Camera for diving and travelling

Hello,

I'm starting a trip soon which includes some diving (up to 30m), hiking and trekking, and I'd like to get a recommendation for a camera model that will suit these activities. I'm mainly gonna take still photos, but I'm looking for a proper quality underwater video filming.

The camera doesn't have to be the best in terms of high quality shootings, photography has never been a special hobby for me. A nice durable and affordable (with the suitable equipment) model will do just fine.

Thank you

Do you need telephoto capability while trekking? If not, something like a Sony RX100 II or Canon G7X (optionally mark II), or even an Olympus TG-5, paired with appropriate housing will cover your needs. Since you're diving to 30m, TG-5 will still need a housing, but it will require much less babying than a normal compact camera on hikes - if you drop it, or get caught in a rain, or fall into a creek, it will be fine, whereas an RX100 immersed in water without a housing or dropped on rocks will not survive the ordeal.

If you do need telephoto capabilities, then you'd be looking at an interchangeable-lens camera, because superzoom lenses require extending outwards to work, which makes them impossible to fit into an underwater housing. A Sony A6000 with 16-50mm and 55-210mm lenses is quite compact and lightweight while covering 24mm to 315mm FF-equivalent focal range. It's listed for $798 new at B&H (including camera, both lenses, spare battery, memory card and a bag), and I see used kits offered under $600 on Ebay. A Meikon housing to take it diving will run you $150-200 for a basic fixed-port model, or $327 for one with interchangeable ports and vacuum sealing capability.

Alternatively, if size and weight are of paramount importance, consider an action camera - either a GoPro, or one of its knockoffs. Image quality will be nothing to write home about, but it'll be tiny an unobtrusive. As far as diving goes, larger cameras tend to dominate your dive - you dive to take photos, and the camera rig requires constant uninterrupted attention and care - whereas with an action camera, you can clip it off to your BCD and forget about it until you need it.

I have a Sony RX100 III and an underwater housing. The Sony is small and takes excellent images. The housing allows for the same underwater.

I'd go with a compact camera with housing.   Interchangeable lens options are expensive, and bulky.   In the past I've used a series of Canon point-n-shoots (SD630, SD870is, s95, s120).   All have been very good for the price, running $400-500 for the camera and new Canon dive housing.   Unfortunately that class of camera has mostly disappeared - but I bet you could find great deals on the used market.

I went from the Canons to a Sony RX100 II, with Nauticam housing and dual strobes.   Added a focus light and some wet lenses, and I was at $5000.

Used it a year, and while the strobes made a world of difference in the shots I was getting, the autofocus wasn't much different from the point-n-shoots.   Still, these types of cameras have improved autofocus in every revision, and the new ones may be fine.

I went on to a $10,000 DSLR rig, which is truly an effort to bring on trips.

Anyway, I'd recommend something from Canon, with matching Canon housing.   The housings are good (look like Meikon products) and rated to 130 feet.   As far as USING the cameras underwater, I have been much happier with the Canons than the Sony - Sony menus are a mess, the menu print is very small, you have to dive through menus to change stuff, etc.   Canon is simply much easier to use.

If TG-5 is too expensive, you can look for a used TG-4. As for housing, you can order one from Meikon - they ship worldwide, and usually within a week or less of ordering.

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

I'd go with a compact camera with housing. Interchangeable lens options are expensive, and bulky. In the past I've used a series of Canon point-n-shoots (SD630, SD870is, s95, s120). All have been very good for the price, running $400-500 for the camera and new Canon dive housing. Unfortunately that class of camera has mostly disappeared - but I bet you could find great deals on the used market.

I went from the Canons to a Sony RX100 II, with Nauticam housing and dual strobes. Added a focus light and some wet lenses, and I was at $5000.

Nowadays, one could get a good Sony RX100 II used for ~$250-300,  and a new Meikon housing for it for less than $200.   Then one could get a couple of good slave strobes for a couple hundred each,  and cabling, brackets, counterweights, etc, for $500-800 more.

I personally went the route of a Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon's own WP-N3 housing for it for even less money.  My reason for going this route was that I feel that the Nikon housing is superior to the Meikon cases, although one could argue that the Sony is a slightly more capable camera, it's not by much, and the J4 has the benefit of interchangeable lenses.

One could also spend a similar amount on a few year-old Olympus M43 outfit and Olympus' own underwater housings.

These rigs would all run in the vicinity of $350-500 for the camera with a standard lens + housing, and they are all roughly comparable photographic platforms.   A reasonable lighting setup and you are still in the ballpark of $1000 or so all in.

Used it a year, and while the strobes made a world of difference in the shots I was getting, the autofocus wasn't much different from the point-n-shoots. Still, these types of cameras have improved autofocus in every revision, and the new ones may be fine.

I went on to a $10,000 DSLR rig, which is truly an effort to bring on trips.

Anyway, I'd recommend something from Canon, with matching Canon housing. The housings are good (look like Meikon products) and rated to 130 feet. As far as USING the cameras underwater, I have been much happier with the Canons than the Sony - Sony menus are a mess, the menu print is very small, you have to dive through menus to change stuff, etc. Canon is simply much easier to use.

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Phoenix Arizona Craig
www.cjcphoto.net