Leaving Molokini

Leaving Molokini, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Taken from our dive boat as we motored toward our second dive location.

 

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Some Aquatic Life

I shot these images with my Lumix DMC-TS5 underwater camera. This time, I did not bring an external light source, so had to rely on natural light, the tiny in-camera flash, and in the case of the eel, I benefited from our dive master's powerful flashlight. So, these aren't near professional quality, but do get the point across.

 

 

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Our Annual Scuba Diving Trip

The Descent, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

I only get to go scuba diving about once per year. This time, I found myself anxious about the trip, kind of obsessing about how big the waves would be. You see, our last trip, in Belize, had us getting in and out of the boat in very rough seas. While the diving turned out to be spectacular, I did not enjoy the boat ride.

 

This time, I spent too much time reading the marine forecast for Maui. There is a hurricane approaching the islands, and the forecast called for 4-6 foot seas. Less than what we experienced in Belize, but still too much for comfort. I awoke this morning thinking that maybe I'm just too old for diving.

 

Well, when we showed up at the boat ramp this morning, the Maui coast looked more like a placid lake. I have to say the waves here were zero, non-existent. A quick, smooth ride out to Molokini, and we were diving! The little Lumix DMC-TS5 once again did a great job for me.

 

After thinking about this experience, a couple of things occurred to me. First, had I had the chance to cancel this dive based on the marine forecast, I would have taken it; that would have meant missing a wonderful experience. Second, I'm not too old for diving. I'm just not doing it often enough. I'm sure my anxiety level would be much lower if I dove more often.

A-OK, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

 

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Coolest Belizean Tattoo Portends Future Events

So, we were on our way to go scuba diving today, when I noticed this tattoo on the water taxi captain's leg:

 

 

Shark Tattoo, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 100, f3.3, 1/320 sec.

 

Here's a little teaser of what we saw on our dive:

 

Pair of Nurse Sharks, Belize, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

iso 100, f3.3, 1/125 sec.

 

Needless to say, it was an exciting dive trip. I really enjoyed using the Lumix DMC-TS5 on both of our dives. I can't say enough good about this little camera. More to come!

 

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Scuba Checkout - Landlocked in Virginia

My daughter Christine is getting her dive certification. This weekend was her checkout dive, at an inland quarry in Northern Virginia.

 

We were lucky to find an incredibly nice dive shop here, Coral Edge Adventures. Not only do they have an amazing selection of gear and lots of good trips planned to other places, the instructors and staff are all real nice people.

 

(Click Here) to check out Coral Edge Adventures.

 

I decided to dive with the group today, and carried along my Lumix DMC-TS3 waterproof camera.

Gearing Up

 

The Descent

 

The quarry was used to mine stone for the nearby highways. It's nearly 100 feet deep in places. It also has several submerged attractions, including an airplane, bus, and underwater platforms.

 

Cold Water Entry

 

Who You Lookin' At?

 

 

This dive represented a lot of firsts and mosts for me - first freshwater dive, cloudiest water, coldest water, first dive using a wetsuit. I'm what you call a fair weather diver - going every year or two in an easy, warm, clear water location with a guided boat tour. Today was a little different.

 

Here's how it looked underwater.

 

Clearest Water I Saw

 

My Dive Buddy, Less Than Eight Feet Away

 

Resurfacing

 

A Little Splash Fight

 

Leaving The Water

 

I like this last shot. The water running down the lens makes a cool effect.

 

So, this wasn't the best dive conditions I've ever experienced, but it was good training. I actually did lose my dive buddy at one point. I'm also really excited about having Christine complete her certification. This is something she'll be able to enjoy for many, many years.

 

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User Report: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Waterproof Compact

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Lifestyle Tough Camera

Image Source: shop.panasonic.com

 

I am pleased to be a participant in Panasonic's Early Adopter program. My first review was of the new DMC-TS5 waterproof, shock proof, wifi-enabled, GPS-enabled, compact camera. How's that for a list of features?

 

(Click Here) to read my report on Panasonic's website.

 

I thought I'd add some images and video to the mix, since that's the real result of tesing a camera, right?

 

First off, this little camera is very convenient. I took it along on a family trip to pick strawberries at the farm. The macro capabilities are impressive. Put the camera into iAuto mode, and you're good to go.

 

Berries and Blossoms, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

For a real test of the specific strengths of this waterproof, toughened camera, I took it with me on a trip to the Florida Keys. We arrived in Key West just before sunrise, so I stayed up and shot a little at the hotel beach. Here's a video of the surf coming in. At the end of the video, you'll see the camera get knocked over by an incoming wave! No worries; it's tough.

 

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Sunrise, Key West, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

To really test the camera, we took it on a scuba diving trip. Here's the ride out to the reef:

 

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Headed to the Reef, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

The seas were pretty rough on this day, with waves from three to five feet being the norm. Here's what it looked like from the water's surface, before we went down:

 

Rough Seas, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Of course, once we were under water, waves didn't matter, just current. And there was plenty of current.

 

All Is Good, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

Shooting in the "Underwater Advanced" mode, I think the camera does a nice job of achieving color balance. This isn't bad for ~30 feet underwater with just the on-camera flash!

 

Snappers, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Here's an underwater video - look for the two barracudas:

Click the Picture to See the Video!

Barracuda!, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Here are some other shots from the Key West trip:

"Through Glass" Scene Mode Seems To Work!, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

I Can Still Feel The Humidity, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Local, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

I'll finish with a couple of shots of one of the things Key West is famous for - sunsets. I shot these in the sunset scene mode, which also works quite well:

Sunset From The Boat, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

And finally, a sunset panorama, made completely in-camera, using the panorama mode.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the DMC-TS5 on this trip. It's wonderful to be able to carry a camera literally anywhere without having to worry about damaging it. After we got back to the hotel, I simply filled the sink with fresh water and submerged the camera for ten minutes or so. Clean and good as new!

 

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Quick Post From Last Day in Key West

Sorry for a somewhat lazy post, but we're packing up to head home from our quick 3-day weekend in Key West.

 

While we were here, I got the opportunity to test the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 waterproof camera. It performed very well. Not flawless, but very very impressive given that I tested its limits of 43 feet waterproof certification. As much as I tried to avoid it, the TS5 did get banged around a little as we donned and doffed dive tanks and BCs. Anyway, here's my favorite shot from the dive:

Bubbles, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

 

I'll be writing up the user report for Panasonic in the next day or two. I'll share all of my thoughts on this camera as soon as I've assembled them. But, I can certainly say that I'm sold on it. Compact, fast, tough as nails, and producing quite nice images. I'll show more soon.

 

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