My 3 Favorite Underwater Housing Systems
I’m a big believer that the best gear is the gear you already have (or the gear that is accessible to you). It can be so easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need the newest or best thing to bring your photos to life—and I’ve fallen prey to that mindset more times than I wish!
Sometimes that newest and best gear is too expensive or not feasible for the time being, and that’s okay! The items I’m sharing below as my favorite pieces of gear for underwater photography do lean on the more expensive side, but there are plenty of great options that are more affordable.
For example, if you are going on a boat tour or snorkeling at the surface and want to be able to take photos and videos, this underwater phone case may meet those needs! The first underwater housing system I purchased for my camera was a used Ikelite Housing. It was huge and clunky and starting to fall apart, but it got me in the water and allowed me to start working on my underwater photography skills. Like I said, it’s okay to just use what’s most accessible to you!
But, if you’re looking to upgrade or want to snag some high ticket items that are a breeze to shoot with, the three items I’m sharing below are a great place to start.
#1 GoPro Hero 8+
The video I’m sharing above was taken in 4K on my GoPro Hero 8 with the additional underwater housing case. My GoPro is one of my favorite things to shoot with underwater—the clarity of the video, the audio, and just being able to relive underwater moments make it worth every single penny! The photo quality is good, but if you are a professional photographer and used to the image quality of working with RAW images, then you’ll definitely notice a difference in quality comparatively. To make the most of both my video and stills, I use an adapter that attaches my GoPro to my underwater DSLR housing so I can shoot video and stills simultaneously.
*Shot on the Axis Go with IPhone 11
#2 AxisGo for the iPhone
My first solo trip to Hawai’i, I only had the AxisGo and I used the heck out of it! The quality of videos and pictures it took were amazing—seriously still some of my favorites to this day. And the best part? They are all already on your phone! No syncing with the GoPro/app, no importing from an SD card and editing RAWs. This particular housing is great if you are doing snorkeling or activities where you want to spend more time present in the moment and less time “behind the lens.” It’s easy to use, and can handle depths of up to about 10 meters, though I found it performs best around 0-10 feet.
#3 Aquatech Underwater Camera Housing
There are SO many camera housing systems out there, and depending on what activities you’re doing and what your set up is, other options may be a better fit. For me, the Reflex Housing System by Aquatech is perfect! It has a depth rating of up to 33 feet, which is great for freediving and snorkeling. It’s also really simple to use and I like that it has a gate hinge for the backing and a really simple entry/exit system for the camera body.
As I mentioned before, my first underwater housing was one that was a little clunky and tricky to use. It was good to learn on, but I can definitely feel the difference now that I’m shooting with a lighter and more simplified system. I also like that it’s pretty compact, so packing it for flights is easier than the previous system I used!
Anna Claire Beasley is an adventurous wedding, elopement, + portrait photographer based out of Texas. She travels for the majority of all of her sessions, from across Texas to locations like Big Bend National Park, to New Mexico, California, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii, and anywhere else there’s a story to document. Her work is grounded in the belief that photographs are about remembering moments + experiences and she makes it her goal is to capture how it felt so those memories can stay fresh for years to come.