6D for underwater

Hello everyone,

I just bought 6D yesterday, and I am willing to go traveling into the beach and sea this summer.

I am not a diver, I am just a hobbist,  most probably just snorkeling.

Do you have any recommendation for underwater housing? Also a dome for the lens?

I am very new with this kind of photography, I’d love to try.

I will use my 6D along with Tokina 11-16 DX.

I already have Gopro Session, but I am not satisfied enough with the results, most probably I will sell my Gopro.

Budget?

Experience shooting underwater?

PHXAZCRAIG wrote:

Budget?

Experience shooting underwater?

I dont know the budget, maybe $500? As cheap as possible for my 6D and wide lens.

Never experienced shooting underwater.

I have a feeling you'll be disappointed. DSLR housings cost a lot more than $500, and on top of that you'll need an extension port and a dome.

I don't know what prices are for Canon DLSR's, but my Nikon D810 (also full-frame DSLR) housing cost me as follows:

1. Housing (Nauticam, Ikelite is a lot cheaper): $3400

2. Vacuum leak detector option: $220

3. 230mm (very big) dome port for 16-35 lens: $1800

4. Extension tube for dome port: $400

AND it's really big, probably a lot bigger than what you would be looking for. It's bulky at best for packing and travel, and for snorkeling I think it's just too big to be appropriate.

Smaller domes don't give as good a corner performance, and my corners aren't great, they aren't even good without stopping down past F8.

Smaller domes work well with fisheye lenses, and fisheye lenses are popular underwater.

What lens are going to use underwater? The choices are generally limited as they have to have the right characteristics to work well in a dome port underwater, and they have to fit the ports/extensions chosen. In order to zoom, you need a focus gear that attaches to the lens.

Taking a DSLR underwater isn't really a beginner's game. In the past I would recommend a nice Canon point-n-shoot with matching Canon housing. Used to be you could get the camera and the housing for under $500 or so, like my Canon s120, my s95, my sd870is, and my sd630. Trouble is, the whole point-n-shoot class of cameras has been killed off by cell phones.

Now I'd consider this: https://www.bluewaterphotostore.com/kraken-smart-phone-housing?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6fGL1ejF4AIV1Bx9Ch2luAG3EAQYAyABEgJnC_D_BwE

That's a universal housing for a cell phone.   The controls work via bluetooth from housing to camera. $299.

If you're just looking to snorkel, housing the 6D is a gigantic overkill. It will be hugely bulky and, as already detailed by other posters, very expensive. A Meikon housing for your A6000 will be substantially smaller and much less expensive, albeit still fairly bulky. The smallest and easiest to use option is would be an Olympus TG-4/TG-5.

Here's a vote for the Olympus Tough TG4 / TG5. There is an Olympus fisheye accessory lens (needs Olympus accessory filter adapter). It is a decent pocket camera as well. Get a filter adapter for the camera and a screw-in lens hood for above-water use, or avoid shooting into sun - major flare. No housing needed for snorkeling. Good for kayaking too. It has a good UW color balance JPG mode, and also you can shoot in Raw format.

The cost for the basic Tough would be less than any decent new housing.