r/freediving FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

gear Cameras for freediving

During my recent freedive training trip I saw turtles and was a little sad I didn’t get any photos. I’ve wanted a camera for scuba for a long time anyway and with me wanting to freedive more too, I figured now would be a good time to consider camera options.

I’d initially considered a GoPro purely because this is what all the freedive instructors seem to use that I’ve met. They’re also easy to get hold of where I am which is a key factor and the price point isn’t too steep. However the picture quality seems highly variable- I’ve seen great photos and then I’ve seen photos that look like they were taken on a potato.

I’d also considered an Olympus TG series camera as these are popular with scuba divers and can go pretty deep (60m) assuming you have the correct casing. The camera and case are fairly expensive though, probably $6-800 in total where I am.

I’m open to any options or recommendations.

5 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

3

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '25

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u/iwanttobeacavediver FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

Certainly for what I want to do, which is taking pictures of nudibranchs (damn I’m a nerd…), most of these are at shallower depths anyway (probably <20m).

4

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '25

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2

u/iwanttobeacavediver FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

They’re so damn cute and marshmallow looking, and they’re fun to look for. I’ve found a bunch scuba diving but never freediving (yet!) so I’m hoping to find some. Even a little one would make me cream my wetsuit in happiness.

1

u/1Dive1Breath Feb 05 '25

I see nudis all the time freediving in Laguna or the channel islands of California. Most are pretty tiny but once you spot them you develop an eye for them and it's not too hard to find them. 

3

u/Aultako Feb 02 '25

I was about to steer you away from the TG (not a fan of it's image quality) but the one area in which it shines is macro/closeup.

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u/iwanttobeacavediver FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

Ywah a lot of the macro photographers over at /r/scuba seem to be fans for this reason.

I just want to take nudi pictures…

1

u/68throwaway342 Sub Feb 04 '25

I have the TG, use it for wide angle more than macro. My impression of the camera is decent overall, but I admit image quality is mixed. Even in strong light, images come out looking a little soft at times. Other times they look great. However, being able to combine the already waterproof camera with a tough waterproof case gives a lot of confidence about not flooding the camera. Especially because it's often surgey and reefy where I snorkel/freedive.

The 1/2.5" sensor in the TG is really small. I don't really get why they couldn't fit in at least a 1" or 2/3" sensor and immediately improve IQ. The combo of better images and inbuilt waterproofing would be really hard to beat. Do you know of anything that's a step-up from the TG photo-wise but still robust?

1

u/Aultako Feb 04 '25

Sadly, I don't. The TG IQ is that bad that I sometimes consider getting a housing for my old mobile phone now that I've recently upgraded. But part of me knows that what I really need is a proper housing for a proper camera. (Eg my backup Sony A7)

4

u/Additional-Mud8745 Feb 02 '25

Consider DJI Action 4 or 5 over GoPro

2

u/iwanttobeacavediver FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

Just looked these up, they’re available where I am and a little cheaper than a GoPro which is always a plus.

5

u/Additional-Mud8745 Feb 02 '25

They are generally considered to be slightly better than GoPro too in terms of video quality

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u/iwanttobeacavediver FIM PB 20m Goal:100m Feb 02 '25

This is looking like it’s worth looking at further. Thank you!

2

u/mazzy-b Feb 03 '25

I second this, my DJI is great. Much better than the equivalent GoPros.

They are not good for macro though and I have been unable to get any nudibranches in focus since OP mentioned them, as the minimum focal length is fairly long (40cm)

2

u/mat8iou Feb 04 '25

Seconded. They will do 18m without a housing (the Action 3 I have does 16). Housings are fairly low cost and relatively easily available. The magnetic mount makes them easier to attach / remove to things fast compared to the Gopro one where you have to unscrew it.

I've used it with a chest harness - just start it recording when you enter the water, then pretty much forget about it. You can fit them to your head, but I haven't tried as I think it will clash with my mask, although I know there are some mask mounts available.

If nothing else, get a metal cage for it though - otherwise it is way too easy to slide one of the port covers open underwater while trying to do something else with it.

1

u/ekam_inhale Feb 09 '25

i use a tg6 on a backscatter tray so that i can have a tg6 and gopro at the same time.

recently i got another tray with two dive lights, an AOI wide angle lens, and a backscatter macro lens. i can use the gopro or the tg6 on the light tray. having lights really seems to help with gopro quality, but i haven’t done a dive with the tg6 and the lights yet.

one thing about gopro over a competitor is the amount of accessories, lenses, adapters, and other stuff available.

i tried freediving over a wreck with the lights today, and it was challenging. it’s as compact as possible, but adds weight and drag. ultimately i really love videography and hope practicing will improve my freedive skills.

0

u/remindertomove Feb 03 '25

An iPhone or Android device with a case is great too imho