Underwater panorama

When I was considering about underwater cameras I looked for cheaper ones. The DSLR-s are too big and too expensive, and sadly the MILC cameras would cost too much for me as well. So I decided to buy a compact again, these are cheap and affordable, the newer models' quality is adequate, and at least I don't have to buy a new strobe for it. It wasn't easy to choose, there are plenty of options. For macro the Canon G-series seem the best choice but what if I'm into wide angle photography? It sounds funny when I talk about compact cameras, but there are some solutions. The Sony H55 or HX7V and Panasonic TZ-s starts from 25 mm and you can attach wide angle lens to the underwater case. Better than nothing. So I narrowed the selection for the Sony H55 and Panasonic TZ7. After I read many reviews I made my decision: I chose the H55.

I had a good reason. In my opinion one of the most overlooked features of the Sony compacts is the sweep panorama function. I found quite usable under water as well- for those who look for a cheap solution to make wide angle photos this is something to consider. (Certainly my DSC-H55 has some minor problems and the Ikelite case is far from perfect but should I wait for that money?)

Since I used that camera during many dives. When I do macro shots it works well, but I got the really surprising results with the sweep panorama. Even my photo expert friends say it's quite good for a 600 USD camera and case set. I already posted some panorama images in this blog but now I attach them again to demonstrate its capabilities.