David Pogue's Digital Photography: The Missing Manual

The Undersea Stunner

Digital cameras are fantastic for underwater photography. The screen lets you preview your shot precisely, which is essential in the murk of the water. You also don't have the parallax problems you'd have with a film camera. (That's where the eyepiece viewfinder, which is offset from the lens, misleads you into taking a slightly off-to-the-side shot.)

Ordinarily, water is the mortal enemy of digital cameras. But you can buy a waterproof case for many camera models, both compacts and SLRs. They open up whole new worlds of photographic possibilities.

The good news: These enclosures protect the camera down to about 100 feet, while still providing access to the camera's controls. The bad news: The underwater case can cost more than the camera! Sometimes the camera manufacturer makes these enclosures; sometimes they're made by other companies; see www.ikelite.com or www.uwimaging.com.

Tip

If you plan to do a lot of beach/water park/rain/snorkeling photography, it's worth noting that Olympus and Pentax sell inexpensive, completely waterproof compact cameras. They look exactly like regular shirt-pocket cameras and require no special housing—but they're waterproof down to about 10 feet.

And now, some tips:

• When shooting underwater, force the flash (When to Force the Flash); it's dark down there. Unfortunately, the built-in flash may make all the little floating specks reflect ...