With the introduction of the Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1, underwater photographers can now capture stunning stills and video with a single versatile tool. The Hybrid is the most powerful strobe and ...

The Backscatter Mini Flash MF-2 is a major upgrade to the MF-1, with tons of new features and performance upgrades, including Olympus TTL, remote strobe control, high-speed sync, test mode, emergency ...

The Backscatter team spent hundreds of hours testing the best underwater cameras to find the best and not-so-good cameras for underwater photography. We publish this article annually from the results ...

The Backscatter staff have spent plenty of time shooting mirrorless cameras in the water around the world in all sorts of conditions, from our home waters of Monterey, CA, to the Caribbean, and the In...

The Backscatter team has taken all of the best strobes for underwater photography and put them to the test to determine which strobe is our Top Pick for different applications and budgets. Whether see...

The Flip Filter System by Backscatter provides you with the most comprehensive filter kit available. We've got you covered underwater with color correction, lens correction as well as topside len...

From the Caribbean to the Coral Triangle, we've spent hundreds of hours shooting compact cameras underwater. We've shot and tested dozens of compact (a.k.a. point-and-shoot) camera lenses to...

The Retra Flash Pro Max is Retra's latest top-end strobe. It has a redesigned battery compartment and booster, as well as a rear OLED screen added to the back. This is an attractive upgrade for R...

The YS-D3 Duo is the latest strobe from Sea & Sea. This strobe adds Olympus RC automatic TTL flash power, giving you the most accurate automatic flash power ever from a Sea & Sea strobe when s...

Get a significant upgrade in image quality from your GoPro camera with the Backscatter Sharp Wide Lens Pro (SWLP). This optical grade glass wide conversion lens will dramatically increase the sharpnes...

Get ready to embark on new underwater adventures with the next generation of the world's most beloved camera for underwater photography.

In this article, we'll provide an in-depth review of the highly anticipated Nikon Z8 for underwater photography from our first-hand perspective. We’re going to explore and discuss the key aspects...

Excellent image quality, more affordable than similar rigs, and compact enough for travelers and novice shooters - is this the new Best Bang For Your Buck in underwater photography? That’s a 10-4, goo...

Most Ikelite housings offer interchangeable ports that allow for the use of a variety of lenses, however different lenses may require different ports and extensions rings to maintain or correct for un...

The Sony a7R V is the newest full-frame mirrorless camera from Sony. It’s an all-around serious upgrade for α7 shooters and we dove deep to find what matters most to underwater photo and video shooter...

The OM System 90mm Macro Lens provides an all new, greater focal length to use on micro four thirds sensor and lens mount cameras than was previously available. What does this mean for underwater phot...

The Nauticam EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) is a wet-mounted accessory lens for capturing macro-sized subjects with a wide angle perspective. It features interchangeable objective optics for differen...

Canon underwater shooters are spoiled for choice at the moment between two great full-frame mirrorless cameras with the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R5C. While these cameras appear similar in both name ...

The OM System OM-1 camera is the latest top-of-the-line flagship Micro 4/3 camera from OM Systems, formerly Olympus. We took the new OM System OM-1 mirrorless camera underwater to the Digital Shootout...

The Sony a7 IV boasts an all-new sensor and other significant performance upgrades from the previous Sony a7 III camera. The “middle” child of the a7 series, the base model has often been looked over....

The Z9 is Nikon’s first foray into a pro-body mirrorless camera. Unlike the company’s pro body DSLRs which mainly concentrated on speed at the sacrifice of resolution, this is the highest resolution p...

Most Nauticam housings offer interchangeable ports that allow for the use of a variety of lenses, however different lenses may require different ports and extensions rings to maintain or correct for u...

The Nikon Z7 II is a relatively minor - but very welcome - upgrade from the original Nikon Z7. The second generation of Nikon's full frame mirrorless camera has the same image sensor and will pro...

The Sony a1 on paper looks like the “one” camera to rule them all. With high resolution (50mp), speed (up to 30 fps stills), and 8K 30p/4K 120p video, can this camera live up to being a jack of all tr...

The GoPro Hero 10 Black offers new 4K 120p & 2.7K 240p super slo-mo video, new HyperSmooth 4.0 digital image stabilization with automatic Horizon Leveling, and a new processor that makes the touch...

Our friends at Georgia Aquarium reached out to us about their needs for a new underwater video system as part of their new immersive underwater shark experience. After discussing the needs of the proj...

The Sony a7S III camera looks and feels similar to other cameras in the a7 series, but under the hood, it is dramatically different. This camera was made for video shooters. The camera allows for shoo...

Add a new dimension to your videos and photos with the Backscatter Color Filter System. The Backscatter Color Filter system is compatible with the Backscatter Mini Flash MF-1, Backscatter Macro Wide 4...

The Backscatter Macro Wide 4300 Video Light is the ultimate video light for any video or photo shooter. Its compact size is great for travel, it’s versatile for macro and wide shooters, and offers pra...

Striking a balance between value, performance, and ease of use is the ideal trinity of underwater photography equipment. The Olympus PEN E-PL10 camera and limited edition Backscatter E-PL10 Octo Housi...

On the surface, the Sony RX100 VII looks almost identical to the previous RX100 VI camera. Under the hood, however, it packs a new upgraded sensor and an improved autofocus system. The new autofocus s...

Diving with a camera system and shooting underwater images or video is difficult enough. Adding a camera and housing that is too negatively or positively buoyant can turn a fun dive into a challenging...

When it comes to underwater photography lenses, the best performance and most reliable results are going to come from either the ultra-wide fisheye or high-magnification macro ends of the lens spectru...

The new Backscatter Mini Flash and Optical Snoot combo is one of the easiest to use and most versatile underwater flash systems available today. As we covered in our comprehensive review, the Mini Fla...

Backscatter has been busy putting the new Sony A7R IV to the test in the clear tropical waters of Little Cayman and the mucky, macro-rich black sands of the north coast of Bali. While the big news wit...

The new Backscatter Mini Flash MF-1 and Optical Snoot OS-1 can turbo-charge your macro creativity by isolating subjects and creating a completely new perspective for your shots. We’ll look at side-by-...

“Whoa! What is that thing?!?" is the most common question I get when people see the Laowa Venus 24mm ƒ14 Macro Probe Lens on my underwater camera rig. The best way to describe it is a super macro...

Most of the conventional wisdom surrounding underwater strobes is that brighter and wider always equals better. While no one can deny that bright and wider is better for super-wide scenes and large su...

The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (or BMPCC4K for short) is one of the most affordable cameras for capturing stunning cinematic 4K 60p video. It possesses a unique combination of Micro Fou...

We love the Olympus TG-6 for its extremely simple operation, outstanding macro ability, and the great image quality produced in both photo and video. It’s our pick for the Best All-Around Underwater C...

The Canon EOS R is Canon’s debut in the full-frame mirrorless arena. It’s got outstanding image quality that’s so good, you can essentially consider it a mini-5D4. It feels right at home performance-w...

The Panasonic S1 is the first full-frame mirrorless camera in the Panasonic Lumix camera line. It joins a crowded field of other full-frame mirrorless heavy hitters, like the Canon EOS R, Nikon Z7, an...

We were able to get our hands on a prerelease Olympus Tough TG-6 camera and Olympus PT-059 housing and spent a few dives with it in our home waters of Monterey. On paper, the Olympus TG-6 looks very s...

The Panasonic LX100 II is a compact-body, fixed-lens camera with the large sensor and fast-shooting ability of a high-end mirrorless system. We love it for producing the best image quality and fastest...

The M52 Wide-Angle Air Lens is a wet-mount wide angle conversion lens designed to work best with Olympus TG series cameras. The lens cancels out refraction and restores the camera’s topside field of v...

We had an amazing time at this past DEMA and seeing all the new gear to come in 2019! Thank you to all the vendors and participants as well as all the amazing folks that stopped by our booth. It was a...

The Sony RX100 VI follows a long line of excellent cameras that has evolved over the years in the RX100 line. With the Mark VI, Sony has made a major change with an all-new 24-200mm lens, making this ...

We’re proud to offer 3 different underwater scooter packages to fit the needs of every underwater photographer or videographer. An underwater scooter (or DPV, Diver Propulsion Vehicle) is one of our f...

So what’s new and exciting about GoPro HERO7 Black? The biggest new features are the Hypersmooth image stabilization, overall improved image quality, and some tweaks to their performance tiers, specif...

This high-resolution 46-megapixel beast produces the best overall image quality that we’ve seen yet from a mirrorless camera. Let’s break down what us underwater shooters need to know about the Nikon ...

The Backscatter M52 wide angle wet lens was designed with the Olympus TG series 1 through 5 of cameras in mind. With a 120 degree angle of coverage, sharp corners, and no vignetting at 24mm this lens ...

The Sony a7R III is a full frame mirrorless camera that shoots 42 MP stills, 4K video, and has a great low light capability. The Sony a7R III has what is called a back-illuminated sensor. By moving el...

Over the last few months, we’ve had a chance to test two of the world’s most popular professional camera bodies, the Sony a7R III and the Nikon D850, in the water. Backscatter CEO Jim Decker and media...

From big-budget motion pictures to backyard documentaries, Nauticam's lineup of cinema housings hits every level of movie making. While the Panasonic GH5 (or GH5s) and Nauticam NA-GH5 housing are...

When the specs for the Nikon D850 were released, we couldn’t help but lick our chops. With high resolution, fast frame rates, and some big claims in the video arena, the camera sounded too good to be ...

UPDATE 4/20/19: The Retra Flash has been discontinued by the manufacturer, Retra. An announcement will be made regarding future plans by Retra in the coming weeks. The RETRA Strobe is the newest stro...

The result is something that will open new doors for your underwater photography. The SAGA Magic Ball is possibly the most fun lens you will ever use. It produces a circular fisheye image in the cente...

If you have an underwater photographer on your gift-giving list this year, Backscatter is the place to find the perfect gift. We have the hottest deals of the year on our Holiday Gift Guide! Our top p...

So far, the GoPro HERO6 has blown us away with it's improved image quality over the GoPro HERO6. All of us here at Backscatter loved the GoPro HERO5 and thought that the underwater footage looked...

With the high speed shooting of the Sony a9 mirrorless camera and just released Nauticam NA-A9 underwater housing, we decided the best underwater photography test was to take it to the island of Guada...

The new Nikon 8-15mm fisheye zoom lens was released only days before our departure to the Digital Shootout. We were able to MacGyver a makeshift zoom gear with a few items around the shop that worked ...

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 II easily impressed us when it came out. We were blown away by the mind-boggling continuous shooting at 60 fps for stills (yes, I said stills, not movie!) in single AF, and 18 fp...

When the Panasonic LX10 was released, all the specs pointed in the direction of a perfect compact camera. Large sensor, 4K video, and a zoom lens that does not require any housing port changes for wid...

The Sony a6500 is a 24MP APS-C sized mirrorless camera that also shoots 4K video at a bit rate of 100mbps. You can shoot it like a compact with the kit lens and add wet lenses for wide angle and macro...

Just when camera manufacturers started catching up with the resolution of digital cinema cameras released by RED, they were once again left behind with the release of RED’s new 8K Helium sensor. Gran...

We take a look at the Nauticam underwater housing for Arri Alexa Mini with Backscatter's own Resident Cinematographer Matt Ferraro. Check out some awesome sample footage from the Channel Islands!

Olympus was able to get us an early release of the new Tough TG-5 camera and PT-058 housing. We were able to shoot it on the island of Bonaire for some macro and wide angle testing. Read on to see how...

We tested the Panasonic GH5 in our home waters of Monterey, CA and traveled halfway across the globe to Anilao, Philippines. Our main goal was to see if it would perform a manual custom white balance ...

This is the AOI UMG-01 LCD Screen Magnifier for Olympus Compact Housings. This is the best accessory we’ve seen yet for the Olympus TG-4 system because it cuts out annoying screen glare in bright wate...

Backscatter is now the premiere global dealer for Isotta underwater camera housings! Learn more about many of the unique features Isotta housing offer.

The Canon 5D Mark IV is the long awaited 4K update to the Canon 5D line. But with an updated 30MP sensor and true live focus in video mode, this is more than just a 5D Mark III with a 4K update. Read ...

We've put the new GoPro HERO5 through a series of test dives and have explored all the menus. Watch the videos below for an overview of new features and great underwater footage.

Canon has just announced the Canon 5D Mark IV Camera. This long awaited camera looks to have some great features with some beautiful options for underwater. Stay tuned for more information and reviews...

Our custom aluminum handle gives you a comfortable foam grip and helps stabilize your shots. This tray is not just for GoPro. The Backscatter Double Handle Tray is affordable, small and our handle ke...

Here at Backscatter we are fortunate to have a large customer base of professional underwater filmmakers. This year our conversations have revolved around three cameras: Red Weapon/EPIC Dragon, Sony...

The D500 is Nikon’s long awaited update to the D300. With blazing shooting speed and Nikon’s first dive into 4K video, see how this camera performs in the water in our full review with images and vide...

If you shoot underwater video with the Sony a7 II, a7R II or a7S II then you need the Nauticam External Battery Pack for Sony a7 II, a7R II, & a7S II Cameras! One knock on the Sony a7R II and a7S...

The D500 is Nikon’s long awaited update to the D300. With blazing shooting speed and Nikon’s first dive into 4K video, see how this camera performs in the water in our full review with images and vide...

Snoots are a great way to add more drama to your macro pictures and rekindle your love for all things small in the ocean. The 10Bar Snoot will narrow the beam of your strobe, concentrating the light o...

The Sony A7R Mark II is a full frame mirrorless camera that shoots 42 MP stills, 4K video, and has low light capability that is second only to the best low light camera ever, the Sony A7S. Can the new...

TG-4 now shoots RAW photos! We recently shot some amazing photos and video with the new Olympus TG-4. Read on for the full review.

While the GoPro works great with ambient light and filters, you can expand the types of shots you can take by adding on lights. You can separate your foreground and background subjects by lighting you...

Read our underwater review of the Panasonic LX-100. 4K video recording capability, excellent custom white balance, 11 fps shooting in RAW with super-fast auto focus. The LX-100 is a camera that will f...

The design team at Backscatter spent more than a year perfecting the ultimate underwater macro lens for GoPro. Watch this video to see razor sharp macro images and open a new door on your GoPro creati...

Backscatter has done extensive testing of the best underwater video lights currently on the market. Read on for the results. In the past few years, there has been a revolution in underwater video ligh...

The Canon G7X is Canon’s first 1 inch sensor compact camera. Watch some of the first underwater sample footage shot with the G7X camera.

Olympus was kind enough to send us an E-M5 Mark II camera and PT- EP13 Underwater Housing to check out. Watch the video and get a rundown of the new key features and a first look at this camera and ho...

Learn more about using the G7X Camera for scuba diving with this thorough first look video by Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo's very own Mike Tamayo.

If you’re looking for a small backup system to your Canon SLR or a full frame mirrorless system at a smaller size, the A7 lineup is a great choice. You actually get 3 choices—A 12MP low light monster,...

The GH4 is the only mirrorless or SLR camera to offer on board 4K 30p video recording directly to an SD card—no bulky external recording units required. Shoot cinema quality video at a consumer-friend...

Olympus was kind enough to send along a pre-release sample of the newest Tough camera to The Digital Shootout, the TG-3. The tough series of cameras are truly tough—waterproof to 50 feet without a hou...

Backscatter's Pro Team Member, Jason Bradley, gives his impressions of the performance of the Nauticam DA-800 housing in a recent expedition to photograph whale sharks.

It’s a 4K revolution! Now consumers can shoot cinematic 4K video with the Panasonic GH4. Compatible with lenses from previous models of Panasonic GH, GF or GX cameras and also Olympus OMD and PEN seri...

With so many underwater housings to choose from, plus a large selection of strobes, how do you decide on what strobe sync system is right for you? Here is a list of the pros and cons of fiber optic an...

Introducing a new compact unit that converts the camera's TTL signal to a light signal.

Whether you are just getting started with underwater image-making or a serious cinematographer, the GoPro Hero3 / 3+ is a versatile, fully auto HD camera, perfect for making underwater moments lasting...

Get an in depth first look at the new Mirrorless Camera from Olympus, the E-M1. Learn more about the new 1/320 sync speed, 16 megapixel sensor with increased ISO sensitivity, 4 bank white balance, cus...

Backscatter is pleased to announce AirLock, our new vacuum verification system for underwater camera housings. With custom bulkheads available for Aquatica, Sea & Sea, Subal, Seacam, Nauticam and ...

Get an in depth first look at the new Underwater Housing for the OM-D E-M1 Mirrorless Camera from Olympus. Learn more about taking the OM-D E-M1 Underwater with the PT-EP11 housing from Olympus.

The GH3 is the latest micro 4/3 camera from Panasonic. Micro 4/3 is a joint venture between Panasonic and Olympus. Both brands share the same camera mount, meaning lenses from one brand will work on t...

The NA-70D, the latest in Nauticam's acclaimed line of precision crafted underwater camera housing features a new, totally integrated electronic vacuum check system - and a host of refinements su...

The Canon 6D is a new addition to the Canon SLR line up. It's a lower end full frame sensor camera that slots in below the Canon 5D Mark III . It's a little bit smaller and has fewer buttons...

The RX100 is our favorite underwater point and shoot camera for 2013. This diminutive camera is a remarkable piece of engineering that delivers outstanding stills and full 1080p/60p video in a sleek, ...

The Backscatter crew has had a chance to play with the three most exciting SLRs of 2012 - the Canon 5D Mark III, the Nikon D800, and the Nikon D4.

This video is composed of 70% underwater footage from the Canon 5D Mark III. Read on to learn the pros and cons of this new camera.

Pegasus Thrusters, an innovative tank-mounted underwater scooter are now available from Backscatter.

A unique compact camera system featuring interchangeable lenses, the Olympus PEN E-PL1 represents our favorite option for shooting the new micro four thirds system underwater. We took the PEN to sever...

All images and video in this article were taken with the Canon Rebel T2i in Aquatica T2i and Nauticam T2i underwater housings. Well over 100 test dives were logged making this one of our most diverse...

Nikonos lenses were a cornerstone of underwater photography for over 30 years and unfortunately faded away in the digital age. Nauticam, a new manufacturer in Hong Kong, is soon to deliver a solution ...

Canon 7D vs. Canon 5D Mark II for underwater photography. All images in this article were shot with the Canon 7D underwater. Read this article if you're deciding between the Canon 7D or the Can...

The Backscatter team has extensively tested the Canon 5D Mark II underwater in video and photo modes. Watch the Bahamas dolphin and shark test video that owner Berkley White shot mounted to a Dive-X ...

Russ Sanoian popped open our first shipment of Nikon D3 underwater housing from Subal. Here's a brief review of out thoughts on the best underwater camera housing for the Nikon D3.

First underwater photography with the Nikon D300 in a waterproof Sea & Sea MDX-D300 underwater camera housing. Underwater sunballs are back and the Sea & Sea MDX-D300 underwater housing is th...

The much anticipated Sea & Sea YS-250 finally arrived. After prying it out of the staff's hands I was able to put it through a few quick tests. Sea & Sea recently updated the published ...

The Z 8 condenses the advanced functionality and performance of the flagship Nikon Z 9 into a compact and lightweight body while also maintaining superior robustness and reliability. The Z 8 is ideal ...