Whenever you begin scuba diving, it gained’t be lengthy earlier than you need to share your adventures with everybody round you. An underwater digital camera is the important thing to capturing the great thing about the underwater world, however that are one of the best underwater cameras for newcomers?
We’ve partnered with our buddies at Scuba.com to create the last word information. We’ll assist you determine your wants, and direct you to one of the best underwater digital camera for you!
Are you prepared for an underwater digital camera?
We get it – as quickly as you’re taking your first breath underwater, you need to present this magical setting to your entire household, buddies, and any on-line followers. However are you really able to wield an underwater digital camera? Right here are some things to think about first.
Buoyancy
Getting your buoyancy below management is an important issue for deciding while you’re prepared for an underwater digital camera. That is for quite a few causes – your personal dive security, defending the marine setting, and lastly (however least importantly), the standard of images or movies you’ll produce. Higher buoyancy will make you a safer diver, and also will imply which you can seize significantly better images.
Situational Consciousness
This goes hand in hand with having your buoyancy in test. Earlier than you spend money on a newbie underwater digital camera setup, you need to have accomplished sufficient dives to have a superb degree of consciousness of your environment underwater.
Carrying a digital camera underwater provides a component of process loading, which could be a lot for newer divers to deal with. It’s essential be at a degree in your diving the place you’re already assured in your potential to keep watch over your personal dive parameters, comparable to your depth, no decompression limits, and gasoline consumption.
You additionally want a powerful consciousness of things exterior of your self and your digital camera. Keeping track of your buddy and information comes earlier than being attentive to your digital camera. Having consciousness of marine life, and being respectful in your interactions, means we are able to defend the underwater world. Once more, taking higher care of marine life additionally means you’ll create higher photographs in the long term.
Briefly – your diving comes first, the digital camera comes second. If these factors have you ever doubting your readiness, think about levelling up your abilities first. Taking an superior course, taking a buoyancy course, or simply merely logging extra dives, will contribute to this.
What do you need to achieve from having a digital camera?
In addition to assessing your readiness, determining why you need to take a digital camera underwater will likely be an enormous assist in selecting which digital camera is best for you. One of the best underwater digital camera for a newbie is the one which fits their objectives.
So what do you need to obtain from taking a digital camera underwater? Maybe you’re in search of a fast technique to share snaps with household and buddies or on social media. Are you eager to principally take images, or movies, or a mix of each? Do you’ve any expertise in images on land? Are you seeking to develop your abilities as an underwater photographer or videographer?
Fortunately for you, we now have suggestions for all of those wants! Verify them out under.
Greatest for Social Media Sharing
Instagram lover? TikTok creator? Or simply eager to share your snaps rapidly and simply with a message to household and buddies? We’ve bought you – you want an underwater smartphone housing!
Underwater instances for smartphones have gotten more and more standard, they usually actually may be one of the best underwater cameras for newcomers. You’ll be able to share your dives as quickly as your floor interval begins, with out the effort of SD playing cards, cables, laptops, or bluetooth transfers.
We love the DIVEVOLK SeaTouch 4 Max. Not like another smartphone housing, the SeaTouch case permits you full entry to your contact display screen when in use underwater. This provides you the liberty to make use of no matter digital camera app you’d prefer to create your underwater photographs, in addition to accessing all settings while in your dive.
The case will preserve your system protected to a depth of 60m (197 toes), and is appropriate with nearly any smartphone. There are additionally accent packs together with filters, lights, and lenses to boost your underwater photographs.
Greatest for Video
There’s a purpose that GoPro cameras have dominated the journey sports activities video world for thus lengthy. Their cameras are simply that good. For those who’re eager to seize crisp, prime quality video with little fuss, you’re in the best place.
These BCD-pocket sized motion cameras really pack within the options and high quality. You’ll be able to report video as much as 5.3K, seize extremely easy sluggish movement, and depend on the inbuilt stabilisation to banish any shaky shark footage.
This one’s not for the macro lovers, although. GoPros are higher fitted to large angle footage, which makes them perfect for dive locations with greater, pelagic life. For those who’re all in regards to the macro, eager to movie nudibranchs and crustaceans, this gained’t be the one for you.
The GoPro HERO12 is waterproof to 10m (33 toes) with none housing, so can be utilized alone for snorkelling or shallow freediving. You’ll must add a dive housing for many dives, nonetheless.
Maybe one of the best advantage of a GoPro is the worth – even the most recent mannequin, the GoPro HERO12, is inexpensive so far as underwater cameras go.
Greatest Level & Shoot
If you need a bit extra picture energy however the phrases “aperture, ISO, and shutter velocity” nonetheless go over your head, a punchy level and shoot digital camera will likely be your new finest pal. The OM Programs Powerful TG-7 is a perfect start line and probably the greatest underwater cameras for newcomers.
The OM Programs (beforehand referred to as Olympus) TG-5 and TG-6 have been long-standing underwater digital camera favourites. With easy-to-use settings and inbuilt underwater modes, these cameras will help you snap nice photographs and seize spectacular video, while not having an excessive amount of technical images information.
While you possibly can obtain nice photographs straight out of the digital camera, it’s also possible to shoot in RAW enabling you higher freedom to edit your images.
The “Powerful” within the title refers back to the digital camera physique itself, boasting some spectacular credentials. It’s waterproof right down to 15m (49 toes) with out the housing, making it one other contender for snorkelling and shallow freediving, and it’s powerful sufficient to resist another adventurous outside pursuits you might need. Nonetheless, we’d strongly suggest investing within the housing to guard the digital camera from constant strain when diving.
With the flexibility so as to add a tray and lights to the housing, it is possible for you to to develop with this digital camera to a sure level. Nonetheless, you gained’t be capable to shoot absolutely guide. For those who’re in search of an underwater digital camera which you’ll be able to actually develop your abilities with over time, learn on!
Greatest for Rising Your Abilities
Maybe you already know a bit about images above land, or you recognize you need to have the ability to develop your underwater images abilities in future. A compact digital camera with the flexibility to shoot manually may very well be the choice for you. Some standard choices embrace the Canon G7X Mark II or Mark III, or the Sony RX100 vary.
These are positively extra of an funding, each when it comes to the digital camera itself and in addition buying the underwater housings. Nonetheless, they may actually allow you to get extra artistic as you study extra. It would take lots much less time to outgrow a setup like these!
Fantasea create underwater digital camera housings for an enormous vary of cameras, together with for the Canon G7X Mark II and the G7X Mark III, and for the Sony RX100 vary. Choosing a digital camera like this with an excellent housing provides you the pliability so as to add equipment as your abilities and desires develop.
What do you suppose are one of the best underwater cameras for newcomers? For those who’re constructing your digital camera setup, be a part of the dialog in our Fb group!
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