Best Beginner Camera (TG6 vs G7x iii)

[cephalogoddess]

Hi friends,
I've recently graduated college and before going to graduate school for marine biology I want to get into underwater photography. Of course I'm on a budget. I want to mainly shoot macro but would like to be able to shoot quality video as well. The only UW photography experience I have is with a Canon PowerShot D30 which I've used and loved the past few years but want an upgrade.

Being on a tight budget, the 2 cameras I'm trying to decide between are the Olympus TG6 and the Canon G7x iii. Of course, the G7x is about twice the price but it does have full manual capabilities whereas the TG6 does not. However, the TG6 looks super easy to use and great macro. But I do want to be able to advance my photography skills which I know would be more possible with the G7x.

I will also be buying at least one strobe and a video light (of course if I go with the TG6 I could afford 2 strobes...). But I don't want to buy a cheaper camera now and then decide in a year that I need to upgrade again. And unfortunately right now I really can't afford anything more expensive than the G7x

I'll mainly be taking photos in the PNW but I am going to Indonesia in March. So I also want a camera that I'll be able to figure out how to use in only a couple of months.

What do you recommend? Does anyone have experience with one or both of these cameras and if so what do you like and what don't you like? Can the G7x iii shoot decent macro or would I need to purchase an additional macro lens?

Thank you so much for any advice!
-Taryn

 

[Chris Ross]

The TG-6 does very good macro but has a number of limitations including clunky workarounds to controlling shutter speed without full manual, the very small sensor and it's not very wide out of the box. The tiny sensor though is what makes it so good at macro as depth of field is much less of an issue. The G7X allows moderately wide images similar to what the TG-6 will do, but does not go as well with macro and is reported to image an area of 83 x 55mm at maximum magnification.

If you are on a budget consider looking in the classifieds for example and EM-1 Mk 1 with Nauticam housing went for $900 - the price more or less of just the G7X purchased new. There's also a LX_10 system with lenses going in your area. You will get much more bang for your buck that way.

 

[cozcharlie]

7 months later, does anyone have any additional thoughts on this post? (I have the same question ). Particularly interested in thoughts from anyone diving with G7x III

 

[deeper thoughts]

7 months later, does anyone have any additional thoughts on this post? (I have the same question ). Particularly interested in thoughts from anyone diving with G7x III

Cannot help you with the canon.That being said search my threads in the Florida community area and you will see tons of tg6 pix and give you some idea of what it can and cannot do
Hope this helps

 

[tursiops]

7 months later, does anyone have any additional thoughts on this post? (I have the same question ). Particularly interested in thoughts from anyone diving with G7x III

My wife has a G7XII in a Nauticam housing, and a TG-4 in its Olympus housing.
The latter is only used when she wants a smaller rig to carry.

 

[Jennifer A Titus]

i hear olympus is getting out of the camera market? perhaps a rumor?

 

[tursiops]

i hear olympus is getting out of the camera market? perhaps a rumor?

Not a rumor.
BREAKING: Olympus sells camera division | Digital Camera World.
And possibly not a problem.

 

[cozcharlie]

Thanks for the replies.

I had been leaning towards Canon. I snorkel a lot (hundreds of hours per year) and I don’t have much time to compose my shots precisely while holding my breath so I was hoping to lean on the Canon’s larger sensor/image size to offset the inevitable cropping due to hasty shot composition. On scuba, pretty sure Olympus would be fine for my needs, though even then I am always drift diving so have to do things fairly quickly in the current.

My concern with the Canon is that I have seen some genuinely awful reviews of the G7 Mark III. Evidently autofocus was a disaster in 2019 , then they rolled out a firmware fix late last year that maybe helped (somewhat). Most of the reviews from after the firmware fix have been sponsored reviews so not that credible. Especially interested in anyone that has used Canon underwater after the firmware fix.

 

[JohnN]

If you're really on a budget, consider using an "older" Canon. I was able to pick up a G16 (a very capable camera) in an Ikelite housing with a tray, arm, DS50 Ikelite strobe and sync cable on ebay for < $310. Yes that was a very good deal, but those deals are out there

The camera is not the latest and greatest, but if at some unknown point in the future when my photography is limited by the hardware rather than by my skill, I'll upgrade (hint. . . don't hold your breath)

 

[cozcharlie]

If you're really on a budget, consider using an "older" Canon. I was able to pick up a G16 (a very capable camera) in an Ikelite housing with a tray, arm, DS50 Ikelite strobe and sync cable on ebay for < $310. Yes that was a very good deal, but those deals are out there

The camera is not the latest and greatest, but if at some unknown point in the future when my photography is limited by the hardware rather than by my skill, I'll upgrade (hint. . . don't hold your breath)

I think I confused you by jumping on to someone else’s thread —budget is not my primary issue. I actually have a 9 year old Canon G12 and and housing I am trying to upgrade from