A Guide to Digital Underwater Camera
By Ryanita
There are two types of underwater camera systems: an “”amphibious”" camera, which is a self-contained waterproof system, and an SLR land camera with waterproof housing. Amphibious systems are small, compact, and easy to travel with, while SLRs offer more advanced features, such as auto-focus, advanced exposure control, and through-the-lens viewing.
Amphibious systems usually have a built-in lens and they will take pictures on land as well as underwater. If you are a more serious photographer and want the advantages of a single-lens reflex camera you will probably be happier with a land camera in waterproof underwater housing.
As a new underwater photographer you need to know the difference between taking pictures on land and underwater. Air is transparent, whereas water is not. Water is denser and it includes particles of sand, plankton, and other debris which scatter, reflect, and absorb light.
Salt, sun, dirt and improper storage can damage a camera. Use only soft lens tissues or photographic lens cloths on the lenses.
If it is not, the underwater photo equipment will be ruined. Water must be kept out! Both your camera and your flash will need a watertight housing. You can use a flash fill-in to brighten underwater subjects at close range. Even with large flash units, though, light does not extend beyond 12 feet. Assess conditions underwater before you dive and set aperture and shutter speed before entering the water.
Shallow water near steep rocky shorelines, coral reefs and atolls, and areas near tidal streams are great places to photograph sea-life.
How do Digital Underwater Camera Work?
Underwater Cameras are cameras that are specially designed for underwater use or in circumstances that requires protection to prevent any water and pressure damage. There are Digital underwater camera that are simply disposed of after use. These are the cheapest type of underwater camera available in the market. There are also underwater cameras that are cheap reloadables. New generation cameras have resolutions in the 3-4 megapixel range and can take excellent quality pictures underwater.
These cameras offer options for every level of diver and snorkeler. For the experienced diver/photographer who wants more control over the camera functions. Cameras also feature three dedicated underwater external flash modes, allowing for more exposure control when using an external flash. For perfectly lit photos in any situation, users can toggle among Macro Flash, Portrait Flash and Far Flash modes, which adjust exposure based on camera-to-subject distance.
While an on-camera flash helps illuminate objects below the surface, cameras are also compatible with external flash units, which ignite the vivid colors of the underwater environment and allows users to illuminate objects from different angles. Set the camera to “External Flash,” and it automatically de-activates the digital pre-flash.
To help conserve power during underwater adventures, users often shut off LCD monitors while the camera is on and compose photos using large top-mounted viewfinders.
Tips For Buying Underwater Digital Cameras
Often it is not possible to capture the beauty of underwater life with normal camera, but thanks to underwater models, now you can explore the marine life. An underwater camera is a special designed digital camera used for still and video photography to capture the amazing flora and fauna of marine life.
As compared to film-based underwater cameras, the underwater digital cameras are much better since they don’t run out of film. No more fuzzy backgrounds and edges as seen in film underwater devices, with their wide-angle photography, underwater digital cameras delivers sharper images.
Available in all sizes, shapes and film format, many underwater digital cameras also come with viewfinder feature which helps in picture adjustment for photography. Adorned with multi-flash function, color correction filter and macro lens, the underwater digital camera offers superb image quality. If you wonder which model of underwater digital camera to choose, what features to consider, then here is a briefly discussed guide on the features of some prominent underwater digital camera models.
One of the pioneers in underwater, the current Optio W30 comes with 7MP with ISO1600 and 3x optical zoom image recording feature. At 10 Megapixels, ISO1600, and a 3.6x optical zoom feature, Olympus may also be one of the most well rounded underwater models. With an underwater depth up to 6.6 feet, this is the deepest water digital camera on the list.
May be you wanna read about My Other Guide at :
- Casio Digital Camera
- Digital Camera Compact
- Exilim Digital Camera
- Waterproof Digital Camera
- Digital Camera 5Mp




