Get a rough idea of what the camera offers
There is no one camera that suits all. Understanding your needs will help you make a better decision when choosing a camera. Are you concerned with high image quality and resolution? Do you shoot more photos or videos? Will you dive at areas of a certain depth where flash is required to light up your surroundings? Consider these factors and then look for the camera that suits the requirements.
For example, a compact camera like the PowerShot G7 X Mark III has:
- A 20-megapixel 1-inch type stacked image sensor: This is larger than the 1/2.3-inch type sensor on many action cameras and helps to capture better quality images even in conditions with little ambient light like what you get underwater.
- A native ISO speed of up to 12800: Offers more flexibility in low light conditions.
- A convenient built-in flash: For better-lit images with minimal gear.
- High-speed continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second (RAW burst mode): To improve your chances of getting picture-perfect shots of fast-swimming sea creatures.
- Up to 4K/30p cropless video recording: For taking high-resolution videos of your dives and the things you see around you.
- Support for vertical videos: So you can directly capture videos in portrait orientation and share them on social media without having to first reorientate them in a third-party app.
For photography: Choose the camera that gives you more control
Look for features such as:
- Manual exposure mode
- Custom white balance
- RAW format recording
- Manual focusing
- Built-in flash exposure compensation
If your main purpose is to take photos underwater, you probably want more control over photo outcomes. That's the beauty of a camera like the PowerShot G7 X Mark III, which has full Manual as well as semi-automatic (Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority) exposure modes, allowing you to adjust the shutter speed and/or aperture in addition to ISO speed and exposure compensation. In comparison, most generic action cameras only allow you to control the latter two settings.
That's not all. Canon's cameras have a Custom White Balance feature that helps to accurately compensate for the "blueness" of underwater scenes by using a reference shot. (Learn more about why custom white balance is important for underwater photography here.) You can also manually adjust the brightness of the built-in flash. RAW format recording is supported, allowing you to recover details from shadows and highlights or even adjust colours and tones by post-processing the RAW files in software like Canon's free Digital Photo Professional.
Here are some examples of effects to try with manual/semi-manual exposure settings:
Creative Underwater Photography: Creating Motion Blur Against a Bright Blue Background
Here’s How You Can Achieve Black Backgrounds in Underwater Photography
Learn more about what you can do with a built-in flash in:
In Focus: Built-in Flash Techniques
Know which accessories to get
It really depends on what you are trying to shoot, and how serious are you in underwater photography to know which accessories you should be getting. An underwater housing protects your camera from getting wet; a strobe helps to light up your subject when it’s dark; and a diffuser softens the light from the flash to create a softer image. Sometimes it’s not about simply bringing your camera underwater and shooting away, but finding what kind of images you aim to capture, and honing your photography skills to achieve that (with accompanying accessories).
New to underwater photography? Here are some articles that will help you prepare for your first dive:
10 Things to Bring for Your First Dive Trip
How to Prep Your Camera and Accessories for Your First Dive
10 Tips to Get You Started in Underwater Photography
4 To-dos for Spotting Underwater Critters Efficiently
Download a copy of the infographic here.
