waterproof camera macro image
Sunnyboy
I'm looking for a compact digital camera which I can use both in and out of the water. Most of the good waterproof cameras which I have found are only rated to 10 meters, which is insufficient. Am I better off buying a regular camera and a waterproof case? I have seen some of these offered by Canon.
Answer
You're best off to do a little research on the camera you really want and then see if there's a decent underwater housing for it. Personally, I'd steer clear of the actual camera manufacturer's housings. They tend not to allow use of all the camera functions and they are usually only just good enough that they can claim a depth rating of 130ft max. You're better off protecting that camera investment by purchasing a decent housing like an IkeLite ( if it's available for your camera). They're rated to 200 feet and each is factory tested to pass that. I own a Canon A720IS, that canon does make the housing for, but it was so cheaply made that I opted for the IkeLite housing instead. That housing cost TWICE as much as the actual camera. But I know the camera is safe and that model does everything I want in a camera, both above and below.
As for amphibs ( cameras that are in their own housing such as Sea&Sea, or Bonica) I'd advise against unless you don't mind lugging a large housing around on the surface or what your photos will actually look like. Amphibs are a compromise solution. They don't take great above water shots and they don't take great underwater shots. They do both only "ok" as opposed to a higher end camera that you put in a higher end housing.
When you're looking for a camera, keep a few things in mind.
What's it's power consumption like? Changing batteries is impossible on a dive.
What's it's storage format and capacity? You can't swap out cards on a dive.
How easy is it to point and shoot? You're looking through a housing with a mask on your face, can you see what you're aiming at?
You may be wearing gloves when diving. Can you manipulate those function buttons on the housing easily?
What are the options for adding things like strobes, lens or video lights later? What about the actual camera modes? You may find yourself doing macro or wide angle pics. Maybe at night? Maybe in low vis....that onboard flash can then be your worst enemy since you may not have an option to disable it and all you'll get is backscatter.
My advice... choose ten cameras that do what it is that you intend on doing. Find out if a dedicated manufacturer of dive camera housings makes a housing for those cameras. Then choose from between the ones that do.
You're best off to do a little research on the camera you really want and then see if there's a decent underwater housing for it. Personally, I'd steer clear of the actual camera manufacturer's housings. They tend not to allow use of all the camera functions and they are usually only just good enough that they can claim a depth rating of 130ft max. You're better off protecting that camera investment by purchasing a decent housing like an IkeLite ( if it's available for your camera). They're rated to 200 feet and each is factory tested to pass that. I own a Canon A720IS, that canon does make the housing for, but it was so cheaply made that I opted for the IkeLite housing instead. That housing cost TWICE as much as the actual camera. But I know the camera is safe and that model does everything I want in a camera, both above and below.
As for amphibs ( cameras that are in their own housing such as Sea&Sea, or Bonica) I'd advise against unless you don't mind lugging a large housing around on the surface or what your photos will actually look like. Amphibs are a compromise solution. They don't take great above water shots and they don't take great underwater shots. They do both only "ok" as opposed to a higher end camera that you put in a higher end housing.
When you're looking for a camera, keep a few things in mind.
What's it's power consumption like? Changing batteries is impossible on a dive.
What's it's storage format and capacity? You can't swap out cards on a dive.
How easy is it to point and shoot? You're looking through a housing with a mask on your face, can you see what you're aiming at?
You may be wearing gloves when diving. Can you manipulate those function buttons on the housing easily?
What are the options for adding things like strobes, lens or video lights later? What about the actual camera modes? You may find yourself doing macro or wide angle pics. Maybe at night? Maybe in low vis....that onboard flash can then be your worst enemy since you may not have an option to disable it and all you'll get is backscatter.
My advice... choose ten cameras that do what it is that you intend on doing. Find out if a dedicated manufacturer of dive camera housings makes a housing for those cameras. Then choose from between the ones that do.
What camera is best for my situation?
Alicia
My husband and I are missionaries going to the Congo in Africa (jungle) for the next few years. I am looking for a water resistant, shock resistant camera (very humid environment). I need one that will focus on close ups of items without it blurring or making the objects further away in focus. My current camera is a standard digital camera but it does not focus on close objects and it is not water resistant. The camera will also need to be able to use a memory card so I can email pictures of my daughter back home to the states. Bonus points if it records videos as well.
Answer
I don't know why Jim A continues to tell people that there's no such thing as a shock resistant camera. Just search for "shockproof camera" on Amazon. There's dozens of them!
Try the Panasonic DMC-FT4 or DMC-TS4 as it's called in the USA. It's waterproof to 12 meters, shockproof for a 2 meter fall, freezeproof to -10 celcius and dustproof. It's got the macro closeup facility you want and uses standard SDHC memory cards. And it records full HD 1080p video. Even underwater!
Review here with a few other waterproof cameras: http://www.lenstip.com/134.5-article-Waterproof_cameras_test_2012_-_part_I_Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-FT4.html
I would advise buying and testing it well before you leave. The biggest recurring complaint I see with waterproof cameras is that they have quality control problems, meaning you don't always get a good waterproof one. It's not the easiest piece of equipment to make because the rubber waterproof seals are quite difficult to design install in a way that guarantees that water can't get in. Usually if they work then they do continue to work well for several years, but it's easy to end up with a duff one.
The problem with closeup macro work is that when you are very close to an object, your depth of field (the amount in focus) is not very great, so things behind the subject do tend to be out of focus. That's just part of the physics of photography.
You can compensate a bit by setting the camera into aperture-priority mode and setting a small aperture, but that in turn means using slower shutter speeds, so you are more likely to introduce blur through camera shake (unless you use a tripod) or through the object moving.
You can compensate for slow shutter speeds a bit by increasing the ISO setting, but that tends to add more "noise" to the image.
This balance of shutter speed, aperture size and ISO setting is at the core of all photography. To get a lot in focus with macro pictures you need a lot of light, a lens which stops down to very small apertures and which focuses close up and a good tripod. That's only really achievable with a Digital SLR camera with dedicated macro lens - and that isn't cheap.
Often the best macro shots are obtained by deliberately throwing everything completely out of focus except for the main object.
I don't know why Jim A continues to tell people that there's no such thing as a shock resistant camera. Just search for "shockproof camera" on Amazon. There's dozens of them!
Try the Panasonic DMC-FT4 or DMC-TS4 as it's called in the USA. It's waterproof to 12 meters, shockproof for a 2 meter fall, freezeproof to -10 celcius and dustproof. It's got the macro closeup facility you want and uses standard SDHC memory cards. And it records full HD 1080p video. Even underwater!
Review here with a few other waterproof cameras: http://www.lenstip.com/134.5-article-Waterproof_cameras_test_2012_-_part_I_Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-FT4.html
I would advise buying and testing it well before you leave. The biggest recurring complaint I see with waterproof cameras is that they have quality control problems, meaning you don't always get a good waterproof one. It's not the easiest piece of equipment to make because the rubber waterproof seals are quite difficult to design install in a way that guarantees that water can't get in. Usually if they work then they do continue to work well for several years, but it's easy to end up with a duff one.
The problem with closeup macro work is that when you are very close to an object, your depth of field (the amount in focus) is not very great, so things behind the subject do tend to be out of focus. That's just part of the physics of photography.
You can compensate a bit by setting the camera into aperture-priority mode and setting a small aperture, but that in turn means using slower shutter speeds, so you are more likely to introduce blur through camera shake (unless you use a tripod) or through the object moving.
You can compensate for slow shutter speeds a bit by increasing the ISO setting, but that tends to add more "noise" to the image.
This balance of shutter speed, aperture size and ISO setting is at the core of all photography. To get a lot in focus with macro pictures you need a lot of light, a lens which stops down to very small apertures and which focuses close up and a good tripod. That's only really achievable with a Digital SLR camera with dedicated macro lens - and that isn't cheap.
Often the best macro shots are obtained by deliberately throwing everything completely out of focus except for the main object.
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Title Post: What is a good waterproof digital camera for SCUBA diving?
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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