The Best Snorkeling Cameras
From Cheap To Not-So Cheap

This is the quick and easy buying guide to the best snorkeling cameras currently available in different prices ranges (and a few bargains on slightly olders cameras and housings). It should help. Finding info on good snorkeling cameras these days can be a pain because they keep coming out with new cameras almost every six months. So what people suggest in forums and on the web are often older models that are already gone, or their underwater housings are sold out (housings are now often made in short batches, since the companies don't plan on making the cameras for very long.) But I attempt to keep this list current.

I have lots more info on this site about what makes a snorkeling camera different than a diving camera, what I use, and what all your different snorkeling camera options are. But this page just cuts to the chase.

Note that I have not used all of these cameras (practically impossible with the pace of things). This list is based off research, reviews and my own views about what features are important for a snorkeilng camera.

There are many more expensive options available, but I focus on the best value of features for each price range, with a focus on image quality and compact physical size.

Best Snorkeilng Cameras For Under $35

Most people just buy disposable cameras. But they are not very good, and only have 27 exposures. So you have to buy several of them for a trip. Get the camera below instead.

• It is reloadable/resuable. You can shoot many rolls of film on one trip without buying several disposable cameras.
• It has a high quality housing (divers use it down past 100 feet)
• It has a 28mm wide angle lens
• It has a built in flash that turns itself off when not needed.

Click here to read how to get the best results with this camera (throw away the film it comes with and use Kodak Sea Processing).

Remember that you pay for the camera, film and processing. If you plan on taking a lot of pictures and want to save money consider the next option.


Cheapest Digital Option - Low Quality
Who should buy this? Someone determined to get the cheapest digital option.

Snap Sights SS-1000 Digital Sports Utility Camera - $35

I would go with the film option above before this. But if you really want a digital, this is currently your least expensive option. It suffers from shutter lag, poor low light performance, a hard to see LCD screen, and poor image quality (it is only a 1.3 MP camera, so don't plan on making prints beyond 3x5). And it's download software is often problematic.

But for some people it offers advantages over the film camera above.

1. It has video.
2. It has 16mb of internal memory, which means it can hold about 70-90 pictures, plus you can also buy a seperate micro SD card for up to 2mb of more storage.
3. No film processing costs. This alone could make it much less expensive of an option compared to all the film and processing you may go through with the above camera.

Best Snorkeling Cameras For Under $190

Intova INWD-IC500 - 5mp Camera $135.65
This is a discontinued camera that is still available from Amazon. It gets great reviews. It floats, and is very compact. Get one while they last. But don't expect miracles at this price point.

Intova INWD-IC600 - 6 mp camera - $189.95
This is another discontinued camera that gets good reviews that is still available on Amazon. A great price, but again don't expect amazing results.

Best Snorkeling Cameras For Under $300

Olympus FE360 with Olympus PT044 Housing - $209 ($197 refurbished) -
This is a very popular underwater camera that has been around since 2008 and has a good quality olympus housing available. It is very compact and takes excellent pictures. It is an 8mp camera with a 3x zoom that is 36mm (35mm equivalent) at it's widest. Unlike the two cameras below it uses a Lithium-Ion battery.

Canon Powershot A480 combined with the Fantasea FA-480 housing - $258
You get a nice little compact camera with Canon optics. It is a 10 mp camera, with a 2.5 inch LCD, 3x zoom that is 37mm (35mm equivalent) at it's widest, and standard video. It uses standard AA batteries. The Fantasea housings are excellent, and have double o-rings. All and all a great value for the price.

Read my full review of the Canon D10 here.

To see more of these types of cameras click here.

Best Snorkeling Cameras Under $470

Canon Powershoot SD1200IS & Canon WP-DC29 - $314
Recently discontinued but still available, this very nice compact 10.3mp camera with a 2.5" LCD and a zoom lens that is 35mm (35mm equivalent) at it's wide end. The lens is a fast F2.8 on the wide end. It has lens based image stabilization and standard video. You have your choice of similar priced housings, from either Canon WP-DC29 or the Fantasea FSD-770 (I would go with the Canon. It is more compact and lower priced). Remarkable in such a little camera is that it has a tiny little optical viewfinder (good for when not using the camera underwater in bright light).

Canon SD940IS & Canon WP-DC33 Housing - $402
Excellent picture quality with a 28mm wide angle lens, image stabilization, and a F2.8 lens.

Fuji F200EXR - with Fujifilm WP-FXF200 housing $463 - Discontinued but available.
Excellent picture quality with a 28mm lens, image stabilization, and excellent ISO performance. This camera offers full manual controls, but it's lens speed is only F3.3. I have used the previous version of this camera with success.

Best Snorkeling Cameras For Under $640

Canon S90 - with Canon WP-DC35 - $538
A superb little camera. Very compact. Fast F2.0 lens. 28mm wide zoom. 3" LCD. Very good high ISO performance (useable results up to 1600 ISO), image stabilization, full manual controls and able to shoot raw. It has standard video. And one of the really nice features about this camera is it's ability to adjust the white balance with one button push. This camera is also noted for it's manual control features when out of the water.

Read my full review of the Canon S90 for snorkeling here.

Canon G11 with Canon WP-DC34 -$637
This has the same sensor, photo quality and features as the S90 above, but a bigger, clunkier camera that has a physical view finder and an articulating LCD screen (both useful for using the camera out of the water, not so much in the water). I much prefer the more compact S90 for snorkeling and it's pocketability when on trips. Plus the S90 has a faster lens by one stop.

Super Bargains

Refurbished Nikon Coolpix S610 & Fantasea FS-610 Housing at Adorama - $228
10mp - 4x zoom - Image Stabilization - F2.7 Lens - 28mm Wide Angle Lens - Big 3" Screen.

Refurbished Nikon Coolpix S600 & Fantasea FS-600 housing at Adorama & B&H Photo - $228
Similar camera to above just with smaller 2.7" screen.

Fujifilm Z33WP Water Proof Digital Camera at Adorama for under $100.

Well, that is all of my best snorkeling camera recommendations. I will try to keep this updated.

What do you think is the best snorkeling camera?

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