An Outdoor Camera

If you are like me and spend most of your time in the outdoors then you want to take note of a new series of cameras that are out there and ready for your use. This past June 11^th I turned the big “50”! I am not a big person on gifts and have always leaned towards just having my family around on birthdays. This year I got both….had the family over for a great meal on the front porch and also got a new camera from Vickie.

I had been talking about getting one of the new waterproof cameras….knowing that I often spend my days either on or in water. I have a nice Cannon that I have used for the past couple years, however, it is not waterproof….at all! Therefore I am always nervous with it and carry it on me in a waterproof pouch. Now this works out just fine but honestly it takes me a while to dig the pouch out of my waders, then get the camera out and then take the photo…sometimes nature doesn’t hang around and allow you all the time you want!

My new camera is an Olympus TG-610 and is not only waterproof to 16 feet, but shock proof from 5 feet and is supposed to withstand temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit. I really don’t like change and especially in something like a camera. When I am used to the old one….then I like to stay with it; the fear of dropping the camera and or getting it wet gave me the needed energy to sit and read all of the instructions for the new Olympus and frankly the camera has worked very well thus far.

My first real experience with the TG-610 came on Tuesday the 12^th as I walked down one of my favorite local creeks in pursuit of smallmouth bass. I snapped some still photos along the way and the first good hole I came to I landed and filmed a little bit of me catching a small smallie underwater! What a neat experience to not only take underwater stills of the fish but to take an underwater video and see the same cool underwater shots that I have witnessed on various TV shows for years.

I continued to work my way down the stream and snapped various shots of flowers, trees, and overall scenery; the real thrill came when I reached my take out point. I know that one specific hole has several nice smallies in the pool and the water was gin clear…meaning that I had to be very quiet and sneak my way into position to make a cast. I had on one of my own crayfish patterns and was jigging it by a log when I saw a big fish come out and smack the fly. I set the hook and for a moment was able to hook the fish…before it spit me out. Experience has taught me that the big fish are the smart ones and probably you won’t get too many mulligans; I made yet another cast into the same pool and slowed the crayfish down, allowing it to bounce along the bottom…nothing. Another cast and yet again nothing. My fourth cast I decided to actually stop the fly on the bottom and just see if I could entice this smart old feller to come out…like a bullet I watched as the fish slurped up my fly and I set the hook on a beautiful 17 inch smallmouth.

I quickly grabbed my new camera and decided to try and video both me landing the fish and the fish underwater. The next 5 minutes will always be special as I was able to film the fish underwater and land a nice trophy smallmouth. My new camera had performed beautifully and had given me some video that I had not ever been able to collect before. Click here to see the underwater smallmouth video…I think you will find it very interesting.

So….if you are an avid outdoorsmen looking for a great way to take still photos as well as some great video…or you are a family person and want a nice camera for the family vacations, then the Olympus TG-610 may just be the right camera for you. If you get a great outdoor photo that you would like to share with me…please email it to me at flyfishingwithjeff@gmail.com as we all Enjoy the Great Outdoors.