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Question

Underwater/Waterproof cameras

by Jul 15, 2013 3:31AM PDT

Before my last trip to Mexico I purchased an Sony TX20 underwater camera for snorkelling. I was not happy to learn after day 2 that this camera is NOT waterproof. I followed all of the manufacturer's directions (rinsing in fresh water etc.) and it still leaked. Every time I turned the camera on after that, I had to reset all of the initial settings on the camera. I have decided to pick up something else before my next trip down south this winter and have one question: Do all underwater camera's screens shut off when in underwater mode? There is no viewfinder and taking pictures was a bit of a crap shoot. Point in the general direction and snap. Wait til I'm back on shore to see if I got anything good. I did manage a few good shots, but I took over 700. Life would be a lot easier if I could see what I'm shooting and maybe get the whole turtle in the middle of the frame more than once in every 40-50 shots. I've tried finding this all out online but have come up empty handed. Thank you in advance for answering my question.

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Waterproof cameras
by Forum moderator Jul 15, 2013 8:40AM PDT
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Answer
Underwater camera
by Sep 20, 2013 9:46AM PDT

The best deal with a quality camera/lens/housing I can find is the Olympus PM1 with its housing on sale for $500 at Optical Ocean Sales online. For best results, you will also need a long arm that fits to the cold shoe of the housing and an underwater strobe. This will give you great shots underwater. I tried it with my last scuba diving trip in Maui, had a lot of good shots (turtles, urchins, fish, lobsters, frog fish, sharks, etc). I use the Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe but a cheaper YS-01 will be sufficient. If you snorkel, then the strobe is not required (but it will still give you better shots especially when you do some macro shots).

The LCD screen will look dim underwater, so you need to use the menu to set it to maximum brightness and set a longer display time to check your focusing and picture quality. I don't have problem with the LCD screen of this camera or my old PS Canon S90.

If you want good quality underwater photos, I really suggest you get a good quality camera and buy an underwater housing. The so called waterproof cameras are not good underwater. Also, color falls off quickly under the water. So if you do not use a strobe, then you need to do custom white balance or use a red filter for color correction. Using a red filter will reduce light by at least a f-stop. Underwater mode may be useful and is basically changing white balance. It is better to do custom white balance and/or shoot in RAW. Look for a camera that can do custom white balance.

My old Canon PS camera with its housing cost about the same as the sale price of the Olympus PM1, and the PM1 is an interchangeable lens camera system with better image quality. I actually bought this one right after I bought the newer Olympus PL5 system, because it is such a great deal and I can avoid switching lens port.

Buying underwater camera equipment is always a risk, because flooding can and will occur with many (even well made) underwater equipment.

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