sensor battery is built-in and charges via USB. The vacuum pump and valve are very simple to use. Once you turn on the sensor inside the housing the unit it will blink blue confirming neutrality, during the vacuum pumping the light should go solid orange indicating pressure is adequate and pressure testing will begin. This process can take a few minutes, the light should then go green confirming the vacuum is good. Always bring your vacuum pump on the boat just in case you need to access your camera for any reason such as for those moments where someone forgets their battery or memory card. We know it happens!

I used the Backscatter Mini Flash MF1 with the Optical Snoot OS-1 paired up with the Olympus 60mm macro lens and the AOI UCL-09 Close up lens using the flip adapter providing +12.5 more magnification power. It was my first time using a snoot, and the OS-1 snoot is kind of a love-and-hate relationship at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it you will get addicted. Creating that separation and isolation of the subject from the background, and creating a different dramatic tone to the image is just too good. 

ROBIN DODD Producer

Shooters that are seeking a small-bodied camera with full manual operation and interchangeable lenses without breaking the budget should look at the Olympus E-PL10 first.

This Micro Four Thirds sensor and lens mount camera brings everything to the table that an underwater photographer needs to get serious with their imaging, while also keeping things simple enough so that even a first-time diver will be able to achieve success. The camera itself has a very intuitive and easy to learn menu layout with a couple of more advanced options such as Live Composite Mode to learn and grow into. The image quality is outstanding both in macro detail sharpness and wide-angle color reproduction. Autofocus was fast and performed well when tracking a subject while composing the shot.  The video results in 4K 30p looked great but do carry a fairly limited 30-40 foot custom white balance depth limit before colors started to look too cyan and green. The limited edition Octo Housing with its custom tentacle print was easily the most head-turning housing at the Digital Shootout. The housing incorporates both an LED flash trigger for rapid fire shooting and a leak/vacuum detection system to keep the rig safe and secure while underwater. The overall size of the camera and housing is barely bigger than an Olympus TG-6 housing which is pretty unbelievable considering how much more it can do. Shoot with either the included 14-42 kit lens and accessory underwater optics, or go all-in with dedicated fisheye or macro lenses on the camera with corresponding ports on the housing. It truly offers the best of all worlds when it comes to underwater photography without blowing the budget like larger rigs can easily do.

Jim Decker CEO: Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo

The Olympus Pen E-PL10 is the next logical step up from a TG camera. With full manual control, interchangeable lenses, compact size, and a really affordable price point for what you get it's what we call the best bang for your buck in underwater photography. 

I've shot it quite a bit in the past so I just did a day of macro on it. There's a cool little angled viewfinder accessory, the AOI UMG-05, that made getting into position super easy when dealing with critters down on the reef and allowed me to stay up in the water column. It also makes viewing the screen easier in bright conditions by having a nice dark viewfinder to look through.

I just shot macro on this trip with the E-PL10 just to get my feet wet a little bit for a dive. I used the Olympus 60mm macro lens which focused pretty well and easily tracked the eye of the frogfish. Shooting speed is great and I could do multiple back-to-back shots very quickly by having focus set to the rear AF-ON button just like a larger mirrorless or SLR.

Anyone looking at a compact camera should seriously consider a PEN due to it's superior image quality, improved focus capabilities, and much faster shooting speed for usually at a price point that comes out to be less than most compact camera systems.