Camera Gurus help me decide - Olympus TG-1 ?

[nomro]

Hello,
I'm looking for a point and shoot high-end camera ranging 600 - 700 USD (camera + housing). Today I have a simple Intova IC-12 which I liked very much but currently I'm looking for something better that would solve the poor UW photos in poor light due to medium-high ISO that is not Intova's point of strength.

After doing some online research I found the TG-1 has a lot of positives but all seem on paper I'm not sure if it is superb in real life.
What I like about the TG-1 is that it has a fast shutter , Wide Aperture 2.0 - 4.9 which should have better performance in poor lighting. The only downside I read about it is that colors may not be so vivid and sometimes pale !!????

I'm open to other suggestions too within the price range indicated above, I'm not a pro but I'm looking for better quality UW photos with a simple point and shoot setup up to 20meter+ of depth.

Thanks !

 

[JackConnick]

I'd suggest the Olympus XZ-1 and PT-050 housing. It is a great camera with a sharp lens, large sensor and fast processor. It has a large bright screen. Besides the scene modes you have on the TG-1 it has complete A,S,M,P modes and can most importantly save in RAW. It has been reduced to $399 of late and the Olympus housing is $299, bringing it in at your price point. It has been replaced by the XZ-2, but you would need to pay another $200 and the housing won't be out for a little while.

Jack

 

[nomro]

Good idea , how about a matching camera and housing from Canon ?

 

[danvolker]

Another idea, on this low budget, is to use a powerful dive light you already have, or can get used and cheaply....with a very diffused beam...and use this instead of a strobe for lighting.
Ambient light will tend to make all but very shallow photos appear flat and without much color.....get optimal lighting, and a mid range point and shoot could make an 80 foot deep reef shot more appealing than $5000 DSLR could with just ambient...There are two tricks to this--how to hold the light and the camera9 or how to attach), and how to diffuse the light.

I shoot video with a video cave light, and apollo by halcyon..a dual 50 watt HID. This is essentially just a powerful HID light, a cannister light, that a diver would use to penetrate wrecks with, or caves, or to do night dives with....the only real difference, is that it uses a reflector that will shift the beam's focus as desired, to one that is very diffused when desired....there are a number of ways to accomplish this, and i think this would be a worthwhile area for you to explore if you have a big light already, or can get one cheaply..As to holding it, you may just mount it on top of your wrist GOODMAN HANDLE STYLE This will keep both of your hands free to hold the camerea, but you can still point well.
I have taken still photos while shooting videos with my Apollo lights, at all depths and at night, and the shots come out with very good lighting..... Also, if you have a buddy with a good and diffused light. and could get them to point their light at the background view of your subject matter, once in a while, you might get a very cool result, even better than the 2 strobe setups most expensive rig divers have ( this would be like an assistant placing a "slave" strobe out from the photographer, to do background lighting not possible with cameras mounted with lights.

Here is the apollo....you don't need to match this exactly--just borrow from the concept

I would also add, that whether using high end Inon Strobes, or lights like I have, you need to be really close to your subject for the colors to come out well.....I mean, close like 1 to 2 feet away, and usually touching the bottom or hovering 5 inches off of it. So if you need to create a diffusing system for a light, it is only important to diffuse for a distance of 2 feet ( for example). You really don't need variable focus).


As to using someone else like a slave light...here is a frame grab from a video of mine, that shows the concept....while this is not a pretty reef, it shows how light from a diver a long way from you--but close to your subject, can add great color....in this example, there is really not much color, as it is a baitball and a goliath Grouper inside it

 

[deeper thoughts]

My wife has both the xz1 and the tg1. She liked both but uses the tg1 more. It doesnt need a housing(up to 40 feet) She loves the pix for the tg1 and just ordered the wet wide angle and macro lenses for a little over 200 dollars