Waterproof Cameras: How To Select Your Underwater Photography
Posted on April 29, 2009
Filed Under Camera Problems, Canon Problems | Leave a Comment
Looking to buy a camera that you can take underwater without a special housing? Learn more about the options and pitfalls of underwater cameras by reading the following tips:
1) First and foremost, the sealing. This is what differentiates your waterproof camera from normal ones, and if any sealing breaks you are just left with an expensive piece of junk. Check all sealing while buying or evaluating, and recheck it regularly, especially in places where it comes under stress, such as on the camera lens or on the battery opening.
2) Quality of the pictures: a decent resolution is a must for underwater photography, especially if you may want to zoom up details of shots once the shot has been taken. Five megapixel is good for compact waterproof cameras, and eight is adequate for SLR’s.
3) Weight and Design: Make sure that you get the right balance package between size and bulkiness, specific to your photography needs. Consider how important extra equipment, such as external flashlights and other camera accessories, will be for you. Don’t forget a strap to tie the waterproof camera to your hand.
4) Industry certifications: Often overlooked by people when choosing a waterproof camera, these give you peace of mind about the standard that your camera was built to. You should look at Japanese Industry Standard designation Waterproof 8 for a camera that you can take on shallow dives, up to 5 meters.
5) Features: Important waterproof camera features for underwater sports / fishing photography are high objective aperture for low-light conditions, shake reduction, the possibility to mount a ring flash for SLR’s, burst mode, and a good memory card for picture storage.
6) You bought a waterproof camera? Great! Now clean it. Regularly. Be especially vigilant around dust, tar and sand, these will destroy your gaskets and water WILL leak into your device, rending it useless. Or your lens will jam. A well maintained camera is a long-lived camera.
7) Avoid exposing your waterproof camera to harmful chemicals, This includes Chlorine, so avoid using it in artificial pools. The sea, rivers and lakes are much safer environments for underwater photography equipment.
make sure that you do not end up with a splash-proof camera, instead of a waterproof one. These are not intended to be submersed, and will assuredly leak and then break if you do put them under water.
9) Learn about your waterproof camera and its performance gradually. Don’t take it take it to a dive right away, experiment with it in a shallow place first. Read the manual and try out the effect of different picture options, and you will soon be shooting like a pro.
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