What Camera Should I Buy for Underwater Photos?

Perhaps you're planning a trip to Hawaii and want to do some snorkeling, and capture a few memories. Or, perhaps you're a scuba diver and would like to show others some of the underwater world you're exploring. You want to get a camera that can shoot underwater. I have a few suggestions:

What kind of camera do you shoot on land? Most of us use our phone camera a lot. Some use point-and-shoot cameras. Some use DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. I'd suggest using a camera similar to one that you're familiar with on land, for underwater.

Some options that I've tried are cell phone housings, the Olympus TG-6 Tough point-and-shoot, and Nikon digital and film DSLRs. Cell phone housings have the advantages that the controls are familiar and the camera is sensitive. They are relatively cheap ($100 and up), but your expensive cell phone is likely kaput if the housing leaks. I've found that not all of the controls I'm used to on land are accessible underwater, and that it's not hard to get into the phone into a mode where it's not possible to get back into camera mode.

The Olympus TG-7 Tough is the dominant point-and-shoot for underwater. It costs about $500. TG shooters have won photo contests, competing with much more expensive cameras. For $220 more you can get a fisheye converter, that you can put on and take off underwater. If you stay above 50 ft depth, you don't need a housing.

DSLR or Mirrorless Camera in a Housing gives you access to the most sophisticated camera technology underwater. The cost of a complete system is thousands of dollars, although a used system can be quite a bit cheaper. The housing is essentially a custom-made waterproof case, with seals and feed-throughs for the controls, and sealed ports for strobe cables and an optical port for the lens. Housings become obsolete after a few years, as camera technology advances.

Happy shooting!