Thinking about the new TG 5

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Steelyeyes

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Kralendijk, Bonaire
# of dives
500 - 999
I currently have a SeaLife DC 1200 and two strobes for still shots. The macro and super macro are incredible but the image capture speed is super slow. For intermediate distance and bigger fish I rarely get what I'm shooting at because the fish leave between pressing the shutter release and actual image capture.

I use a GoPro Hero 5 for UW video because the DC 1200 video is really contrasty. Getting good color with just filters on the GoPro is spotty. Too deep and it's too blue, etc.

So I'm thinking of the TG 5 for both stills and video.

Can you adjust the white balance on the fly or is it just one preset? I guess if I shoot RAW I can adjust the white balance after image capture so that might not be a bit deal.

I saw a lady running a straight video light for stills and video and it seems like that might have it's charms, like being able to see your exposure on the LCD back before the shot. Seems like strobes spook the fish and make followup corrected shots a bit iffy.

Any and all feedback is welcome.
 
I have just switched from Canon S110 to a TG 5 and lové it. The detail in the UW macro mode is incredible and the colours in photos straight from the camera are very strong. I too was worried about WB. Down to 15 mts the camera does it perfectly on auto , with or without the flash enabled. Below 15 mts , so far I have got away with the incamera flash putting in sufficient light for auto WB. But there is the option of manually adjusting the white balance at depth , which worked also fine and at least as well as the Canon did. For any too dark photos I’m used the light option on the iPad to put in extra light when I processed the photos afterwards.
 
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Considering upgrading from the tg 4 to the tg5
 
Based on my own experience with Sea life (DC 1000) and Olympus TG-4, night and day in terms of camera performance and quality of stills and videos. Also one of my main motivator was the RAW capability offered by the camera for post editing as well as the macro/micro functions.

You should be very well served with the TG-5. One of my diving buddies recently purchased one with the Olympus housing and in a few days, we will be able to compare stills and video down South.
 
I have been a sealife user for years and after my last trip to roatan and renting a TG3 I will NEVER go back to them again. I used the TG-3 camera for 2 days and it took only 15 minutes to figure out how it works and the pictures were much better than I expected and can only get better if I was to spend more time figuring out all of the other things it can do. I am currently on the fence about getting the TG5 or the panasonic lx-10 (i wish I could get into the water with the LX to see how it works but the reviews have also been good) the TG 5 is an amazing value at this time for what you get, so you can see why I'm torn.
 
@elbig
no I haven't looked at that one at all my dc1400 is the 3rd sealife I've owned and for quite some time now I made a commitment that it would be the last one I get from them. They do a good job at making entry level underwater photography achievable but i'm looking to raise the quality a lot higher without spending 5 grand for a huge rig. Now that the tg-5 and some of the others are available it gives me some other quality options to look at.
 
I just got a tg5 and took with me to cancun last week - I loved it
 

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Just ordered the tg5 and olympus housing.

Might sell the tg 4 and housing.

If any interest pm with offers but really not sure
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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