New to Snorkeling Now a camera?

[hapibeli]

I'm a 69 year old male into snorkeling around the Southern Gulf islands of BC, Canada. I have the right gear for the cold. I've been in 12 times so far and I am going 4-5 days per week. I've averaged 40-50 min so far, and I keep it there for safety.
I need a camera and after $800 in gear, I'd like a camera for under $300?
Suggestions all?
Thanks

 

[Blackcrusader]

For under $300 I would look for a second hand Go Pro or perhaps an Olympus TG series camera.

 

[dcvf2]

Hi ‘Hapibeli’

Did you see => BEST UNDERWATER CAMERAS OF 2020: COMPACT CAMERAS - ScubaBoard

TG6 280…390 €
Tough TG-6 | T (Tough) Series | Olympus

Mounted on a tray with 2 handles to get more stable video

How to film steady underwater at 5:10



FT7 330…390 €
LUMIX Tough Camera DC-FT7 | Waterproof Camera | Panasonic UK & Ireland

My wife is still happy with her TF3
exemples, resized for forum.

 

[Blackcrusader]

How I mounted my Go Pro and TG6. DIY tray very light. Two handles give good stability.

 

[hapibeli]

Thank you BlackCrusader, and dcvf2. I will check out both. Cheerio!

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

We offer a selection of inexpensive and modular mounts.

https://www.makospearguns.com/Speargun-Camera-Mounts-GoPro-Accessories-s/45.htm

 

[jonhall]

I need a camera and after $800 in gear, I'd like a camera for under $300?

For snorkeling the Olympus TG-6 looks pretty nice - has some nice features. I like how compact it is. At $349, it seems pretty reasonable. The drawback for me is that, as a diver, it is only waterproof to 50 feet.

If you have an iPhone (although it's probably true for any brand phone), you could entertain the idea of a housing. There may be different and cheaper brands, but SeaLife has one for $299. That seems pretty expensive to me. Below is a link:

SportDiver Underwater Housing for iPhone®

Another option from SeaLife (I've had 3 different models of their cameras) is their new Reefmaster RM-4K. It is their newest model and is only $299.95 (under your $300 limit ) Has 14mp whereas the Olympus has 12mp - both have 4K video. Can be taken to deeper depth (130 feet), but if snorkeling, that isn't going to be a factor for you. The only thing I don't like is that the camera has a housing - the old models didn't need one. What I do like though is, according to the info on the respective websites, the SeaLife has a longer battery life by quite a bit. Most times the inner cameras for SeaLifes are also waterproof to a certain depth, but I don't know about this one. I have the SeaLife 2000 and have used the inner camera - with no housing - in my swimming pool several times. Link to the Reefmaster is below:

ReefMaster RM-4K - SeaLife Cameras

I was looking at the dimensions of both the Olympus TG-6 and the Reefmaster - they are different - and trying to decide, if I were to purchase one, which would be easier for me to hold and manipulate. Can't speak to the Olympus, but SeaLife cameras generally have large keys/buttons and are easy to switch between stills and video.

Just more to think about!!!

 

[Chris Ross]

The TG-6 is a good solution, however be aware that the seals can and do fail. From p124 of the manual:

"In order to preserve the water resistant feature, as with any underwater housing, it is recommended that the waterproof packing (and seals) are replaced annually.For the Olympus distributors or service stations where the waterproof packing can be replaced, visit Olympus website for your local area." https://cs.olympus-imaging.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/download/manual/tg/man_tg6_e.pdf

We had a TG850 and the seals failed on that after about 6 months and it was repaired under warranty then at 18 months failed again. It appears to have a membrane seal under under the two areas with button and shorts them out when it holes through. The TG-6 has similar seals.

Unless you want to treat the camera as disposable I would recommend you use it in a housing, which would soon be paid for with the service costs to change the seals.