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Hey everyone! I am a wildlife photographer and diving enthusiast, and I finally want to combine both of these passions. I have to admit that I am a bit overwhelmed by trying to figure out all of the gear I’ll need in order to do so, and I am thus seeking a little bit of help with some questions and with ensuring I don’t make any mistakes buying my first round of gear. If I state anything wrong in my post please correct me, as I am here to learn! Camera I own a Sony a1 Camera. Lenses From my research, the 2 most important lenses for underwater photography are a wide-angle and a macro lens. I currently don’t own a macro lens, but I would probably buy the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 macro lens sometime in the future. For now, I want to start with a wide-angle setup. From my understanding, the Sony 16-35mm F4 is highly recommended. I already own the Sony - FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM and believe I should be able to find a suitable dome for it? Housing I have been researching different housing options and so far there are 3 housings I am debating: Ikelite 200DL Underwater Housing: This is the cheapest option, with the biggest downside being that it’s heavier and not as sturdy as a full aluminium housing. Nauticam Sony a1 & a7S III Underwater Housing NA-α1: The most expensive option. With Nauticam being the biggest player in the underwater housing world, it seems to be an amazing option with the only “downside” being the price and that it’s hard to fix any problems with it myself, since the internal workings are very complex. Aquatica Sony a1 Underwater Housing: Priced between the Ikelite and the Nauticam. What I currently think may be the best option for me- if anyone has any experience with this housing, or a reason I shouldn’t get it, I would love to know more! Strobes and TTL This is what I’m struggling most with. I tried to make a list of all of the gear I need for a full working wide-angle set-up with an Ikelite Housing and Ikelite Strobes: 200DL Underwater Housing for Sony a1, a7S III Mirrorless Digital Right Hand Quick Release Handle with Extension Vacuum Pump with Gauge ikelite DL 8" Dome Port for Wide-Angle and Zoom Lenses in DSLR and Mirrorless Housings ikelite DL 28mm Port Extension DL 50mm Port Extension Zoom / Focus Gear 5509.16 Ikelite Anti-Reflection Ring for Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 (Type I) GM Lens in Underwater Dome Port 2x Ikelite DS-161 Strobe with NiMh Battery DL2 DS Link Sony TTL Converter Ikelite ST1 Hotshoe Kit Sync Cord Two Ikelite Strobes to Ikelite Bulkhead 2x Wide Angle Ball Arm for Quick Release Handle So what I am not completely understanding is: Do I need the DL2 DS Link Sony TTL Converter Ikelite ST1 Hotshoe Kit and the Sync Cord Two Ikelite Strobes to Ikelite Bulkhead to make the Strobes and TTL work? If I use the Aquatica Sony a1 Underwater Housing, what would my set-up look like and what dome port can I use? Apparently, Aquatica works with Ikelite Strobes TTL? Do I also need the Ikelite Hotshoe Kit and Sync Cord or is something like this already included in the underwater housing? Could someone help me with a list of suitable strobes, the required cabels and TTL adapters and with a dome for the Sony - FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM when using the Aquatica Sony a1 Underwater Housing? Also, does it even make sense for me to invest this amount of money at the start and take my a1 underwater? Since I already own the G1 it feels like it, but I know it’s a big and expensive set-up. So far, I have only used a GoPro underwater and I was debating if I should start “smaller” before going for an a1 Housing. Maybe a point and shoot like the Olympus Tough TG + Housing or a cheaper Sony full-frame camera. Perhaps someone with a bit more experience could help guide me on what the best option is. I appreciate any help!

Looking for £800 for everything Excellent set up for underwater photography. I have owned this for 2 years. Includes: *Olympus TG6 Camera. I will include three batteries and a charger. * Ikelite Housing with extension trigger. Depth rated to 40m. I will include a spare o-ring. * Ikelite Dome port for ikelite housing. * Olympus Fisheye lens to attach to tg6 and for use with the dome port. This is a complete setup for underwater photography. Price includes postage in the UK. If you have any questions, please ask. I will consider splitting the Dome port and fisheye lens if anyone is interested.

Hey there, I would love to try my hand at UW photography but I am realizing that my basic photography knowledge and skills might not be enough to dive into UW photography. Does anyone have practical example for me to start with? Thank you so much. PS: I own a sony RX 100 mark II and I guess that the "RTFM" rule applies too!

I used this set-up as a beginner and moved up to a mirrorless recently. I am asking $125 + shipping (within the US only) for the whole package - tray/arm, strobe, camera with one battery & charger plus the Olympus housing. It is set-up and ready to use. The FE3010 is a 12 megapixel point-and-shoot camera with 3x zoom, several auto modes to choose from including video capability and underwater modes. The Strobe I paired with the camera is a manual Sea n Sea YS-27DX. It is very easy to operate underwater. This is my go-to camera and strobe when in a 'panic' mode.

Hi Guys, I'm pretty much a complete beginner to underwater photography and filming and am hoping for some advice. I need to permanently mount an underwater camera to a boat, what features/functions should I be considering to ensure high quality, both viewing live and capturing photos/videos. What is important to me is high resolution, and being able to see through the water as far as possible. The camera will be around 1m below the surface, and next to a light, and will be displayed on a TV. For background, I work at a custom boat building company. We are going to mount a camera on the bottom of a boat we're building now to allow disabled and elderly passengers to be involved with the marine life. I appreciate any help. Cheers.

Hi i have bought my first water housing and its a vintage one. Its a aquatic 4n for the nikon f4 and it has only got a flat port. However i want to use my 21 mm carl zeiss lens but then i guess i need a 8 inch dome (It that what is reccomended?) I have looked onlig but they are so expencive. And i don't want to buy the wrong one. Since its an old type is there some adapters or does the new aquatic domes work for the old camera housings as well, I hope i made myself clear and i hope there was not to many questions here. But its so hard to find answers when there is so little information about this online. Kind regards -Frederik Wik

I am just getting started and have never done UW photography before.. Nonetheless, I am leaving for a two to three week UW photography trip to Asia on May 4th. Please let me go through what I have and what I think I need to buy. I already had the Olympus E-M1 Mark II camera, plus computer equipment and Adobe CC with Lightroom and Photoshop. I literally bought my first UW photography gear from ebay yesterday: -Nauticam CMC-1 $212.50 -Nauticam WWL-1 $531.00 -Panasonic PZ 14-42mm lens + Nauticam Port 29 + focus gear $338.33 The plan is to purchase: -Nauticam housing for E-M1 Mark II with vacuum alert protection -Panasonic 8mm f3.5 ( seems like a cost effective wide angle for a starter system -- compared to the 8mm PRO,) -Nauticam 4.33 inch port for Panasonic 8mm with PF-8 focus gear (With such a small port, am I giving up the ability to do over/under split shots?) -Olympus 60mm macro lens -Nauticam N85 port 65 with 0-60F focus gear for the 60mm lens Accessories -2 Sea and Sea YS-D2 strobes -diffusers for YS-D2s -Fiber Optic cables or sync cords -Focus Light (is a high powered video light too strong for a focus light?) -Nauticam Flexitray II with left and right handles. -Arms -Clamps -Floatation for arms and housing -arm/clamp adapters for strobes -Carrying handle -67mm adapter for CMC-1 and WWL-1? (Are the bayonet adapters useful?) Not sure: Covers for the strobes and ports so they don't get scratched? Bag to carry underwater for CMC-1, WWL-1, port covers and other miscellaneous items? How do you carry all your stuff? Lanyards (to connect camera to some part of the body or BC)? ---- I plan to purchase either used (on wetpixel classifieds or eBay) or from my local dealer (Optical Ocean Sales in Seattle) in spite of the extra 10% state sales tax. What else do I need? Please tell me absolutely everything I need. I don't want to get to Asia and not have something or discover that I bought gear that won't work well. The strobe connectors are a little mysterious to me. Is there a housing/strobe combination which allows TTL with the Olympus E-M1 Mark II (camera does not have an internal flash)? If I stick with the Nauticam housing and YS-D2 strobes what are the best strobe connectors -- fiber optic cables or sync cords? The accessories are still unknown and complicated to me. What is a good, high-quality arm/clamp setup for the Nauticam housing and YS-D2 strobes? Do I need floatation arms and if so, what size do you recommend for the setup above? Knowing nothing, I am thinking of a combination of Nauticam carbon fiber float arms and extra Stix floats, although I have no idea what sizes to get, Do I need a small backup camera if I am travelling on a remote liveaboard in Asia? I am thinking Sony RX100 III and the Fantasea housing. I am finding underwater photography is very complicated and expensive. The only reason I have gotten this far is from reading Alex Mustard's excellent book "Master Classroom," which has inspired me to take up this hobby. It is the best instructional book of any kind that I have ever read. In general, I want a good starter system with high-quality components. I would appreciate comments and advice from Wetpixel members. Thanks! I am just getting started and have never done UW photography before..

Hi, This is my first post and as such I am sure many things here have been said here before. Please forgive and excuse me if I am being repetitive. I have started diving after 15 years, did a Maldives trip and I was hooked again. I am very comfortable underwater, been around water all my life, never felt unsafe under. I got my advanced underwater and enriched while in Maldives and did about 10 dives. I probably had 100 dives when I was diving 15 years ago. I used a gopro camera during these dives with the filters and dive housing and a constant light source, and while the video was good the pictures were terrible. I am a pretty good photographer, have a nikon 7200 with lots of wide angle, fisheye and macro lenses, as well as a d750 and sony a 7 ii. Now I want to get the kinds of shots I can get above the water underwater, but I feel crazy spending the amounts of money I need to spend with this much experience. I am committed, and I have the means, but is it just crazy for a guy with almost 0 underwater photography experience to start of with ikelite d7200 housing, 2 ds160 strobes and all the extras. I felt good with strong currents on my dives, but doing challenging dives with so much equipment seems a bit crazy. Is this as hard as it looks? Is it crazy to spend all this money so early? I am reading and learned everything in theory but practice is not the same and I am wondering if I should wait around. I just know a point and shoot underwater kit will not satisfy me artistically. All comments from anyone who went through the same process is welcome. Thanks.

Dear Wetpixel community, I am a newbie to the world of underwater photography, I have recently bought an Oly tg-4 with pt056 housing. I have gone on a few snorkelling trips and after reading in several forums decided to shoot all my pics in RAW. As you can probably tell from my choice of camera I have decided to go for a not too price heavy introduction to this world. I would now like to fool around with some post processing, I have tried out the program that comes with the olympus camera (olympus viewer) but I have found it to be quite slow and not particularly good at balancing the colours when compared to what I have been shown by friends such as photoshop. My pictures were shot between surface and 20 meters, without any stobes lights or filters in the med, so I am sure you can imagine just how blue they are . I have done some research online and have found many sources making a case for adobe lightroom. As I understand it this would be very much on the higher end in terms of quality of tools for post-processing. My issue is that being very much a beginner and only managing a few photo trips a year, I am not sure that it would worth it for me to buy such a program. Otherwise, Gimp looked interesting but it seems that it is not compatible with .ORF (olympus raw format). What do you use? Do you know of any program that is more affordable or dare I say open source, while still having a decent range of functions and not being too slow? Also if you have any tips for someone that is new to post-processing, I would be very grateful to hear them! Thanks in advance, Giuliano

I'll be spending my winter working on the Palmyra Atoll in the South Pacific and am picking out the gear I need. I shoot with a Nikon D750. 1) Housing: I don't have an unlimited budget so I'll likely be getting the Ikelite housing for the D750. 2) Lens Port: I'll be shooting primarily with the Nikon 20mm f/1.8, maybe also with the 35-80mm. Should I get the 6" or 8" dome? Anybody have experience comparing these? 3) Strobes: I'll be snorkeling, so I'm thinking I'm not going to get strobes. I may get an Ikelite Gamma II dive light with attachment for the housing. Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Thanks for any advice you can give.

Hi All, I am on the hunt for a mirrorless camera and underwater setup. I primarily want to use it for shooting stills and macro on coral reefs, in kelp forests and in tide pools; however, I would also like to use the camera above water occasionally The cameras I am most interested in are the: Olympus om-d e-m1 + Nauticam housing + 60 mm macro lens and 12-40 pro lens Olympus om-d e-m5 Mark ii Panasonic Lumix gx8 I am also interested in the Sony alpha a7ii but that might be a bit out of my price range. Does anyone have a used mirrorless camera with lenses, an UW housing, ports etc. that they are looking to sell? If not a full setup, I want to start piecing it together so I am interested in any mirrorless camera bodies, lenses, housings, etc. Thanks for all of your help! -Heather

I am planning to go on a liveaboard in the Red Sea. I am undecided between two itineraries: - Get Wrecked: all the famous wrecks like Thistlegorm and Rosalie Muller - Simply the best: Brothers Islands, Elphinstone, Daedalus I am an uw photog beginner, mainly interested in wide angle. Which would be a good start for me?

Hello My name is Jimmy and I am a complete beginner in the field of ("more serious") underwater photography. Underwater photography is something I have felt passionate about to get into for years and years since I'm a freelancing and devoted filmmaker as well as still photographer. I love shooting wildlife and highest on my list has always been to evolve into underwater photography mixing my love for the ocean and its species with my love for photography. I've finally made investments in Ikelite housing and strobes for a Nikon D7100. Currently not living in a very diving friendly part of the world and I only have approx 15 dives under my belt since I took my PADI open water certificate in 2009. My goal from the beginning when started diving is to mix it with photography but understood the necessity of becoming a comfortable diver before moving attempting to shoot underwater. After having now dived in Fiji, Thailand, Tanzania and Cuba I can no longer resist the urge to have a camera with me beneath the waves on my next trip now to the eastern caribbean (where I'm partially from). I am curious to ask advice from the more experienced divers and underwater photographers if more dives are strongly recommended before adding the complexity of photographing as well or if it should be fine as long as I feel up to the challenge? As a person and freelancer I am very active in safety measures for productions and generally have a great respect and understanding for the ocean as I have grown up partially in the tropics. Dive instructors have commented that I'm relaxed underwater and do well. Among my 15 dives I have had dives with Bullsharks and dived through short rock/cave formations which have all been fine. Hopefully this weighs in my favour but it's still difficult to guess how technically tricky the diving will become when adding the photography aspect...

What is the opinion on the Oly E-Pl1 as a beginner camera for underwater photo? I am on a budget and plan on using it for free diving. I have seen setups for under $1000. Is it decent enough that I will not outgrow it quickly, and are there any other options recommended for a setup? Thanks!

Hi all, I have only shoot with point and shoot cameras before. Now I am with Panasonic Lumix GX1 with a YS-D1 strobe. I appreciate if someone can advice (or direct me) to information on flash settings for this system. Regards,