Getting Started with Underwater Photography: What Gear?

[richard_j_schwartz]

<p>First and foremost...make sure you are a good diver! Just like trying anyhting new, it takes time and practice to get bouyancy skills down well enough to begin underwater photography. I've seen far too many good topside photographers get underwater with a camera rig and just destroy the very thing they are trying to shoot! The motto of every diver should be "Do no harm"<br>

With that said, I use a Canon G10 compact digital in an Ikelite housing with an Ikelite DS-125 substrobe. The camera and housing came to around $1000 (US) and the strobe was another $900 (US). The G10 has been replaced by the G11, which will soon be replaced by the G12 and the DS-125 substrobe has since been replaced by the DS-160 (which can also function as a video light) with, of course, a slight increase in cost. Here's one of my shots with this setup:<br>

<img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/pontiacrich/Grouper_2.jpg" alt="" /><br>

The nice thing about the G series Canon is that they have all manual control modes as well as auto, shutter and aperture priority and they take decent video too. So if you find that UW photography is not for you, you have a decent knock around camera for topside fun stuff and Ikelite housings and strobes are always in demand<br>

If you don't want to shell that much money out, try the SeaLife Point 'n Shoot packages that start around $450 (US) for camera and housing. The downside is that these cameras are limited in range and usefulness w/o an external strobe so, the quality may not be up to the standards that a topside photographer is used to. The other disadvantage of these types of cameras is that you have to get close to the subject which means possibly risking hitting the coral etc. which goes back to my first point of "Do no harm"<br>

Regards,<br>

Rich</p>

[sebastien_barre1]

<p>Thanks guys.<br>

I'd like to buy an inexpensive underwater/rugged camera. I do have an expensive camera, a Canon 5DMark II but the housing to put it under water is about at least $1500+. Ouch. Not sure I want to put $5000 worth of gear under water just yet.<br>

<br /> I would settle for a reasonably good/cheap underwater cam instead, around $300. Something that goes at least to 33 feet. I'm about to finish my (US) scuba certification at the end of this month, I doubt we will go much deeper in our lake. Granted, I plan to later on, but I can start small (I have about 65 dives under my belt from when I was young and adventurous in France, up to 180 feet).<br /><br /> I'm not super interested in videos on this one, but great color/image quality is key (something tricky underwater)<br /><br /> Anyway, I read this:<br /><br /> 2010 Comparing Top 7 Waterproof Underwater Compact Cameras<br /> <a href="http://www.dslrphoto.com/dslr/2010-comparing-top-7-waterproof-underwater-compact-cameras---updated-5-23-2010,15546.html">http://www.dslrphoto.com/dslr/2010-comparing-top-7-waterproof-underwater-compact-cameras---updated-5-23-2010,15546.html</a><br /><br /> 'Waterproof' Camera Group Test (Q2 2009) <br /> <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209waterproofgroup/">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209waterproofgroup/</a><br /><br /> Rugged/waterproof camera splashout 2009 <br /> <a href="http://dpinterface.com/camera-reviews/rugged-waterproof-camera-splashout-2009/">http://dpinterface.com/camera-reviews/rugged-waterproof-camera-splashout-2009/</a><br /><br /> And I came up with 3 cameras:<br /><br /> Canon PowerShot D10 <br /> Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (DMC-FT2)<br /> Olympus Tough 8010 <br /><br /> mostly the D10 in mind, since I shoot Canon already.<br /><br /> Any advices?<br /> Thanks</p>

[sebastien_barre1]

<p>> And I came up with 3 cameras:<br />> Canon PowerShot D10<br />> Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 (DMC-FT2)<br />> Olympus Tough 8010</p>

<p>Actually I forgot I have numerous Point&Shoot cameras, the "newest" is a Canon SD870IS I bought 3 years ago. Had a good time with it before switching to a DSLR. I just saw that I can get a Canon WP-DC17 U/W housing for this camera for about $99. It is waterproof up to 130ft and all buttons are accessible. That's way better than the 33ft top for the 3 cameras mentioned above. I'm sure the quality won't be as good, but that might be a cheap start.</p>

[terry_schuller1]

<p>The advanced amateurs are using Canon 5D in Subal or SeaCam or other aluminum housings so they can do both stills and video. I use a D200 in a Subal housing with a 60mm lens and a 10-13 lens with appropriate ports. Inon strobes and Ultralight Control Systems arms and clamps to connect it all together. There is so much to choose from now that the question is what does the photographer want to get out of it? Snapshots or some advanced looking underwater shots which can be done by a newby with the digital selection today. There are a number of dedicated underwater photo stores in the US and abroad and they are real helpful.<br /> Drop me a note if you are interested: dtreid@gmail.com</p>

[terry_schuller1]

<p>I forgot to include these in the last post. They were done with the 60mm lens in the Phillipines recently.</p><div></div>

[terry_schuller1]

<p>Another one: </p><div></div>

[leonardlow]

<p>Argh! None of the waterproof cameras shoot RAW! :(</p>

[cj8281]

<p>My friends that dive and shoot pictures use those fuji one time use cameras that have the water proof plastic housings on them. They have taken them down a lot farther than the manufacture recommends and have not lost any yet. They generally just shoot each other in 5 to 20 feet of water because of the light. They are little, have a strap that you can clip to your bc and don't really get in the way. If you do loose one you are not out much. Oh Mag lite flash lights are not water proof, even though they are o-ring gasketed. They stay on but they fill up with water. And if you do try it, remember PROMPTLY remove the batteries when you get out.</p>

[thomas_ozanne]

<p>Quite a kettle of fish...</p>

<p>You say you are an advanced photographer wanting to get in to underwater photography... So you know your way around a manual camera, however the most important thing about Underwater Photography is being a competent diver with near perfect buoyancy. You owe it to your own safety. You owe it to the safety of the environment.</p>

<p>I have seen many experienced or enthusiastic photographers get a taste for diving and splash out on all the gear and jump right in. This regularly causes problems.</p>

<p>Like others here have said putting a camera in your hands distracts you from the diving. No doubt an experienced-photographer-novice-diver can get get better results than a novice-diver-novice-photographer but if you really want to be a good Underwater Photographer you need to master diving as much as you need to master photography.</p>

<p>I haven't mastered photography, by a long way. And to be honest I haven't mastered diving either. Diving has so many different disciplines and variables and only by knowing them all inside out could you come close to mastering diving. Warm water, cold water, blue water, green water, ice, good visibility, bad visibility, no visibility (rubbish for photography), currents, calm seas, wetsuits, dry suits, deep diving, night diving, wreck diving, technical diving, recreational diving and so on..</p>

<p>I have chosen my area of diving. I am a warm water, blue water, good visibility diver. The committed, northen hemisphere winter divers among you will probably call me a fair weather diver, amongst other things, and that may be true, but what it means is that I have found my niche and I am exploring it to the fullest extent.</p>

<p>I have spent years honing my dive skills, in particular my buoyancy as well as my equipment to let me be the best diver I can possibly be in my chosen environment.</p>

<p>I became a diver before I was a photographer.</p>

<p>This let me get the diving right before I added a camera in to the mix. It avoided (more or less) the problem described above where a camera ruins a good dive. I saw all I wanted to see without a camera first. I had many enjoyable dives just being there.</p>

<p>Now for most of you reading this, I'm guessing, being a diver before being a photographer is not an option. You know about photography. So now you want to enjoy underwater photography you need to fully know about diving.</p>

<p>Unfortunately I have seen the results of someone who knows about photography thinking they know enough about diving to just buy a $7000 housing, and jump right. Their disregard for the environment was unbelievable and unforgiveable. One eye closed looking through the view finder, kicking up sand, kicking corals, kicking other divers, (and me) poking at and handling sea creatures to get them to cooperate because their clunky diving has scared the creature away in the first place. Massive air consumption (not a problem in itself as long as you are aware of it) and disregard for the safe limits of diving... And on and on...</p>

<p>You will enjoy your UW Photography SO much more if you invest some time into becoming a good diver.</p>

<p>As for gear...</p>

<p>Another kettle of fish.</p>

<p>Everyone has their brand and we can discuss that till the cowfish come home.<br>

<img src="http://arewedreaming.com/files/gimgs/21_20090526-20090526-dsc9427.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" /><br>

Cowfish. Yes, they do exist, they don't moo and the milk tastes terrible.</p>

<p>All I know is, having full manual control is very very useful. Many compacts don't give you this. Some have exposure compensation and some have manual white balance as well.</p>

<p>At the moment the best compacts for underwater are the Canon S90 and the Canon G11. There are many discussions about which of those is better on land so I won't get in to that now. I will say that they both have the same sensor, they both shoot raw (good for colour correction of your UW blues and greens). They both have access to full manual controls, including the very important ability to manually white balance.</p>

<p>Manual white balance is important for natural light photography, the deeper you go the less red there is. To combat this you can use manual white balance, preferably in conjunction with a red filter. (Actually red filters are best for blue water, magenta filters are best for greener waters)</p>

<p>Put one of those cameras in their relatively cheap Canon housings and you have a good starter for underwater photography. If you are a bit more serious then consider going for an <a href="http://snipurl.com/ikelite90housing">Ikelite housing</a> for greater depth rating and added control. Even more serious go for a <a href="http://snipurl.com/canons90fisheyehousing">Fisheye housing</a> which has an upgrade option for even greater depths. Depth should be considered, consumer housings can handle greater depths than the manufacturer recommends but it is the springs in the controls that will limit your depth. Soft easy to press buttons become compressed at depth. Housings with deeper ratings usually just have tougher springs. Obviously stronger housing material is important for seriously deep diving.</p>

<p>Next step add a strobe, <a href="http://www.inon.jp/">Inon</a> and <a href="http://www.seaandsea.com/">Sea and Sea</a> make good compact starter stobes with fibre optic triggers. If you are considering upgrading to full SLR one day then buy one of their strobes with fibre optic AND electrical conections. Next you can add a second strobe or maybe "wet lenses". Inon make a variety of Wide angle and Macro glass and polycarbonate lenses that will increase the scope of your photography. For various reasons though, the Canon S90 may be more compatible with some wide angle wet lenses lenses so consider that when you choose between the S90 and the G11.</p>

<p>The reason I don't recommend other brands is that many of the cameras are lacking features that you need underwater.</p>

<p>For instance Olympus' compacts don't seem to give you the option to manual white balance. They make good housings though so I find it strange that they always seem to overlook such an important option. The Olympus "Tough" line of cameras do have the whole waterproof to 10m thing going on, put a waterproof to 10m camera in a waterproof to 40m housing and you should be ok even if a little water gets in the housing. Actually I have seen an Olympus "Tough" taken to 30m WITHOUT HOUSING. The controls start to go awry after 18m or so, but if you start recording video before you descend the camera will continue to record at depth... If toughness is important then that maybe the camera for you.</p>

<p>For more serious photography then SLR is the most supported way forward. Housings are available for 4/3's and even Hasselblad systems but I have no experience of those so I won't comment.</p>

<p>I shoot with Nikon and I use an Aluminium (yes I am British) housing rated to 70m, 2 strobes, Aluminium Clamps and Arms to position the strobes where I need them and Electrical cables to connect the strobes to the hot shoe of the camera. At the moment I control my strobe's power manually. For various reasons Nikon's TTL system does not work with external strobes without added fiddly circuitry. You can get housings for Nikon Strobes and when assembled you get fully Functional TTL. I am considering another option of upgrading to a fibre optic trigger and cable to get the benefit of TTL. However TTL was designed for use in Air so it's accuracy underwater can be hit or miss.</p>

<p>There are various housings available and I won't go into the individual brands suffice to say more money doesn't always mean better. Cheaper Polycarbonate housings do the job of protecting your camera and in the hands of an expert can produce wonderful images. More expensive Aluminium housings usually mean better ergonomics and controls at your finger tips. My particular housing manufacturers' ethos is that the controls on the housing should be in the same positions in relation to the camera itself, if you know the camera on land then you will have no problem finding the controls on the housing. Other manufacturers reposition the controls so they are right at your finger tips.</p>

<p>When it comes to choosing a housing the most important thing is how it feels in your hands, I tried the cheapest and the most expensive and everything in between, and it came down to how it felt.</p>

<p>Also to be considered are your ports, the glass/or plastic that your lens sees through comes in different materials er, glass or plastic, namely polycarbonate. I know pros who happily shoot all day with battered poly carbonate ports, and I know people who extol the virtues of mineral glass on offer from other manufacturers. Dome ports of between 4-12 inches for wide angle and Flat ports of required length for longer or macro lenses, perhaps with manual focus and zoom gears.</p>

<p>Lens choice underwater: I use the Tokina 10-17 90% of the time, to be honest I rarely zoom away from the 10mm end. Zooming on this lens comes in useful if it is difficult to light a subject close to the dome port with out.<br>

<img src="http://arewedreaming.com/files/gimgs/44_20100513-dsc9709.jpg" alt="" width="531" height="800" /><br>

Close: This sponge is over a metre tall and the dome was only cm's away from it. Taken with the 10-17mm.</p>

<p>I have used Nikon's 12-24 underwater but to resolve the image with the dome port and get close focusing you need to add a +4 diopter, I don't have one, so I rarely use this lens underwater, I know plenty of people who love using it though.</p>

<p>Other than that I only use a 105mm macro lens for fish portraits, it's good for fish that are shy because of it's relatively long working distance. I am considering getting the 60mm to allow for portraits of fish slightly bigger than this guy.<br>

<img src="http://arewedreaming.com/files/gimgs/21_20090529-20090529-dsc0277.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" /><br>

Closer: This little Pygmy Pipe Dragon is 1.5cm long, I locked the focus of the 105mm at it's closest and pulled focus by moving the camera back and forth with arm movement, finning and buoyancy control.</p>

<p>In underwater photography getting close is so important. That is why in 90% of my images I prefer the fisheye. It lets you get super close and and has great depth of field. Getting close minimises the water between you and the subject, this reduces particulates that can get in the way and most importantly reduces the heavy blue and green cast that most underwater photographs suffer from. You get close, bring your strobes in close and fire away, Voila! Colour, and lots of it. Most people do not get close enough. That maybe due to concerns about buoyancy, get your buoyancy mastered and then get closer, and closer still. With fisheye lenses you can have the subject literally touching your dome port and still have it in focus.<br>

<img src="http://arewedreaming.com/files/gimgs/39_20091112-dsc4086.jpg" alt="" width="531" height="800" /><br>

Too Close: Octopus are surprisingly strong. I honestly thought for a moment that I was going to lose my camera. This shows how close the fisheye allows you to get and still have focus. Lighting is a bit of a problem however.</p>

<p>Strobes are another area where you have a large choice. I use 2 compact strobes that are good to travel with and for my kind of close up work have plenty of power. However if you want to shoot bigger pelagics like sharks or dolphins then a mid range zoom in combination with a pair of monster strobes will give you enough reach and light through the water.</p>

<p>Phew...</p>

<p>And that's about all I know, or at least that's all I can think of right now.</p>

<p>Oh, one more thing. VERY IMPORTANT.</p>

<p>Whatever housing you do buy, make sure you dive with it EMPTY for the first dive. If there is a problem with the housing you will find it without destroying your camera.</p>

<p>Ok, that's it.</p>

<p>If you want to see more of my pictures or find out what gear I use check out my website:</p>

<p><a href="http://arewedreaming.com">AreWeDreaming.com</a></p>

<p>Also please feel free to email or PM me with any questions about specific gear...</p>

<p>Happy Diving<br>

<br />Tom</p>

[terry_schuller1]

<p>Leonard wrote: "Argh! None of the waterproof cameras shoot RAW! :( " But there are a number of point and shoots that do do raw, i.e. Canon G9, 10, 11 and you can get a farily inexpensive housing to put those into.<br>

Terry</p>

[leonardlow]

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=1979571">@Terry Schuller</a> thanks for the response; I'm aware that there are good compacts that can be put into waterproof housings, but I would rather like to have a certain amount of redundancy in a good underwater photography system. I currently shoot with an Olympus mju in a waterproof housing, which means that if a little water gets into the housing, it won't kill the camera. If a little sea water gets in with a G11, you can kiss your sweet baby goodbye!<br>

I find it surprising that no camera manufacturer has yet considered the needs of photographers who would like to take professional quality photos with a compact, rugged camera. There are applications for photographing extreme sports in situations where bulky photographic equipment would be inconvenient or dangerous, as well as semi-pro and professional underwater photographers who want to streamline, and failsafe their equipment. There's no greater nightmare than having a perfect shot and then realising your equipment is dead!<br>

First manufacturer to give me HD video and RAW image capture in a ruggedised body gets my cash. GO! :D</p>

[tord_s_eriksson]

<p>There is also the Olympus C-8080, that when used with its UW house (both from Ikelite and Olympus), works very well. They were very expensive, of course, when they arrived on the market, but should be possible to find used. The C-8080 has a supersharp lens, and works very well when used with a strobe. Nothing to use if you like to shoot RAW, as saving RAW files take ages.<br>

The Ikelite housing is slightly smaller, and probably lighter (haven't used one myself), thus easier to handle, out of the water!</p>

[options]

As for underwater photography, I pretty much suck. Some would argue topside photography I rate the same.

I worked in the caymans for about 8 years as a scuba instructor/ divmaster. On daily dives we needed to take

photographs to post on the web so guests who were planning on visiting us soon would have an idea of the visibility and

stuff they will see if they are staying with us for the first time. These photos were taken when digital was all not that

popular so my two cents n the matter may be worthless as digital photography has jumped two fold since then.

 

First thing we did was use a red filter on whichever depth we took photos at. The first color to disappear is red after 15 ft.

Cameras...... I noticed that the really good photographers always used a Nikonos V always with 2 strobes. Most of them

are macro photographers. I also noticed that the good photographers usually stay right underneath the boat as oppose to

following us. This always made me breathe a bit easier.

 

Always remember that underwater photography is all about your safety. I've spent around 4 trips in they hyperbaric

chamber during my scuba career. 8 hours minimum and you can't just sleep as the doc next to you have to administer

oxygen for 20 minutes every 40 minutes of regular air so it's not fun at all. I relay this message because all 5 of those

chamber rides were all due to fishin out u/w photographers.

 

Twice I had to chase an u/w photographer at close to 180 ft (still defending) as he was concentrating on his viewfinder

whilst trying to chase a simple lobster down a 3000ft wall dive. He was so intent on getting the perfect shot he forgot his

sorroundings.

 

Once a really good u/w photographer who became more like a staff rather than a guest at the lodge. For 5 years straight

he spent his two week vacation with us a the lodge. I was comfortable enough to let him be since he always just stayed

underneath the boat to take photos. One dive he was trying to wait out an octopus hiding underneath a rock to co e out.

Once the octopus came out he was concentrating so much at his viewfinder he completely forgot to check on his air. I

come back on top fo the wall from leading my divers at the end of the dive and I see him swimming frantically toward me

while signalling he's out of air. We both suck down my tank and got to the (hooka reg), I hang a tank and regulator (hooka

reg) at 25ft underneath the boat for situations like this. He was fine but I got bent. So another trip to the chamber for me.

 

Take photos and leave only bubbles is the mantra. That being said, you need to ask yourself how good a diver you think

you are. Bouyancy control is key. Also don't forget you can't touch anything while diving otherwise you end up killing it. So

keep that in mind. I've seen divers take a phenominal shot but as I look around the area they were shooting, I see busted

coral heads or nasty scrapes on the divers due to un expected surge. Worse yet scales from fire coral.

 

If it's your first u/w photography trip and if you decide to go to the caymans I recomend taking a class or two with Cathy

church. She'll rent out the equipment to you as well. Plus the reef is right off their shop varying from 30-50 feet which

aloes you more time to stay underwater. Plus she a world reknowned u/w photograher you can get tips on. Completely

down to earth lady. I like her a lot.

 

Hope that helps.

[options]

<p>Should have edited the above before hitting confirm. (still defending) should be (still decending). All other typos should be self explanatory. My apologies. It was pretty early in the morning when I wrote the above.</p>

[david_carroll4]

<p>Lots of experience talking in this thread - as others have stated, for effective U/W photography, a minimum level of diving skill is an essential prerequisite. If you're going to concentrate on getting the pic, your buoyancy control, air management and situational awareness have to be honed to the point of being almost automatic, particularly if the diving is in a location where you can get into trouble by not paying attention, such is on a wall, in a wreck or in open water. That being said, some of the most entertaining dives I have ever undertaken have been in very shallow (<10 ft) water. Plenty of wildlife, light and activity, your air lasts forever and there's very little chance that inattention is going to land you in serious trouble. You don't have to dive deep to get good pics - in fact, if you're learning the craft of U/W photography, I think starting shallow and working your way down as you become more comfortable with combining diving with picture taking is a very sensible way to go.</p>

[joe swaney]

<p>To establish my credentials (such as they are) I have been buying and selling used underwater photography equipment for a living via the magic of eBay for over 5 years here:<br>

<a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Underwater-Photography-Cameras?refid=store">http://stores.ebay.com/Underwater-Photography-Cameras?refid=store</a><br>

First, the observations above about diving skills are crucial. Proper buoyancy control and being comfortable underwater are essential to real success with underwater photography.<br>

Second, I echo the comments about diving and photography being an area where a bit of 'focus' on your subject will produce better results. It's certainly possible to be lucky and get a great photograph (or more) on a dive when photography isn't your primary activity, but your success rate will be much higher if you do dedicate some of your dives primarily to photography.<br>

I've tried a number of the options mentioned above, and, while there are a lot of contradictory opinions / viewpoints, I normally ask my customers to describe their photographic experience and what they intend to do with their photographs. I believe there are many points that determine the best system for each person, and thus determine what recommendation I make when my customers ask for suggestions.<br>

First is budget. If you are financially comfortable and spending thousands of dollars on your underwater photography equipment (and excess baggage charges) is not an issue for you I recommend going the full new housed DSLR and two high-end strobes route. Even folks who don't have a lot of photographic experience can use automated settings and get great results with a proper housed DSLR setup purchased from a knowledgeable seller like Backscatter / Underwater Photo Tech, Reef Photo, Helix, or outfits like Steven Frink's for Seacam housings. If you are a more experienced photographer the flexibility of a DSLR really can't be beat. I know folks who are dedicated fans of each of the major brands, but I believe all of the brands can help you take great underwater photos. With this approach (assuming a current advanced amateur or pro body and good lenses) you'll end up with more sensitive autofocus, better low-light capability, larger files sizes, and more. Of course, the more you spend the more traumatic that first flood can be! <br>

Buying from your local dive shop is also an option, but the odds of getting advice from someone who is familiar with more than a few of the brands / options available decreases depending on the expertise of your local 'expert' there.<br>

If cost is a consideration, your choices basically fall into four groups. You can purchase a used housing and strobe set for an older DSLR, you can purchase a Nikonos system, you can buy a housing for a compact digital point and shoot camera, or you can buy a Sea&Sea film system.<br>

Going the used DSLR route will most-likely be more expensive than Nikonos, compact P&S, and S&S film options but in many cases the lenses (assuming you stay with the same camera brand) domes, ports, lens gears, etc., will be compatible with newer DSLRs if you decide to upgrade later, meaning that if you decide to spend more later it will only be for a more-expensive body and housing. The advantages of a new housed DLSR above will be impacted by the amount that your chosen older DSLR's capabilities fall behind the current state of the art (file size, autofocus speed, etc.).<br>

Next on the price ladder is a complete Nikonos system. You can purchase a minimalist Nikonos system for less than a housed P&S, but the primary advantages of the Nikonos system can only really be exploited if you purchase the better lenses. The lenses are the primary advantage of a Nikonos system over the other options. The 15mm, 20mm, and 28mm lenses are optimized water-contact lenses. In particular, the 15mm lens (along with the Nikonos RS 13mm) delivers what may be the sharpest underwater images attainable. For those old enough to remember, the vast majority of underwater photographs seen in professional diving magazines for over 30 years were taken by the Nikonos system, and the Nikonos system can deliver the same results for you today as it did for professionals for three decades at a lot lower price point than when new! The 36 frame limitation of film is a consideration, and another reason not to choose the Nikonos system if you are the type who just fires away and hopes for good results (take better photographs, not more photographs?). I recommend the Nikonos system to customers who understand photography, are capable of remembering to change the focus distance and other settings as applicable for each subject, and prioritize potential image quality. I have had sharp, large 20 X 24 inch prints framed and matted that were from slides and negatives that would be very difficult to obtain from many digital camera files. <br>

Next in the price hierarchy are housed digital point and shoot cameras. You can buy expensive housings for some of them, but there are also less-expensive options for many of them. With P&S cameras there can be more shutter lag then with the options above (more butt shots of your subjects departing the scene) and autofocus can be a bit more problematic, but you can certainly get very nice results. Things to consider are whether you will want to have more control over your camera (possible negative) and size (a definite plus). Sea&Sea and others make comprehensive systems with cameras that have underwater settings and custom housings. I recommend P&S systems to customers who want a smaller footprint in their luggage, don't want to spend more, don't want to fiddle with settings and will use their images for smaller prints and to e-mail or post on the web. <br>

Finally, you can take very good photographs with the older Sea&Sea film cameras, although the lens sharpness isn't as good as with the Nikonos system. I recommend these systems for people who want underwater snapshots that will provide good memories of a dive at the lowest price point, and they make great cameras for kids to use around water!<br>

From high-end DSLR sets down to Nikonos, housed P&S and Sea&Sea film options, one of the most important additions you can make is to provide quality light. Due to the rapid absorption of light as you descend in water, an external strobe will make much more of a difference on your results than a flash will make above water. Once you've selected your strobe one of the most important skills to master that will improve your results is how to aim your strobes. The link below is a personal page, but the author has drawn some of the best diagrams that explain proper strobe aim to reduce backscatter that I have seen, not surprisingly on the sub-link 'strobe aim," and I often send new underwater photographers to his link:<br>

<a href="http://www.daveread.com/uw-photo/strobes/">http://www.daveread.com/uw-photo/strobes/</a><br>

In the case of all of the types / brands of systems considered above, in almost all cases the lens you choose and your artificial light source (strobe) will do much more to determine your final results than any other pieces of the equation. <br>

As someone who's been diving for over 25 years and a photographer longer, I find underwater photography to be incredibly fun and rewarding. I guess my 'take-away' thought is that you can take underwater photographs that you will treasure for years with a variety of equipment through a very wide range of price points. First reflecting on what you can afford (or choose to) spend and what your photographic goals are, then setting a budget will go a long way towards helping you select the system that's best for you.</p>

[klaus.sailer]

<p>To get started, even as an advanced photographer, I would use a small digital camera with a good housing. Most of the latest small ones with a good light sensitivity and low noise will do.<br>

I currently use my old Fuji F31fd with the original Fuji housing.<br>

Images are not top quality, but for a start, it does quite ok.</p>

<div></div>

[klaus.sailer]

<p>Another sample, both shots are from my last dive in egypt some days ago, so these are not some "selected best from years of trying". Some experience with buoyancy control and shooting underwater will help to get a good angle.</p><div></div>

[thomas_ozanne]

<p>As far as I know, at the moment there are only 2 compacts that offer a RAW option.</p>

<p>The S90 and the G11 from Canon...</p>

<p>With all the housing options and add ons available (See my above post) there is really NO contest between these and other models available.</p>

<p>As I said in my previous post many other consumer cameras lack too many essential features to be an option.</p>

<p>These "tough" "water proof" cameras may give an extra level of protection, against leaks but that is, after all, the job of the housing. If you care for and prepare your housing properly you will not have any leaks. I have done over a thousand dives with various housed pro and consumer level cameras and not had one leak. 99% of all leaks/floods are down to user error. (Many even occur in the rinse tank before or even after a dive)</p>

<p>Choose the best camera for the job and house it. Simple.</p>

<p>If you want a compact solution, right now your best bet is, without a doubt, the S90 or the G11...</p>

<p>Tom</p>

[myles_hayes]

<p>After trial and error and several dives and snorkeling on several different trips i have come to the conclusion there are five major things you will need, No make that six besides the scuba gear and here they are (1) a good quality digital camera. (2) a realy good quality under water housing so you do not (wreck) no pun intended) your digital camera. (3) a good quality high capacity memory card best you can aford in my opinion as you will not get to change the card under the water. and the last three items are light,light and then more light. because when you are down there it may seam bright to you as your eyes can adjust very well but the camera will need (LIGHT) and as much as you can give it. i promise it will pay off and you should have very nice pictures. alas for me due to a car accident and implanted electronic devices i am no longer alowed to these kind of activity's<br>

so i now have to live through your submitted photos good luck and please post your pics<br>

P.S. I still live in hope that one day i can return and heed my own advice as i have not sold my underwater housing yet</p>

[voets]

<p>I think the answer to Hannah's question should be: Money & Time<br /> UW photography is expensive.... very expensive.... <br />A good housing to protect your camera will cost as much as the camera itself (in case of the 'plastic' ones) or even double the price ( in case of metal ones ).<br /> An UW strobe also will set you back another $1000 or more. No strobe = No color <br />If you go the SLR route you will need specific dome or flatports for each lens you want to use, so add another few hundred.<br /> And then you'll need a lot of time, diving itself takes time, getting to the divespot and kitting up. But preparing your UW photo kit also takes time, if you rush it, you can be sure you'll camera will drown.<br />You will also need a lot of time to practice.<br>

I'm using a Sony A350 at the moment, in an Ikelite housing with Ikelite DS-160 and DS-125 strobes.<br />This is a big setup that dominates your dive, but it gives great results (at least I think)</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/11097132-md.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="481" /><br>

or<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/9922991-md.jpg" alt="" width="679" height="481" /><br>

I use the 50mm f2.8 Minolta macro and 10mm f2.8 sigma lenses mostly.</p>

[w3 aed]

<p>Loads of expert advice here.<br>

I am not an UW expert at all, in fact I am not sure if I will want to take it further after the first vacation.<br>

So I offer a camera I already have a Canon G9 and the Canon polycarbonate case made for this.<br>

Most of the later G series have special UW cases, but because the screen size and control positions have been altered from G7 to G11 in stages, you have to get the one which is intended for your camera.<br>

In the UK the camera was about GBP 350 and the case was about GBP 160, but I bought it in a sale for less than half. Once the camera is discontinued it is often possible to find a bargain in a dedicated case.<br>

If I don't dive again, it still makes the camera very practical for the beach as it will be protected from sand and picnic spills</p>

<p>Anthony</p><div></div>

[herman_hiel]

<p>I dive about every year on vacation, some 5 dives; so after some 100 dives, I needed a new challenge. My wife started to shoot video u/w again and then I saw an Ikelite house with flash for sale for a Canon 20D; my wife has a 20D and I bought the rig. I bought a back-up 20D, because when you have a leakage, the housing will be OK but the camera is gone. The 20D is an OK camera and cheap (now). I am on OK photog topside, but boy, u/w is a different ballgame. I managed one (1) OK pic so far...It changes your diving and makes you focus more. As we fly to go on vacation, I bought a Pelican case fot the housing and the flash, the cables go in the luggage and the camera and lenses go in a normal back-pack. So far, no problem. I'll continue to shoot u/w; it's a lot of fun. </p>

[hector_andrade]

<p>This is indeed a very informative thread. Thanks for all that have been posting. I have been wondering about a camera that will allow me to take some shots when snorkling. I have a diving license but my ears are not so good, so cannot go so deep. After reading all of you here, I will go probably for the S90 or G11 and housing instead of buying the house for my D80. If at 10 feet I found out that still, more light is needed even in bright days, then will go for the strobes.</p>