Which underwater camera should you choose?

To keep things simple, you can choose between three types of waterproof camera:

• “Basic” underwater cameras: these are the models we’ll focus on in this article. They are simple waterproof cameras that do not require a housing and let you shoot at depths of around 10 to 15m, sometimes more. That is already more than enough for snorkeling in beautiful tropical waters. It’s also worth noting that, on some models (like the Olympus TG6), you can add a dedicated underwater housing to protect the camera even more and, above all, go deeper, especially for scuba diving, around 20 to 40m for example.
• Classic cameras with a waterproof housing: these are simply standard cameras placed inside a dedicated housing. The main difference is that the cameras themselves are not waterproof. You can use a small point-and-shoot, an expert compact, or even a DSLR or mirrorless camera. The challenge is finding the right housing for your camera and making sure everything is properly positioned and sealed. The obvious risk is a leak, which can be fatal for the camera. On the other hand, this setup lets you use a much higher-quality camera underwater.
• “Action camera” models: the last type, which is not quite the same kind of camera, is the action camera. The most famous example is, of course, the GoPro, but there are many cheaper alternatives. In my opinion, photo quality is not as good as with a classic camera, even if recent models have improved a lot in that regard. These cameras are usually bought mainly for underwater video. Most of the time, they come with a waterproof housing.

In photography, resolution is expressed in megapixels (MP). Let’s be honest: there is no major need to chase a digital camera packed with megapixels. They do become useful if you want to print your photos large and/or view them on a big screen. For a casual photographer who simply wants to enjoy taking underwater photos, a 12MP or 15MP sensor will already be more than enough. More megapixels can also help if you want to crop part of an image, for example to get closer to a subject that was too far away for your zoom range.

For video, it’s the same idea: if you’re shooting for fun and simply want to bring back memories, which will probably be the case for most people, you don’t need a very high-end camera. Shooting in 4K is nice, but if you only want vacation souvenirs, its usefulness will be fairly limited. That said, a more capable camera still gives you more flexibility, and there will be clear differences between models, especially when it comes to video frame rates.

Sensor size is one of the main factors that influences image quality. On this type of camera, most sensors are 1/2.3-inch sensors (roughly 4 x 6mm, depending on the brand). To give you an idea, that is about six times smaller than a full-frame sensor (24 x 36mm).

In technical terms, we talk about “focal length.” It is expressed in millimeters on the lens, such as 4.3-21.5mm on the Nikon Coolpix W300. Waterproof cameras do not have interchangeable lenses, unlike mirrorless cameras or DSLRs. All the cameras featured in this article have optical zoom, which is the most useful type because it lets you get closer to your subject, as well as digital zoom, which simply enlarges the image and makes it lose quality. In general, with this type of digital camera, you’ll mostly use zoom lenses rather than a fixed focal length.

I’ll only touch on this briefly, because with this type of sensor (1/2.3-inch), you won’t really be able to create strong background blur. Even at maximum aperture, the depth of field usually remains very large. At best, you’ll find a maximum aperture of f/2, as on the TG-6, which gives you a little more comfort in low light and helps you avoid pushing the ISO too high.

This is obviously a key point when comparing cameras for a future trip or vacation. It covers resistance to shock, dust, impacts, drops, pressure, and temperature. Manufacturers generally list these specifications, but you’ll need to go through them carefully to compare the models properly. Most of the cameras featured here can be considered all-weather, waterproof, and shockproof.

I could have started with this criterion, but it is not always the most important one. It really depends on how you plan to use the camera. If you mainly snorkel around coral islands, you generally won’t go deeper than 10 or 15m, and that’s already plenty. On the other hand, if you’re a scuba diving enthusiast, even with an Open Water Diver certification (up to around 20m), it’s a different story. For diving, you will almost always need to invest more and consider a camera with a housing, although some cameras like the Olympus Tough TG6 make this possible (I bought the housing myself to go deeper). Clearly, this article is aimed more at people who want to use their camera for snorkeling rather than diving.

This is an important criterion, especially depending on the conditions in which you’ll be shooting. Not all cameras are equal here, so it’s worth checking. Batteries drain quickly underwater — I can confirm that — and even faster in cold water, so keep it in mind.

Here, everything depends on your needs, preferences, and budget. Cameras of this type often include useful options, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for quickly sharing photos on social media. Others have GPS, which I personally find interesting because it lets you see how far you swam. In short, there are plenty of features to consider.

One last important point, especially if you’ll be traveling with it: weight and size. Here again, it depends on you and what you’re willing to carry. Some people find an 800g camera too heavy, while others have no issue with it.

I started this ranking of the best waterproof cameras with the one we owned at the time. We already had the previous version, the TG5, which was also very good. The TG6 went even further and improved several points. In our opinion, it was one of the best options in this category, although positioned in the higher price range. When it was widely available, it was usually sold for around €400 by the main retailers, which I still considered reasonable for its quality.

This 12MP Olympus camera was clearly designed for adventurers, travelers, and anyone shooting in difficult conditions such as cold, humidity, rain, frost, and dust. It is waterproof without a housing down to 15m, which is already more than enough for most snorkeling use. It can also withstand drops from around 2m, freezing temperatures down to -10°C, and dust.

The camera has a bright f/2 lens that, paired with the 12MP TruePic VIII sensor, can produce very good images in many situations. It offers several useful modes, including HDR for tricky conditions. For connectivity, you get built-in Wi-Fi, smartphone control via the OI.Share app, and GPS to locate your images. It also offers 4K video and Full HD recording at 120 fps. You can shoot bracketing or focus stacking too. One important detail if you like editing your photos: it is the only camera on this list that can shoot in RAW.

For underwater use, the camera offers several interesting modes, including microscope mode and underwater HDR. Taking good photos underwater becomes much easier. You can also add the TG6 PT-059 housing to go beyond 15m depth (we personally bought it). Last but not least, you can add many accessories to build a better setup, or at least one better suited to your own photography practice, such as a housing, flash diffuser, fisheye-style conversion lens, and more. In short, as you’ve probably understood, for us it is the ideal waterproof digital camera if you want a serious model for underwater photography, even in difficult conditions. It remains the most expensive camera in this article, but in our opinion, it is honestly worth it.

Here is the underwater camera that, at the time, we felt deserved second place in this ranking. This 16MP Nikon camera also had a lot going for it for people who wanted to head off on adventures, both underwater and on land. Sold at a price close to the Olympus TG6, around €400, it remained a serious option to consider.

For divers, its major advantage was that it could be used without a housing down to 30m for about 30 minutes. I don’t know whether I would personally dare to take it that deep, but in theory, you could use it for many Open Water Diver dives around the world, unlike the Olympus Tough, which is limited to 15m without a housing. In terms of durability, this was a solid camera, resistant to drops of up to 2.4m and low temperatures down to -10°C.

Its f/2.8 wide-angle lens, equivalent to 24-120mm in full-frame terms, made it very versatile, although it was less bright than the Olympus and not quite as wide. As with the Olympus, you get the classic features: Wi-Fi, 4K video, GPS, Bluetooth, remote control via your phone, and so on. There is also an interesting time-lapse mode. Where this camera was better than the Olympus, in my opinion, was autofocus, which was said to be more responsive, with more AF points and better subject tracking on land and underwater. It is also stabilized, which helps reduce motion blur. On the downside, battery life was slightly weaker and the burst rate was fairly low at 7 fps.

Finally, as with the Tough TG-6, you could add accessories such as batteries, straps, selfie sticks, and more. In the end, Nikon offered a genuinely solid and serious waterproof camera with the W300, ideal for anyone looking for something sturdy, waterproof, and easy to use. For smaller budgets, older models such as the W100 were also worth a look.

We stay with Ricoh here, with a 16MP model that was more recent at the time, but also more basic, if I can put it that way. It belonged to a lower price range, at around €250. Like its predecessor, the Ricoh WG-60, the WG-70 has a rather unusual elongated shape and a fairly futuristic design.

The Ricoh WG-70 is a waterproof and shockproof digital compact camera. Its solid construction lets you shoot down to 14m for up to 2 hours. As expected for this type of camera, it is shockproof from a height of 1.6m, dustproof, and resistant to temperatures down to -10°C. However, it is less interesting for divers, since it cannot be taken down to 20m.

Its specifications are generally lower than those of the higher-end model mentioned just above, the Ricoh WG-6. It has a smaller, lower-resolution screen, but it is a little lighter and offers an HDR mode. The lens is similar, with a 28-140mm f/3.5-5.5 equivalent. You won’t find Wi-Fi, smartphone control, or GPS. On the video side, the camera is limited to Full HD. Like its bigger sibling, it also has six macro LEDs to help with close-up shots.

In the end, the Ricoh WG-70 is an alternative for people looking for a solid waterproof compact mainly for snorkeling, without wanting anything too sophisticated. In this price range, I think it made sense.

We continue this ranking with another waterproof camera from Fujifilm, a model with an excellent reputation and a very good value-for-money ratio: the Fujifilm XP140. For less than €200 at the time, this 16MP waterproof camera offered serious features that made it worth a closer look.

Like the other cameras on this list, it was sold as dustproof, shockproof to 1.8m, and resistant to low temperatures down to -10°C. Its real strength was waterproofing: you could use it without a housing down to 25m. It was relatively light, like the Ricoh WG-70, but smaller.

In terms of features, it was honestly quite serious: 63 autofocus points, much better than the two Ricoh models, subject tracking, HDR mode, 4K video, and the ability to connect the camera to your smartphone to automatically geotag photos, transfer them, or even shoot remotely. The camera also has GPS. As for the lens, it uses a classic 28-140mm f/3.9-4.9 equivalent zoom. The burst mode is also solid, reaching up to 15 frames per second depending on the mode.

In short, this little Fujifilm had a lot going for it, and the very positive user reviews were enough to show that, for around €200, it was a very interesting entry-level option to consider, whether for beginner divers, underwater vacation photos with friends, or difficult conditions.

I ended the original version of this article with the small Panasonic DMC-FT30, which could be found for less than €150. Reviews were generally quite positive, and this 16MP camera was, in my opinion, decent value for money if you were looking for something very simple at a low price.

However, it was not as good as the Fujifilm. This compact camera is waterproof only down to 8m, which limits it mainly to light surface snorkeling, and clearly not scuba diving. Like the other cameras, it is shockproof to 1.5m, resistant to low temperatures down to -10°C, and dustproof. Visually, though, it does seem less robust to me.

To go into more detail, it has a 25-100mm f/3.9-5.7 zoom lens, so it is neither especially long nor especially bright. It has no Wi-Fi, no GPS, and only HD 1280 x 720 video at 25 frames per second. Photo and video quality are not known for being exceptional. To be fair, the camera was already showing its age, having launched in 2015. Since then, Panasonic has not really released a newer equivalent.

In the end, I admit I added it at the end of the article, but today I would not really recommend it. It is now too old and outdated. For a very small budget, you were honestly better off choosing the Fujifilm XP140, which was much better.