New Olympus TG-4 Camera

[pmk]

Does anyone have real world experience with one the new TG-4 underwater camera?

It's the first one that can shoot RAW which should be really good for underwater shots. It also has some different underwater modes and has additional waterproof lenses.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/o ... -tg-4A.HTM

DPReview rates it pretty highly.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/600032 ... g-4-review




pmk

[Coconuts]

pmk: Thanks for pointing that out; the TG-4 looks like a great all-around point and shoot, as well as a good underwater camera. The ability to shoot in RAW is big; a few years back, with no underwater point and shoot offering that capability, I went with a Canon S110 and an underwater case. The case definitely added an extra logistical challenge, though, and a few months ago, the camera itself went AWOL. I'm not sure if it is lost for good or merely misplaced, but with a trip coming up, I just might spring for the TG-4. The ability to add external lenses also suggests that a circular polarizer could be fitted to the TG-4.

There's more to the picture than just better gear, though, as Pickles' and Liamsaunt's work attests. They don't need RAW, but I'll take (and need) all the help I can get.

All the best,

Kevin

[jmq]

Very interesting what is now filtering down to point n shoots like this - besides the ability to shoot RAW, this camera comes with nice specs/features like wide angle 25mm at f2.0; HDR and live composite capability; and image stabilization with video.

[pmk]

I also opted for the Canon S110 and one of those ziplock type underwater cases,
and found the results better than the Canon underwater camera (which I sent back because the image quality was so poor, IMO).

I always look forward to Liamsaunt and Pickle's pics! If I see half the stuff Pickle sees underwater, I count myself very lucky.



pmk

[Bluestreak12]

I have both the TG-3 and TG-4 and I'm very happy with them. The only thing that bothers me is the panorama mode. It almost never stitches them properly. I don't shoot in raw, so I can't help you much there. It's very easy to use and has very quick focusing. Battery life has been pretty good. We usually snorkel two to three hours at a time and it usually lasts that long. If you do get it, I found the underwater 1 to be the best setting. In underwater 2, the focus length is fixed and it resulted in a number of pictures being out of focus. Here's a link to some of my photos taken with either the tg3 or 4. Some of them were enhanced using Picasa by just using the i'm feeling lucky button.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12919567@ ... otostream/

[Wanda Creech]

What does the RAW do for your underwater pictures?

[Coconuts]

WC: All cameras start with a RAW image (directly from the image sensor). When you choose to save your photos in JPG format, a lot of irreversible processing is then performed in the camera. That processing also compresses the image, and significantly reduces the dynamic range. When you save in RAW, you get to keep the original, and do the processing (such as white balance, which is important for underwater photos) yourself, on a PC, with better tools and personal choice. The downside is that each RAW image does need to be tweaked, which is more work than casual photography deserves. The best option is to set the camera to record in both RAW and JPG, and save the careful fiddling for only those photos that show the most promise.

Here is a website (admittedly, a bit biased) with some of the basics:

http://photographyconcentrate.com/10-re ... oting-raw/

FWIW, my TG-4 arrived today, along with a filter adapter and a circular polarizer. Headed down tomorrow, and looking forward to seeing what it can do.

All the best,

Kevin

[Wanda Creech]

Thanks for the lesson on RAW. I have that camera but have not used it. Maybe now my pics will be better. However they will never be as good as Liamaunt and Pickle. They just have the magic touch.