There’s a ruggedly waterproof camera for every adventure, whether you play on the waves or under them.
Underwater photography used to be for pros. You needed a dedicated waterproof camera or a pricey housing for your DSLR, or you were left playing in the shallows with a GoPro that simply couldn’t deliver quality shots in the ocean’s low-light conditions.
Thanks to massive gains in sensor quality, camera stabilisation and image recording, more buyers have gotten on board, shooting down the price of compact waterproof cameras capable of 4K video action to under $500.
The options have expanded tenfold — you can buy a housing to sink your GoPro down to 60m, pocket a dedicated underwater camera weighing as little as 329g, or stick your iPhone into a truly waterproof $600 housing.
There’s also an endless number of mounts available to connect your camera to your body, bike, board or your boat’s helm. With an option for every budget and adventure, the hardest part about taking your photography to greater depths, is working out what to buy.
CHOOSING YOUR SHOOTER
There are basically four choices for shooting video and stills underwater: action cameras (such as a GoPro), dedicated rugged cameras that work in and out of the sea, smartphone housings, and professional housings for your DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) or mirrorless camera.
Which waterproof option you choose depends on what else you want to do with your camera, how often you plan on getting it wet, and finally, your budget. If scuba diving is your priority, and you already own a DSLR or mirrorless camera, an underwater housing is the obvious choice.
But, if you enjoy a range of rugged adventures — boating, sailing, four-wheel-driving, snow sports or paddling — you might be better off buying a rugged, user-friendly camera that performs both in and out of the water. And if you shoot to feed your social media platforms, features like flip-up dual screens (for selfies), body mounts and good video stabilisation will be key.
ACTION CAMERAS
Popular, price-competitive and versatile for all kinds of sports, action cameras can be strapped to a selfie stick, your bike, board, boat or your body, and tucked into sturdier underwater housings for deeper, more high-pressure adventures.
An action camera can go anywhere — fishing, boating, foiling, surfing or snorkelling — in your hands and your kids’. The latest models capture equally impressive video and images on dry land and underwater, and while they might be synonymous with GoPro, hot on the heels of GoPro’s recently released Hero 12 are some very worthy rivals.
DJI Osmo Action 4
If you already own a DJI drone, then DJI’s Osmo Action 4 should be in your sights, for the seamless integration it offers when it comes to DJI’s tools. But how does it compare with the GoPro Hero 12?
Even if its 4K of video and 10 mega pixel images can’t compete with the 5.3K offered by the Hero 12 Black, what turns heads about DJI’s compact action shooter is the great imagery it captures in low light, thanks to its 1/1.3 inch sensor.
A feature that will thrill serious divers is the capability to take the Osmo Action 4 down to 18m without any additional waterproof case — that’s significantly deeper than the GoPro Hero 12 Black. Add a housing and you can sink it to 60m. It also scores points for its magnetic quick-release mounts, and the ease with which you can switch between shooting modes underwater.
The downside for macro photographers is that the focus distance starts at 40cm (thanks to pixel size), so extreme close-ups are out. But for divers keen to shoot at depth, in low-light conditions, this action camera is a serious contender and the price is right: $465 camera only (digidirect.com.au) or $645 with adventure combo kit (extension rod, extra batteries and adapter mounts, amazon.com.au).
GoPro Hero 12 Black
People get very excited about the Hero 12’s huge 5.3K video resolution (at 60 frames per second). But equally impressive is that it shoots 4K video at 120fps, and 1080p at 240fps for super slow-motion — that’s double what the Hero 11 can do.
This equates to good video at depth, even if the Hero 12 is limited by a maximum depth of 10m and, some say, struggles in low light conditions. GoPro is calling it the best Hero camera they’ve ever made, highlighting significant progress since the Hero 11 came out – improved digital stabilisation, better battery life and the ability to support a wireless mic and log video.
Like the DJI Osmo Action 4, you can add an underwater housing to extend the Hero 12’s underwater range to 60m ($89.95), or buy the camera only for $574 (camerahouse.com.au).
Akaso Brave 8
If you’re on a budget, or sharing a camera with your kids, this compact action camera ticks a lot of boxes, even if it doesn’t rate as well in online reviews against the GoPro Hero 12. Just like the two models already mentioned, the Akaso Brave 8 is waterproof to 10m (or 60m with an additional housing).
It has dual screens, including a front-facing screen for taking selfies and recording blogs, weighs just 115g with battery, and it shoots 4K video at 60fps, with 48mp still images. The camera price also includes 14 mounting accessories, and you can buy one at Woolworths for $499.
Insta360 Ace Pro
The final action camera on this list also happens to be the most expensive at $656.10 (digidirect.com.au). It’s heavier, adds no more metres to your dive depth (10m), and like the DJI, provides a magnetic mounting system. But, since it was co-engineered with Leica, it sports a 1/1.3in sensor and Leica lens, and records at rates similar to the others (8K/24fps, 4K/120fps, and 1080p/240fps).
It also gets favourable reviews for its gesture and voice controlled recording, and flip-up back display screen and, like the other models above, an add-on dive case extends it’s depth to 60m.
SPHERICAL CAMERAS
These are the cool tools that action junkies will want in their kit, turning any ordinary underwater experience into thrilling, big-picture footage. These cameras capture 360 degrees of vision, all the time, so you’re not pointing at that turtle or your mate swimming – everything is in the same shot.
Two cameras are worth considering in this range – the Insta360 X4 and GoPro Max. With more features than I could possibly list here, the Insta360 X4 shoots 5.7K at 60fps (or 4K/100fps for cinematic slo-mo), and 72mp photos (that’s a lot of pixels). It’s waterproof to 10m, has superior battery life, and retails for $879. If you’re a GoPro fan, check out the GoPro Max 360, compatible with all the accessories you might already own ($799), both from camerapro.com.au.
WATERPROOF TOUGH CAMERAS
GoPros are great, but if you’re a point-and-shoot kind of adventurer, looking for one camera to rule them all (without the endless accessories and gadgets), tough cameras have got you covered. They are rugged enough to lend to your mates, and while these all-in-one cameras might seem old school next to a GoPro, they stack up surprisingly well.
OM Tough TG-7
This Olympus camera is a rugged little beast with an optical zoom lens and super macro microscope mode that gets snorkellers and shallow divers rather excited. This equates to great underwater detail at depths of up to 15m, better perhaps than any camera listed above.
The OM Tough TG-7 also offers 4K high definition (HD) video, and is freeze-proof to -10 degrees, anti-fog, dust-proof and shock-proof (for drops of 2.1 m). Camera only costs $633 (camera-warehouse.com.au), but add an Olympus PT-059 housing to extend the camera’s underwater range to 45m ($469, underwatercameras.com.au).
SeaLife Micro 3.0
This dedicated tough camera dives deep – to 60m without any additional housing – and blurs the line between pro and recreational use. It weighs in at a tiny 329g, and gets complements for its ease of use, thanks to big buttons that you can work with dive gloves on. Aimed at serious divers, it shoots raw and records 4K at 30fps or 1080 at 120fps, and you can add bright lights for deep water exploring. It’s priced from $1049 (underwater.com.au)
PHONE HOUSINGS
There are people who’ve dropped their phone in the water, and people who will, so it seems pretty strange to willingly take any phone diving. If you dare, you’re going to want an underwater housing with absolute waterproof integrity, and an easy-to-use app to process your images and video afterwards.
Two models feature well amongst online reviews — the Oceanic+ Dive Housing ($979 from digitaldivers.com.au), and the more affordable SeaLife SportDiver ($589, divegearaustralia.com.au).
The Oceanic+ housing transforms your iPhone into an underwater camera via its own app, and provides a dive computer too. The SeaLife SportDiver is capable of capturing raw photos, to depths of up to 40m, and sports vacuum pressure (and moisture) alarms that can detect leaks even before you get wet. It’s compatible with most current android and iPhones.
PRO CAMERA HOUSINGS
No discussion about underwater photography would be complete without talking about pro options. There’s a baffling range of mirrorless and DSLR camera bodies on the market, but pro shooters decide early on whether they love Sony cameras over Canon, or Nikon over Panasonic, and tend to stick with one brand to keep all their kit — lens, adapters, batteries, chargers and other add-ons — compatible.
Whatever camera body you own (or intend to buy), there will likely be a handful of housings to fit, along with countless accessories. But since the price of a housing is going to rival the price of your camera itself, don’t fork out for a housing on a camera that you intend to upgrade in the near future.
Reputable big name suppliers of housings include Aquatech, Aquatica, Nauticam, Sea & Sea, and Australia’s own Salty housings, which we own and love for their durability. Machined from a single block of billet aluminium into a lightweight, smooth housing, Salty housings can be custom painted too (saltysurfhousings.com).
You might be familiar with Ikelite, whose polycarbonate housings are amongst the most affordable on the market and waterproof to 60m. But if you regularly dive, snorkel and get your camera wet, you’ll probably see value in paying significantly more for premium aluminium housings from Nauticam, Aquatica or Salty, that offer additional features such as leak detection systems and vacuum seals.
Whatever you choose, make sure the housing accommodates all your camera’s controls and any accessories such as strobes and lights that you intend to use with it. Consider the available lens ports — a housing’s window on the world — which you’ll typically buy separately to accommodate the specific lens you intend to use underwater.
More than anything a housing should feel good in your hands, like an extension of your arms as you fin underwater and buttons and settings should be easy to locate.
* A version of this feature by Catherine Lawson and David Bristow first appeared in Club Marine Magazine.
