Underwater cameras have opened a range of incredible possibilities for intrepid tourists to photograph seabeds all around the world. And the best thing is that, unlike before, you now don’t expensive equipment. There’s a huge range of quite decent compact cameras to pay tribute to both the underwater world of a cenote in Riviera Maya and take the funniest pics at a pool party. These are some of our recommendations:
GoPro Here 7 Black
This is the brand par excellence in the world of adventure cameras, and it was never going to be any different for underwater cameras. It’s been on the market for less than a year, but its technical specs make it a very good option.
Highlights include 12MP resolution, two-inch touch screen, 4K video recording capacity, live video streaming, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS enabled and a new voice control feature.
It’s waterproof to a depth of 10 metres without the need for a protective casing. The GoPro Here 7 Black weighs 118 grams and costs around €250.
Sony FDR-X3000R
This underwater camera from the Japanese tech giant excels for many reasons, but one of our favourites is that you can set up a remote control system that’s now becoming more typical of the new Sony cameras in this price range.
It’s called Live View Remote – and it allows you to view the images you’re recording live on another device.
It comes with 8.2MP resolution, records video in 4K, has both Bluetooth and GPS and a digital stabilisation system. One thing to be aware of is that the screen isn’t built into the body of the camera, but it does have a rather ingenious display for setting on the side of the camera.
Similar to the GoPro Here 7 Black, it’s waterproof up a depth of 10 metres, resistant to knocks and falls, weighs 114 grams and comes with a price tag in the region of €500.
Fujifilm FinePix XP140
Technically speaking, it’s not very different from the previous two options, but it is the newest of the three models on the market. Its price is about €200.
The Fujifilm FinePix XP140 packs no less than 16.4MP resolution, video recording capacity in 4K, Bluetooth connectivity and has a screen with a built-in optical image stabiliser.
This underwater device can also send image and video to your smartphone or tablet through a local wireless connection. It’s waterproof to a depth of 25 metres without the need for a protective casing.
This is the heaviest of the three, weighing 207 grams, but is a robust camera that’s designed to withstand freezing weather conditions, it’s shockproof and dustproof to keep out sand and other foreign particles. And it’s perhaps the most robust of the three models.
