Gear

Gadget Bag: Reaching New Lows!

Underwater photography is entering a golden age, thanks to excellent compact digital cameras and inexpensive housings that enable anyone to get the shots

Thanks to digital photography, more and more people are experiencing and sharing the color and beauty of exotic places all over the world. Whether it’s through online image sharing, printed images, magazine articles or simply through the LCD playback screens of our digital cameras, we’re seeing more of the world through the eyes of photographers of all levels, all ages and from all walks of life. This is even more the case when considering the spectacular world that so many people have never seen—the world beneath the waves.

Until now, underwater photography wasn’t accessible or practical except to the few committed scuba divers with big budgets and strong backs. Underwater camera equipment was prohibitively expensive, incredibly bulky, heavy and maintenance-intensive. Whether you chose an amphibious camera or housed a film SLR, your underwater image-making exploits were preceded by a great deal of camera system preparation, followed by even more time spent cleaning and maintaining your system. To make matters worse, shooting film meant you could capture only 36 exposures, and you couldn’t be certain you’d be able to master the difficult composition and lighting conditions encountered underwater. Enter the digital point-and-shoot cameras. It’s a whole new ball game!

Because of the commitment of many of the manufacturers of some of today’s most popular consumer digital cameras, underwater photography isn’t only more affordable, more accessible and easier on the back, but also more fun. These manufacturers are either producing lightweight, compact and affordable underwater housings or partnering with housing manufacturers to produce model-specific housings for their popular cameras. Some manufacturers are designing and building digital underwater systems from the ground up. These systems let you capture, review and delete unwanted images in the water much as you would in a topside environment. Whether you plan to snorkel while on vacation in Hawaii or plan to scuba dive with the majestic whale sharks in Mexico, you’re sure to find an underwater digital-camera system that will fit both your budget and your suitcase.

Once you have your camera and are ready for that much anticipated snorkeling or diving vacation, you want to be sure you’ve mastered the challenges of shooting digital images underwater. There are courses available with instructors who will guide you toward shooting and sharing images that will capture your underwater memories and the imagination of those with whom you share the images. The most popular of these courses is the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course that’s offered by PADI Dive Centers and Resorts all over the world. For more information about the course or to find a PADI Center near you, visit www.padi.com/padi/en/kd/digitalunderwaterphotographer.aspx.

Here’s a look at some of the systems available that will get you in the water quickly and conveniently and ready to capture the color and beauty unlike anywhere else on earth.

Underwater Gear

Canon has supported in-water digital photography by providing both underwater housings and underwater scene modes that set white balance, ISO and flash settings specifically for underwater image capture. The 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH features Canon’s DIGIC III image processor for high-quality images, optical image stabilization or OIS, (a bonus for the lower-light conditions found underwater), a bright, easy-to-read 2.5-inch LCD display and a variety of scene modes, including underwater. Packaged with the WP-DC15 housing designed to operate at depths to 130 feet, the SD850 is a compact, yet very capable system for either snorkeling or scuba diving. The SD850 features Canon's new Face Detection technology and utilizes both SD and high-capacity SDHC memory cards. Estimated Street Price: $399 (SD850); $179 (WP-DC15).

Nikon recently introduced its newest entry into the Coolpix line with the 10-megapixel Coolpix 5000. The camera features a 3.5x zoom, a bright, 2.5-inch LCD display with nonreflective coating, optical VR image stabilization and enhanced noise reduction that’s designed to maintain quality at higher ISO settings. Unlike many cameras in the point-and-shoot category, the Coolpix 5000 features a mode dial that lets the userchoose full program mode (P), aperture-priority program mode (A), shutter-priority program mode (S) or full manual mode (M).

The Coolpix 5000’s new menu system also makes navigation to review images fast and effective. Coupled with a custom-designed FP-5000 housing from Fantasea Line, the Nikon Coolpix 5000 is an excellent package for snorkeling, scuba diving and other water-sports activities, like kayaking, surfing and boating. Estimated Street Price: $399 (Coolpix 5000); $245 (Fantasea Line FP-5000).

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