Photograph Your Underwater Adventures With a Marine Digital Camera
The art of underwater photography is only carried out using special marine digital cameras operated by professionals from many scientific disciplines. Using an marine digital camera requires skill as you are operating in a foreign environment Many waterproof cameras are ok but they cannot be submerged for more than a meter below the surface of the water Now if you’re really serious about using an marine digital camera to capture those wacky and funny moments underwater, I suggest that you buy a specialty camera.
There aren’t that many manufacturers of these specialist cameras owing to the problem of water ingress into the cameras case and the pressure they have to work under. Some of you may have seen or tried the cheap solution to this problem that comes in the form of a plastic casing. This type of casing will turn your conventional digital camera into an marine digital camera.
There are a few things you need to be aware of if you are taking photos underwater.
Water diffuses the light and the farther down you go the more this diffusion occurs. The result of this is a darkening of the captured image so adjustments to the white balance are needed. You will also notice when you see the pictures taken underwater that they appear larger than they should; this is part of the magnifying effect water has. You will have to pay more attention using the viewfinder to make sure you are achieving the shot you want.
You don’t want to have a camera that leaks when you go underwater so before you dive, check that the case is waterproof by holding it below the surface for a few seconds. Especially check the seal to make sure that a grain of sand or even a hair hasn’t broken the seal. Small silica gel packs can be useful if they can fit in the case without causing an obstruction.
Ask your marine digital camera supplier if you can add extra lenses to complete the kit. If you enjoy looking at things close up then you will need to fit a macro lens.
The seals on the marine digital camera need to be kept clean and free fro contaminants so ensure the camera is thoroughly rinsed of when you return to the surface. In particular where sand is present then a stream of water to rinse it off is best.
Written by Peter Kingston
