Lately I have been tracking questions people ask about waterproof digital cameras and underwater camera cases. (this can be done with Google alerts – a great tool!). One of the common questions that come up is asking for advice on what a good waterproof digital camera is. Great question! I have written a lot about the benefits of having a waterproof digital camera housing, and how they provide a cost-effective alternative to a dedicated waterproof digital camera. Maybe it’s time to flip the coin and look at when a camera is a better option.
Depth
If you are diving with a scuba tank, or planning to snorkel more than 10 feet deep, you will definitely be more interested in purchasing a camera for the purpose. Those generic plastic cases and even the manufacturers’ housings are just not designed to withstand pressures more than 10 feet below the surface. Some don’t even reach that depth! Read the fine print before purchasing. But a waterproof camera isn’t necessary a cure-all. Some waterproof cameras are really just splash- or rain-proof, and some are no better than a waterproof camera case. Again, check the fine print!
Light
Water doesn’t transmit light as well as air, and photography is all about capturing light. You might not be able to use your digital camera’s flash with an underwater camera case, and even if you can it might not be bright enough to illuminate the area. If you are heading to an area not well illuminated (ie everywhere except the Tropics in the midday sun!) you might need to look at a rig more suited to underwater photography with a more powerful flash.
Frequency of use
Finally if you are going to be heading underwater more than a couple of times a year, then you could really benefit from your own waterproof digital camera. It might not have the range of features you are used to with your above-water camera, but if you buy a good one where R&D money has been poured in to the design, it is likely to perform better. Little things such as easy to use buttons, easy exposure control, powerful flash, good macro mode, and other features will make life easier underwater.
So while a waterproof camera case is great for the low-depth expedition or casual use, it isn’t always the best option. If you are a keen diver and/or underwater photographer than a separate camera might be a good choice for you.
Hopefully you have read my previous post, Underwater photography tips for absolute beginners – Part 1, and have an understanding of the bare essentials you need to know before heading in to the water with a camera. Now we look at some of the more practical aspects of taking photographs underwater.
Focus
This is important no matter where you are using your camera, but underwater photography might prove a challenge. The autofocusing mechanism on your digital camera will depend on light and contrast between elements. If you are pointing the camera in to a blue void, with the coral reef below, your camera might not be able to find focus. If it is overcast or cloudy above water, then it will be even darker underwater. Worse, if you haven’t cleaned the lens area on your waterproof digital camera housing you might have a blurry picture.
Most, if not all digital cameras are easy to focus:
Point the camera to the object you want to photograph
Push and hold the picture button half way down until focus is locked
Re-frame your picture and push the button all the way
Thankfully focusing technology has come leaps and bounds in the last 5 years. If you have a newer camera the chances are it will find focus on areas of interest other than the centre of the screen. Look for the big green rectangles that come up when you hold the button down and that will tell you what objects the camera is focusing on.
Zoom
You know that zoom button on your camera that you love so much? Forget it when you head underwater! You need to get closer to your subjects. The density of the water makes it that much harder for light to travel from the subject to you. Add in focusing problems described above and you are going to have a real challenge taking nice photos of objects 10 feet away.
So if you are going to take photographs of static objects such as the reef, put the camera in to macro (closeup) mode, pull the zoom back, and get right in there amongst the action! Not only will you have clearer photos that are easier to focus, you will also be able to fill up the whole frame. That large blue void in to the distance is pretty darn boring when it appears on a photograph unless you have something close up to contrast against it.
Flash
Try it! While the flash on a compact digital camera may not be that great, it can’t hurt to give it a go underwater. Just be aware that the flash distance will be much shorter than above water – around 3 feet. Another excuse to get in close to the subject you are photographing!
Today I have presented another couple of really basic, but really important tips to taking better pictures underwater. Whether you have a waterproof digital camera, or a waterproof digital camera housing, the ideas remain the same: get close up, watch your focusing, and try to do everything you can to get light on to the subject. It’s a challenge, but a little effort will go a long way. And the photographs you take underwater will be so rewarding you will want to keep revisiting them again and again!
So you have your waterproof digital camera housing, and about to head to the reef for some snorkeling. Or perhaps you aren’t sure whether waterproof camera cases are for you? Let’s have a look at some of the differences between above-water and under-water photography, and how you can take some great pictures on your first venture underwater with a camera.
Yourself
The most striking and important difference when in the water is yourself! You won’t be standing up or sitting down, you will be floating. Most likely you will have a snorkel and need to hold your breath for a period of time. There might be a current pulling you in a particular direction. If you haven’t been snorkeling before and/or are not a regular swimmer you might want to just put the camera away for a short while and get used to the feeling of being underwater. When I went snorkeling the first time it was tricky just to get used to everything going on: trying to hold my breath, dive underneath, swim, and return to the surface to breathe was rather uncomfortable at first. The good news is that it doesn’t take long before you get used to it, and begin to feel safe. Then soon after it becomes second nature and you don’t have to think about what you are doing. That’s the time to bring your camera with you, because you will be able to better concentrate on framing your photos and getting the exposure correct.
Operating the camera
You did play with the camera on dry land and test the housing for leaks, didn’t you? The manufacturer of the underwater digital camera housing will provide instructions as to how to seal your housing up so that it is water tight. It is a good idea to test it out in a sink, just to make sure that you have got it right and not a drop of water gets in. It is also a good idea to work out how the controls will work. Many of the generic camera housings are just a bag over the camera and pushing the smaller buttons might be difficult. Some of the dedicated housings from the camera’s manufacturer might not extend all of the controls through the casing. Knowing what you can and can’t do before you head underwater will free up your time to take pictures and enjoy yourself.
Light Considerations
Sometimes we forget that photography relies entirely on the light reflecting off the objects we are capturing. Light will dissipate underwater. That means that you might need to fiddle with your camera settings (possibly before you put the camera in its housing!) to account for low-light situations. These settings might be called “ASA”, “Speed” or even disguised as “Night Mode” on your digital camera. Your camera might also be able to change the aperture or “f-stop”. A Lower f-stop opens the lens up to let more light in, but the trade-off is that this will make focusing more sensitive. Also consider the effectiveness of your flash: the distance your flash will reach on land will be reduced underwater. Anyhow the bottom line is that you need to have a look through your camera’s user guide to find out what low-light options are available.
So assuming you are physically prepared to swim around underwater, you know how to operate your camera, and you have set it up for lower-light conditions, you should be set to head underneath the water and begin taking some fantastic photos!
Coming up in part 2: tips for taking some good looking photos.
So far I have written a few articles about what waterproof digital camera housing options you have. Let’s consider an attractive alternative: buying the cheapest digital camera you can buy that is waterproof. After all, if you are taking it down to the beach or in the boat and throwing it around a bit, it might make more sense to purchase a camera that you can afford to lose or damage.
Amazon, along with many other online retailers, has a number of options on offer. Here is an offer that Amazon are selling for under $60: the Vivitar ViviCam 5188 5 Megapixel camera with a waterproof digital camera housing. The camera comes with a 16MB SD RAM Flash memory card – which is so typical of digital camera manufacturers. You could fill that up in less than a minute! Hopefully you already have a digital camera and a couple of larger memory cards hanging around that you can recycle in to this camera. The Vivitar ViviCam takes AAA batteries which is handy: you should be able to pick them up in any hotel gift shop or drug store should you ever run out while on vacation. The camera and housing together weigh less than 9oz (140g) which is quite light.
Vivitar ViviCam 5188 Digital Camera
At the time of writing 7 customer have reviewed the product with an average of 3.5 star rating. The consensus is that it is a pretty good camera for the beach, and a pretty good camera for the kids, but it probably isn’t your first choice for the day-to-day family camera. At under $60 it is cheaper than some underwater digital camera housing units, plus you get a camera with a few megapixels, so maybe it’s a good choice if you are looking for a backup camera that the kids could use.
Click here if you want to go and check out the Amazon page describing the full specifications of the camera.
Following on from my recent post about generic waterproof digital camera housings, here is a You Tube video that will show you what one looks like. It is a review of an Aquapac AQP-414 Camera Case.
A generic waterproof digital camera housing is a water-tight skin designed to fit a variety of digital camera makes and models. Most popular digital camera manufacturers produce a dedicated underwater digital camera housing to fit an individual camera model, if not a series. Generic ones, however, will fit a variety of cameras.
Advantages
Being able to fit a number of digital cameras has some key benefits:
The price is lower, because the manufacturer does not need to design a new
product for each new shape of camera that is released.
If you own more than one digital camera you might be able to use both of them
with the one case.
If you upgrade your camera you might be able to retain the same case.
Disadvantages
But like everything there are pros and cons. The main disadvantages are:
They are not designed as snuggly as a dedicated camera housing. They are simply
a waterproof bag, and do not extend the cameras controls through the housing
to external buttons and levers.
They are typically made of a flexible plastic, compared to the hard and durable
polycarbonate resins that dedicated housings are often made of.
It is a little more difficult to evaluate which is the right case for your camera.
It is important that when looking for a housing that your camera actually fits inside. If you stick with a popular brand then the retailer you purchase the housing from should provide a list of camera models that will fit, or at least the maximum dimensions of the camera that can fit inside.
Brands
The major brands of waterproof camera cases include:
A waterproof digital camera housing is a “skin” for your digital camera. It will let you take pictures in wet environments, such as in the rain, mud, snow and underwater, without risking damage to your camera. These waterproof camera cases are an affordable alternative to buying a dedicated waterproof digital camera.
1. The first step is to work out what model digital camera you have. You will need both the manufacturer’s name (Canon, Sony, Nikon, etc), plus the model number (such as “Canon Powershot a620″).
2. Find out what options are available for that specific camera. You might want to visit the manufacturer’s web site and look for accessories to your camera, but often it is much easier to type a few words in to your favourite search engine and see what comes up. Online stores such as Amazon stock a wide variety of products and if you have a popular brand of camera you will probably find an underwater digital camera housing that suits it.
3. Look for the equivalent Dicapac generic housing for your camera. These housings don’t have the same tight fit as a model-specific housing, but will be cheaper. They might also fit your next model digital camera when you decide to upgrade, or, if you have more than one camera, you might be able to fit both models in to the one Dicapac housing.
4. Now the tricky part: decide which housing is best. If having control over your camera is important, such as zooming, controlling exposure, and pushing other buttons on the camera, then the manufacturer’s housing might be a better choice. These housings often extend all of the cameras controls through the casing. On the other hand you might just want something to keep the water out, or you are happy to keep the camera in ‘automatic’ mode and just push the picture button. In such cases the generic housing should perform an adequate role.
5. Consider the depth you are diving to. If you are going to dive more than 10 feet deep you will need to check the fine print for the waterproof digital camera housing you are considering purchasing. At those depths and greater the water pressure increases and the basic housing units might not be rated to handle that environment.
6. Now purchase the unit and practice! It is important to read the instructions carefully. Give the unit a trial run before heading out on vacation. If your waterproof digital camera housing uses an “O” ring to keep the water out where the lid closes with the casing, I suggest buying a spare ring at the time of purchase. They are not expensive and will save you a lot of heartache if you are on vacation and your original ring starts to show sign of wear and there is doubt as to whether it will continue to keep the water out.
Well there you go! See it isn’t hard to purchase a waterproof camera cases. All you need to do is slow down, think about how you will use your camera, and let the steps above guide you.
A waterproof digital camera housing is a covering for your camera to keep the water out, but still provide the facility to take pictures. Housings are not only useful for wet environments, but also muddy, sandy, snowy, dusty, or just generally “unclean” environments where particles or fluids might render your digital camera useless.
In the “good old days” of 35mm film cameras there were limited options. If you were keen you could purchase a dedicated waterproof camera (most notably the Nikons) but these were pricy and unless you were a National Geographic photographer, probably out of your range. There were a few other housings available, but tended to be very customized to particular camera models. For the typical consumer the best option might have been a waterproof disposable camera – they didn’t take great pictures, but they did survive being thrown around the beach and underwater snorkeling activity.
Nowadays most of us have a digital camera of some kind; compact, easy to use, and packed full of features. The range of digital cameras on the market has grown substantially in the last decade. The options for waterproof digital camera housings have also opened. There are generic cases that fit most small cameras. There are customized cases to fit individual manufacturer’s cameras. There are also waterproof and splash proof cameras on the market that are not expensive and provide basic protection from the elements.
Waterproof digital camera housings are typically made of a clear plastic material. There are soft-shelled cases, hard-shelled cases, and larger rigs designed to support the use of external flashes and deeper environments. It is important to pick the right housing for your camera. An ill-fitting unit will not keep the water out, or make it hard to access the controls of your camera. A difficult to use unit will detract from the fun you are having in the water. Ideally the unit will act as an extension of the camera itself, letting you focus on taking pictures of what goes on underneath the surface of the ocean.
Waterproof Underwater Case for the Following Canon Powershot Digital Cameras: SD750, SD770IS, 790IS, 800IS, 870IS, 1000, 1100, S200, S230, S330, S400