I’ve been playing the Compact Camera Photography game for some time now and have had a go at almost every compact camera that crossed my path. Starting off with the IXUS 80is years back, I was determined to attempt to get some results with a bare minimal set-up.
Pressing every button and trying every preset scene on the compact, I discovered ways to achieve some decent results using only a compact camera with no Manual Mode and without using the internal flash or strobe. Decent results not worthy of a National Geographic print, but results enough to NOT look a total newbie when photos are displayed side by side with some massive set-ups on a computer screen. As time passed, I ventured into more capable Compact Cameras with Manual settings, then into the use of lights utilizing any torch I could get my hands on.
I would NEVER claim that a compact camera can achieve the same results as a big DSLR with a full set of strobes, premium lenses, diopters and video lights, however I am convinced that using the advantage of size, ease of use and some preset scenes settings on a compact (these scene modes don’t exist on big DSLR settings), one can achieve some results worthy of eyebrow raising these days.
With the evolution of technological advancement, I was shocked when I started to explore a simple point and shoot camera that I had purchased merely for renting out to guests at my dive shop.
The Olympus TG3 had been in the market for some time now and this was my choice as for basic underwater camera rentals, I decided a waterproof camera was the best way to go to reduce the risk of camera flooding when the housing leaks.
Going on the dive for the first time, I fogged-up the housing and decided to remove it from the housing while underwater and clear off the fog. I opened it up and filled it with water and continued shooting.
The Olympus Tough TG3 has a very interesting mode called the “Microscope Mode” that I decided to test out. To my surprise this mode could still focus when on full zoom and works with a focusing distance of practically zero mm while on this mode.
Filling the entire frame with a Skeleton Shrimp face is unthinkable even using stacked diopters and a super macro lens of a DSLR but this tiny “toy” camera can achieve it (A representation for those who don’t know what this means, imagine photographing 1 single grain of sugar and being able to fill up the frame).
Shooting the TG3 without a housing can withstand depth pressure of up to 15m and I also attempted to test this out. Advantage of doing this is the LED light that is available on the camera acts as a great focus light wen shooting into darker spaces. This LED light is blocked when the camera is used inside the 40m dive housing.
The ability to custom white balance on this mode also allows for decent natural light photography and within this mode, you can also adjust ISO and exposure value.
Using a strobe, you will need to control strobe power to achieve the lighting results you want as there is no full “Manual Setting Mode”. So other than adjusting the exposure value you will need to control the brightness by managing your slave triggered strobe.
I can go on-and-on about this camera, but I’ll brag most about it being cheap and easy to use and that with it, I have managed to achieve some results I never thought were possible on a camera what more a basic basic point and shoot camera. Ask anyone around you “Who goes and shoots skeleton shrimp face only with not a single diopter and no strobes”?
WORDS and PICTURES by Tim Ho
