Underwater Cameras

[rarescrambler]

We're going to snorkel and/or snuba at every port on our October trip. I'm debating on whether to mess w/an underwater camera. When we snorkeled in Hawaii our first time many (over 20) years ago, we used one but were disappointed in the quality of the pictures (as I recall grainy, faded colors, etc.)

 

Question - has the quality of underwater cameras improved such that it would be worth having to hang onto the thing (or it hanging around your neck etc.) while you're in the water?

 

TIA for your responses.

[BuzzF117]

Here is what I used when diving in caribbean in Feb http://www.goprocamera.com/index3.htm and it worked nicely. It works both above and below the water and it takes nice pictures. This picuture was taken in approx 30ft of water. Now if your snokleing you will have better light for picutures since the deeper you go the more lightis filterd out.

 

The next picture was taken on the RMS Rhone in BVI and was taken in about 50 ft of water

[rarescrambler]

Thanks for the response. Those really are good pictures! However, more money than I want to spend on an underwater camera at this time. I'll see if I hear back from anyone who's purchased a less expensive one (WalMart purchase is what I'm thinking) and see what they think of the quality. I know it won't be what yours are, but that's all we can swing right now.

[DANofNORTH]

as the rather high quality of pictures by BuzzF17 is either from a very expensive UW film camera or a digital camera. I have never gotten this quality out of any disposable that I have used, and I've used quite a few.

 

Personally I love my digital Canon with the UW case. ALL of the pictures are very good, in stead of 4 or 6 out of 27. Check out the prices, you may be surprised.

 

But, if you want an inexpensive disposable UW camera, I have found that Fuji seems to be about the best in colour & clarity. Many people, myself included, have had reasonable luck with them.

 

Hope this helps.

[gmcrow]

I concur with the Canon with a housing. look at this combo on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Canon-WP-DC14-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B000NSH15Q/ref=pd_cp_p_1?pf_rd_p=250314001&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000QECDKA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1M4BGB7MFYJG3A9SGD0V

[curlyqlink]

I got some decent snapshots with a cheap disposable diving in Mexico. Picked up the camera in a drugstore... pics are about the same quality as you get with any disposable.

 

Issues with using a camera underwater are light and turbidity. This applies to any UW camera, whether a nine dollar disposable or a $2000 housed digital w/strobes. Water eats light, starting at the red end at the spectrum. You don't have to be very deep before everything is blue/green monochromatic. A flash "solves" this problem at the cost of lighting up all the suspended matter between lens and subject. The worst possible place for the flash is right next to the lens, for this very reason. And any camera, shy of that $2000 housed digital job w/strobes, will have the flash right next to the lens.

 

As for film grain, well, fast film is grainy. You need fast film because there's less light underwater, everything's moving (including you!) and cheap cameras have slow lenses.

 

You can get pretty good pics with a cheap camera using available light in the shallows. Helps to have a nice sunny day too! And get close to your subject. If all you're looking for is some snapshots, stuff to remember the dive by, then a cheap camera-- even a disposable-- will meet your needs. It won't be National Geographic stuff... but, hey.

 

I've been using a cheap housed film camera (about 60 bucks) for a couple of years now. Cheap cameras have certain advantages, not the least of which is you won't get all worked up if it comes back from its dive filled with salt water.

[rarescrambler]

Thanks very much everyone for the helpful info. We'll take a look at what's out there and what the $$ are, then decide.

[dirvin0500]

We went Western Caribbean in May and we used the Kodak disposable cameras. They are about $12.00, go to 50' deep, and hold 39 pictures. They took really decent pictures for 35mm versus digital. This was in about 30 - 40 feet of water.....Take a look

[rarescrambler]

Wow, those ARE awesome picutres - GREAT quality. I think I'll go with that. Thanks very much for the info.

[TedC]

We went Western Caribbean in May and we used the Kodak disposable cameras. They are about $12.00, go to 50' deep, and hold 39 pictures. They took really decent pictures for 35mm versus digital. This was in about 30 - 40 feet of water.....Take a look

 

Pictures are VERY good. Did you have regular processing or Kodak's special underwater processing I read about?

 

Also, did you buy camera at dive shop, Wal Mart etc? Do you know if Kodak has more than one underwater model, if so, which did you buy?

 

Thank you

[CRUISERTN]

I have taken some decent underwater photos with both Fuji and Kodak disposable cameras....the brighter the sun and the more shallow water will give you the best visibility.....also, if you want to use your normal digital camera and buy a "case" for it - check out www.goshotcamera.com and click on the "underwater" section....these "cases" look like a heavy-duty baggie but they work fairly well....you can check to see if they have one for your particular digital camrea....they are only about $35....you have to make sure the front part is aligned properly or your photos will look like you took them from inside a telescope...once aligned properly and decent weather and shallow water, the photos are good and if the case is placed on your camera properly, it will NOT get your camera wet.

[scuba214]

I bought the Vivitar Vivicam 6200 online at Target for 119.00. It's a 6.0 digital. It's rated to 30 feet, but have talked to others who took it down to 65 ft. I used it for snorkeling on our last trip. I was very pleased with the results and will use it for diving on our Nov. trip.

[Jollyman]

We're going to snorkel and/or snuba at every port on our October trip. I'm debating on whether to mess w/an underwater camera. When we snorkeled in Hawaii our first time many (over 20) years ago, we used one but were disappointed in the quality of the pictures (as I recall grainy, faded colors, etc.)

 

Question - has the quality of underwater cameras improved such that it would be worth having to hang onto the thing (or it hanging around your neck etc.) while you're in the water?

 

TIA for your responses.

 

 

I bought an Olympus Stylus 770 SW last year for our Legend Cruise to the Western Caribbean for the same reason. $279 at Best Buy/Circuit City. Waterproof to 30 Feet. Drop Proof from 10 feet. 7.1 Megapixel with over 20 preset shooting modes. Video as well. I've attached a couple of images from Cayman Island and above water. Great travel camera, good elargements.:D

[mikeythemars]

I've been doing scuba since 1989 and have used scores of mid to lower price underwater cameras, both pre and post digital. My ten cents:

• Underwater, lighting is everything and the onboard flashes on most point and shoots (no matter how nice/expensive they are) just don't have the illumination horsepower to get the bright, colorful professional-style shots people want (most of what has been posted here was taken in very shallow water and even there is already getting into greenish-blue washed out mode). You have to use a powerful, exterior remote flash to get real detail and color.
  
• The latter are generally only available when you move into the much more expensive single lens reflex category using big, bulky professional housings with flash racks.
  
• The one exception I found -- and to this day still use -- is a now discontinued, early 1990s product by Ikelite (a company that makes professional underwater camera housings), the Aquashot:

 

It came as an "entry level" serious underwater photography package that included a macro framing unit, camera housing and a remote flash (the thing on the far lower right). Originally, it was designed to hold a disposable film camera, but in it's last variant employed a re-loadable Fuji APS camera (which is what I still use with it). The real value added is in the flash and the macro water correcting lens Ikelite included (which lets you get real close to all the interesting little tiny stuff and illuminate it properly to get decent exposures).

 

Here are some examples of what the unit can do:

 

 

 

 

If anyone is intersted in looking into one of these, new old stock and used units still show up frequently on Ebay.

[The Flying Pirate]

I have used disposable underwater cameras on several cruises and for snorkeling (ie shallow water = Good light) they take fairly good pictures. They are definately better than not having pictures at all. If you decide to go with a disposable buy them before you leave, as they are generally around $10 at home and usually run abotu $20 out in the islands.

 

I recently upgraded my digital camera, I bought a Canon Powershot A720 IS, it is an 8Mega Pixel camera and takes fantasic pictures. I think it takes better pictures than my SLR in fact. I also bought an underwater housing for it and it does very well underwater. I am on the road and don't have any of the pictures saved on my laptop but I can post some sample pics from the Canon later if anyone is interested.

[rarescrambler]

Mikey,

 

Your pix are absolutely awesome! Thanks for sharing them. Unfortunately, we just don't have it in the budget right now for a camera in addition to all the other expenses around this trip. We've bought our own snorkels, masks, fins this time. We've just recently decided we're going to do a Discover Scuba excursion, and so we're investing in an intro scuba session at a local dive shop near where we work. (I'm just "a tad" nervous about this.)

 

We did end up just purchasing a disposable u/w camera - Fuji. As Pirate says, it'll not be professional quality but better than nothing. We'll have to leave the high-dollar equipment on our wish list for a little while longer.

 

Thanks, all, for your responses.

[SemiSweet]

We were disappointed by our pics from our disposable in Feb. of this year. Very grainy, in water and out. The beginning SCUBA place we used in Cozumel took one pic of us out-of-water and one under-water, to sell at the end of the dive. VERY worth it!

[The Flying Pirate]

One thing to mention for those using disposables, DO NOT pack them in your CHECKED LUGGAGE! Pack the cameras in your CARRY ON ONLY! The reason is the X-Ray Machines that the TSA uses to scan your Checked bags will nuke the heck out of the film and it will come back very grainy. Not sure exactly why but we shot two cameras in Cozumel one was in my carry on bag the other packed with the checked bags and the check bag camera was terrible. On the way home at Baggage claim we noticed the sign that said "The x-ray machines for checked luggage will damage film!" (Why that sign wasn't large and near the check IN I have yet to figure out.)

[rarescrambler]

That's very valuable info to have!

[TheVegasMan]

There are some great deals to be found on Ebay. Olympus sells brand new last years housings starting at $10. Then all you need is the camera to go with it.

 

I bought my camera and housing on there and paid less than $75 for both.

 

Here are some videos and photos I took with my "Cheap" setup.

 

 

 

 

 

A red filter will help you get more color in your underwater photos. I have one on the way.

[theump]

NOt sure if this picture will come out but it was taken with a Kodak disposable in about 10 feet of water. But had the pictures sent through a dive store and special processed to have color corection amde. This runs about $19.00 per 36 pic roll.

 

The Ump

[theump]

Only two real problems is that to get the prints it cost like I said around $20 but are nice but with disposable I always seem to run out of film and then really see something I want a picture of and have no pictures left. So I spent the money and bought a SeLife Reefmaster Mini underwater camera. Can not wait to try it on our next cruise.

 

The Ump

[alwalaska]

NOt sure if this picture will come out but it was taken with a Kodak disposable in about 10 feet of water. But had the pictures sent through a dive store and special processed to have color corection amde. This runs about $19.00 per 36 pic roll.

 

The Ump

 

Did you do normal processing first and then have them do the correction from the negatives? Really nice pic.

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

I prefer to use a point and shoot in a hard underwater enclosure vs. using disposables. I know it costs a lot more but you have to make the decision if you want to take snapshots vs. photographs. For example I was in St. John this last week and took the attached picture in 10ft. of water and did some minor color correction in photoshop. :)

 

Randall

 

[theump]

Did you do normal processing first and then have them do the correction from the negatives? Really nice pic.

 

 

No I just took the disposable camera to the dive shop and they sent it to somewhere in Florida that processes it. I hope I can get a simular type pic with my new underwater digital.

 

The Ump

Here is a couple more