underwater digital camera

I was looking around online to try to find a decent deal on an underwater digital camera (or digital camera housing to make regular cameras waterproof)

The reviews on regular underwater digital cameras aren't all that positive (or at least not in decent numbers)

Does anyone have any recommendations? I would prefer not to use disposables if I can avoid it.

I found a rather inexpensive housing for various brands of digital cameras for about 25 bucks on Amazon, but wanted to know what people here had used. We didn't have an underwater camera with us last year, and I regretted it!

You did not specify a price range. You did specify a housing you found for $25. You will NOT find a decent underwater camera in the same ballpark, or even the same universe as that. That being said, I don't think I would trust a $25 housing. What kind of camera would you be using with the housing? How much are you willing to spend for an underwater camera? What parameters must the camera or housing meet, are you a snorkeler or a diver, i.e. how deep do you want or need to be able to go?

I snorkel, not dive so I needed one that could go down to 25'-30'. I bought an Olympus Stylus Tough 8010, for our cruise last year, and got excellent results. It works quite well as a regular camera too, not just underwater. I will note two things about it that I felt could have been better designed. 1) it does NOT come with a battery charger. It comes with a charger cord, but you have to plug the entire camera in to charge/recharge the battery. It works fine, but is inconvenient when you want to be taking pictures. You can buy external chargers, but that is an additional expense. 2) I found the positioning of the record button for video to be inconvenient, right where my thumb wants to sit when I hold the camera with one hand, something one does frequently while underwater and you are using the other hand to hold position.

Here is a link to pictures I took with it. The first and last pictures in the album (on the boat and in Nassau) were with my Lumix camera, but all the excursion pictures on the catamaran and in the water were taken with the Olympus. Note: they are all natural light photos, I did not use the flash, even underwater. The camera does have 3 settings specifically for underwater photography.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13678200@N07/sets/72157624762572884/with/4911627814/

Go to OlympusAmerica dot com and check the series out. You are looking at $200 - $400 depending on the model and how deep you want it to go.

I found this article most helpful. We ended up with the Panasonic because it takes the best land photos. The majority of our vacation photos will be taken around the pool or on shore as I don't want to bring my DSLR to the beach or around the pool for that matter. We look forward to trying it out in less than two weeks. My daughter has the Fuji XP10 and it doesn't even begin to compare. Definitely choose one with a stabilizer.

http://www.lenstip.com/125.8-article-Underwater_cameras_test_2010__Summary.html

We purchased a DigiPac for our Sony Digital camera for about $25. not sure if this is the same item you're looking at but it actually worked great. Little hard to use all my camera functions while underwater but i got some great photos and it never leaked a drop. i was really nervous when i got it and put my camera in it and placed it in a sink of water for awhile but it worked great. search DigiPac and you see what i am talking about. :)

I have searched for a case for my camera (Kodak EasyShare MD-41) without much success. I see the same softbag solution from DigiPac for same $$. Not sure of easy of use on small buttons to operate the camera.

I do see a camera (Digital) with hard case, Intova CP9, for approx $130. They also have a model IC12 for over $200.

You may want to research this.

I do not have one.

WillieD13 - Do you really snorkel down to 20-30ft? Thats deep without my dive tanks, would think I skin dive to maybe 15ft.

John

After I posted the Intova CP9 I did some more review research. States you get what you pay for but might want to research the IC12 for the extra $100.

Sealife is coming out with a new land/sea camera shortly; price point in the 200's. Called the Mini II. Supposed to work down to 130 ft. Has sound and video. Plus decent size screen, and relatively easy to use. Haven't seen it action, but did see it on the web. Might be worth checking out.

WillieD13 - Do you really snorkel down to 20-30ft? Thats deep without my dive tanks, would think I skin dive to maybe 15ft.

John

In the past, I didn't usually go much below about 10'-12' because of ear pressure, but last summer I started using mold-able silicon ear plugs, which allowed me to get a lot deeper before the pressure got uncomfortable. Diving out by the "The Wall" at Grand Turk, the water was around 25' and I was able to get down to the bottom. Couldn't stay long, maybe 10-15 seconds, but long enough to get some pictures. The guide went down another 10' beyond me. I asked him how deep he could go, he said he used to do about 50'. The Stylus Tough 8010 handled it quite nicely. I'll be doing it again this summer, and hopefully in better shape, so I can stay down longer.

I was looking around online to try to find a decent deal on an underwater digital camera (or digital camera housing to make regular cameras waterproof)

The reviews on regular underwater digital cameras aren't all that positive (or at least not in decent numbers)

 

Does anyone have any recommendations? I would prefer not to use disposables if I can avoid it.

 

I found a rather inexpensive housing for various brands of digital cameras for about 25 bucks on Amazon, but wanted to know what people here had used. We didn't have an underwater camera with us last year, and I regretted it!

I currently have a Pentex W30. However I am looking to upgrade. The two cameras that I have settled on are the Pentax W90 and the Canon D10.

I was looking around online to try to find a decent deal on an underwater digital camera (or digital camera housing to make regular cameras waterproof)

The reviews on regular underwater digital cameras aren't all that positive (or at least not in decent numbers)

 

Does anyone have any recommendations? I would prefer not to use disposables if I can avoid it.

 

I found a rather inexpensive housing for various brands of digital cameras for about 25 bucks on Amazon, but wanted to know what people here had used. We didn't have an underwater camera with us last year, and I regretted it!

I would avoid that cheap enclosure. It is just a plastic bag. If you are just snorkeling, there are Olympus cameras that can handle up to 30 feet with no special housing. I use Canon with their special housing. The housings are about $240, but I get them on eBay for as little as $25 for an older camera.

I would avoid that cheap enclosure. It is just a plastic bag. If you are just snorkeling, there are Olympus cameras that can handle up to 30 feet with no special housing. I use Canon with their special housing. The housings are about $240, but I get them on eBay for as little as $25 for an older camera.

The Canon D10 and the Pentax W90 will both go to 30 feet also.

I too started an underwater camera search after living in Thailand for the year. I've found that most cameras only go to 10-30 ft. max unless its a specific one MEANT to go underwater as opposed to one that CAN. I recently decided to bite the bullet and by a GoPro Hero HD for $200. Its a videorecorder that also can freeze frame photos that are being taken in high resolution. The "naked" version(least amount of add ons as opposed to the surfboard one or the one for motorbikes) included underwater housing that has been tested to 180 ft. I decided to go with it after seeing numerous reviews on scuba boards etc. I'm taking it on a western caribbean cruise next week where I'll be doing some snorkeling and diving. Will be sure to post up some example photos afterwards.

You know.. I read bad reviews on it, but just for a snorkeling camera I got a fujifilm z33wp (I was going cheap at the time) which only goes 10 ft underwater... but really, the pictures were really decent. I would recommend that camera to anyone looking for a cheap shallow waterproof camera.

We just got a sealife for diving though, can't wait to test it out!

I bought a Canon D10 last year after A LOT of research both here on the boards and on other boards. I also did a search on google for pictures taken with the D10 and was amazed.

Here is one of my threads that have pictures taken while snorkeling with this camera:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1282285

I also have to say that they take amazing pictures on land and ALSO AT NIGHT!! Here are some of my fireworks pictures from last year taken with it:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25140530&postcount=14

Those pics are gorgeous!

Thanks! :)

I agree with Mitsugirly. I have a canon D10 also and love the pics. I bought it last year to go diving and snorkeling in St. Thomas and Tortola. I was very happy with its performance. I also purchased a high quality card to use in it.

I took it to ~41 ft :o, oops, but I got a pic of a nurse shark! :D

I agree with Mitsugirly. I have a canon D10 also and love the pics. I bought it last year to go diving and snorkeling in St. Thomas and Tortola. I was very happy with its performance. I also purchased a high quality card to use in it.

I took it to ~41 ft :o, oops, but I got a pic of a nurse shark! :D

Yea, I have a slr pro camera and since buying this D10, I actually carry it around with me most of the time instead of the heavy slr with lens just because it does take some great pictures. I'm more than impressed with this little camera. :)

I have a case for my Canon digital camera. The case is rated for 100feet. The reason I went that way over the D10 is because the reviews were contradictory and I wanted an excellent land base camera.

I know many have success with the DPac bag, but I personally would not trust it. My case use an o-ring and is pretty tight. If I lost the camera on a cruise, I would not be happy.

If I lost the camera on a cruise, I would not be happy.

For the price of the camera housing you could have purchased the D10 and then had two cameras, one for land and one for sea. That way you do not have to worry about getting your land camera wet.

Best COMPLETE camera rig for the money.

http://www.diversdirect.com/scuba-diving/sealife-dc-1200-elite-set/

I am on my third Sealife camera (only because the technology keeps improving).

Best COMPLETE camera rig for the money.

 

 

http://www.diversdirect.com/scuba-diving/sealife-dc-1200-elite-set/

 

 

 

I am on my third Sealife camera (only because the technology keeps improving).

I'm on a chair - and it cost a lot less than $800. :)

I have had a lot of underwater cameras over years and currently have some canon cameras with canon housings.

I chose this over something like the d10 because the housed camera floats and something like a d10 sinks

 

I chose this over something like the d10 because the housed camera floats and something like a d10 sinks

However, it comes with a strap that tightens around your wrist or where ever (and trust me, it's not coming off) or you can buy the little contraption that you attach to it as well that if you was to let go, it will also float. (not knocking your reasoning or idea, just saying...)

I have a canon powershot90 and bought the Ikelite housing to match it. It is rated to 200' and I have taken it well below 100'. All the serious UW photographers I know use Ikelite housings. I bought both at the big NYC-based online retailer that also has a great shop in NYC. (PM is you want the name - I don't think I can post the name of the store).

Ikelite generally makes housings for all major cameras, so you can possibly find one on eBay. make sure it is exactly for your model, as my daughter & husband have the next year's model (i think the PS85 or PS95) and the knobs don't line up. If you can find the case, but they don't have the o-ring, call Ikelite and they can ship them to you for a minimal cost. I lost my lens cover on a dive and the replacement was only $5. (I bought 2, as I figured I might lose it again and shipping was $7).

PS- I have a crummy SeaLife digital (no zoon) with a great housing & strobe that I bought at a dive show 5+ years ago. One of the worst purchases I have ever made. If I get around to it one day, I need to post it on ebay (or donate it). I would stay away from SeaLife.