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The Backscatter team went on a quest to find the holy grail in underwater point & shoot cameras. Sometimes you just want to travel light. If you're like us, you want a camera that is perfect for a pocket, beach party, and a quick after work dive.
Over a thousand waterproof camera options are now available and many would work well for general water sport activities, however we demand a camera that will also excel in the unique demands of underwater photography. The majority of cameras we screened were either disappointing or just not suitable for an inspiring underwater photographer. We first defined the target user groups and then hashed out a list of our minimum features.

We researched over 100 models and selected the best point & shoot camera and housing options for serious underwater photography on any budget.
Our target diver type... you! 1) New underwater photographer wanting an easy point & shoot camera with growth potential. 2) Advanced underwater photographer wanting a compact camera solution.
Our camera feature requirements... 1) Great to excellent image quality. 2) Camera must fit in a pocket when used topside. 3) Camera must be point & shoot easy, but offer intermediate to advanced controls. 4) Underwater housing must easily work with underwater strobes. 5) Underwater housing must accommodate wide angle lenses.


Most point & shoot cameras perform well with built-in macro settings and an off camera strobe, but we were in pursuit of a pocket-sized camera that can do more. All underwater photos in this article were taken with point & shoot cameras.
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We were surprised that so few underwater point & shoot cameras on the market today matched our criteria. We quickly trimmed out the duds and pressed the rest through our minimum feature matrix. The cream of the crop sorted out into two categories and we crowned a select few as our staff favorite camera and housing systems. To help you understand our reasoning, please review the following concepts.

Wide Angle Lenses: We eliminated many cameras because they were incompatible with underwater wide angle lenses. Most of these cameras featured a 5X or greater zoom lens. While this might be attractive for topside photography, long zoom lenses require underwater housings designs with long lens ports. Accessory wide angle lenses must mount to the end of these ports and suffer from severe vignetting (dark corners) when the camera is zoomed wide. A few new cameras feature 28mm or wider lenses which further complicate vignetting issues. The most active underwater housing manufacturers have solved these problems with custom ports and lenses and we have specifically listed each solution in this review.

To capture the big picture or a unique perspective, point & shoot cameras require an accessory wide angle lens. Unfortunately, very few cameras available today are compatible with these essential underwater lenses.

Manual vs. Auto Exposure: We were also surprised at how few of the lower priced cameras offer manual exposure control. Cameras with manual exposure control allow the photographer to independently control shutter speed and aperture. This might sound complicated to a new photographer, but with a little guidance most new shooters quickly pick-up the rewarding technique of manual exposure. Cameras without manual controls can still produce good results with (+/-) exposure compensation adjustments. We recommend auto shooters try out (-1) or (-2) exposure compensation settings to get richer color on upward angle shots.

All cameras in this review are point & shoot easy, but a few also offer growth potential. With a little guidance, a first time shooter will quickly learn that manual exposure is easy and very rewarding.

Highlight Warning and Histograms: It's disappointing to download photos from a great dive only to learn they are too dark or too bright. Better to be warned of errors while we're still in the water and able to correct our mistakes. Professional SLR cameras offer highlight warning and histogram feedback displays to help pro shooters dial in their exposure on the spot. A few of the point & shoot cameras in this review also feature a simplified version of these essential exposure guides. The Highlight Warning will blink a warning color in areas that are overexposed. The Histogram is simply a bar graph of the tones in the image and provides refined feedback to dial in a perfect exposure.

Highlight warnings alert the photographer of over exposure. Histograms are a bar graph of tones in the image and alert the photographer of over and under exposure.






Our picks in the pocket size / automatic category:
Olympus FE-360, Olympus 1030 SW, Sea & Sea 1200HD Cameras in this category easily slip into a pocket, but do not have manual exposure control (do not allow the photographer to select both aperture and shutterspeed settings). New underwater photographers usually gravitate to automatic exposure, but after 6 months to a year of shooting they discover that manual exposure is actually very easy and produces significantly better results underwater. Despite these limitations, these cameras produce great images and do offer an exposure compensation control allowing the photographer to brighten or darken the final image. The most important factor in underwater photography is being in the right place at the right time. If we were on a tight budget, we'd choose these cameras to be at our side when we happened upon the right dive at the right time!

	Olympus FE-360	Olympus 1030SW	Sea & Sea 1200HD
Sensor	8.0MP 1 / 2.35 in.	10.1MP 1 / 2.35 in.	12.19MP 1 / 1.72 in.
Image Size	3264 x 2448	3648 x 2736	4344 x 3258
Lens (35mm equiv.)	36-108mm f3.1-5.9	28-102mm f3.5-5.1	35-102mm f2.5-5.1
Manual Exposure Mode	NO	NO	NO
Histogram Display	NO	YES	NO
Highlight Warning	NO	NO	NO
Movie Clips	640 x 480	640 x 480	1280 x 720
LCD Size	2.5in. 154K pix.	2.7in. 230K pix.	3.0in. pix. NA
RAW Format	NO	NO	NO
Built-in Macro Focus	2.0in / 5cm	0.79in. / 2cm	3.9in. / 10cm
Battery Type	LI-42B Li-ion 160 shots	LI-50B Li-ion 260 shots	Li-ion shots NA
Camera + Housing Price	$260 - $375	$629	$599

Olympus FE-360, Olympus PT-044, Ikelite FE-360 (from left to right)
Olympus FE-360: Best low cost pocket camera
The Olympus FE-360 hands down won our staff pick for best automatic camera at the lowest price. As with the other cameras in this category, the FE-360 only offers exposure compensation (no manual), but its tiny size and price wins us over. You can buy this camera along with the Olympus PT-044 underwater housing for less than $260 for dives up to 40m / 130ft. The Ikelite FE-360 is also a nice housing and offers a deeper rating of 60m / 200ft for $100 more. Both of these housings are compatible with the Fisheye FIX M46 52 Wide Lens which is removable underwater. The Olympus FE-360 does not feature a hotshoe (hardwire) strobe connection, thus you will need to use a digital slave compatible underwater strobe such as the Ikelite AF35, Ikelite DS-51, Sea & Sea YS-27, Sea & Sea YS-17, or Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha.

The waterproof Olympus 1030 SW, Olympus PT-043 underwater housing (from left to right)
Olympus Stylus 1030 SW: Best pocket-sized, waterproof (all sport) camera
The Olympus 1030 SW costs more than the FE360, but it is the only camera in this review that can go underwater WITHOUT a housing. This bomber little camera is shockproof from 2m / 6.6ft and waterproof to 10m / 33ft. If you want a land camera that can survive a drop in the sand, brush off a drink spill, withstand a snorkel dive to 33 feet, and still slip into a pant suit pocket, this is the camera for you. The waterproof design of this camera makes it perfect for diving. If you miss a cat hair or three on the underwater housing o-ring, the camera will likely survive any minor housing leak. The Olympus PT-043 is our preferred underwater housing as it is compatible with the Fisheye FIX M46 52 Wide Lens. However, due to the 28mm lens on this camera, accessory wide angle lens users will need to bump the zoom one click to prevent vignetting (dark corners). As with other cameras in this category, you will need to use digital slave compatible strobes such as the Ikelite AF35, Ikelite DS-51, Sea & Sea YS-27, Sea & Sea YS-17, and Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha underwater strobes.

Sea & Sea 1200HD underwater housing, Sea & Sea 1200HD Camera (from left to right)
Sea & Sea 1200HD: Best pocket-sized, HD video clip camera
Sea & Sea has partnered with Ricoh and their latest collaborations have our attention. The Sea & Sea 1200HD is most unique as it features 720p video in a tiny camera. While the video quality is not the same as you would get from a dedicated HD camcorder, this camera produces the best quality video of any camera in this review and makes great web clips for YouTube. The 1200HD is also compatible with the Sea & Sea 1200HD Wide Angle Lens for an 80 degree view. If you want a small, low cost camera for video clips, this is the camera for you. As with other cameras in this category, you will need to use digital slave compatible strobes such as the Sea & Sea YS-27, Sea & Sea YS-17, and Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha underwater strobes.



Our top picks in the advanced category:
Canon G10, Nikon P6000, Sea & Sea DX1G, Sony DSC-W300 Cameras in this category are the best in their class offering the most advanced features for both new and advanced photographers. In addition to being fully automatic, these cameras also offer full manual controls, great image quality, and superior optics. If you're a new shooter looking for a camera that you won't outgrow for many years or an advanced shooter looking for the best compact on the market, this is the category for you. With the exception of the super slim Sony DSC-W300, these cameras won't slip into a pocket as well as the cameras above, but once you get your photo game on, you won't be cussing the camera for lack of control.

	Canon G10	Nikon P6000	Sea & Sea DX1G	Sony DSC-W300
Sensor	14.7MP 1 / 1.7 in.	13.5MP 1 / 1.72 in.	10.0MP 1 / 1.75in.	13.6MP 1 / 1.7 in.
Image Size	4416 x 3312	4224 x 3168	3648 x 2736	4224 x 3168
Lens (35mm equiv.)	28-140mm f2.8-4.5	28-112mm f2.7-5.9	24-72mm f2.5-4.4	35-105mm f2.8-5.5
Manual Exposure Mode	YES	YES	YES	YES
Histogram Display	YES	YES	YES	YES
Highlight Warning	YES	YES	YES	NO
Movie Clips	640 x 480	640 x 480	640 x 480	640 x 480
LCD Size	3.0 in. 461K pix.	2.7 in. 460K pix.	2.5 in. 230K pix.	2.7 in. 230K pix.
RAW Format	YES	Limited	YES	NO
Built-in Macro Focus	0.4 in. / 1 cm	0.8 in. / 2 cm	0.4 in. / 1 cm	appx. 0.5in.
Battery Type	NB-7L Li-ion (400 shots)	EN-EL5 Li-ion shots NA	DB-60 Li-ion (340 shots) AAA (30 shots)	NP-FG1 Li-ion shots NA
Camera + Housing Price	$699 - $1499	$1060 - $1399	$799	$529

Canon G10, Fisheye FIX G10, Ikelite G10, Canon WP-DC28 Housings (from left to right)
Canon G10: Best advanced compact in class
The Canon G10 quickly won over the staff as the best compact camera on the market. It features the best ergonomics of all cameras reviewed, but this is likely due to its larger size which makes it quite a pocket filler. Large knurled knobs on top provide quick and easy access to manual controls. A unique manual exposure compensation dial makes for quick adjustments when shooting auto exposure and serves as a good reminder of your settings. A built-in 3 stop neutral density filter is great for shooting in high ambient light. Our favorite manual control is the (*) button on the back which activates momentary auto exposure. A quick press of this button will rough in your exposure automatically and then return you to manual mode for refinement. These are features we'd like to see on $8000 SLR cameras!
The new 28mm wide lens on the Canon G10 makes it difficult to add underwater wide lenses. The Fisheye FIX G10 housing solves this problem with the dedicated Fisheye FIX 15mm wide port, however it cannot be removed underwater. The Fisheye FIX G10 is also the only housing in this review machined from solid aluminum and offers depth ratings of 60m / 196ft (upgrade option to 100m / 328ft). The Fisheye FIX G10 also features great ergonomics, fiber optic sync cord ready, and options for hardwired strobe bulkheads. This housing is best suited for digital slave strobes and produces very accurate TTL exposures with the Sea & Sea YS-110alpha strobe.
The polycarbonate Ikelite G10 is a larger housing and offers a respectable 60m / 196ft depth rating. Most attractive on the Ikelite G10 is the eTTL electronics and hardwire bulkhead built into the housing. Simply plug-in an Ikelite DS-51 or Ikelite DS-160 strobe for accurate eTTL exposures without the camera battery draining, recycle time eating requirements of fiber optic slave strobe solutions. The new Ikelite WD-4 wide angle conversion dome is underwater removable and offers a slight increase in angle of coverage. Once a wider angle lens option is available, the Ikelite G10 housing will jump way up on our favorite underwater housing list!
The Canon WP-DC28 underwater housing is a great low cost option, but the large lens port does not accept any wide angle lens solutions. We recommend this housing if you are only interested in macro or water sport photography. Recommended strobe options would include the Sea & Sea YS-17, Sea & Sea YS-27, or Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha strobes.

Nikon P6000, Fisheye FIX NP6000, Ikelite P6000 (from left to right)
Nikon P6000: Best advanced camera in smaller size
The Nikon P6000 offers advanced camera controls and quality in a size below the Canon G10. It is also the only camera in this class that offers a dedicated wide angle lens for topside shooting. Unlike the other cameras in this class, it offers a surprisingly limited RAW file format that is only functional on a PC with Windows Vista. Battery charging is also limiting as the battery must be charged in the camera or you must purchase the optional MH-61 charger. Despite its limitations, the small size and underwater housing options managed to keep it in our top pick. The soon to be released Fisheye FIX NP6000 housing will offer the only solid aluminum housing for deeper dive ratings and underwater wide lenses. The Ikelite P6000 housing offers true TTL hard wired connectivity with Ikelite DS-51 and Ikelite DS-160 strobes with wide angle lenses in the future.

Sea & Sea DX1G camera and Sea & Sea DX1G housing (from left to right)
Sea & Sea DX1G: Best mid-priced advanced camera
The Sea & Sea DX1G offers very little shutter delay, manual control, RAW file format, and fits great in a pocket. While the shutter delay is very small, shooting speed in RAW format is slower than other cameras in this category. Its compact housing is rated to 180 feet and features two built-in fiber optic mounts. The Sea & Sea DX1G wide lens also features a bayonet mount (no threads means fast removal and replacement). The Sea & Sea DX1G is also unique with two separate knobs for manual shutterspeed and aperture adjustments giving the user fast access to these controls. It does not offer hardwire strobe options, but the dedicated fiber optic connectors work easily with the Sea & Sea YS-17, Sea & Sea YS-27, and Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha strobes in slave mode.

Sony DSC-W300, Sony MPK-WD(from left to right)
Sony DSC-W300: Best intermediate level camera
We're calling the Sony DSC-W300 an intermediate camera as it offers manual exposure control, but is limited to JPEG format (no RAW format). The Sony MPK-WD housing fits the camera well and offers a 132 foot depth rating. The Sea & Sea 0.6x S wide lens is underwater removable and offers 93 degrees of coverage. This lens uses a special housing adapter that attaches the lens to the Sony MPK-WD with a simple bayonet design. Recommended strobes include the Sea & Sea YS-17, Sea & Sea YS-27, and Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha strobes in slave mode.



Some of our top picks were a slam dunk, others we argued down to the detail. The list below represents our favorite camera and housing combos for new and advanced users. Camera and housing technology is always changing, but these are the solutions we're currently recommending to our best dive buddies. If you're reading this article later in 2009, please give us a call for the latest updates.



We selected our final top picks based on the camera's ability to reproduce the point & shoot images above. Close focus wide angle lens? Manual exposure control to make the background bright or dark on demand?


Olympus FE-360, Olympus PT-044, Fisheye FIX M46 52 Wide Lens, Sea & Sea YS-17 Strobe Package (from left to right)
Our staff's top pick for the least expensive point & shoot package was easily won by the Olympus FE-360 with Olympus PT-044. Its manual controls are limited to exposure compensation, but a new shooter can get a great pocket camera and housing for under $260. A complete system with camera, housing, wide angle lens, and strobe package totals up to a mere $850. No other system we found offered the same features and quality at such a low complete package price.


Olympus 1030 SW, Olympus PT-043, Fisheye FIX M46 52 Wide Lens, Sea & Sea YS-17 (from left to right)
While the Olympus 1030 SW prices out higher than the Olympus FE-360, it adds a histogram, longer battery life, better screen resolution, and it's waterproof (33ft.) design makes it a great camera for around-the-water activities. Someone we know, let's call him Mr. X, forgot to reinstall an o-ring and filled his PT-043 housing with sea water. Before we could ridicule him, he pulled out a completely unscathed Olympus 1030 SW perfectly dry on the inside. A waterproof camera inside a waterproof housing is a fantastic idea. We'd like to buy that engineer a beer on behalf of all underwater photographers! The camera and housing bundle runs $629 and a complete package with camera, housing, strobe, and wide lens is a reasonable $1228.


Sony DSC-W300, Sony MPK-WD, Sea & Sea 0.6x S wide lens, Sea & Sea YS-27 (from left to right)
The Sony DSC-W300 is the least expensive camera in this review that has full manual controls, making it perfect for shooters looking for an intermediate level solution. It does not offer a RAW format option like the other advanced cameras, but is one of the smallest and slimmest cameras in this review. Packing a lot of features into a very compact size, this camera and housing bundle costs $529 and a complete system with camera, housing, wide angle lens, and Sea & Sea YS-27 strobe runs $1499.


Canon G10, Fisheye FIX G10, Fisheye FIX 15mm Wide Port, Sea & Sea YS-110alpha Strobe Package (from left to right)
New shooters that are taking up underwater photography as a serious hobby share the desires of advanced SLR shooters looking for a professional grade compact system. The Canon G10 with a Fisheye FIX G10 housing is a perfect match for both types of underwater photographers. The image quality of the Canon G10 is the best we've seen in any compact camera. This system has become our top demo unit in the shop with the staff drawing lots to determine who gets the next dive. In addition to the 15mm wide port, Fisheye is rumored to be developing an even wider angle option. The optional depth rating of up to 100 meters has captured the tech diving crowd and when packaged with a Sea & Sea YS-110alpha strobe, TTL exposures are accurate and easy. A complete package of camera, housing, wide port, and strobe will set one back about $2800, but this solid system will be shooting and diving for many years to come.

This guide summarizes our general opinion on new equipment for 2009. If you are upgrading from an older system, we might recommend a different top pick to help you use some of your existing equipment. Since technology is always changing, please don't hesitate to give us a call for the latest updates. We dive, shoot, and service everything we sell.