![]() Intova IC-600 is the new standard in affordable underwater sports photography. This full featured 6 MP digital camera, with a rugged and compact underwater camrea housing, fills all your photographic needs. Use the camera by itself for safe, protected environments or put it in the waterproof housing for Wet and Wild photo occasions. The polycarbonite camera housing has full button feature controls and is waterproof to 180 feet (54 meters). Other features include a 2.4 color LCD display, 12 X zoom (3x optical, 4x digital) and SD memory card capacity up to 2 gigs. Learn more here: Intova IC-600 6 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom, Underwater Digital Camera, & Snap Sights Waterproof Torch SSPT1 Want to see awesome examples of underwater digital camera photography? Check out this monthly underwater photo contest HERE
Sanyo's latest underwater Xacti digital still and movie camera has added higher resolution photos, better quality video and an improved face detection. On the new DMC-CA8 the resolution of the image sensor has been increased from 6 megapixels on the old model to 8 megapixels. The sensor in this new underwater digital camera has also been switched from a CCD (charge couple device) image sensor to one based on a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) production process.
The 6-megapixel ECOshot is designed for those who love any type of outdoor diversions, from its durable fully rubberized exterior to the large accessible shutter and menu buttons that make using this camera a breeze, even when wearing gloves. The new SPY mode allows the camera to take continuous pictures at set time intervals so you can capture the perfect shot of hard to photograph subjects. You can select the desired time interval between pictures from 5 seconds to 5 minutes and the camera will automatically take pictures until the memory card is full. The ECOshot also offers 6 modes for land-based photography, including Auto, Sports, Night, Portrait, Backlight and Landscape modes as well as a Sea mode for optimal exposure control and color correction of underwater pictures. Guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 75 feet/23 meters, the ECOshot is small enough to fit in your shirt pocket and weighs 10.4 ounces/295 grams and is shockproof to 6ft/2m. The camera also includes a self-timer and features high-resolution Motion JPEG digital video with audio. The SeaLife ECOshot suggested list price is $229.95. Found this great article on PopPhoto.com with tips for underwater photography from award winning photographer Mark Snyder. I thought the underwater digital camera lighting tips including a diagram were pretty helpful and wanted to share! Here are some of the highlights:
![]() Main strobes (A) cast the outer rim of the cone of light on subjects. Fill (B) also feathered and set to -3 EV. Contrast strobe (C) aims at right angle to lens axis for contrast and texture. Nikon D2x, 20mm f/2.8 AF Nikkor lens in Nexus housing, Inon Z-220 strobes. Exposure, 1/125 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400. • Predetermine lighting setups. While sometimes you may have a cooperative subject that will stay still long enough for you to adjust lights, sometimes you won't. Snyder will find an underwater area similar to the one he wants to shoot at, and set up his lights there. • Shoot upward. Photographing from below a subject makes it look large and real -- shooting down makes it look smaller, and it can get lost on the background. • Shoot close. "Twenty-four inches is an outside working distance," Snyder says. Water can simply suck up lighting -- flash falloff is much greater underwater. • Shoot for the small reflection in the eyes. Catchlights are important for any wildlife photography, but underwater they're particularly important for dimensionality. To view the full article with all the underwater digital camera lighting and other underwater photography tips click HERE The Sealife DC600 6.1 mega-pixel digital camera is a point and shoot underwater digital camera that is ideal for taking worry free pictures in the rain, at the beach, on the ski slopes and of course, underwater. The Sealife DC600 underwater digital camera is good to depths of up to 200 feet, has a large 2.5" LCD screen for easy viewing under water and two Sea Mode white balance settings (one mode for above 25 feet and one for below 25 feet) for taking photos without a flash. When using the flash, the sure fire flash connection holds your fiber optic cable in the prefect position so the flash will fire every time. The waterproof camera housing allows access to power, shutter, zoom, LCD screen, menu, mode, 4 navigation buttons, OK and delete functions while still underwater. There is a Spy mode feature that will automatically take photos every 3, 10, 30 seconds or 1, 5 minutes, so you could set this camera up on a tripod and swim away to photograph very shy ocean creatures.
When using your underwater digital camera, the image viewer may suddenly become foggy and you may notice condensation on the glass of the waterproof case and the camera lens. This phenomenon may occur when the humidity rises in the waterproof case do to the digital camera heating up from use.
To prevent this type of condensation from happening while underwater, prepare the case and camera in a dry, air-conditioned room and use the anti condensation fluid on the waterproof case. Many underwater photographers also insert small silica gel packages, such as the little white squires packed in with electronics, into the digital camera case. They help control the humidity inside the camera housing by absorbing excess moisture. It is okay to insert one or two silica gel packages into the waterproof camera case as long as they do not interfere with the cameras operation or touch the O-ring when you close the case. Whether you are using your underwater digital camera or not, all digital camera batteries have these same characteristics:
1)Using the LCD screen instead of the viewfinder will use up the battery life quicker. 2)Battery performance decreases and the battery life is shortened in lower temperatures. 3)Batteries are discharged even when not being used. Since you will be using the LCD screen and not the viewfinder throughout the dive, the batteries will drain quicker. Also, if the water temperature is colder than the temperature outside the water, your battery life will be shortened. Both of these problems can not be avoided but having extra sets of batteries will keep you from missing that perfect underwater photo! When not being charged, batteries lose power every day in storage, so always charge batteries the night before the dive. Do you love taking underwater photos with your digital camera? Why not get paid to take pictures of underwater sea life? Check out this website for some free and easy ways to get started selling your photos online. Or if you want to dive in head first and learn how the professional photographers make money, Click Here.
Underwater cameras are amazing tools for capturing the beautiful and diverse marine life existing beneath the sea. Here are some quick underwater lighting tips:
During the day most underwater cameras can operate on natural light until about 100 feet in most water conditions. To even further compensate for low-light conditions that naturally occur as divers travel below the water's surface, you can adjust the cameras shutter speed and aperture before entering the water, ensuring vivid images without worry of underexposure. While an on-camera flash helps illuminate objects below the surface, photos are better with external flash units, which better illuminates the vivid colors of the underwater environment. Found a cool webpage on how to make your own underwater digital camera housing. It is very step by step, showing you how to make the housing waterproof. I myself would never try this but if you are handy check it out: http://web.media.mit.edu/~tim/pix/waterproofcamera.html
Do you know that Nikon and Rolleimarin are the pioneers who designed the ideal underwater cameras and their high quality housing which was tested on site by explorer and photographer Hans Hass. They laid the foundation for an ideal underwater camera.
Are you ready for underwater photography? Decide the type of photographs you will be shooting. This is an essential point prior to selecting a suitable underwater camera. Different categories need different camera configuration, lens and flash. The underwater camera should be cost effective, reliable, and easy to use and need very low maintenance. Select a camera which is tough enough to withstand the inevitable knocks underwater. The depth of the site to be photographed also plays a role in the result you get. If you are an enthusiastic diver interested in underwater photography then opt for a camera which can give a good result up to a depth of 164 feet and not need a large number of batteries and also should use regular 35 MM film. The most important features needed in an underwater camera are the wide angle lens, sports viewfinder, a large lever to operate the shutter and auto winding. Check the availability of other special features such as film advance, automatic & manual flash activation, pressure sensor, rubber armored grip design. For more info visit www.underwaterfun.info In this age of computers and digital media, one wonders why the underwater camera took such a long time to move ahead from their basic models. Present day digital cameras come with excellent resolutions and colour sensitivity. They nicely balance and filter colors along with many special features. However digital cameras with their small housings do not meet the basic requirements for underwater use. Another option is the multi purpose digital underwater camera, which can be used underwater and on land. This type of dual purpose digital camera gives clear and vivid images underwater and on land. Check whether the underwater camera has special features to capture fast moving creatures such as fish. The camera should also have feature to overcome the low light conditions prevailing under the sea. The problem with digital camera is once you fill your memory stick then you have to download the captured digital images to a computer and erase the images from the stick for reuse. It is better to carry additional memory sticks for underwater photography. When it comes to the question of servicing the underwater cameras it should be noted that there are very few service centres and many of the underwater camera manufacturers insists on preventive maintenance to keep alive the warranty for their products. Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit Underwater Cameras or Disposable U/W Cameras Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucy_Bartlett Sea & Sea has recalled their DX-5D underwater housing for the Canon EOS 5D digital SLR within serial number range 055000002- 055000174, for replacement of the multi-selector assembly.
Jazz JDC38W Underwater Digital Camera The Jazz 1.3 mega pixel underwater camera can be submerged under water up to 9 feet making it perfect for that snorkling trip or your next beach vacation. And when you're out of the water and back on the beach ready to relax, just take the camera out of its underwater housing, and you'll be ready to shoot the sunsets or catch some great beach volleyball action. Use the camera in PC mode for video conferencing or make AVI movies for emailing to friends and family. Features: 640 x 480 image resolution (1.3 mega pixel) Functions as a digital still camera (underwater and on land), a digital video recorder and PC camera Camera status LCD display Built in flash 10 second self timer 4 1/2 W x 3 1/2 H x 1 1/2 D Uses two AA batteries (not included) 8MB internal memory Includes USB cable, wrist strap and software Double-seal gasket and quick-latching underwater housing Compatible with Wndows 98/200/ME/XP Sealife Reefmaster DC600 Underwater Digital Camera Sealife Reefmaster DC600 Underwater Digital Camera has 6.1 megapixels for sharp, crisp enlargements of your underwater photos and is easy to expand with up to two SeaLife flashes. The DC600 underwater digital camera is loaded with the following features: 6.1 Mega Pixel. With optimized light absorbing pixels for maximum sharpness and color sensitivity. 2.5" LCD screen for easy underwater viewing Land & Sea Modes 12 Land Modes - Night and Day from Portrait to Landscape Sea Mode - "Color Booster" Richer colors at deeper depths with new white balance control to restore lost colors. Depth Tested to a guaranteed 200 ft. depth. External Flash Mode - Add one or two external flash accessories with NEW Sure-Fire flash connection system to enhance your underwater photography Spy Mode - Spy on nature with automatic continuous shots at pre-set time intervals. Expandability - With one or two SeaLife flashes and Wide Angle Lens New Brightness Control - One-touch toggle switch Lithium Battery and charger included SD memory Card compatible up to 1GB Do you like to dive or snorkel? I'll bet you have used those disposable 35mm underwater cameras, haven't you? They are good for taking photos up close and in shallow water but not good for deepwater. What you really need to create and save those underwater memories is an underwater digital camera.
Underwater digital cameras are used by divers all over the world and not just for personal use. Those who make their living from the ocean like marine photographers, biologists, and scientists use underwater digital cameras to film and study marine life. The photographers sell their videos and make a good living from it, the scientists use them to study and learn more about the creatures they are interested in. You are more than likely in none of those categories, probably like me, you are just a lover of the water. I thoroughly enjoy being able to bring back evidence of what I have seen underwater with a camera. When you are looking for an underwater digital camera you must realize that they are rare and hard to find. Cameras as a rule, being electronic, can't take the high pressure associated with depths reached in diving even if they are waterproof. What you will find in most cases is a specialized casing produced specifically for a digital camera to be used underwater which in essence will turn your regular digital camera into an underwater one. Using a camera underwater is quite a bit different than shooting on dry land. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind to get the best results from your underwater photography experiences. Light is diffused more and more the deeper you dive so the images you are filming will be darker than what you would have above water. Using white balance will help with this and also give you more natural colors. Another thing to remember is that your pictures will end up larger due to the magnification effect underwater so bear this in mind when filming. Also be sure not to use a built in flash as this will cause your pictures to be blurry, use an external one instead. Test your camera before diving with it by submerging the camera within its waterproof case in water for a few seconds and checking to see if there are any leaks in the protective underwater case. Take special precautions that you don't get so much as a hair or a grain of sand in the seal area because if you do I assure you the case will leak. You can get optional lenses for your digital camera that will help you take better pictures; especially essential are the Macro lenses that will allow you to get close up shots without scaring away your subject. When you finish your dive or snorkel trip always rinse off the case good and set it out to dry, especially if you have been in saltwater. Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about digital cameras and digital camera accessories at http://www.findcamerasplusmore.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall When you are in the middle of a dive, you don't get a second chance to photograph the rare stingray, a seal that is cavorting with its mate or some exquisite rainbow colored fish that are hovering in the trail of air bubbles from you mask. An underwater digital camera allows you to immediately see what you have just captured.
It is the best way to capture underwater scenery, corals, fish schools, and anything that catches your eye that you wish to preserve. With an underwater digital camera you can share that special moment forever. You can shoot until you run out of air instead of film. Printing or publishing the pictures on the Internet is very simple, as you need to just connect the camera to a computer and transfer the image files. Digital underwater cameras allow you to compose the image on the LCD monitor and with a better depth technology, focusing is very easy. Different varieties are available to suit every need. The depth at which the cameras can be used is important. Economical ones can be used up to 5 meters while professional ones can be used at depths of 150 meters or more. Other important factors are: the image resolution, memory, number of pictures you can store, exposure, type of lens, zoom features and many more. Shooting on land and underwater is different however. At greater depths, the available light becomes faint, diffused and is refracted. Light sources like built-in and external flash allow you to take pictures in faint light. These cameras can be operated in 3 modes - land, sea and external flash mode, which helps take pictures in any under water conditions. By using external flash you can remove problems like the 'white snow effect' in which light reflects off planktons and sand to create a white fog. It takes some time to master underwater digital photography but since there is no film, you can practice as much as you need. These cameras also have the light balance feature that provides colors, which are better recognized by the human eye. It is possible to pack a digital camera in special, waterproof packs and shoot but this should be done only in case of an emergency. Underwater photography is recognized as an enthralling profession with many challenges and risks. The advent of underwater digital cameras, however, has made this task simpler and more creative. The photographer can capture more than ever before by using the zoom lens. Underwater digital cameras will take underwater photography to new heights or, should we say, depths. DigitalCameraReview.com provides digital camera reviews, news, buying advice and price comparison. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Beeler Thanks for stopping by my new blog underwater digital camera! I will be adding articles about underwater digital cameras, waterproof housing for your digital camera, underwater photography and much more, so please visit me again!
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