I try to make it to the Hawaiian Islands every year and I have a pretty good success rate. When I go, usually to Maui, I make it a point to spend most of my mornings snorkeling. In the afternoons I`ll hop in an air conditioned car and explore the island which, even after many (many) trips, is still exciting.
Hungry hungry honu, Kaanapali, Maui. Cropped out-of-camera JPEG. ISO 100 | F3.5 | 1/250 sec | 33mm equiv | Photo by Jeff Keller
Since I want to memorialize any encounters with sea turtles or dolphins that may occur while I`m snorkeling, that really narrows down my camera choices. I`m not hardcore enough to bring a large camera in a big housing; rather, I want something I can slip into the pocket of my swimsuit while I`m struggling to put on my fins. I also need a camera that can capture the beautiful rainbows and sunsets that are almost a daily occurrence. The camera that covers both bases for me is the Olympus Tough TG-5.
The TG-5 has a great macro mode, with a 1cm minimum focusing distance. It captures plenty of detail, as you can see from this photo of my lunch. ISO 100 | F2.8 | 1/160 sec | 24mm equiv | Photo by Jeff Keller
To be honest, 2015`s TG-4 didn`t need a lot of improvements. It had solid image quality for a compact, a lens that`s fast at its wide end, Raw support, a GPS, manometer, thermometer, and compass, along with respectable battery life. It could take a beating and, unlike some underwater compacts I`ve tested, didn`t leak at all when it went diving. The main things that irked me about the TG-4 were its awkward zoom controller, limited aperture choices and too much noise reduction in JPEGs.
I love having Raw on the TG-5, as it lets me get rid of the overly blue color cast that sometimes appears in underwater photos, even when using the u/w white balance setting. You can also customize the noise reduction, though don`t expect miracles from this 1/2.3` sensor. The in-camera converter is clun ...
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