2014 BEST UNDERWATER COMPACT CAMERAS by Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo

[JennPenn]

Hello Fellow Divers & Photographers!
It's JennPenn from Backscatter...
Backscatter's annual guide to the best compacts for underwater photographers is here! Whether you are just getting started, or an advanced shooter looking for a smaller travel rig, this is the guide for you! We've done all the research, testing and comparisons for you! We hope you find the guide useful, and let us know if you have any questions.
Underwater Camera Articles: Best Underwater Compact Cameras for 2014

 

[Interceptor121]

Out of my personal experience with the RX100 I/II I would issue a few remarks:
1. The UWL28 or UWL04 don't work well with the ikelite housing, this housing has an increased distance between glass port and the back of the lens compared to Nauticam, recsea and others and really only work decently with Inon lens type 1. It is important to make this note as those two are the cheapest housing and lens and it would be disappointing to make the purchase and find out you need to zoom past 32mm to make the lens work
2. The hot shoe behaviour has not yet been fully tested even by nauticam, I am doing it tomorrow and see how it really works. There is a high probability that this accessory will prove itself not practically useable
3. I am not sure who is bothered by soft corners in macro? Even with other compacts you don't get sharp corners a high magnification?
4. I would not say the UWL28 or UWL04 are sharp across the frame, those lenses are quite blurry at corners and this together with the RX100 weakness on the corners produces a quite garbled image
5. The camera has both sensor shift and optical stabilization in video

 

[JennPenn]

Hey Interceptor121!
Thanks for your comments and input about the Sony RX100 MKII. Our annual round-up, Best Underwater Compact Cameras, is recommending the cameras primarily. We list the housing options so our readers can know there are options at different price points - every scuba diver I know is on some kind of budget. We do mention in the article that the Nauticam housing for this camera is our favorite. Readers of Backscatter's Best Underwater Compact Camera article/guide will always have questions about one or more of the cameras recommended, that's why we encourage all to reach out to our Sales Pros: sales@backscatter.com
Our Sales Pros are all active divers who regularly get in the water with the gear we sell.

The testing and sample images provided in the article for the RX100 MKII were conducted/taken by Jim Decker, our CEO. He's one of the tech-iest guys in the underwater imaging market, so I'm sorry if your results differed with his. PM me if you'd like to further this conversation with Jim, as I can't speak to his testing and results. Thanks again for taking the time to share your observations!

 

[Interceptor121]

This isn't a case of different results. I believe you have done the tests with the nauticam housing but some of the conclusions on nye lenses don't apply to other housing. It is also apparent that you have not tested the hot shoe. I have

 

[KeithG]

Hello Fellow Divers & Photographers!
It's JennPenn from Backscatter...
Backscatter's annual guide to the best compacts for underwater photographers is here! Whether you are just getting started, or an advanced shooter looking for a smaller travel rig, this is the guide for you! We've done all the research, testing and comparisons for you! We hope you find the guide useful, and let us know if you have any questions.
Underwater Camera Articles: Best Underwater Compact Cameras for 2014

Hi JennPenn. Love your articles. always informative.

One thing that I would find useful would be a comparison to "last years winners", or the years before.

Often "this years" cameras are different, but some times not better in some small way. Telling me the best of this year does not help me decide if any of them are better than last years.

Faster shutter response? Great!
Faster flash recycle time? Awesome!
Faster auto focus? Love it!

BUT only if they actually outperform last years model without making some other significant sacrifice. Faster shutter response, but slower flash recycle? Not a win.

I am currently looking at my next P&S and have struggled to find a new model that out-performs some of the older cameras in certain areas (macro in my case).

 

[JennPenn]

Hi giffenk,
Thanks for your comments.

We try to alleviate the headache of comparison shopping by publishing this guide each year, especially as camera makers come out with new models all the time. Right now, the current focus of the guide is on current model cameras, but you have a valid point and we'll keep it in mind for future iterations. Thanks!

Since you like to shoot the small stuff, did you happen to read the section about the Olympus E-M1? Most compacts are just not going to give you stellar performance if you are serious about macro and super macro shooting, but Jim Decker recently shot the E-M1 in Roatan and has a sample image with the Olympus 60mm of a grouper (amazingly tack sharp, SLR-looking image) and a blenny using the 60mm and a SubSee +10, both are on the web article along with his review of the camera. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. The images are impressive.