Olympus TG5/TG6 for "non macro" videos

[Sbiriguda]

I am very impressed by the Olympus TG5/TG6 for macro

The doubt I have is if for "non macro" videos it's worth it and it is comparable to the Go Pro. If that is the case, I could switch from Go Pro to TG6

Does anybody use the TG6 also for any sort of videos like a normal action cam and not only for macro? Which are the results? Can someone post examples of non-macro videos made with the TG5 or TG6?
Thanks

 

[Bonaireboy]

I am very impressed by the Olympus TG5/TG6 for macro

The doubt I have is if for "non macro" videos it's worth it and it is comparable to the Go Pro. If that is the case, I could switch from Go Pro to TG6

Does anybody use the TG6 also for any sort of videos like a normal action cam and not only for macro? Which are the results? Can someone post examples of non-macro videos made with the TG5 or TG6?
Thanks

I don’t have the Olympus, but I’d venture to say you’ll probably have more dynamic range with it. Most action cameras if you’re explaining for shadows with have blown out highlights. Higher end camera sensors are usually able to record the shadows you exposed for and more highlights before clipping them.

 

[DavidFL]

All these links were either TG5 or TG6


And this is a still frame from a TG6 video

 

[Dan]

GoPro video looks like still better than the TG 5 or 6 video. I would have both. Use GoPro for video and TG for photo. Stick GoPro on the hot shoe slot on top of the TG camera case, like my Sea&Sea DX6G, below. Then, you can take video & photo at the same time.

 

[DavidFL]

I would have both.

Dan's rig is ideal in a lot of ways. There are obviously lots of other variables beside the capabilities of the camera: skill of the videographer in lighting and capturing the video; skill and quality of the editing tools; lighting and visibility of the scene. My completely sample-of-one anecdotal opinion is that GoPro get better video overall most of the time; TG5/6 gets better stills overall most of the time; TG5/6 macro and "supermacro" are pretty unique and exceptional at that price level for both stills and video.

 

[BoltSnap]

My advice is to wait for the TG7 to come out later this year (presumably) if you can afford to wait. The TG7 should have a better sensor, perhaps a 16MP, perhaps full manual mode and God knows what else. You can get a lot of accessories for the TG5/6 that you can't get for the GoPro especially in terms of wet lenses to cover from macro to WA. If you already have a GoPro, I'd keep it and use it as a "just in case" camera attached to the TG as demonstrated above.

 

[tursiops]

The GoPro is optimized for video, rather wide-angle video, and is horrible for anything close (the lens does not focus). It is tolerable for stills, if you are not close. Forget the sue of a strobe.
The TG-5/6 is almost a real camera, is optimized for macro, either still or video, does not have the super wide-angle of the GoPro, and is an all-around better camera unless you want specifically what the GoPro offers. It allows use of a strobe. Stills way outclass stills from the GoPro.

I'll be surprised if there is a TG-7, but if there is it is likely worth waiting for.

 

[scubadada]

I have an old Canon G7X in a Nauticam housing, one button white balance for stills, AND video. It works extremely well, don't know why Canon dropped the white balance shortcut on their later generations. This was great for us duffers.

 

[Sbiriguda]

Thanks everybody for the very interesting posts
Right now I have a GoPro 8 + Backscatter Macromate Mini + Backscatter Dive Red Filter

In case I want to upgrade and add the TG6 like in Dan's setup, what else will I need for the TG6?
What kind of TG6 housing would you suggest? Should I add also a red filter or other filters also for the TG6?

 

[DavidFL]

Both the TG5 and TG6 allow you to capture still images in RAW or JPG or both. Images captured in RAW are larger and don't make any assumption in the file saved in the camera about color balance, but with either free or proprietary software (I use Adobe Lightroom) you have all kinds of capability when you edit the images for color temperature and white balance and other properties. Given that, I don't use filters on the Olympus cameras, but both the camera and most housings (I'm using the Olympus housing) have threads on the lens for all kinds of wet lenses and circular filters or whatever you might want to add. If you want to save only JPGs and not generally do any "post-processing", then the same color of filter on the TG5/6 that you are using on the Gopro would work.

Here's the in-camera jpg rendering of a fish on the reef last week off Boynton Beach, Florida taken with a TG6 with no filter and one of the preset underwater white balances selected


Here's a JPG exported after I adjusted the RAW file (in Olympus, that file format extension is .ORF) for color and did a little cropping.