Taking photos underwater

Nobody probably goes into the cool water with their camera voluntarily - not even at these temperatures. Underwater photography is fantastic, but a very expensive and time-consuming variant of photography. Christian recently introduced me to one Water bag from DiCAPac WP-S10 attention, which of course I wouldn't use for real underwater photography, but this water bag is completely sufficient to bring your own camera near the water and also under the water surface. This can then produce great results. Here is an experience report.

Walimex underwater bag
A photo of Christian during my first attempt to test the waterproofness of the water bag. By the way, the camera doesn't have to be submerged much deeper to be able to capture great images underwater.

My D3 isn't one of the smallest cameras, but it fits in the bag - but the lens has to be pushed through the front opening and then screwed onto the bayonet in the bag. This is a bit fiddly and should only be done with great care after contact with the water so that no drops of water get into the inside of the camera housing.

The operation of the camera inside the water bag works, but not particularly well. So it's best to use an automatic mode if you have to work in changing lighting conditions.

I worked with a strong wide angle because the autofocus is quite difficult underwater. With a wide angle, the field of focus is simply larger.

It is a bit annoying that the front lens of the water bag cannot be connected to the lens. In order to avoid unnecessary reflections and vignetting, you should bring the front lens close to the lens by holding the camera appropriately.

My pictures were taken at a triathlon event during the competition. If you use your camera and water bag under more controlled conditions you can certainly take better photos, but my pictures should be enough for a first impression 🙂

 

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  5. I like it very much. You can definitely get it as a gift. 🙂

    I would be really interested to see how it would work with pretty girls +50mm in a swimming pool.

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  7. I've been toying with the bag for some time.
    By D3 do you mean a Nikon D3 (probably a stupid question) I have only found smaller bags at a higher price so far. My Nikon D300s doesn't fit in there.
    If your bag is larger and also cheaper, that would be ideal.

    Regards

    1. There are no stupid questions. Yes, I mean the Nikon D3. So also fits the Nikon D3s and D3x. And certainly also to the other Nikon bodies - although probably only without a battery grip.

  8. Yes, things like that are fun. Just be careful with plastic bags. Over time, leaks are inevitable. I also think the first pictures are very successful. I'm looking forward to more photos.

    Best regards,
    Adrian

  9. Great pictures, thanks for the tip.

    What focal length is that? Does the new 16-35 from Nikon fit in there? I couldn't find any measurements anywhere...

    Thank you!

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