Q. What’s the best way to share your dive experiences and adventures with your friends and family?
A. Bring a camera underwater and take pictures to share with them!
At first the thought of bringing a delicate piece of electronic equipment like a camera underwater on a dive does not seem like a good idea. But today’s underwater cameras and housings are designed well and are very reliable.
OK… now that you know there is nothing to fear about underwater cameras, just how do you go about getting into underwater photography? How do you decide which camera equipment to bring underwater with you? Luckily for the person just starting out, there are many good underwater camera options and you do not need to break the bank to get started. For beginners to intermediates I recommend a digital point and shoot. They are easy to use and since you will see your results right away, you will be able to make adjustments on the spot which helps to speed up the learning process greatly. Many manufacturer’s point and shoot cameras have underwater housings being designed and manufactured specifically for them. Olympus is now offering underwater housings for several of their cameras. They are reasonably priced entry level cameras along with fully functional housings for use underwater. One such set up is the 1030SW which is a compact lightweight setup offering a full 10 mega pixel file. The camera alone without the housing is waterproof to 33 feet – good for shallow dives. When used with the housing it is depth rated underwater to 132 feet.
The DC800 by SeaLife is another great camera choice for underwater shooting. It has an 8 mega pixel file for high quality enlargements and when used with the optional Digital Pro Flash some amazing images are possible underwater with this camera. An external flash is more powerful and also allows you to move the light source away from the lens of the camera. This is especially important when shooting underwater as using an internal camera flash will illuminate any particles floating in the water and cause unsightly “backscatter” to appear in your underwater pictures.
Other options for the beginner to intermediate underwater shooter include the camera / housing packages made by Sea & Sea. The DX 1G for example is a higher priced point and shoot camera but it offers some features previously available only on professional underwater camera setups. This camera allows you to change lenses and offers a 0.6x lens, which is equivalent to a 17mm lens underwater on traditional 35mm cameras. This camera offers a full 10 mega pixel file for clear detailed prints and enlargements along with a special in camera setting for underwater photography.
About External Strobes and Underwater Cameras:The use of and external strobe on an camera underwater is very important for several reasons. First and foremost it allows you to aim the beam of light at your underwater subject while and also reposition it away from the lens. Doing so will minimize underwater backscatter by avoiding flash illumination in the water directly between the camera lens and your subject. Another huge benefit of using an external flash on your underwater camera is the additional power provided by these strobes compared to the internal flash on the body of the camera.
Need to know more about how to choose the best underwater camera for you? Please contact our Friendly Experts.
