Underwater Cameras

[speydulika]

Hello all,

I am looking for a decent underwater camera and find the internet reviews a big steaming pile of dung which all directly contradict each other. Last year I used the Panasonic FT5 which somehow I managed to lose this year??? The camera will be used for photo's in and out of water. Taking pictures of clients and their catches in various scenarios. The Panasonic that I had was a good camera but I found that the LCD display let it down quite badly and I frequently found my self taking multiple shots of the same image to ensure that at least one photo turned out ok. The thing was that once the memory card was plugged into my laptop most of them were ok. I have see the Olympus TG4. Has anybody used it? Is it any good? Do I buy another Panasonic? Do any of you have any other suggestions?

[Wildfisher]

I have had a Pentax and a Panasonic and I have to say I was / am not exactly overawed by either of them. I think the extra glass needed to seal them and make them waterproof probably cuts out too much of the available light. The Panasonic is better than the Pentax, so if you were happy enough with your own Panasonic it might be better to stick with that make.

[Bobfly]

Would scuba diving web sites be a good spot to search for comments and reviews ?

[speydulika]

Would scuba diving web sites be a good spot to search for comments and reviews ?

A good idea in principal but I think scuba divers use special dedicated cameras and not the type that I am looking at. I am looking at tough, rugged outdoor cameras that are waterproof to a relatively shallow depth only.

[burnie]

A lot of scuba divers use a waterproof case with a standard slr inside it, my grandson recently had some underwater pictures taken of him, a bit like the Nirvana album cover, that camera was a Nikon in a special case.

[Bobfly]

At least two folk I was with last week on Harris are sea canoists who use hand held cameras down the side of their boats so I will ask them what they use.

[corsican dave]

I have had a Pentax and a Panasonic and I have to say I was / am not exactly overawed by either of them. I think the extra glass needed to seal them and make them waterproof probably cuts out too much of the available light.

i'm sure you're right here Fred. my FT3 takes superb photos in good daylight and with light on the subject. put a bit of shade/gloom into the equation and it's a different matter; distinctly grainy. it's better when on a tripod and timed shutter release than hand-held, but that's not an option most of the time with what we're doing. it's a shame, because the lens is very high quality as I understand?

ultimately it's the difference between bomb-proof, worry free point-&-pray and a dedicated, larger format camera. the Panasonic is arguably still the best option for a non-photographer. bit of an issue if your clients are expecting publication standard photos, though.

[Wildfisher]

put a bit of shade/gloom into the equation and it's a different matter; distinctly grainy.

Exactly what I experience Dave. Very poor quality. I guess it must be ramping the ISO up to get the correct exposure. I think my FT25 goes up to 1600 ISO, this is bound to produce grainy images

[speydulika]

I am torn between the Olympus Tough TG-4 and the Panasonic Lumix FT-5 as I said I previously had the Lumix but managed to lose it as I frequently do with reels, sunglasses, lines and a whole shitload of other stuff

[Bobfly]

Hold off a spell, I have asked one guy who I do know has taken lots of really good photos of the sea bed and other stuff over the side of a canoe and asked another who does similar. Maybe they use a particular type of case or maybe a particular camera but Martin's stuff is excellent.