Equipment: Top 4 recommendations for your first underwater camera

For New Divers, Photography Equipment

Not a GoPro. They’re handy, and they have lovely wide angle lenses, but they will frustrate you, and everyone around you.

For a real camera to get started, to take travel-diving with you, that’s not a DSLR, the list isn’t a huge one.

  • Olympus TG-6
  • Canon G9x mark II
  • Canon G7x mark III
  • Sony RX100 mark V  [*Editor’s choice *]

Here they are side by side in my favourite camera review site, DPReview.com.

Olympus TG-6

Cost: $449USD
Pros:

  • Small & thin, even when in use. Can fit in a BCD pocket, with the housing!
  • The camera itself is waterproof, perfect against small leaks due to an imperfect seal (common with new divers with new cameras).
  • Reasonable underwater mode
  • Best macro mode of any compact camera.
  • Reasonable lens

Cons:

  • Minimal customisation and control.

Important Specs:

  • 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
  • f/2.0 – f/4.9
  • Angle equiv: 25mm – 100mm
  • Minimal focal distance: 1cm
  • 12MP (4000 x 3000 px)
  • Video:
    • 4k (3840 x 2160) @ 30fps
    • FullHD (1920 x 1080) @ 60fps


Canon G9 X mark II

Cost: $379USD
Pros:

  • Great lens

Cons:

  • Minimal focal distance (5 cm) isn’t fantastic for macro

Important Specs:

  • 1 inch CMOS sensor
  • f/2.0 – f/4.9
  • Angle equiv: 28mm – 84mm
  • Minimal focal distance: 5cm
  • 20MP (5472 x 3648 px)
  • Video:
    • FullHD (1920 x 1080) @ 60fps

This is the latest iteration of the Canon Powershot S-series cameras. Started with the S90, S95, S100, S100 and the last was the S120. When they changed the sensor from 1/1.7″ to a full 1″, they changed the model.

Small, portable and very capable. This was Canon’s first attempt to take the 1″ compact mantle from Sony.

Don’t let people talk you out of the official Canon marine housing. It’s fine, and at a great price.

Canon G7 X mark III

Cost: $749USD
Pros:

  • Great lens
  • Great video

Cons:

  • Minimal focal distance (5cm) isn’t fantastic for unaided macro
  • Contrast only focusing (no phase detect)

Important Specs:

  • 1 inch CMOS sensor
  • f/1.8 – f/2.8
  • Angle equiv: 24mm – 100mm
  • Minimal focal distance: 5cm
  • 20MP (5472 x 3648 px)
  • Video:
    • 4k (3840 x 2160) @ 29.97 / 25fps
    • FullHD (1920 x 1080) @ 120fps

The G7x is the reboot of Canon’s G-series compact cameras, which finished with the much loved Canon G16. Like with the G9x, when they upgraded the sensor, they changed the name.

As before, don’t let people talk you out of the official Canon marine housing. It’s fine, and at a great price.

Sony RX100 mark V

*EDITOR’S CHOICE*

Cost: $899USD
Pros:

  • Fast phase-detect autofocus
  • Highest resolution LCD screen of the four cameras here (1.2MP)
  • Brightest flash of the four here.
  • up to 24fps still shooting.
  • 120fps FullHD video

Cons:

  • Minimal focal distance (5cm) isn’t fantastic for unaided macro
  • Price

Important Specs:

  • 1 inch CMOS sensor
  • f/1.8 – f/2.8
  • Angle equiv: 24mm – 70mm
  • Minimal focal distance: 5cm
  • 20MP (5472 x 3648 px)
  • Video:
    • 4k (3840 x 2160) @ 30fps
    • FullHD (1920 x 1080) @ 120fps

If this camera looks a lot like the Canon G7X, you can thank Canon’s engineers. This is Sony’s fifth version of this camera, and they kept adding stuff that underwater photographers don’t care about. Pop up viewfinder? More articulate screen? Useless to us.

But then they added 120fps FullHD video, and all was right in the world. I can’t say it’s worth the $1000USD price tag, though. Fortunately, with the Sony RX100 mark VII (7) being released, the price of their older models are dropping.

In fact, I’m still very happy with the aging Sony RX100 mark 2, which can be bought for a steal these days (any second hand, or not-latest model RX100 would be a great buy). Only the mark 1 I would pass on, due to sensor improvements with the mark 2 and above. The mark 3, 4 and 5 all have the exact same body shape, and so use the same underwater housing – this may affect your purchase choice as well.

Why the V?

Well, going for the V will save you some money (because it’s not the newest), and the features added in the Va are less important to most underwater photographers.

The V has a faster (brighter) lens than the VII, with shorter minimal focal distance. For wide angle, the V is definitely the best option. Shooting wide at F1.8 is fantastic – the equivalent of f4.9 on a full frame camera.

Shooting wide at f2.8 is the equivalent of f7.6 on full frame, making it about half as bright (or twice as slow).

The longer lens of the mark VII also has a much further 8cm minimum focal distance. However, if you attach a fantastic wet lens, like a +15 diopter, that will change everything. Now that 200mm zoom becomes a microscope, and the VII might be perfect for your needs. A good wet lens is not cheap, and needs to be factored in to your choices.

Improvements between models:

II: BSI-Sensor
III: Faster, shorter lens (F1.8-2.8)
IV: 4K video, better EVF, faster drive (16fps)
V: Phase detect focusing (like an SLR), faster drive (24fps), 1080p @ 120fps
Va: More metering & AF options
VI: Longer, slower lens (F2.8-4.5, 24-200mm), 8cm minimal focal distance.
VII: External microphone port. Slightly better battery life.  7 shot, 90fps burst mode.

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