Suggestions for beginner macro photography equipment

[pelsasser]

@FezUSA Happy to share my journey through equipment.

Started out with the TG-4 and YS-03 package.

A few years later paired it with a YS-D2, eventually sold the YS-03 and bought a YS-D2J.

Finally I sold the TG-4 last year, and upgraded to an olympus EM1 mk 2 but am still using the YS-D2 and YS-D2J strobes on my current set up.

The YS-D2 does have TTL modes, as well as Manuals modes. I have found better luck with full manual settings on my strobes but many people find the opposite, so perhaps just a preference.

While my new set up is much larger and much nicer, I really enjoyed the journey of learning with the TG4 and a single TTL strobe. Only when I started becoming frustrated with not having full manual, and missing shots because of settings I couldn't access, etc, did I really consider a larger set up. I cannot imagine jumping into my current set up without having taken the intermediate steps in learning. For people who are already land based photographers, that its probably a lot easier. But when I first got my TG-4, I didn't know what aperture or ISO really meant and am glad I learned through a simpler and smaller camera initially.

 

[bvanant]

I know it's a big jump and have considered making a smaller jump, but my husband (and his professional photographer stepdad) have added his $.02 that we should move closer to what works best in the long term instead of stair stepping. I should have qualified "not too pricey" as well. The DSLRs I was looking at are $450-600 but the housings are where I'm hitting some sticker shock. I'll check out the Olympus TG-5 and the Canon G7XmkII. Thanks for those suggestions!

Also, thanks for being gentle with your responses as I am a brand new baby photographer just flailing around, trying to photograph the tiny stuff I love so much.

I would concur with going to the end game without many steps in between, all of us have old systems in the closet that were steps to getting to the final rig we use. $450 for a DSLR is very cheap and will not include a good macro lens. If I were in your shoes, I would look at an Olympus EM-5 in an Olympus housing. Right now you can get one at BlueWater photo for $1300 or so. BUT then you need a tray ($100), a focus light ($200), a macro lens ($400) and at least one strobe ($500-800). So you are in $2800. The TG5 is a nice camera and simple to use but its wide angle capabilities are a bit limited. Remember that strobes last essentially forever as do ports for housings and lenses. Camera bodies and housings are "disposable".
Bill

 

[FezUSA]

Thanks for this. Follow up questions if you don't mind. When you moved from the TG-4 and the YS-03 to the YS-D2, did you use just the D2 or both strobes? If just the D2, did you continue using the same tray/mount that came with the YS-03 kit? Once you sold the YS-03 and bought the D2J, did you then use both the D2 & D2J together?

I'm looking at getting the D2J for my upcoming trips and am also considering 'upgrading' the tray/arm per the recommendations of a pro friend. If you used a different tray/arm for the D2J with the TG-4 I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.

While expensive and opposite to my usual recommendations for other types of purchases, I can quite agree to the process of taking steps with camera equipment. I started with a Canon G4, then Olympus E-500, then upgraded lenses, then E-5; adding the XZ-1 for a family trip to Disney, and then the TG-4 when we started diving (and also useful for our snow sports and other outdoors stuff).

For the OP (and also not to completely hijack the thread!). You have some sound advice here and you have to decide which path is better for you. Step from Go Pro to TG-5 and possibly /eventually to a mirrorless rig; or straight to the mirrorless.

Step: more $$ in the long run, however it can aid in the learning process which will keep you involved and can actually help you along the way. There's something to be said for not upgrading your camera gear until you've mastered it and can't get the shots you want to because of its limitations. Also, and specifically for the TG series, I like and still use it because it also serves other purposes - snorkeling doesn't require the use of the case, if the case leaks a little, or even floods - well the camera is also waterproof and may still survive, it's good for our other non-diving pursuits such as ski and snowboarding, snowshoeing and general outdoor stuff. I also have 5 kids and don't mind them using it for school trips and projects etc. and it can help introduce them into photography (3 so far!!). It is still a capable camera and the cost of entry is also much smaller. In fact I have bought a wide-angle wet lens for it, rather than consider upgrading to a mirrorless system just yet.

Straight to mirrorless: potentially save the cost of purchasing 'lesser' equipment! Opportunity to learn how to shoot with you doing all of the thinking from the outset, or by using one of the modes built-in. If you have a specific type of shooting that doesn't tend to fit the modes that the PnS cameras can handle well then the manual modes will provide you with more success, once you learn to use them.

For me (and for getting the budget passed through the house) I went with the TG-4. For the price of the camera, housing, & tray/arm/strobe combo it was cheaper than just the housing of what I would have considered for a mirrorless option. The wet lens and new strobe will work on future upgrades if they occur. As we were new to diving the budget was already stretched on other stuff too. When/ if I decide to go to mirrorless from my E-5 and semi-pro lenses, then I will consider adding the housing etc. It will be a few more years though, and in that time I expect to learn more, improve my keeper rate, improve my "what's behind the camera", and also take advantage of whatever other technological advances occur!

@FezUSA Happy to share my journey through equipment.

Started out with the TG-4 and YS-03 package.

A few years later paired it with a YS-D2, eventually sold the YS-03 and bought a YS-D2J.

Finally I sold the TG-4 last year, and upgraded to an olympus EM1 mk 2 but am still using the YS-D2 and YS-D2J strobes on my current set up.

The YS-D2 does have TTL modes, as well as Manuals modes. I have found better luck with full manual settings on my strobes but many people find the opposite, so perhaps just a preference.

While my new set up is much larger and much nicer, I really enjoyed the journey of learning with the TG4 and a single TTL strobe. Only when I started becoming frustrated with not having full manual, and missing shots because of settings I couldn't access, etc, did I really consider a larger set up. I cannot imagine jumping into my current set up without having taken the intermediate steps in learning. For people who are already land based photographers, that its probably a lot easier. But when I first got my TG-4, I didn't know what aperture or ISO really meant and am glad I learned through a simpler and smaller camera initially.

 

[pelsasser]

When you moved from the TG-4 and the YS-03 to the YS-D2, did you use just the D2 or both strobes? If just the D2, did you continue using the same tray/mount that came with the YS-03 kit? Once you sold the YS-03 and bought the D2J, did you then use both the D2 & D2J together?

@FezUSA I used both strobes with this tray / arms

Mozaik - Uni-Tray Dual Locline Arm package - Fits all housings

The only downside to that tray and arms is it is a bit squeaky and not very exact or fluid with moving the strobe, similar to how the ys-03 arm works, but perhaps a little more pronounced since its longer.

In fact, it is still sitting in my basement, DM me if you want if for cheap

Once I sold the YS-03, I used the D2 and D2J together, and still do.

 

[bvanant]

To the OP
A lot will depend on what you want to do with the pictures. If your goal is to share photos with friends and on the web only, then the TG5 in a housing will be ideal. If you add a Kraken 3000 ring light you will have a really small and really capable system for about $1200 plus a tray so $1300 all in. If however you want to make prints for your office at anything bigger than 4x6 inches, mirrorless will be your friend, an expensive friend to be sure but your friend. Unfortunately there really isn't much in between those two approaches, there are other P&S but none of them are good at macro compared to the TG5 and there are a myriad of ways to go mirrorless but all of them will be bunch more $ and pain.
If you let us know what you want to spend on a system or what you want to do with the pics, we can be more help.
Bill

 

[pelsasser]

I have been able to print 12MP images much larger that 4x6 and personally think they still have very good quality.

Typically, I have seen it recommended that you want at least 300 ppi for high resolution prints, for example here is a chart of something similar - Design215 Megapixels and Print Size Chart

I have a lot of 8x10s from the TG4 and think they look great, and think you could probably go bigger without much issue.

 

[FezUSA]

From my TG-4 I have an 11x14 metallic print shooting up at the underside of a passing turtle. Looks fantastic and gets a lot of positive comments. A shooter can certainly look closely and determine that the picture would be better quality if shot with a larger sensor camera with a higher dynamic range and better glass etc. But from 2-3' away you just look at and enjoy the picture! Macro pictures can show more detail, so the larger sensor cameras can really make a difference here, BUT with a macro lens. The TG-4 allows you to get stupidly close to the subject and take amazing macros. You can get 8x10's from these easily.

Yes you ideally want to print at 240-300, however one also has to realize the expected viewing distance of a given print size. While you can pixel peep and stand nose to print of an 8x10 (or larger) that's not usually the intended purpose. With high-end cameras, yes the quality and ease of printing larger is there, but you can get good to decent 8x10 and 11x14 prints from the TG-4.

The bigger the budget the better the quality of image possible, but it will also take more skill to accomplish. If macro isn't a main concern, then the Sony RX100 and Canon G7x (or current versions thereof) both have 1" sensors, can shoot RAW (like the TG-4), and are considered to offer better picture quality, approaching that of the mirrorless options, but in a PnS sized package with full manual capability.

 

[Steve the Baker]

Hi,
Check out Backscatter if your looking at the TG-5. They have many video tutorials.

 

[bvanant]

I am printing right now for the Los Angeles Scuba show. Our prints are 12 x 16 x 360 DPI which comes out to 24 MP (more or less). Certainly there are photos that you can print large from smaller files but conversely there are some photos that just don't translate well to printing.
Some of the pics for the show come from TG5s and it is clear (at this size at least) that the resolution just isn't quite there.
Bill

 

[howswedeofme]

Thanks for all the feedback! I’m still in the process of doing more research and weighing how often we dive (2-3 times a year because I hate cold water but live in Michigan so diving always involves travel) and the cost for what I’d like to achieve (better close-up shots in general and better macro capabilities for printing but not likely large prints). Great suggestions from everyone!