Owning An Underwater Digital Camera
Digital photograph is no longer rocket science to most and with the price of digital cameras falling all the time it doesn’t take much to get yourself an underwater digital camera now. Considered a bit of a specialist area, underwater photography was only undertaken by the keenest of divers or those that wanted a new challenge. It used to require very specialized equipment that only professionals could afford but now underwater digital cameras and underwater camera housings are within the reach of anyone who can scuba dive.
So Why Take A Camera Underwater?
To begin with it was only professional photographers that went underwater with their cameras to try and catch images of exciting and rare animals or scenes. This equipment was large bulky and expensive so it was only dedicated underwater photographers that would try this. Now with the introduction of the disposable underwater camera everyone takes a camera underwater, even when you want to learn to scuba dive it is possible to take a cheap disposable underwater camera with you. If you do a search for 'underwater', 'underwater images' or 'underwater photography' you will now find thousands of images of fish and marine mammals, and not only taken by the professionals. Many qualified divers have added photography to their preferred type of diving so we now have some wonderful images of shipwrecks, submerged cave systems, underwater "landscapes", and even images of fellow divers.
How Much Will This All Cost Me?
As mentioned above you can now get a disposable underwater digital camera that won’t break the bank and will allow you to see if you have the passion and skill for underwater photography. If you join any dive trip today you will see a lot of underwater digital cameras all ranging in price and complication so how much pay for your system will depend largely on how much underwater photography you will be doing.
What Equipment Do I Need?
Again this will depend on the amount of underwater photography you will be doing and what you will be photographing when there. At its most basic level you can take a disposable underwater camera but these still rely on film and if you want to take more than the standard 24 shots then you will need some a bit more advanced.
Depending on the type on digital camera you own it is possible to convert this into an underwater digital camera by finding an underwater camera housing for it to fit. This provides the cheapest and easiest way to get into underwater photography for most.You should be aware however that the underwater housings you find will often be generic fits and not designed for your camera specifically. It most instances this will not be a problem but on the odd few cameras this can lead to an expensive dive.
The main digital camera manufactures now provide underwater digital camera systems that include the camera and the housing that it fits in. In some instances you may also get an additional flash and bracket to connect the two. The three main manufactures to look out for would be Fuji underwater cameras, Nikon underwater cameras and Canon underwater cameras who all supply underwater digital camera systems from beginners to semi- advanced.
If you have aspirations of becoming a professional underwater photographer then the money will really start to drip through your fingers. A professional underwater digital camera system will not only include a hugely expensive camera but the underwater housing that it fits into will cost almost the same if not more than the camera does. Then you will have flash or strobe lights, underwater colour correction filters and lots of other external paraphernalia that goes with professional photography. You should however, with time and experience, get the money back from selling your unique prints.
Depending on the type on digital camera you own it is possible to convert this into an underwater digital camera by finding an underwater camera housing for it to fit. This provides the cheapest and easiest way to get into underwater photography for most.You should be aware however that the underwater housings you find will often be generic fits and not designed for your camera specifically. It most instances this will not be a problem but on the odd few cameras this can lead to an expensive dive.The main digital camera manufactures now provide underwater digital camera systems that include the camera and the housing that it fits in. In some instances you may also get an additional flash and bracket to connect the two. The three main manufactures to look out for would be Fuji underwater cameras, Nikon underwater cameras and Canon underwater cameras who all supply underwater digital camera systems from beginners to semi- advanced. If you have aspirations of becoming a professional underwater photographer then the money will really start to drip through your fingers. A professional underwater digital camera system will not only include a hugely expensive camera but the underwater housing that it fits into will cost almost the same if not more than the camera does. Then you will have flash or strobe lights, underwater colour correction filters and lots of other external paraphernalia that goes with professional photography. You should however, with time and experience, get the money back from selling your unique prints.
What Kind Of Training Do I Need?
Photography is an art that many people have a natural talent for above and below the water. Scuba diving however is something you must train for before you even consider the underwater digital camera. The PADI Open Water Diver certificate is the ideal beginner’s course for non divers to start with. After certification you will be able to dive to 18m (60feet) with an equally qualified diver and with further training you can go to a maximum depth of 40m (130feet). PADI also offer a diving speciality that will introduce you to taking photographs underwater and let you try different underwater digital cameras before you have to spend your own hard earned cash.
Conclusion
Getting an underwater digital camera is not difficult or expensive but make sure you are properly trained in scuba diving before you take the expensive stuff underwater. As your diving becomes more comfortable you will notice an improvement in your underwater photography and it is at this time you should maybe look to upgrade your underwater digital camera system. One final point to remember is that once this hobby has got hold and becomes a passion be prepared to spend some money on your underwater digital camera system and be prepared to lose that money in one short dive, accidents do happen!