There are a few decisions you have to make when it comes to choosing a digital camera to use underwater. If you already have a camera you would like to use you need to make sure there is an adequate housing for it. If you don’t have a camera you need to think about which of the following make the most sense for you:
Point-and-Shoot Cameras
Many people have them already so you often just need to house them. You can get great results with these cameras and they don’t require a lot of investment. In my opinion, Canon and Olympus are dominating this category. Point and shoot cameras are perfect if you do an annual dive trip and want a duel purpose camera.
Digital SLR Cameras
If you already have one and you want to make the investment in the gear necessary to take it under then go for it. It is not the cheap option and I caution you to not make the decision lightly – check out my article on getting into underwater photography.
If you have a digital SLR then you already know what it can do on the surface and you can get the same functionality when you are underwater. You will need to find a quality housing for it and then attach strobes in order to replicate the light on the surface. The digital SLR option offers you the most flexibility and growth potential as you progress in the hobby.
Waterproof Cameras
While technically still point and shoot cameras, there are cameras that are developed specifically for underwater use such as those from Sea & Sea and now the line from Olympus such as the Stylus Tough – 8000 and the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW (no longer available) that are both waterproof to 33 feet. I like the 1030 to get boat shots as well as when I don’t want to carry my large rig.
As you can see there are a lot of options but if you are not sure start with the point and shoot and enjoy diving until you are ready to move up to the next level.
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