underwater/waterproof camera

[Karlan29]

I am looking for a new camera for this trip and others. I'd like to find one I can use in the water. Really don't need the extremely high tech kind, more of the just point and shoot kind. What do you all use/recommend? Hoping to get some great underwater shots in the swimming reef on this trip to Aulani.

 

[cgattis]

I have a Panasonic underwater camera that does video also. I don't remember the model, but I think they only make one. My friend has the Olympus equivalent and likes it, but the Panasonic got better reviews. I bought my first one in about 2009 and it finally died (I suspect the seal finally dried out) our first day in Hawaii! I ran to Target in Kapolei (I think it was) and replaced it for less than I paid 8 years before! It's the size of a deck of cards. Obviously the video isn't the quality of my GoPro, and it's not good in low light, but its been in the pool, ocean, lake, and river and I've definitely gotten my money's worth!!

 

[Grumpy_Dad]

We brought our Go Pro Hero + with water poof case to Aulani and used it everywhere: Rainbow Reef, in the lagoon, on the water slides and just about everywhere else. We also bought a handle for it that made it easier to hold in the water and it was also a float if you dropped it. If you are not interested in video, probably not for you but we were glad we brought it.

 

[Karlan29]

I have a Panasonic underwater camera that does video also. I don't remember the model, but I think they only make one. My friend has the Olympus equivalent and likes it, but the Panasonic got better reviews. I bought my first one in about 2009 and it finally died (I suspect the seal finally dried out) our first day in Hawaii! I ran to Target in Kapolei (I think it was) and replaced it for less than I paid 8 years before! It's the size of a deck of cards. Obviously the video isn't the quality of my GoPro, and it's not good in low light, but its been in the pool, ocean, lake, and river and I've definitely gotten my money's worth!!

I will check this 1 out..thanks. I really don't even know where to begin looking so this helps!

 

[Karlan29]

We brought our Go Pro Hero + with water poof case to Aulani and used it everywhere: Rainbow Reef, in the lagoon, on the water slides and just about everywhere else. We also bought a handle for it that made it easier to hold in the water and it was also a float if you dropped it. If you are not interested in video, probably not for you but we were glad we brought it.

I was thinking about go pro..only because I've heard of them..lol. I'll keep this in mind while shopping. Thanks!!

 

[olafLover]

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[lorenni]

We got DS (6) a Fujifilm finepix xp120 for Xmas (I only know the details because I am looking at the box). I picked this one because it is supposed to be very rugged and is waterproof to 100 or so feet. He’s been obsessed with taking pictures on my cannon, so wanted to get him something he could use that I wouldn’t cringe every time he picks it up.

We used it on our NYE cruise in the ocean and he had a lot of fun. So far really good quality pics, though admittedly they are mostly of bugs, plants, him underwater, and our cats.

The camera has internal memory (or you can use a memory card), can shoot videos with sound, and can connect to WiFi to transfer pictures to another device. I did also get a floating wrist strap that worked really well.

All in we spent less than $300CAD.

 

[RebelHawk]

We've had a Nikon CoolPix for years and used it as our pocket/bad weather/snorkeling camera to great effect. We got our scuba certification a couple of years ago and so switched to the Go Pro Hero 6. By itself either of these cameras are good for light underwater work but with the waterproof housing for the Go Pro you can go down to 198ft. For our use that is a bit more inline with what we want. In addition to that the GoPro has a smaller footprint so it has become our primary pocket bad weather camera.

 

[cgattis]

Also, although the GoPro is primarily geared to video, the new (free) software makes it incredibly easy to pull stills out as well. All my best snorkeling photos ended up being stills from my video. But my little Panasonic still gives us a great way to have two points of view of the same events (or split up).

 

[Pooh2]

Really like our oLympus tg3.

 

[alohamom]

We have the same as @lorenni the Fuji Finepix XP 180 and it has been great for stills and video.

http://www.fujifilm.ca/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp120/

My only complaint is the lens does tend to get waterspots when you are taking pictures above water after being submerged (duh, right?!?!) so I wish I had thought to wipe the lens with my rash guard or blow off the water droplets because although it makes for some fun, realistic pics of us splashing in the waves, it would be nice to have a clear shot. It was fun in the Aulani lazy river too. We did buy it for snorkelling tho and it did the job.

 

[Karlan29]

I love all these suggestions! I have some research to do! Thank you all so much.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm a scuba diver and take underwater still photos, my honey does video with the big expensive rig. I have a little sony cybershot (do they even still make them?) and sony makes an underwater housing that goes on it. It is really point and shoot but does a great job. I really don't remember how much we paid for it since I had the cybershot before I started doing underwater photography. My camera is so old I have to put a piece of cardboard where the batteries go because it won't close all the way. I've beat the heck out of the underwater housing, it has a wrist strap and I just strap that sucker on to my BC and jump in.

This was taken with it.

 

[Karlan29]

I'm a scuba diver and take underwater still photos, my honey does video with the big expensive rig. I have a little sony cybershot (do they even still make them?) and sony makes an underwater housing that goes on it. It is really point and shoot but does a great job. I really don't remember how much we paid for it since I had the cybershot before I started doing underwater photography. My camera is so old I have to put a piece of cardboard where the batteries go because it won't close all the way. I've beat the heck out of the underwater housing, it has a wrist strap and I just strap that sucker on to my BC and jump in. View attachment 295193

This was taken with it.

O.M.Gosh...beautiful picture! I'll look into this. Thanks

 

[alohamom]

@loves to dive that is an awesome shot, it took me a minute to realize it is a ray (i think?!?!)

 

[loves to dive]

O.M.Gosh...beautiful picture! I'll look into this. Thanks

@loves to dive that is an awesome shot, it took me a minute to realize it is a ray (i think?!?!)

Thanks, yes it's a ray. It's actually the third shot, here are the first two. My honey was off shooting video of something and my son and I were just laying in the sand waiting when I saw the ray. I'm kind of the ray photo expert. Funny thing when honey saw the ray taking off he turned around and started shooting video so he has video of it with my still spliced in the corner. Pretty cool and just sheer luck, which most underwater photos are. If you look close in the upper right you can see honey's bubbles and barely make him out in the second shot.