Underwater Camera Comparison
July 2016 Canon Nikon Olympus Underwater Cameras All Reviews
Listed from best to worst; the GoPro (Eken) at the right is a different kind of camera.
Digital
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| Anni | 2017- |
2015- |
2016- |
2015- |
2014- |
2016- |
| Depth rating | 15 meters 50 feet |
15 meters 50 feet |
15 meters 50 feet |
30 meters 100 feet |
25 meters 82 feet |
30 meters 100 feet |
| Actual toughness | fair |
fair |
Good |
fair |
Good |
|
| Drop resistance | fair |
fair |
fair |
fair |
Good |
|
| Built-in flash performance, above water | Good |
Good |
poor |
poor |
none |
|
| Macro performance in regular mode | Superb at every zoom setting, no special mode needed. Microscope mode really is. |
Superb at every zoom setting, no special mode needed. Suoper Macro mode is even more insane. |
fair, unless you futz with the macro mode. |
Excellent at wide, fair at tele. |
poor; fixed-focus |
|
| Use with external flash underwater? | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
no |
no |
|
| Included strap | Very Good |
Very Good |
poor |
Excellent |
several |
|
| Ease of use | Excellent |
Very Good |
poor |
Good |
fair |
|
| Mode dial | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
no |
no |
no |
| Preset memory recalls on mode dial | 2 |
2 |
0 |
(no mode dial) |
(no mode dial) |
0 |
| Rear monitor daylight visibility | Very good |
Fair; daylight mode is OK, but keeps deactvating |
poor; very dim |
Good; hold DISP a few seconds to get to the daylight mode. |
fair |
|
| Flip LCD? | No, fixed. |
No, fixed. |
Yes, flips up. |
No, fixed OLED. |
No, fixed. |
No |
| Easy recall clock, depth, GPS & compass* | Yes |
Yes |
Clock only |
no |
Clock only |
no |
| Resolution | 12 MP |
16 MP |
16 MP |
16 MP |
12 MP |
12 MP |
| Zoom (35mm equiv.) | 25 ~ 100mm |
25 ~ 100mm |
21 ~ 105mm |
24 ~ 120mm |
28 ~ 140mm |
170º fisheye |
| Image Stabilzation | Yes |
Yes |
no |
Yes |
no |
no |
| Video | 1920, 1280, 640 |
1920, 1280, 640, 480 |
1920, 1280, 640 |
1920, 1280, 640 |
1,080, 2,7K, 4K |
|
| Autofocus during video zooming | poor |
Good |
poor |
Good |
fixed pan-focus |
|
| Sound | Stereo mic |
Stereo mic |
Stereo mic |
mono mic |
mono mic |
|
| GPS | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
no |
| Compass | Yes |
Yes |
no |
no |
no |
|
| Depth Gauge | Yes |
Yes |
no |
Yes |
no |
no |
| Barometer & Altimeter | Yes |
Yes |
no |
Yes |
no, altitude by GPS only |
no |
| Thermometer | Yes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
| WiFi | Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
no |
Yes |
| Quality | China |
Indonesia |
Indonesia |
Japan |
China |
|
| Weight** | 8.8 oz. 250 g |
8.6 oz. 243 g |
7.7 oz. 220 g |
7.8 oz. 222 g |
7.6 oz. 216 g |
4.8 oz. 137 g |
| Price, 4/2016 | n/a |
|||||
| Price, 6/2016 | n/a |
|||||
| Price, 5/2017 | discontinued |
* One or two taps let you read the time and other information on the rear LCD even with the camera off. This lets you leave your watch and phone above water.
** with lens, battery and image storage
35mm Film
 |
 |
|
| Anni | 1984-2001 |
1980-1993 |
| Depth rating | 50 meters 160 feet |
50 meters 160 feet |
| Actual toughness | Superb |
Superb |
| Drop resistance | Excellent; 100% solid metal |
Excellent; 100% solid metal |
| Built-in flash performance, above water | none |
none |
| Macro performance in regular mode | poor |
poor |
| Use with external flash underwater? | Yes |
Yes |
| Included strap | ||
| Ease of use | Superb |
Superb |
| Mode dial | Yes |
Yes |
| Preset memory recalls on mode dial | 0 |
0 |
| Rear monitor daylight visibility | no monitor |
no monitor |
| Flip LCD? | No LCD |
No LCD. |
| Resolution | ||
| Zoom (35mm equiv.) | 15mm, 20mm, 28mm, 35mm and 80mm fixed lenses — but can't change while underwater |
15mm, 20mm, 28mm, 35mm and 80mm fixed lenses — but can't change while underwater |
| Image Stabilzation | no |
no |
| Video | none |
none |
| Autofocus during video zooming | none |
none |
| Sound | none |
none |
| GPS | no |
no |
| Compass | no |
no |
| Depth Gauge | no |
no |
| Barometer & Altimeter | no |
no |
| WiFi | no |
no |
| Quality | Japan |
Japan |
| Weight* | 31.6 oz. 896g |
34.1 oz. 968 g |
| Price, 4/2016 | $175 used, with lens |
$50 used, with lens |
| Price, 6/2016 | $175 used, with lens |
$50 used, with lens |
* with lens, battery and 36-exposure film
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