What camera are you using?

[stillreleasing]

I am trying to decide on the right camera for fishing/adventure/travel and am completely overwhelmed. I want to keep it is simple as possible and as versatile as possible. The only things I feel confident in at this point are 1- ability to shoot raw images, 2- reasonable cost, 3- reasonable learning curve for a novice photographer

So, other than your phone, what camera are you using? And what would you recommend?

 

[Stonedfish]

I’m a very basic user.
I use an older Olympus TG-4 when fishing. Pretty basic point and shoot. Water and shock proof. Good size for my needs and easily fits in a pack. I like the ability to download the photos via WiFi. I upgraded the memory card and can get about 1000 photos on it. It does shoot raw.
The current model is a TG-7. Good luck in your search.
SF

 

[Cabezon]

I’m a very basic user.
I use an older Olympus TG-4 when fishing. Pretty basic point and shoot. Water and shock proof. Good size for my needs and easily fits in a pack. I like the ability to download the photos via WiFi. I upgraded the memory card and can get about 1000 photos on it. It does shoot raw.
The current model is a TG-7. Good luck in your search.
SF

I'm also a big fan of the TG series cameras. You have the option of shooting raw, jpeg, or both. It is a "tough" camera which means it can handle some abuse. And it is waterproof, a great feature when fishing. It shoots EXCELLENT closeups, which I use all the time for wildflower photography. It weighs under 9 ounces and fits in a fishing pocket. The TG-7 is available from B&H photo (and other retailers) for around $500.
Steve

 

[Fourbtgait]

I’m a very basic user.
I use an older Olympus TG-4 when fishing. Pretty basic point and shoot. Water and shock proof. Good size for my needs and easily fits in a pack. I like the ability to download the photos via WiFi. I upgraded the memory card and can get about 1000 photos on it. It does shoot raw.
The current model is a TG-7. Good luck in your search.
SF

That’s a nice little camera system, impressive.

 

[Jacob Watrous]

• I’m photographing others:
  • 1 x Canon R1 + 16-35 2.8
  • 1 x Canon R1 + 70-200 or 100-400
• I’m focused on fishing:
  • 1 x Fuji X-Pro 3 + 27 and a 90 in a pocket
  • 1 x GoPro 13
• I’m fishing but focused on photos:
  • 1 x Fuji GFX 100s II + 55
• My son uses:
  • Olympus TG-7

It really depends on your experience with cameras and desire for control and, ultimately, your budget. If I were you, I’d give the Olympus TG series a good look. For me, I find myself enjoying the controls of the Fujis, especially the tiny X-Pro with its optical viewfinder. It’s very portable, weather resistant, but it’s not nearly as bulletproof as my kid’s camera and his images come out pretty dang good.

 

[Paige]

I sold off all my Cannon DSLR and picked up a mirror less Sony A7 IV. With the 18-55 lens its far lighter and smaller, and can take better pics that I'm currently taking as I'm still learning the ins n outs of the camer!

Very pleased with it so far, but need to use it more often!

 

[Zoran]

Om-3

 

[adamcu280]

OM-1 with a bunch of lenses or my iPhone 14. Might be selling my Zuiko 300 f4 if anyone's interested in a mega prime! It's pristine.

 

[Mike Cline]

Olympus TG can’t be beat

 

[Dloy]

TG-4 here too. Have also used it (and loaned it to daughters) for free diving in Hawaii, Sri Lanka.

 

[DimeBrite]

TG-7 cameras are great, especially if you know your gear will be getting wet. Smart phone cameras are excellent now, but I just don't want mine to be exposed to saltwater. I used mine recently on a fishing trip and was impressed.




Good light makes for good photos of course. Flat light or dim light can be a struggle for these cameras. That's when the lens of a serious camera is ideal. Even so, for fishing photos and up close nature shots the TG-7 is great.

 

[Josh]

It really depends on how "serious" you are about the photography aspect. Are you interested in photography for photography's sake? Or are you more interested in taking decent photos of whatever the primary adventure is (fishing, travel, etc)?

 

[stillreleasing]

It really depends on how "serious" you are about the photography aspect. Are you interested in photography for photography's sake? Or are you more interested in taking decent photos of whatever the primary adventure is (fishing, travel, etc)?

Trying to become a better photographer for photography’s sake.

 

[goinoregon]

thx for the tg-7 recommendations. sounds like a good choice for driftboat, instream, vacation, etc.. go

 

[goinoregon]

I'm also a big fan of the TG series cameras. You have the option of shooting raw, jpeg, or both. It is a "tough" camera which means it can handle some abuse. And it is waterproof, a great feature when fishing. It shoots EXCELLENT closeups, which I use all the time for wildflower photography. It weighs under 9 ounces and fits in a fishing pocket. The TG-7 is available from B&H photo (and other retailers) for around $500.
Steve

i was just down in baja, and wondering about in the hills i wish i had a better camera for cacti pics. there were a ton of small cacti.

 

[Kenneth Yong]

I was a happy TG series user for a long time, from the 2 through to the 5. Great optics and image quality, compact, really tough.

Lately though, with the evolution in smartphone photography, and the sheer flexibility and versatility of editing onboard, backing up to the cloud, sharing with family, no need for separate charger and extra batteries, and, dare I say it, image quality, I've ditched the TG-5, and now use a universal dive case with my phone when the need for "adventure" arises.

I started out with a a cheap 50'-rated case from Amazon, and it worked pretty well, samples (including non underwater photos) here:

- Underwater photos using a cheap 50' case from Amazon

- Herp photos

In the end I needed something better for scuba, so in 2023 I got this, rated to 196' and made in Italy, and have been happy ever since:

- Nautismart Pro

There are others out there that are similar, but this is one of the cheapest (got mine for about USD200) and simple, does not rely on a flaky bluetooth trigger that requires a battery, and does not use touch controls that become non-existent when you go deeper than, say, 60'. It's not perfect, I wish the port glass is, well, glass, and not acrylic, but so far so good.

The beauty is that you can use any phone in this. So far, in my family, we've used 5 different models with no problems.

Below are samples (reduced to FHD quality) from two Samsung phones, an S10 and an S22. I've left the EXIF data so that you can see which model was used to take the images below, together with parameters:

Good luck,
Kenneth

 

[ifsteve]

TG series. Terrific cameras

 

[Phil K]

My TG series cameras kept dying, and I’m really not hard on my gear. I liked the waterproof feature, but wasn’t overly impressed with the image quality. Depending on your definition of reasonable cost, look at the Sony DSC RX100 VII. It has great optics with a wide zoom range, an excellent sensor, and a versatile shooting modes with very navigable user interface. It’s nice and compact and has a very good pop up electronic viewfinder. It’s the shizz.

 

[Zoran]

Photography is about money and time.

I sold my TG-6 and scrapped funds to have now OM-3 and 60mm macro lens. Sold one reel and two rods.
I am also looking to be better photographer and now taking photography classes. One class is for general photography and one about macro photography. My company pays membership for Udemy for business educational platform. Idea is to improve our IT skills but they encourage us to enroll to anything we want. We have mandatory 2 to 4 hours every week to learn something related to work.

After hours, I log in and take photography classes for free. Combined online learning and field work will eventually pay off.

 

[Zoran]

One more thing ...
I am not sure you could really learn "real" photography using point and shoot cameras, like TG6 or 7. You have to find some older camera with interchangeable lenses. You don't need to buy a new fancy camera. My first DSLR was Cannon Rebel xSi and I experimented a lot. It never "clicked" with me and sold it.