Is there a more beautiful place in the world than a tropical island with ocean waves gently lapping against the shore? Well there is if you’re a digital camera. All of that humidity, salt air, water and sand is hell for your digital camera – at least it is for your usual digital camera. Some cameras are made for beach life. We’ll show you our four favorites but first, here are some things you should consider when preparing to take photographs at the beach.
You Can Still Use Your Primary Camera, But…
Sand and saltwater are the primary enemies of your digital camera but if you’re taking pictures away from the water and the wind isn’t that strong, the risk to your digital camera is minimal. You can take amazing photographs without worries about your camera, but you’ll need to take care of your lenses. Using a UV filter can protect your lens from scratches. Make sure you have one.
If you want to get close to the action, you’ll want a camera with a little more protection. Dropping a thousand dollar camera into the water can ruin it forever – unless it’s waterproof. Below are some of the best cameras for getting into the action in beach photography.
Best Cameras For Getting Into The Action
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 is a waterproof digital camera that can handle depths of up to 26 feet so it doesn’t matter if you drop it in the waves…as long as you don’t lose it.
The Lumix DMC-TS300 is able to take action shots in the water or those cool half-underwater-half-above water pictures. It also features proprietary image stabilizing technology to help you take sharp imagines.
Another nice feature is the 220 MB of overflow memory that automatically kicks in once your SD card fills up. This is the camera you want if you need to get wet to take the pictures you want.
Ricoh WG-70
The Ricoh WG-70 is another waterproof camera that can get you into the action on the beach without worrying about the saltwater or sand.
This 14 megapixel camera is a great camera for beach photography. It can survive depths up to 42 feet which makes it a good choice for getting amazing underwater pictures close to shore. The Ricoh WG-70 also corrects for color loss that happens as you go underwater.
This versatile beach camera gives you 25 different photography modes including a macro mode. The Digital Macro Mode lets you take incredible pictures of the interesting creature found on shallow coral reefs. Just one of the reasons this beach camera is our top choice for snorkelers.
Nikon Coolpix W300
The Nikon Coolpix W300 allows you to take 16 megapixel photographs or 4k high definition video – all for a very reasonable price.
Like other cameras on our list, the beach camera is waterproof and sand proof to keep your pictures safe from the harsh beach environment. In fact, the Nikon Coolpix W300 is waterproof to 100 feet which makes it our choice for beach photographers who also like to SCUBA dive.
The Coolpix W300 is unbelievably versatile and can take stills, action shots, and so much more. If you love the beach and beach photography – this is the camera for you.
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-6
The Olympus TG-6 is a versatile beach photography camera. It’s protected from sand and sea and can handle depths up to 50 feet.
This camera is our pick for macro photographers that want to engage in beach photography, but don’t want to risk their expensive rig. The Olympus Stylus Tough TG-6 has four different macro modes to help you get the shot that you want – even if your subject is just 1 cm from your lens.
Divers and snorkelers will also be happy to know that the Olympus TG-6 has a robust lens ecosystem so you can buy lenses to take wide shots, fisheye shots, and many others.
There’s something about the beach that draws us in. The same sea air that can ruin our cameras seems to energize us and make for some of the most picturesque scenes on earth. Your usual camera is great for landscape shots of the beach, but the cameras above will help you get those amazing action shots that show why we love the beach so much.