Olympus TG-1 questions - CY Filter / white balance / underwater modes / strobes

[travelrider]

Hi, I have an Olympus TG-1 and have a PT-053 housing on the way. I also have a UR/Pro CY filter that I have on my GoPro.
I'm very new to underwater still photography so I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer.

1) Do the TG-1 underwater modes actually do decent white balance compensation? If so, how good is it? I don't see any white balance settings on this camera other than the SCENE settings.
2) Would you recommend putting my UR/Pro CY filter on this camera to compensate? If I put the CY filter on, would you still set the camera to underwater mode or would you leave it on a "standard" setting?
3) I assume if I get a strobe, I don't want to use the CY filter. Is that correct?
4) If I get a strobe, do I want to use the Underwater SCENE mode on the camera or leave it on a "standard" setting?
4) I'm considering a Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobe. Is that a good choice for this camera? (Other suggestions appreciated).
5) Do I even need a strobe? It's an expensive add-on... With a CY filter could I use software to enhance the photos after the fact? I typically only dive 20-60 feet.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

 

[Karloss]

I have only had mine for around three trips which equates into around 1000 pics. You can try the scene mode however I tend to stay out of it. There is a white balance, which coming from my memory at the moment, is an underwater setting. I am not sure if it is adjustable or not. There is an adjustable setting for exposure on the camera. Now coming from my limited experience with a strobe, I would say any strobe is better than the onboard flash of the camera. I suggest playing around with it in "program" mode then save what you like on one of the custom modes. I hope this helped in some fashion.

 

[JackConnick]

Answers within:

1) Do the TG-1 underwater modes actually do decent white balance compensation? If so, how good is it? I don't see any white balance settings on this camera other than the SCENE settings.

Scene modes work very well uw for many beginners. You may get better results working with program modes and manual white balance.

2) Would you recommend putting my UR/Pro CY filter on this camera to compensate? If I put the CY filter on, would you still set the camera to underwater mode or would you leave it on a "standard" setting?

You can try it on both modes and see, but there is one-touch manual white balance available.

3) I assume if I get a strobe, I don't want to use the CY filter. Is that correct?

yes

4) If I get a strobe, do I want to use the Underwater SCENE mode on the camera or leave it on a "standard" setting?

Standard settings with auto white balance.

4) I'm considering a Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobe. Is that a good choice for this camera? (Other suggestions appreciated).

The YS-D1 is a great strobe, probably overkill for this camera in some ways, we usually recommend the YS-01. Both have TTL auto operation, an aiming light, plenty of power, a wide beam angle and are small. But if you are considering external wide angle lenses or moving up to a better camera, The YS-D1 a great choice. We never have had anyone come back and say "you sold me too powerful a strobe"! Don't forget you'll need a tray, arms and sync cord. We sell ready-to-go lighting packages for this and other compact cameras.

5) Do I even need a strobe? It's an expensive add-on... With a CY filter could I use software to enhance the photos after the fact? I typically only dive 20-60 feet.

A strobe brings out all the colors and sharp detail. You can use the filter in shallower water, more like 30' or less, depending on conditions. Best during bright sun with it at your back. But as you go deeper, with overhands, walls, etc it's pretty hard to get much color or detail without one.

Much more information on the TG-1 is available at Olympus. We have lots of free guides and info in our Education section.