Can I shoot split over/under waterline photos with an Olympus TG-6 without a full underwater housing?
Asked 10/25/2020
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I want to take split-level over/under waterline photos with an Olympus TG-6. I’ve found dome ports, but they all seem to attach to a separate underwater housing, which makes the setup expensive. Since the TG-6 is already waterproof and I don’t plan to dive deep, I’m wondering whether there’s any practical way to use a dome directly on the camera body, or whether the Olympus fisheye converter could help with this kind of shot.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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The problem you have is the purpose of dome cases are to exclude the water close to the lens. Those nice images you see with a clear waterline are only possible because the waterline is held a little way away from the lens so make it more distinct. If you could get the dome without any casing, you need some way of sealing the camera against the lens with no water getting inside the dome, or getting in between the camera lens and the dome. The easiest way to do this is to provide a complete casing for the whole thing and waterproof the lot, so you'll find it difficult to find a dome without the waterproof housing for your camera.
If you're dead set on not having a casing, you could try something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterproof-Housing-Underwater-Diving-Photography/dp/B01NC2Z09B and DIY it, maybe a custom seal, and some way of securely strapping the camera lens against the hole might work...
Originally by user72560. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user72560
5y ago
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Probably not in any practical, reliable way. A dome port is used to keep the waterline a short distance in front of the lens, which is what makes those clean split-level images possible. To do that, the dome has to be sealed so water can’t get between the camera lens and the dome. In practice, that usually means a full waterproof housing with the dome attached.
Because of that, dome ports made to work without a housing are uncommon and difficult to seal safely. The TG-6 being waterproof doesn’t really solve the main issue, which is keeping the space behind the dome dry and properly sealed.
A fisheye converter may change the field of view, but it won’t replace the function of a dome port for over/under shots.
So if your goal is true split waterline photos, the realistic solution is still a housing-plus-dome setup, or experimenting with a universal waterproof solution at your own risk.
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