TG-5: Diving without a housing?

[Agean]

Hi all,

Been a lurker for a while and have seen a few folks posting pics from their TG-3/4/5 both with and without housings. I'm planning on getting the TG-5 but waffling on whether the housing is really required.

We do maybe 20 dives a year (if we're lucky) and I've been shooting / recording with a Hero4 and found I really enjoy the macro stuff (which the Hero isn't great at).

I know that beyond 50ft the warranty is void and it will eventually die ... but if that eventually is after 50+ dives then nbd, the TG-6 will probably be out. So is it worth the risk, taking it on dives down to 20m? (if I know we're diving beyond that I'll probably leave it on the boat as there won't be enough light without a strobe anyway)

Also has anyone used the LG-1 (LED light guide) underwater to add a bit of light to macro / microscope shots? I know it says it's not for underwater use, but if the light guide works it should add some light? Anyone tried it?

Thanks so much!

 

[northernone]

That series is fine a little deeper than rated depth, my tg3 drowned at 110ft(35m) but the buttons become intermittent at 25m.

Please don't use these depths as guidelines, I may have been lucky on the hundred or so dives it joined me on before drowning. Being compact I'd keep in it my wetsuit sleeve and didn't require any special attention, unlike a bulky housing.

My only issue was that it limited my dive profiles and I missed shots leaving it in the boat on planned deeper dives . With a housing now I can bring a camera along on every dive and just use it shallow.

(Somewhat shergrinned to say I've been enjoying and ultimately drowning point and shoot cameras since 2002 in homemade housings or exceeding depth ratings. Picking a pair of them used, a model older than current, and testing one to failure for my own fascination and understanding, while leaving me with a compact camera to use and trust. I've tried dozens in this fashion.)

Regards,
Cameron

 

[h2sk1]

Hi all,
Been a lurker for a while and have seen a few folks posting pics from their TG-3/4/5 both with and without housings. I'm planning on getting the TG-5 but waffling on whether the housing is really required.

I know that beyond 50ft the warranty is void and it will eventually die ... but if that eventually is after 50+ dives then nbd, the TG-6 will probably be out. So is it worth the risk, taking it on dives down to 20m? (if I know we're diving beyond that I'll probably leave it on the boat as there won't be enough light without a strobe anyway)

Also has anyone used the LG-1 (LED light guide) underwater to add a bit of light to macro / microscope shots? I know it says it's not for underwater use, but if the light guide works it should add some light? Anyone tried it?

Thanks so much!

OK, the light guide is a really big no-no for underwater use. If you take a close look at its construction you'd see that the interior would fill with water very easily and then short circuit the electronics. If you want a light for macro shots and don't want the expense of a strobe, then any dive light will do as long as the beam is wide enough. You'd be surprised that with the help of a partner beaming the light you can get reasonable MACRO shots without a strobe. Even by yourself you may be able to figure out how to hold a light and take a photo at the same time. That would be much easier with a housing though.....

We have the TG-4 with housing and I don't think I'd take the unprotected camera down to 20m but that's just me - the case can be found used here every now and then. The case makes shooting with one hand so much easier and the half button press for focus lock is also easier. I like that the Oly housing includes a hot-shoe so you can mount your dive light on top. We have strobes, so we use the hot-shoe for a focus light, but it sounds like the strobe/tray/focus light combo is getting too expensive for your needs.

 

[Chris Ross]

If you read the fine print on any of the tough cams they state you need to put them in for service yearly to replace the seals. There are seals on the doors and also under the buttons/dials and those under the buttons require partial disassembly to access. I have seen quite a few of these type cameras fail, owned a TG-850 and it flooded in the button area, once under warranty and again when 6 months out of warranty. That one was only used snorkelling.

A housing is similar in price to a camera and I'd expect would be better than break even investment and should allow the camera to last several years if you soak it after each dive and service the main o-ring. Better still investment if it prevents a failure while on a dive trip. Even at rated depth it's not if but when it's going to fail at that is often soon out of warranty.

The built in flash/diffuser seems to do an OK job at lighting macro subjects when you are in really close. Just need to use the right settings to exclude ambient light from the exposure. This would be something like Av, f8, ISO100.

 

[Dannybot]

My wife has a TG 4 with the housing. The housing is very compact, if that’s a major concern.

 

[JackConnick]

The buttons on the Tg-4, TG-5 stop working and the camera will shut down. And you will void the warranty. That said, it's quite fun to snorkel, or do a shallow dive with it out of the housing.

 

[Dubi]

I would not waste my warranty diving without the housing. You can just you a bright light instead of strobe to save money.