Choosing a Photo Camera & Housing
If you are reading this article, then you probably already have the photography bug. No doubt you’ve seen some incredible underwater photos in dive magazines or had a go at underwater photography and are eager for more. Having your own camera & housing is essential for your new hobby, but there is such an enormous range of options available on the market today, how do you choose?
Here, we will try to help you focus on the important decisions, so that you can make an informed decision on your camera & housing and start to enjoy your new hobby straight away.
Underwater imaging is considered an especially challenging area of photography and to get the most out of your purchase, you should learn at least some of the basics which you can then work on and improve.
Once you have a little experience for yourself, then you are in a much better position to make an informed decision on the features of a camera & housing set-up that are most important to you.
The 3 main options for underwater photography are digital point and shoot cameras, high-end compact digital cameras with full manual controls, and digital SLRs (single lens reflex cameras). These different options decide how much control you will have when shooting your images and they also differ greatly in price.
So first things first, you need to think about what you want to use the camera for – and this in turn helps to determine your budget. If you simply want to take a few snapshots from your dive holiday & are not so interested in learning the finer points of underwater photography, then a point & shoot model, such as a Sony Cybershot, Canon A490 or Canon Ixus should suffice. There is no point in spending a huge amount of money on top-end models if you are not going to get the use out of the functions you are paying for.
If you are interested in learning a little more about underwater photography & want manual controls at your disposal to improve your image making skills, then there are some great consumer digital cameras available on the market. Models which offer full manual controls, such as the Sea & Sea DX-2G, Panasonic Lumix or Canon G-series, are still relatively inexpensive, but allow you to develop your skills and adjust vital settings like shutter speed and aperture as your confidence grows.
Finally, if you really want to splash out and are seriously interested in taking very high quality images for entry into competitions or for publication, then you need to look at Digital SLR models.
Once you have chosen the type of camera for your needs, an important area to consider is the number of megapixels. A normal photo of a decent quality, for use as a screensaver or a slideshow for example, needs to be around 5-6 megapixels. If you create larger images, such as posters, or take photos that can be entered into competitions or submitted to magazines, then you should be looking at a model with a minimum of 8 megapixels.
In addition to the size of the images, the functions available to you on a specific model are very important for underwater photography. The ability to manually set the white balance is extremely useful. Setting the white balance, quite simply, means telling the camera what colour is white in different lighting conditions. Once the camera knows this, then it can adjust its balance so that all your colours look great. This is important when you are photographing in shallow water and want to make use of the natural light.
Macro photography is also very popular among divers as small critters make fascinating subjects. If you think you would like to have a go at some macro subjects, it’s very useful to have a camera that has a small minimum focus distance & will allow you to focus manually. A good minimum focus distance for underwater is around 2 – 5cm.
Once you have picked your camera then there is the actual housing to think about. Most popular consumer camera models have a housing supplied by the manufacturer. These housings are great as they are lightweight & fairly cheap. Their downside is that they are not the strongest, most reliable models on the market and are much more liable to flooding than more expensive housings so you will have to be extra careful when handling them.
Generally, the better the camera, the more housing options you will have available. For popular Digital SLRs, there are a wide range of housings available, such as Ikelite, Hugyfort, or Sea&Sea which offer extra strength, reliability & functions.
The second aspect of an underwater housing that is important is the available controls. There is little point buying a camera which allows you to control shutter speed, aperture, white balance & focus, only to find that these options are not accessible through the housing. Having all the controls available to you is by far the best option, but if this is not a realistic option within your budget, make sure the key controls that are important to you are available.
Another area you may wish to think about when budgeting for a camera & housing are accessories. The two really expensive accessories are strobes & lenses but if you are going to get serious about underwater photography then you will need to consider them both.
Let’s start with strobes. Strobes are important underwater as they give you greater flash control, enable you to light your subject better and allow you to provide lighting at a different angle to your camera lens. This means much less backscatter or reflected particles in your shot and will result in a much better image. However, they are not so easy to use for the beginner & may lead to some frustration. So unless you are confident, it may be better to go for a housing model that allows you to attach a strobe, but hold back on buying one until you have more experience.
In terms of lenses, there are two types to consider: Wide Angle & Macro. A Wide Angle lens is great for larger subjects and allows you to get closer while still fitting the subject into the frame. A Macro lens allows you to focus on the very small. Buying both is very expensive however. If you are going for a consumer digital camera, it may be best to stick with the standard lens to begin with, but again purchase a housing that allows you to add lenses later.
If you are purchasing a Digital SLR, then you must choose a lens for the camera & the corresponding port for the housing before you can take the camera underwater. To begin with, a wide angle lens is probably the better choice as it is more generally useful, plus macro photography takes a lot of skill & great buoyancy, which will only come with time & practice.
So by this simple thought process, you can narrow down a smaller range of cameras that are suitable for you and also what housing might be best for your needs. You will almost certainly be left with a few options though. How do you narrow this down to just one camera & housing? And how do you know you are making the right decision?
Firstly, if you are purchasing the equipment from a reputable dealer, they should give you honest advice on the strengths and weaknesses of individual models. Ask around a few different shops and concentrate on the quality of advice, rather than just the price. Secondly, internet forums are a great place to receive advice or learn of other people’s experiences with a particular camera or housing.
There are also a huge range of useful websites with a wealth of information and forum topics, both for cameras and specifically for underwater photography. Things to consider are if the camera has been on the market long enough to have a good track record; if they are considered reliable; if you can access all the controls you need underwater; if they are considered to shoot good colours; & if they have any glitches or small design faults.
Another good option is to take a short course in underwater photography, or make a few try dives with an instructor and a good camera before making your final decision.
By following this process and finding the answers to these questions, you will be able to get an excellent idea of which camera & housing is right for you – ensuring that you avoid any expensive mistakes & enjoy your new hobby from the word go!
Liquid Lense recommends Ikelite Housings. If you are interested to purchase an Ikelite Housing, please contact us for a competive quote.
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