I want it all,
I want it all,
I want it all,
And I want it now
Queen
June 12th, 2026
Warning – this is a bit geekish about cameras.
I’ve been complaining for quite some time (more like whining) about lugging my heavy Sony mirrorless camera around in caves, or other awkward places, such as trying to photograph pretty much anything from a Zodiac (small, rigid, inflatable boat). I’m willing to twist myself into a pretzel with a 500mm lens when photographing whales, bears or sea lions from small boats, but what I really need in most of these situations, is a rugged, waterproof, point and shoot camera, something that would fit more or less in a pocket. I had something close to what I needed with the Sealife underwater camera, but I wound up selling that – the camera technology was dated, it had a small sensor, and you could not buy replacement batteries for it. I also own a GoPro Hero 13, which I have used quite a bit, mostly for snorkeling – definitely waterproof, and has a reasonably sized sensor, but was difficult to use (for me at least) – it was feature rich, but the user interface was difficult to use, mostly due to the small screen size and complex menu system.
I had been considering buying the OM System (formerly Olympus) TG-7 – a very rugged, waterproof point and shoot camera, but much like the Sealife camera (same size), it was dated technology with a sensor even smaller than the GoPro. There have been rumors of OM releasing a new, improved version, but not in the immediate future. Bummer. I really wanted something to use for the upcoming Iceland trip (many caves), Patagonia (a very wet waterfall adventure) and for snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez in December.
Waahhh. I want it now!
My temper tantrum worked. GoPro came to the rescue a few weeks ago, when they announced availability of a new product – the Mission 1 series of action cameras. This is a slightly larger version of the Hero product line, with a much larger sensor (1”, 50mph), a larger display screen, and many new features. That sounded interesting but not enough to get me to buy one until I noticed that there were three options for the product, a Pro model with even more features, and which also included a “grip” model. This was a casing that the camera fit into, which basically created a point-and-shoot camera. Bingo! That pretty much covered everything I was looking for – a high-end, rugged, waterproof (up to 60’) action oriented point and shoot camera. So of course, I ordered one.
As with most electronics, there were only limited instructions in the package. Basically, turn it on, and then follow the instructions on your phone or tablet. Better yet, I did a quick search on YouTube and found a few really comprehensive tutorials for this camera, which is amazing since it has only been out for a few weeks. It’s a very feature rich camera, with many configurations for each shooting mode (photo, video, slow-motion, low-light…). The menu is even more complex than the Hero 13, but the larger screen makes it easier to negotiate. The camera alone is a bit larger than the Hero, as you can see in the photo’s below:
The grip frame is interesting – the camera slides in easily, and has a nice firm feel to it. Just like a “real” camera. The grip also comes apart, making for easy packing…something important for me and all my strange travels. Exactly what I was looking for. There is no view finder – you just use the live screen image on back (or front for selfies) of the camera. A true point-and-shoot.
I plan to have it configured and gain familiarity with it before I leave for Iceland. I am planning to use this in the many caves we will be touring, especially on my solo visit to the big magma chamber (Inside the Volcano) I’ve scheduled for my second day in Reykjavik.
Speaking of Iceland, I received an updated itinerary and have spent some time going through it. For once, I thought it might be a good idea to be a little prepared for what lies ahead. This should be a crazy trip. My first two days are on my own, and I’m doing a whale/puffin tour from the Reykjavik harbor the morning I arrive in Iceland. The second day will be the “Inside the Volcano” tour. The day after is the start of the National Geographic tour – the other 14 people show up that day, and we head off to the Blue Lagoon for a soak in the thermal pool. There will be two more thermal pool soak opportunities on the trip. The rest of the trip wanders about Iceland by bus, visiting a bunch of well known tourist locations, and some lesser known spots as well. Many waterfalls, volcanic features, lava tubes, two small islands, geysers, many birds, and a whale watching trip. Unfortunately, they dropped my absolute favorite stop – a herring processing plant. I do like pickled herring – I was really looking forward to that. I’ll be consoled if I get to see (and photograph) some puffins. Almost as cute as Screech Owls.
All the hotels have WiFi, so I may do a post or two while I’m there. Unlike the expedition cruises I’ve been on, this trip is not as adventurous – more time to relax I hope.
Peace
The Traveling Widower 
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