Looking for a new underwater camera for all your snorkelling and diving adventures?
There are a range of fantastic waterproof cameras that capture brilliant underwater photography when submerged, without needing any additional underwater housing.
If you’re looking for the best underwater camera for all your crazy aquatic adventures, here are the four best waterproof cameras we’ve discovered this year.
The best waterproof cameras
Olympus Tough TG-6
The Olympus Tough TG-6 is the perfect waterproof camera for all your rough outdoor activities.
It lives up to its name with dependable, rugged qualities and an incredible array of specs. It’s waterproof to 15m, freezeproof to -10ºC, and shockproof to 2.1m.
What really sets this waterproof camera apart is that it uses the same image processor as the brand’s flagship OM-D E-M1 X mirrorless camera.
Combine that with a 12 MP sensor and a bright f/2.0-4.9 lens (with 4x optical zoom) and you’re guaranteed excellent image quality. You can even shoot in a versatile RAW format.
For those looking for easier point-and-shoot capabilities, the TG-6 comes with four dedicated underwater shooting modes and a microscope mode for super close-up shooting.
Meanwhile, your expeditions will be recorded with the Field Sensor System – latitude and longitude, temperature, altitude, and depth are all noted in your smartphone.
The Olympus TG-6 is also one of the best waterproof video cameras, with 4K capabilities at 30 frames per second.
Check out the Olympus TG-6 compact camera today.
Fujifilm Finepix XP140
The Fujifilm Finepix XP140 is a rugged compact camera with plenty of grunt. It can endure underwater depths up to an impressive 20 metres. It’s also shockproof to 1.75m and freezeproof to -10ºC.
There’s a lot more to like about this great value camera, such as its 16MP sensor, built-in 28-140mm lens (f/3.9-4.9), and 3-inch LCD monitor. You can even record 4K video at 15 frames per second (or Full HD video at 60 fps).
Moving away from these technical details, the XP140 offers plenty to please the everyday photographer (including children) with a range of creative effects, underwater modes, and scene recognition modes.
Read more about the Fujifilm Finepix XP140 today.
GoPro Hero 8
Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the ever-popular GoPro Hero range, with the most recent HERO8 upping GoPro’s game with some incredible new features.
Aside from being super lightweight and compact – perfect for underwater shooting – the GoPro HERO8 includes some of the following features:
- Waterproof to 10 metres without any additional housing
- A 12MP sensor for excellent image quality
- Fold-out feet that act as a built-in mount
- A two-inch touchscreen display
- Four digital zoom lengths
- Great low-light image processing
Capable of recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second and built with impressive image stabilisation, this is one of the best underwater cameras for videography.
And finally, GoPro’s latest release also comes with a range of optional accessories, called Mods, which will expand your camera’s underwater capabilities even further.
The waterproof Light Mod, for instance, can project 200 lumens onto anything within one metre, a great add-on for divers.
Find out more about the GoPro HERO8 action camera now.
Nikon Coolpix W300
Nikon’s Coolpix W300 is one of the best waterproof cameras around, with amazing features built for underwater and other outdoor adventures.
It’s shockproof to 2.4 metres, freezeproof to -10ºC, dustproof, and, of course, waterproof to an incredible depth of 30 metres - the furthest of all the cameras we’ve listed and a huge advantage for deep divers.
The Nikon Coolpix W300 stands out because of its balance between durability and amazing picture quality. It boasts a fantastic 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens (f/2.8-4.9).
This camera comes with some other superior features, including 4K video recording, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, an accurate GPS system, a barometer, a compass, an altimeter, an underwater depth gauge, and a thermometer.
Find out more about the Nikon Coolpix W300 today.
Find your ideal underwater camera now
As you can see, there are some amazing options on the underwater camera market right now. But you don’t have to limit yourself to cameras designed specifically for rugged adventures.
Haven’t found the right camera for you? Thankfully, there are plenty more cameras that can be paired with dedicated underwater housing to convert your best-performing cameras into instant waterproof cameras.
But of course, nothing will beat a camera designed to be submerged! Browse our full range of weatherproof cameras built for rugged adventures and capture your adventures in style today.
