Hey folks 
I'm hoping for your opinion on a camera setup, both on the product front, but also on the way I am approaching the decision making.
Today I take mostly photos but also some videos with a GoPro 3+ (without an LCD display screen) with a red filter plus a Sidekick Duo S/F light, all of it on a floatie stick. I love that it is compact, the Sidekick Duo doubles as my regular dive light when searching for stuff in the reef under ledges etc, the whole thing is easy to maneuver with one hand leaving my other hand totally free, easy to quickly tether to my pocket-less BC, and not fragile at all to worry about it. What I'd like to improve is being able to see a preview of the photos, and to take better macro photos (incl. zoom). I was between the latest GoPro plus a macro lens, or the TG-6 and decided that, since photos is my primary activity, to go for the TG-6. I'll also need the underwater housing PT-059 plus a spare battery and charger. So far, so good, I think.
The first dilemma is what to do for the non-macro scenarios. I see there is a 120 degree lens for the TG-6, but that would mean switching lens when moving from macro to wide photo (and also having to store the lens somewhere). That seems a hassle too far for me. I don't typically decide ahead of the dive what I'll be doing, it all comes naturally based on what is around and what gets my attention. The compromise seems to be the M52 81 Wide Air lens, which claims not to have to come off for macro (as long as you zoom the camera all the way in). So I decided to get that and what made me comfortable with that decision is the following. Since I already have the old GoPro, it seems a miss not to get a shoe adapter and mount the GoPro on the TG-6. This gives me wide angle video and also I could dedicate the GoPro to video in general, and the TG-6 to photos, and hence not have to mess with switching settings. Makes sense so far?
The second dilemma is the lights. I understand that strobes have higher light intensity, and that they freeze the moment better, etc. But I am kinda attached to the idea of my camera rig doubling as my dive light for the dive, plus it is nice to have the light for the videos. Having both a strobe and a separate dive light seems to go too far for me. My understanding is that light versus strobe is not going to make a big difference for macro photography, so if I go with only a light the only big tradeoff is wide angle photos won't be as a great, and I think I can live with that. Does that decision/thought process make sense? With that context, what light would you recommend? I'm leaning toward the brand new Backscatter MW-4300 (plus a spare set of batteries). The secondary question on lights (regardless of light or strobe) is whether to get 1 or 2, and for now I am going with just one and later I could add a second if needed.
The last decision, is what to mount that dive light to. Since the shoe is taken by the GoPro I can't mount it there, plus having the flexibility to move it around to avoid backscatter e.g. hover it over the subject for macro would probably make that a bad place to mount it - besides that kind of system would not "grow" with me if I decided to get a second light/strobe later. So I guess I have to bite the bullet and go with a tray with one arm, which seems to be a whole bunch of items to buy, i.e. the tray, the ball mount base, a short arm, a long arm, three clamps, a lanyard, and floats. Phew. Does all that make sense for just mounting a light to a camera?
Before I hit the "buy" button I get this uneasy feeling that this decision may change the way I dive, and not necessarily for the better. Sure I'll end up with better photos. But with all of the above in my hands, the dive entry and exit has to be more careful/thoughtful not to damage anything, my hand will now always carry this bulky item and not sure I'd be comfortable tethering it to myself… I just wonder if I am ready for turning my care-free dives that have some photography, to instead them becoming dominated by photography. Have others being through this journey? How was it for you?
Cheers
Daniel
I'm hoping for your opinion on a camera setup, both on the product front, but also on the way I am approaching the decision making.
Today I take mostly photos but also some videos with a GoPro 3+ (without an LCD display screen) with a red filter plus a Sidekick Duo S/F light, all of it on a floatie stick. I love that it is compact, the Sidekick Duo doubles as my regular dive light when searching for stuff in the reef under ledges etc, the whole thing is easy to maneuver with one hand leaving my other hand totally free, easy to quickly tether to my pocket-less BC, and not fragile at all to worry about it. What I'd like to improve is being able to see a preview of the photos, and to take better macro photos (incl. zoom). I was between the latest GoPro plus a macro lens, or the TG-6 and decided that, since photos is my primary activity, to go for the TG-6. I'll also need the underwater housing PT-059 plus a spare battery and charger. So far, so good, I think.
The first dilemma is what to do for the non-macro scenarios. I see there is a 120 degree lens for the TG-6, but that would mean switching lens when moving from macro to wide photo (and also having to store the lens somewhere). That seems a hassle too far for me. I don't typically decide ahead of the dive what I'll be doing, it all comes naturally based on what is around and what gets my attention. The compromise seems to be the M52 81 Wide Air lens, which claims not to have to come off for macro (as long as you zoom the camera all the way in). So I decided to get that and what made me comfortable with that decision is the following. Since I already have the old GoPro, it seems a miss not to get a shoe adapter and mount the GoPro on the TG-6. This gives me wide angle video and also I could dedicate the GoPro to video in general, and the TG-6 to photos, and hence not have to mess with switching settings. Makes sense so far?
The second dilemma is the lights. I understand that strobes have higher light intensity, and that they freeze the moment better, etc. But I am kinda attached to the idea of my camera rig doubling as my dive light for the dive, plus it is nice to have the light for the videos. Having both a strobe and a separate dive light seems to go too far for me. My understanding is that light versus strobe is not going to make a big difference for macro photography, so if I go with only a light the only big tradeoff is wide angle photos won't be as a great, and I think I can live with that. Does that decision/thought process make sense? With that context, what light would you recommend? I'm leaning toward the brand new Backscatter MW-4300 (plus a spare set of batteries). The secondary question on lights (regardless of light or strobe) is whether to get 1 or 2, and for now I am going with just one and later I could add a second if needed.
The last decision, is what to mount that dive light to. Since the shoe is taken by the GoPro I can't mount it there, plus having the flexibility to move it around to avoid backscatter e.g. hover it over the subject for macro would probably make that a bad place to mount it - besides that kind of system would not "grow" with me if I decided to get a second light/strobe later. So I guess I have to bite the bullet and go with a tray with one arm, which seems to be a whole bunch of items to buy, i.e. the tray, the ball mount base, a short arm, a long arm, three clamps, a lanyard, and floats. Phew. Does all that make sense for just mounting a light to a camera?
Before I hit the "buy" button I get this uneasy feeling that this decision may change the way I dive, and not necessarily for the better. Sure I'll end up with better photos. But with all of the above in my hands, the dive entry and exit has to be more careful/thoughtful not to damage anything, my hand will now always carry this bulky item and not sure I'd be comfortable tethering it to myself… I just wonder if I am ready for turning my care-free dives that have some photography, to instead them becoming dominated by photography. Have others being through this journey? How was it for you?
Cheers
Daniel
