Underwater Photography

[Big Bully]

I just saw the coolest shots ever, of people underwater. Does anyone know the materials I would need to shoot underwater? I know the person who did the shot with a Cannon... EOS? Something. So would any camera work for these shots? How would I protect the camera from the water and still pull off an awesome shot?

 

[Big Mike]

There are several companies that make underwater housings for cameras. Everything from small P&S cameras, right up to top-of-the-line pro cameras. The good ones can cost several thousand dollars. There are even rather cheap ones that are basically plastic bags with a lens area.

Click over to B&H and check out their selection of underwater housings & bags.

There there is the question of lighting. I think I've seen some photographers who shoot in a pool with their lighting above water...but there are also under water lighting solutions.

As can be expected, underwater gear can be quite expensive.
There are, of course, some small P&S style cameras that are OK to shoot underwater.

 

[Antarctican]

As Big Mike says, the problem is often lack of light. If you're in shallow (and still) water, with sunlight above, you'll get better results. And the gear (eg waterproof housing for your camera) is VERY expensive. So if you just want some fun snapshots, go for the waterproof disposable cameras.

 

[matt-l]

I know that Olympus makes an underwater P&S that is amazing. I was demonstrating one at my work and it is shock proof so my told me to throw it in the air and let it hit the ground. No problem there, then i stood on it Great little camera. Other then that i would think of an underwater housing.

 

[Dao]

I remember someone started a thread and had a link back to his site that talks about it. He show few lower cost gears (including underwater housing for P&S camera) and compare them.

I remember he said lightning is better not from the top of the camera. It is much better use off camera lights.

Go to ebay and search of "underwater housing". My wife bought a $30 "http://www.dicapac.com/new_eng/index.html" flexible type housing on ebay so that she can take pictures of my daughter when playing in pools in the summer.

 

[Big Mike]

How about THIS?

 

[icassell]

I bought a housing for my Canon G2 off ebay that was made by an outfit called ewa marine.

http://www.ewa-marine.de/

It's like a heavy bag with a place for your hands and a port for the lens. It worked well. There are cheaper options, but most are no good over a depth of a few feet. You can pay thousands for an Ikelite ...


Diving with my kids in Maui:

 

[kundalini]

Members Alcina and Sabbath999 might have some advice, since they both dive and shoot.

 

[Iron Flatline]

I dive and shoot as well.

There's a number of difficulties in dive shooting.

Color: water filters colors. After 10m you lose red, and by the time you get to 20m it's pretty much all blue and green.

Getting the shot: you have to be holding on to something, or have perfect buoyancy, to get the shot (let's not even discuss compensating for currents). You also need to be relatively close.

Working with a strobe must be in relatively clear water and at close distances, and as far off camera as possible. I've seen shoots with huge underwater lighting set-ups, but they're usually fashion shoots, not hobbyists getting the fish.

It's fun, but it's hard. In my experience I either dive to sight-see, or dive to shoot, but doing both doesn't work well.

There's a number of brands, but ultimately I've found my Canon G9 (and it's Canon-made underwater housing) to be perfect for a little vacation fun. Especially the video mode is quite fun when shooting fellow divers.

 

[swetsastonic]

Getting the shot: you have to be holding on to something, or have perfect buoyancy, to get the shot (let's not even discuss compensating for currents). You also need to be relatively close.

just please, please, please don't hold onto the reef.


I picked up a g9 recently and have been thinking about getting that casing. I take it you think it's worth it?

 

[Iron Flatline]

Yeah, the case is really well thought out, but remember to buy the extra weight that is sold seperately. Without it it's great for the pool, but extremely positively bouyant.

Yes, don't touch the reef, obviously. Frenzied paddling to get the shot is a recipe for disaster as well....

 

[Big Bully]

I dive and shoot as well.

There's a number of difficulties in dive shooting.

Color: water filters colors. After 10m you lose red, and by the time you get to 20m it's pretty much all blue and green.

Getting the shot: you have to be holding on to something, or have perfect buoyancy, to get the shot (let's not even discuss compensating for currents). You also need to be relatively close.

Working with a strobe must be in relatively clear water and at close distances, and as far off camera as possible. I've seen shoots with huge underwater lighting set-ups, but they're usually fashion shoots, not hobbyists getting the fish.

It's fun, but it's hard. In my experience I either dive to sight-see, or dive to shoot, but doing both doesn't work well.

There's a number of brands, but ultimately I've found my Canon G9 (and it's Canon-made underwater housing) to be perfect for a little vacation fun. Especially the video mode is quite fun when shooting fellow divers.

Does putting on the vibration reducer help at all, or not a chance. Also is using the flash underwater recommended?
How spendy is the underwater housing?

 

[g4pfk]

Hi
I dive and couple of years ago bought a Sony W7 and Sony housing good for 40 metres reasonably priced. To purchase a housing for a DSLR I found to be very expensive plus a strobe I could not justify te expense to use a couple of times a year.
My little sony gave good results in the Red Sea with the inbuilt flash.

graham

By the way there is one of my daughter down at 19 metres in my Flickr collection.

 

[Big Bully]

Thank you for all of your input. All the help has been greatly appreciated.