OM System TG-7 Review & Tips
Underground Photography
By Sam Davis
The OM System TG-7 is the latest iteration of the renowned TG range. Boasting features like anti-fog lens glass, water, shock, freeze, dust and shock resistance, this camera is surely an ideal candidate for underground explorers looking for camera that can withstand the elements. Over the past six months, I have been using the camera on my underground trips, making the most of the built-in technology and trying to hone down the best techniques to get consistently good results.
With this now being the 7th version of this camera, little has changed with the latest release, except for the addition of modes aimed at construction sites, USB-C instead of micro USB and time interval modes. So, tips in this article should be also relevant to older TG models.
Built Tough
Available in either red or black, the TG-7 is IPx8 rated and waterproof down to 15m. It can handle temperatures down to -10‘c (if you’re into ice caves) and is drop resistant to 2.1m. So ideal for most caving applications including short cave dives. One thing I love about this camera is the compact size, as most of the time I keep the camera tucked up the sleeve of my over suit. That way I can just whip it out the sleeve and get a shot halfway through a crawl, instead of fumbling around trying to get it out of an inside pocket, so I never miss a shot. The waterproof rating of the camera also means I essentially don’t have to worry about it in wet stream passages or if there is a swim or a duck involved.
One should still try and give some reasonable protection to the camera though, like keeping it up a sleeve. Grit and bashes against rocks could still scratch the lens if you’re unlucky, despite the glass being super hard. Dirt can also get under the zoom lever and around the buttons, rendering them temporarily out of action if you’re not careful. If you do get it caked in mud though, a quick swill in stream normally returns the camera to normal function.
Variety of Modes
Whereas this camera works very well on AUTO mode when on the surface, producing more than pleasing images, underground, AUTO tends to favour lower shutter speeds. This quite often produces blurry images, leading users to thinks the camera is no good. A simple remedy, you may think, is to switch to a shutter priority mode, but the TG-7 strangely does NOT have a shutter priority mode, only AUTO, scene and aperture priority modes. You can try and use the “sport” setting in the scene modes, but this only gets you so far. See the tips section for the best work around.
Excellent Macro Capability
Another mode important to those interested in cave ecology and tiny speleothem, is the fantastic microscope mode. With a focusing distance of 1cm and an optional LED ring light, this camera is made for macro. The focus stacking function is my personal favourite, rendering sharp details from the front to the back of your favourite subject. The results to be honest blew me away!
Bring the Light
As with all underground photography, the most important thing is to bring the light! The more light, the better! This is no exception when it comes to the TG-7. A lot of underground photographers use off camera flash, which is great, except this camera has no hot shoe for a flash transmitter, making using 3rd party systems a bit of a headache. There is option of using off camera flashes as optical slaves, but the flash range of the TG-7 is limited. According to the manual, the TG-7 is compatible (somehow) with Olympus brand flashes, but these are quite expensive and I haven’t used them to see how well they work. If anyone has had consistent success with a TG camera and off-camera flash, please let me know!
Continuous lighting options e.g. high-powered LED lights, are a great option for lighting with the TG-7. If you can steady the camera on a tripod or on a rock, then you can also use the Live Composite mode to light paint with the camera. This mode lets you see the photo develop on the back of the screen as you move your torch around, so you fill in the bits you’ve missed and get a complete pleasing image, perfect for large chambers!
GPS and a hidden compass
Further to the TG-7’s remit as a camera ready for action, if you press the INFO button while the camera is turned off, the display then shows you a compass, altitude, temperature, air pressure, time and GPS coordinates. Perfect for marking entrances when surface bashing on expedition, taking a rough bearing when underground or checking the time when on an epic dig! The TG-7 also can log these metrics onto the image when taking a photo, plus you can add voice notes to an image too which I find useful to remind me of where I was in the cave later.
The Verdict
The TG-7 comes with a price tag of £499 (but keep an eye out for offers), making it an attractive option for those who want great images from a robust, compact camera. For me it means I can leave my phone in a tough box or near the entrance (for calling for help!) and also not have to bring my beloved and expensive OM-5 pro camera kit on every trip I go on. For anyone looking for a quick and convenient expedition camera, I would certainly look no further.
TOP TIPS FOR SHOOTING WITH THE OM SYSTEM TG-7
Sharp shots
For consistently sharp photos when on the move, switch to A (aperture priority) mode, set the aperture to the widest aperture, e.g. F2, and then manually set the ISO to 3200. This higher ISO value and wide aperture means less light is needed to be let in by the shutter, resulting in faster speeds up to 1/250 to 1/500 second in torch light.
Video
The best mode I’ve found for video is 1080p 50fps. The faster frame rate reduces the distracting rolling shutter artifact we see in 4k 30fps mode, while the lower resolution gathers more light. Try and keep the microphones on top free of mud for consistent sound quality.
Epic Chambers
Take a small tripod to steady the camera. Switch to SCENE mode, select NIGHTSCAPES and then LIVE COMP. Hit the shutter and paint the chamber with light using your torch. Even better, get a friend to do the light painting from different parts of the chamber in different shots. Then use photo editing software to combine these as layers into a finished work of art.
Go big on Macro
Select the MICROSCOPE mode and experiment with the various macro modes. Hold steady, while the Focus Stacking modes blends multiple shots into a ready-to-share macro masterpiece.
Shoot RAW
Get more flexibility in your editing by shooting in RAW format. I normally shoot both RAW + large JPEG so I have a JPEG to share instantly, and a RAW to work on later.
Use Noise reduction software
The TG-7 is compatible with OM System’s very own (and free!) OM Workspace editing software, which has excellent noise reduction built-in.
Sam's Photo Gallery 