The Genuine Marine Digital Camera
The art of underwater photography is only carried out using special marine digital cameras operated by professionals from many scientific disciplines. Using an marine digital camera requires skill as you are operating in a foreign environment Many waterproof cameras are ok but they cannot be submerged for more than a meter below the surface of the water
I for one would love to have a proper marine digital camera but this is not likely to happen and I really don’t go into the sea often enough to make it worthwhile.
There is lack of real marine cameras owing to the problems of water ingress in to the camera and of water pressure Manufacturers have found it is easier just design a watertight case that goes around the digital camera instead. This type of casing will turn your conventional digital camera into an marine digital camera.
There are a few things you need to be aware of if you are taking photos underwater.
Water diffuses the light and the farther down you go the more this diffusion occurs. This means that your marine digital camera will produce images darker than those images you took while on land so to avoid this, use white balance adjustment to help with natural colors. You will also notice when you see the pictures taken underwater that they appear larger than they should; this is part of the magnifying effect water has. Many novices make the mistake of not checking the viewfinder carefully to make sure they are going to take a picture containing exactly what they want in the final shot.
You don’t want to have a camera that leaks when you go underwater so before you dive, check that the case is waterproof by holding it below the surface for a few seconds. Especially check the seal to make sure that a grain of sand or even a hair hasn’t broken the seal. Small silica gel packs can be useful if they can fit in the case without causing an obstruction.
Optional lenses are often available so if you can add these to your marine digital camera then do so. It is possible to get really close to some subject for great close-up shots using a macro lens.
The seals on the marine digital camera need to be kept clean and free fro contaminants so ensure the camera is thoroughly rinsed of when you return to the surface. In particular where sand is present then a stream of water to rinse it off is best.
For more information, check out Sony, Nikon and Canon’s website for available underwater cases for your digital cameras.