Underwater photography can be a fantastically expensive hobby - you often see divers with setups that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, it doesn’t have to be. By shopping carefully and finding good used gear, it can be a reasonably affordable hobby.
I was first introduced to underwater photography using my mom’s Nikon CoolPix W300. This is the camera that got me hooked. Although it is really designed more as a “waterproof” camera rather than a diving camera, it is actually certified down to forty feet. What a great little camera! It is so easy to use and is so forgiving. It is fully automatic and let me start to get good pictures right away. Using this camera, I learned how to frame and compose underwater shots.
After I had gone as far as I could with the Nikon, my first upgrade was to a Sealife DC2000. This was an important step for me. The DC2000 is sort of a transitional camera. It still has a fixed lens, but it is an underwater specific camera and has a 20 MP sensor and an external flash. The Sealife let me really begin experimenting with settings and, importantly, the flash allowed me to begin to capture the true colors at depth. I used this camera a number of years and had a lot of fun.
Eventually, after a lot of practice, I decided that I really wanted to move to a digital SLR. Underwater photography with an SLR is a huge step up in both complexity and cost however. As opposed to both of my previous cameras, which were specifically designed to work underwater, an underwater SLR is simply a standard land camera placed inside of a waterproof case.
Using an SLR underwater is difficult and can be frustrating but the advantages are huge. First, the SLR allows you to add powerful external strobes. These lights dramatically improve picture quality. They completely compensate for underwater color shift, improve focusing, and can light even the most hidden subjects. Second, a digital SLR allows the photographer to manually control every setting on the camera. This can be a blessing and a curse. Initially it was tough to figure out which settings would work (there were a lot of wasted pictures). But, with practice, I learned what settings worked best and how to “dial in” the camera to capture the shot as I envisioned. The biggest advantage of using the SLR is the ability to change lenses. With fixed lens cameras you are sort of stuck with the capabilities of that lens. With an SLR though you can pick the lens that matches what you are trying to do. For panoramic shots, you can choose an ultrawide zoom lens. For detailed, close up work, you can choose a macro lens. This capability opens up a whole new world.
The SLR I chose and my current camera is a Canon 5D Mark III 22.3 MP with an Ikelite housing. It took a long time to find this setup. Quality SLR housings sell for thousands of dollars. With a limited budget, I couldn’t afford anything new. I finally found the housing, complete with two strobes, on Ebay at a reasonable price.
The 5D Mark III is a 10+ year old design with 15 megapixels resolution. Newer models of this camera have up to 45 megapixels but cost thousands of dollars. I was able to find a really good deal on the camera (to match the housing) at a used camera store.
A have two lenses that I use for the Canon. My main lens is a Canon EF-S 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 II USM Ultrawide. The ultrawide design and long focal length is perfect for most underwater shooting.
The other lens that I use is a Canon 100mm f2.8 EF IS USM Macro with image stabilization. This is probably my favorite lens. Underwater macro photography is difficult. You have to get extremely close to your object, while drifting in current, trying to maintain your buoyancy, and get a shot before the subject moves. The Canon Image Stabilization (IS) lenses help a bunch and can correct for a lot of small movements, producing much sharper pictures. IS lenses definitely cost more but this is probably the one area where I think that it is worth investing.
If you are willing to take the time, it is possible to find really high-quality underwater camera gear at a reasonable price. Many underwater photographers are always looking to have the latest, highest resolution equipment. As a result, there is often used gear available on Ebay or on specialty sites like bluewaterphotostore.com. Sometimes you have to wait until the right deal shows up but, with patience, it can be done.
