It's been two years since my first dive, and I am now a scuba diver, albeit an inexperienced one. And who am I to forgo flooding the web with more irrelevant videos of my underwater vacations in some tropical place, like those identical videos showing clownfish and the wobbly silhouette of a poorly lit shark in the distance?
Starting from scratch in choosing and configuring underwater photography equipment is no easy task, so here’s a summary of the conclusions I’ve reached after studying the matter a bit.
The Camera
First of all, you need a camera.
No, your smartphone is not enough; recently, some smartphone housing models have come out, but I’ll refrain from commenting.
Obviously, the choice of the camera depends on your budget and the level of seriousness with which you intend to pursue this hobby. The options range from dedicated underwater cameras, compacts, mirrorless, and DSLRs with dedicated housings.
Compacts, Mirrorless, and DSLRs: Which to Choose?
Let's look at the main alternatives among compact, mirrorless, and DSLR cameras, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
Compact Cameras
Compact cameras are small, lightweight, and easy to use. They are ideal for beginners who want to dive into the world of underwater photography without having to carry an arsenal of equipment.
Here are two noteworthy models on the market:
Canon G7X mark II: This is considered one of the best compacts usable underwater. It has a 1-inch sensor and good low-light capability, which is a great advantage underwater, where light is never enough. Not being an underwater camera, it will require its own housing, which I will discuss later. The advantage is that, once your dive is over, you can also use it for your travels, having in your hands a product that takes excellent quality photos and videos, even in RAW format, with minimal bulk. Searching on YouTube, you will find many test videos that will convince you that, for a novice, the quality is definitely stunning, at a more than acceptable cost (a used one on eBay can be found for 450 euros).
Olympus TG-6: This is a rugged and shock-resistant underwater camera, perfect for beginners. It is specifically designed for underwater use, with extraordinary quality and a very compact setup. Compared to the Canon G7X mark II, including the housing with floats, it has the advantage of being much less bulky but the drawback of being a device with a specific focus on underwater use, which you will hardly carry through the streets of Venice.
Mirrorless Cameras
Mirrorless cameras offer superior image quality compared to compacts, but they are lighter and less bulky than DSLRs. They are an excellent choice for those looking for a balance between quality and portability.
Sony Alpha a6400: This mirrorless camera offers an APS-C sensor and fast and accurate autofocus. It is a versatile choice for underwater photographers. Approximate price: around €1000.
Canon EOS M50: With a good APS-C sensor and a user-friendly interface, it is an excellent option for those looking for a quality mirrorless camera at an affordable price. Approximate price: around €700.
I mention mirrorless cameras only for completeness: they are the most expensive choice, but it's like showing up with downhill skis to your first ski lesson. When you enter the water with underwater equipment, you will realize that taking underwater photos and videos is extremely difficult: below 10 meters, light is very scarce, resulting in high ISO and slow shutter speeds; you will soon realize how poor your buoyancy is and how fish tend to show you their tails as soon as you get within 15 meters; oh yes, you will have the equivalent of a nuclear power plant in wattage of lighting, but you will discover that all those watts only illuminate subjects within two meters, for which you will have to use a wide-angle lens that will make the subjects seem even farther away, so you will have to get closer, but fish don’t stay still for a photo op, instead, you will tend to photograph only the tails of fish swimming away while the current moves you back and forth and your poor buoyancy moves you up and down.
In all this, you will need to be able to use your camera’s white balance settings with your eyes closed; no, you cannot just set a red filter; in addition to changing the filter intensity depending on the depth (greater depths absorb different light gradients), there are also artificial lights: if you manage to get close enough to that grouper that seems to want to be photographed, just enough for the lights to illuminate it without your watts being absorbed by the water, and you have set a red filter, the whole photo will look as red as a Pompeian brothel; but if you try to photograph something more than two meters away, like a panoramic view of a reef with corals, the filter will be needed because beyond two meters you can only rely on natural light, which will be blue or green. So you will be constantly changing the white balance settings while trying to maintain neutral buoyancy, empty your mask of water with only one free hand, if you’re lucky.
All this to say that, despite what you see on YouTube, where you might get the impression that producing good underwater material is easy, it's better to gain a lot of experience with inexpensive equipment before getting delusions of grandeur.
DSLR Cameras
DSLRs offer the best image quality and the most versatility, but they are also heavier and bulkier.
However, a used DSLR like a Nikon D7100 or even a Nikon D70 could be a good choice if you don’t mind the bulk; having a serious zoom can be useful for producing photos with good depth of field, and a D70 can be found for very little on the used market, which can be useful when, due to an unchecked o-ring, you find the housing flooded… and despite what marketing tells us, a little less ISO or a few less MB of resolution won’t change things in an underwater environment.
Underwater Housings: Aluminum vs Polycarbonate
Now that you have your camera, you need a housing. Here we enter the fantastic world of underwater housings, where two main materials dominate the market: aluminum and polycarbonate.
Some assumptions might be taken for granted. First of all, each camera requires its own housing. If you have decided that the Nikon D7100 will be your underwater camera, you need to find a manufacturer (Isotta, Ikelite, Fantasea…) that makes a housing model for that specific camera; and if one day you decide to change the camera, you will need to change the housing as well.
The underwater housing is extremely bulky, so plan for an extra carry-on for the housing and its accessories when traveling.
The housing must be supplemented with a rig, handle, stabilizer, or tray; it should have ball knobs to which floating arms and accessories will be attached; you will also need to purchase “clamps” to connect the various accessories with ball terminations.
Aluminum Housings
Aluminum housings are the dream of every experienced underwater photographer. Isotta, for example, is like the tank of housings: sturdy, durable, and incredibly sexy (if housings can be sexy). These housings offer excellent protection and superior durability but may make you want to take out a mortgage. They are perfect for those who want maximum security and quality and perhaps already have a pufferfish-shaped piggy bank full. Aluminum housings are also less prone to fogging, which affects polycarbonate housings more.
Advantages of Aluminum Housings
Robustness: Aluminum housings, like Isotta, are practically indestructible. They can withstand high pressures and are resistant to bumps and scratches.
Durability: This material is extremely resistant to corrosion and weather conditions, ensuring a long lifespan.
Precision: Aluminum housings are often made with superior precision, allowing better access to camera controls.
Just as I advised against buying a mirrorless camera because it’s a top-of-the-range product, I also advise against an aluminum housing for the same reason, unless you are wealthy show-offs or professionals, in which case, did you really read this far?
Polycarbonate Housings
Polycarbonate housings, such as those from Fantasea or Ikelite, are lighter and more wallet-friendly. Sure, they are not as indestructible as aluminum ones, but they are robust enough for most beginners' underwater adventures.
Advantages of Polycarbonate Housings
Lightweight: Polycarbonate is much lighter than aluminum, making the equipment more manageable and less tiring to transport.
Cost: Polycarbonate housings are generally much cheaper, making them an ideal choice for beginners.
Transparency: Polycarbonate is transparent, allowing you to easily see the controls and screen of the camera.
As I mentioned, polycarbonate housings are more prone to fogging (especially if you need to open the housing between dives to change the batteries, letting in warm air), a phenomenon that will make you invoke numerous saints in heaven if it happens right when you are in front of your first shark; to the long list of accessories to buy, I suggest adding silicon packets and absorbent paper strips to insert copiously inside the housing before, I repeat, before the dive.
Floats: Configuration Buoyancy and Trim
Now that your camera is secure, let’s talk about floats, essential for buoyancy. If the housing itself, with the camera inside, generally has neutral buoyancy underwater, as soon as you add the heavy lights, the whole setup will become decidedly negative, making it impossible to handle the equipment while trying to photograph a moray eel and making the entire dive unbearable. The configuration must be completed with a set of floating arms that will offset the weight of the equipment. Generally, each manufacturer of video lights or flashes indicates the underwater weight of the product in the documentation, as well as each manufacturer of floating arms indicates buoyancy in kg; it is clear that the sum must be 0. The goal is to configure an object that floats with you underwater, without darting towards the bottom if you let it go for a moment and without dragging you to the surface like an epic buoy.
Choosing the Right Floats
Not all floats are created equal. The choice depends on the type of equipment you have. If you have a heavy housing, like those made of aluminum, you will need more powerful floats. If you have a polycarbonate housing, something lighter might suffice. Remember, the goal is to achieve neutral buoyancy, where everything is perfectly balanced.
Material: Floats can be made of rigid foam or inflatable materials. Rigid foam is more durable but takes up more space, while inflatable floats are more compact but require careful handling to avoid punctures.
Placement: Floats should be strategically placed on the configuration to ensure optimal balance. This may require some experimentation.
Quantity: The amount of floats needed depends on the weight of your equipment. The heavier it is, the more floats you will need.
Video Lights vs. Strobe Lights for Photography
Now we get to the bright part of our journey: video lights and strobe lights.
You will be happy to know that it is not enough to dive with just one powerful light that, besides frying the fish you meet in front of you, illuminates the subject whether it is being filmed or photographed. Taking a nice sharp photo underwater requires a wave of light that can only be produced by a strobe, similar to those commonly used in photography (except that they are waterproof); filming videos requires continuous light of lower intensity (unless you want to dive with stadium lights). Nothing prevents you from taking a photo while illuminating a subject with video lights, but it will be a low-quality compromise.
The summary is that you must decide before diving: are you going down to take photos or videos? Depending on the choice, you will have to buy the related product.
If you are as opportunistic as I am, always open to compromise, you can equip yourself with both video lights and strobe lights and decorate your configuration like a Christmas tree. It’s a bit comical, but this way, you will get a bit of the worst of both functions; this configuration will require 3-clamp attachments to connect both the video lights and strobe lights to the ball termination of your floating arm.
Video Lights
Video lights are essential for underwater filming. They provide continuous illumination, necessary for smooth videos. But beware: not all lights are equal. Let’s talk about lumens.
How Many Lumens Do You Need?
For underwater video lights, lumens are like horsepower for an engine: the more you have, the better. A good video light should have at least 2000 lumens for low-light situations, but if you want to shine, look for something around 5000 lumens or more.
Light Distribution: Video lights should have good diffusion to avoid hotspots and evenly illuminate the scene. The beam angle should be wide, around 100 degrees or more.
Color Temperature: Look for lights with a color temperature between 5000 and 6000 Kelvin, which is similar to daylight and renders colors naturally.
Battery Life: The batteries should last long enough for a lengthy dive. Consider lights with rechargeable batteries and check the charging times.
Just look at the catalog of any underwater photography equipment store to see that high-quality video lights have exorbitant costs, so again, I recommend first searching well on the used market, where you can make great savings; moreover, even in this case, I repeat that, to start, it makes no sense to invest in professional products only to find out how difficult it is to produce high-quality videos or photos, so it is better to start with amateur products, even if of poor quality, and practice a lot; in this regard, my choice fell on SUPE V3K video lights; a pair can be found on the used market for 400 euros; you won't light up like a Tool concert, but this will help you develop the skill of approaching fish gently without scaring them, a skill that is fundamental in underwater photography.
Purchasing a pair, not a single light source, is essential to counter the “backscatter” phenomenon: suspended particles that, illuminated by a light source, turn into hundreds of annoying white spots that will ruin your material; you will quickly learn that the skillful placement (here too there will be a lot of experience to gain) of two light sources at 45 degrees to the subject significantly reduces this phenomenon to the point of making it reasonably negligible.
Strobe Lights for Photography
Strobe lights, on the other hand, are essential for freezing movements and capturing sharp details. They provide a powerful burst of light that can penetrate through murky water and reveal colors that would otherwise remain hidden.
Choosing the Right Strobe
A good underwater strobe must be powerful and have a quick recharge time.
Power: The power of the strobe is measured in guide number (GN). A higher GN indicates a more powerful strobe. For diving, a GN of at least 20 is recommended.
Recharge Time: This is the time needed for the strobe to recharge between shots. Look for a strobe with a recharge time of 1-2 seconds.
Coverage Angle: A good strobe should have a wide coverage angle to illuminate the scene evenly. Look for a coverage angle of at least 100 degrees.
Again, I suggest starting with a relatively inexpensive used one to practice a lot, such as a pair of Sea&Sea YS01; as for all the items covered in this post, the principle is that what was a top product 5 or 10 years ago will have negligible differences in quality compared to any recent product, at a much more affordable cost.
Conclusions
If you are enthusiastically venturing into underwater video/photography, you must be aware that this (photo by Alex Mustard) is what you think you will achieve right away
but immediately, when you try to take a photo while trying to maintain buoyancy, buffeted by the current, with both hands busy on your rig handles, trying to find the white balance menu that you swore was there, but instead, you will hit this reality
So, in conclusion, start with a decent and reasonably dated used setup, and practice a lot and a lot.
And... last but not least... my setup:
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