[jhonmartinvish]

I want to take a dslr camera in a housing underwater with me when I scuba dive. I hear that some cameras are better for underwater use. If this is true, I'd like to know which camera will be the best. I want to take professional-looking photos while not really paying too much for a camera(under $1000). Thanks!


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[Rocktapus]

my friend does surf photography professionally, and uses a Canon DSLR. i forget the actual make, but he tells me his underwater housing costs way more than just the DSLR. [around $1000] and since he mainly does photography at the surface of the water...i don't know how deep the housing will actually go.

if you plan to go deep....i really doubt you'll find any non-analogue film options for less than $1000. especially if you are going to want an underwater flash to capture the smaller sea creatures.

also....i really doubt this is the best place to ask this question. hopefully you asked it in a forum related to diving instead of iphone photography. ;]

[BradM73]

Well, you didn't mention what your budget is, so we could run the gamut of low, mid and pro range DSLR's and their prices.

Maybe try a Go Pro Hero 2 HD? They come with a waterproof housings and can shoot stills, video, even time lapse. They're usually about $300-$400 depending on the accessories it comes with. I think they make aniother special housing for true underwater, but I think it can just go a lot deeper. I don't own one, so I could be wrong, but I've been looking into get a Hero 2 HD for a few months now, just for doing more outdoor stuff that I wouldn't want to put my Nikons though

If price isn't an issue, as Rock said, most underwater housings are pretty expensive, but available for most DSLR's. You'll probably have the best luck finding housings for Canon's and Nikons. Also, there are several underwater "cases" for DSLR's too, which are essentially gloirified ziplock bags. They're cheap, usually between $100-$200, but they don't go as deep and are not as reliable. I just looked up some underwater housings for my Nikon D7000, and I haven't seen one for less than $1400 yet.

There are some pretty great websites that also have a lot of great information, like:



I guess you should figure out what kind of DSLR you want to go with first. Do you plan to shoot both video and stills? How much are you willing to spend? What kind of lenses do you plan to use underwater? Etc, etc.

[Rocktapus]

i personally skin dive/open water swim and carry around a 35mm camera strapped around my torso. i really like the film cameras i have and would definitely recommend them....but i can see reloading film being a problem at greater depths.

BUT one thing you should never do as a photographer is buy all your equipment at once. there are many places that rent out photography equipment. and i know for a fact that there are some dive stores that actually rent out camera equipment. its definitely cheaper just to rent it....then go ahead and buy it if you dont wanna go through that hassle, or can see a good return on your investment.