Dilemmas with upgrading my camera system

[Rick Brant]

Agreed. In a way, working with the awesome folks at Backscatter, I have created the bundle (if you click on all those links and add them to your cart, there’s the bundle!) and there are discounts they are running until end of month. If you don’t have a GoPro, you could even get rid of the tray and instead mount the light on the shoe… though then you’d have to use the TG-6 for videos too and you get into the lack of wide angle…

I like the MF-1 but I struggle with the battery being an extra cost and the cable being $90. That's $150 in addition to the light, just to make the light work. I may sit on the fence a little longer.

 

[DanielM]

OK I was using a go Pro Hero 4 for several years. I got a TG6 with PT059 housing and package of gear quite cheap August 2019.
I decided as I like to take video to get two Big Blue VL 4200P video lights. The camera tray is my onw DIY.

I bought a mount for the Go Pro as sometimes I use that for video when I am taking photos. You can set the TG6 for landscape like in the Go Pro so do not spend on getting a wide screen lens atm. You will need to learn about what settings to use but you will get some fantastic video and photos from the TG6. The video lights last for hours on low power and are great for low vis and night dives.

Sometimes I will shoot video from the Go Pro when I am taking photos with the TG6. The TG6 does take awesome 4K video as well. Lights are important so you won't need a red filter. I'm just taking photos and video as memories of my vacations and I rarely do any editing cause I am lazy and I am not trying to join any photo competitions.

Thanks for sharing (and nice pics!). That matches my needs (just taking photos as memories) and journey (from GoPro to TG-6). It looks like you went for the tray and two lights option, which is the thing I am struggling with, as I don’t know if I’ll be happy with that bulky option…

 

[DanielM]

I like the MF-1 but I struggle with the battery being an extra cost and the cable being $90. That's $150 in addition to the light, just to make the light work. I may sit on the fence a little longer.

Yeah, if you decide to go with the MF-1, just replace the MW-4300 (and its spare batteries) for the MF-1 in the Backscatter bundle I created and you are good to go... I considered the MF-1, but for Macro that video light would work just as well, and double as a dive light in general, so it seemed a better choice for me... still haven't pulled the trigger as I cannot come to terms with carrying a tray on my dives... will force myself to make the decision this weekend.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Thanks for sharing (and nice pics!). That matches my needs (just taking photos as memories) and journey (from GoPro to TG-6). It looks like you went for the tray and two lights option, which is the thing I am struggling with, as I don’t know if I’ll be happy with that bulky option…

My tray is DIY and quite compact. You need lights anyway so I was able to use the standard mounts for Go Pro for them. Also it's very light and glides in the water like a wing. I can also set it down flat when I want to record. The two handles make for good stability along with the SIS system in the camera.

One thing with macro video, the slightest movement on the camera and you get a lot of movement onscreen. So my tray allows me to get up close and personal and make it stable in this case placed on the sea bed. I zoomed in to get this video.

 

[DanielM]

My tray is DIY and quite compact. You need lights anyway so I was able to use the standard mounts for Go Pro for them. Also it's very light and glides in the water like a wing. I can also set it down flat when I want to record. The two handles make for good stability along with the SIS system in the camera.

One thing with macro video, the slightest movement on the camera and you get a lot of movement onscreen. So my tray allows me to get up close and personal and make it stable in this case placed on the sea bed. I zoomed in to get this video.

Makes sense, and looking at your results, I can see why you are so proud of your system. I have now decided against the bulk of a tray (which as per my original post was the thing giving me the most pause), even if that also means giving up on stability and the other tray+arms benefits. Instead, I'll mount the GoPro with the SideKick Duo on top of the TG-6. That was the combination I was missing, which in hindsight is an obvious option not to have explored, but better late than never

 

[Blackcrusader]

Makes sense, and looking at your results, I can see why you are so proud of your system. I have now decided against the bulk of a tray (which as per my original post was the thing giving me the most pause), even if that also means giving up on stability and the other tray+arms benefits. Instead, I'll mount the GoPro with the SideKick Duo on top of the TG-6. That was the combination I was missing, which in hindsight is an obvious option not to have explored, but better late than never

Well I actually built the tray when I had the Go Pro with smaller knog lights. So all I did was set it up for the TG6.

 

[j0rd1]

Personally, I would get rid of the Gopro (is an old model and I believe the image quality of the TG6 for video will still match what you get today) and get the wide angle dome. There are several options available, depending on your budged. I would get a pair of strobes (the small Inon will do) and a video light on the flash shoe. That will give you much better results for macro (strobe all the way) and decent video (even macro video if you don't use the wet dome).

 

[Blackcrusader]

Personally, I would get rid of the Gopro (is an old model and I believe the image quality of the TG6 for video will still match what you get today) and get the wide angle dome. There are several options available, depending on your budged. I would get a pair of strobes (the small Inon will do) and a video light on the flash shoe. That will give you much better results for macro (strobe all the way) and decent video (even macro video if you don't use the wet dome).

For Macro video lights provide good lighting. Some people might use the Go Pro to take video while using the TG6 to take photos at the same time. Sure the TG6 takes excellent 4K video but some people want video and photos at the same time.

Each to their own though I don't use strobes as I get quite good results with video lights for close up and Macro which is why I got the TG6. Like myself the OP takes vacation photos and video.

 

[DanielM]

Personally, I would get rid of the Gopro (is an old model and I believe the image quality of the TG6 for video will still match what you get today) and get the wide angle dome. There are several options available, depending on your budged.

Thank you for the suggestion. I already ordered the 82 degree lens to get a bit more wide, and it works with macro without having to take it off. The problem with the wide angle dome you suggested is that it has to be taken off during diving for macro shots, which is going to be my primary activity while opportunistically looking for something larger that may "fly" by. That is where the benefit of the GoPro (with red filter) comes in, for the opportunistic wide angle photo without making any changes to the TG-6 for macro. Plus with that setup, you can do video (GoPro) and photos (TG-6) at the same time if needed.

I would get a pair of strobes (the small Inon will do) and a video light on the flash shoe. That will give you much better results for macro (strobe all the way) and decent video (even macro video if you don't use the wet dome).

Thanks, but a pair of strobes means a tray plus even more of all that stuff in the middle paragraph of my original post, which is what gave me all the angst. I have decided that I'm not ready for a tray+arms, so the GoPro (with the Duo) mounted on the TG-6 will have to do for now. As a grow up, from a lighting perspective, I also ordered the MW-4300 with the ability to mount it on the TG-6 (instead of the GoPro) so if I decide that either I need more light, or that I'm not really using the GoPro itself as I outlined above, then I can switch to that configuration (and if/when I don't switch to that configuration, my wife can use that as her dive light, instead of the GoBe Spot she has now).