I'm looking for a waterproof camera good to 80-100 ft. best deal I see so far is a Nikon Coolpix W300, about 450 bucks,, Any scuba divers here with camera experience, your opinions are appreciated, someone who knows cameras and looks at what it has, which I know nothing about, again your opinion is appreciated.. Thanks
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waterproof camera
- Thread starter rgkv
- Start date
I was into photography long ago. I've always preferred Nikon but I would consider other brands if I was looking around now. Sorry I don't know much about underwater equipment. Check out dpreview.com . It's a great source for everything photography.
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I'm a professional UW photographer. The Olympic TG-5 seems to be the camera of choice for a solid entry-level camera. You will need a housing to go to 100'. The big advantage of the TG-5 is that it shoots RAW. If you can find a good used TG-4, they're almost the same, except in low-light performance.
If you can manage it, SERIOUSLY consider using a strobe or (groan) video light. At those depths, your pics will seriously lack colour without it.
My four rules for successful UW photography (I teach this shit, so consider this free advice)
1) O-rings first, beer second
2) Get close
3) Stay low
4) Now get closer
I use dSLRs, and have no first-hand experience with this camera, but they're popular
Follow me on Twitter to see some of my work. @DougalShort
If you can manage it, SERIOUSLY consider using a strobe or (groan) video light. At those depths, your pics will seriously lack colour without it.
My four rules for successful UW photography (I teach this shit, so consider this free advice)
1) O-rings first, beer second
2) Get close
3) Stay low
4) Now get closer
I use dSLRs, and have no first-hand experience with this camera, but they're popular
Follow me on Twitter to see some of my work. @DougalShort
Thank you mister Short.. you are what I was hoping to hear from.. the reason I was looking at the Coolpix W300 was because it could go to 100 ft without the housing, which I have been led to believe are bulky and makes it harder to operate,, TRUE??? I get your point on O-rings first and since I don't drink they will come second also...Since you say the camera is popular I imagine lots are sold and if problems persisted there would be lots of complaints.. you mention nothing bad so I take it you here no complaints.. Again, thanks
The Oly TG-15 has only been out for maybe 18 months, but it evolved from the 14 which had been around for years.
There are a few housings available for the TG-15... And yes, they're of course larger than the camera, but hardly bulky. I shoot with Nikon D800 and D850. With strobes and lens, it weighs about 30 pounds, although it's neutral in the water. The systems are also worth about $18-$20,000 each, so may be more than you want to invest, not to mention carry.
It might be worth a chat with the folks at https://www.housingcamera.com/. They're knowledgeable and based in BC. They have an online chat thing on their site, so it's kinda "non-committal" in nature.
There are a few housings available for the TG-15... And yes, they're of course larger than the camera, but hardly bulky. I shoot with Nikon D800 and D850. With strobes and lens, it weighs about 30 pounds, although it's neutral in the water. The systems are also worth about $18-$20,000 each, so may be more than you want to invest, not to mention carry.
It might be worth a chat with the folks at https://www.housingcamera.com/. They're knowledgeable and based in BC. They have an online chat thing on their site, so it's kinda "non-committal" in nature.
I'm a professional UW photographer. The Olympic TG-5 seems to be the camera of choice for a solid entry-level camera. You will need a housing to go to 100'. The big advantage of the TG-5 is that it shoots RAW. If you can find a good used TG-4, they're almost the same, except in low-light performance.
If you can manage it, SERIOUSLY consider using a strobe or (groan) video light. At those depths, your pics will seriously lack colour without it.
My four rules for successful UW photography (I teach this shit, so consider this free advice)
1) O-rings first, beer second
2) Get close
3) Stay low
4) Now get closer
I use dSLRs, and have no first-hand experience with this camera, but they're popular
Follow me on Twitter to see some of my work. @DougalShort
Hey dude, I want to see your work but your Twitter is locked down so only invited people can see it, eh?
From my own experience (I'm strictly an amateur photographer) using various point and shoot waterproof cameras, you should take their depth ratings and divide by at least 2. It's like the waterproof ratings for watches. Many don't account for the pressures of even being hit by a wave. And as Dougal mentioned - the seals are key. So every time you change the battery - you should inspect the seal (which on most point and shoots is not a simple o-ring, but a complex shaped piece of silicon. Even a piece of dust can compromise the waterproofness. You should also have o-ring grease (clear silicon grease) to keep the seals lubricated. The other problem to be aware of is having your point and shoot camera in colder water, then you come out into the warmer air/sun. Condensation between the lens groupings can be a real problem and will take hours to clear up. A housing will insulate the lens from the cool water - so condensation, if it appears, will be inside the housing and easy to wipe off - or you can use anti-fog, or put a small bag of desiccant in the housing. So IF you are serious about using your camera to a depth of 80 - 100 feet, I would recommend a dedicated housing. If it's just for one trip and you aren't going to use it regularly, then maybe it's worth the risk of just buying the Nikon.
If you don't want to break the bank - but want a very decent compact camera and compact housing - I would recommend a Sony RX100 (various versions up to V available - but would recommend minimum III and up) with an underwater housing. I have the RX100 III and the Sony housing - I use this for snorkelling as well as surfing/wave photography. It's great because even in the housing it's compact and the housing allows use of all features, including the flash. There are third party housings available too so you can pick one up for less than $400 or so. The camera will be $850 - $1400 depending upon which model (V is the latest). So you'll have a very decent underwater camera for about $1250 - $1800.
If you don't want to break the bank - but want a very decent compact camera and compact housing - I would recommend a Sony RX100 (various versions up to V available - but would recommend minimum III and up) with an underwater housing. I have the RX100 III and the Sony housing - I use this for snorkelling as well as surfing/wave photography. It's great because even in the housing it's compact and the housing allows use of all features, including the flash. There are third party housings available too so you can pick one up for less than $400 or so. The camera will be $850 - $1400 depending upon which model (V is the latest). So you'll have a very decent underwater camera for about $1250 - $1800.
I have a TG-5. I'm only a casual photographer and got it to replace my gopro for use when snorkeling. As a P&S I'm pretty impressed with it, it has some pretty good features but will take me some time to master. Biggest thing I like is it has a setting that filters out the aquamarine colour of the water. I only go 5m max when snorkeling so I haven't gotten the housing to try. For bare hand use in Caribbean waters the controls are a good size for my hands. I would imagine they would be pretty frustrating if you're in colder water wearing neoprene gloves. Maybe the housing might help with this?
Here's a few pics from Negril using my new TG-5...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cAjmUuGGrtGPgFxr6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LaZa8VxESyzGmYid9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vYDVPocwqRTRhqpM7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EKNUwvPu1ZMw4rCY7
BTW Dougal, I sent you a follow request. Looking forward to seeing those pics.
Here's a few pics from Negril using my new TG-5...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cAjmUuGGrtGPgFxr6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LaZa8VxESyzGmYid9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vYDVPocwqRTRhqpM7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EKNUwvPu1ZMw4rCY7
BTW Dougal, I sent you a follow request. Looking forward to seeing those pics.
