With summer only a few weeks away, you might be scheduling a trip to the beach with your friends and family. While a phone camera is always a good and fast option to take photos, it’s a risk to carry around the beach with the sand and the seawater and, as much as possible should be left with your other valuables like your wallet and car keys. It’s still possible to make memories on the beach, though, as long as you have your own underwater camera.
A waterproof camera is a good option, but if you really want to make the most of your trip to the beach, an underwater camera can take shots of you or your family underwater without taking damage. These don’t have to be expensive to produce good results, though. Here are the top three underwater cameras under a hundred dollars.
YISENCE Underwater Camera ($79.99)
Currently Amazon’s Choice for underwater cameras from $50 to $100, the YISENCE Underwater Camera is a handy digital camera offering high-quality resolution at HD 1080P. One of its most visible selling points is its double-screen feature, which is really helpful in this day and age filled with selfies.
On the downside, operating this camera requires a micro SD card which is not included, so you’ll have to buy one yourself. And even if you can find a micro SD card with large storage capacities, the camera can only support up to 32GB. Also, for its price, it’s not the strongest underwater camera in the market as you can only go up to 10 feet underwater for about an hour before it starts to take on damage. Many swimmers on the beach will surely never go deeper than that, but if you’re a diver or want to go scuba diving, then this isn’t the camera for you.
However, if you’re looking for the best underwater camera for swimming pools, river cruises, or just any outdoor water activity that doesn’t involve deep diving, this camera is good for your use. You can adjust the features to your own style if you know how, keep it in auto mode, or use one of the filters like sepia or black and white. It’s lightweight and compact. The battery is rechargeable and kept in a water-tight compartment. In case of manufacturer damage, YISENCE provides a one-year warranty.
Overall, it’s not the best camera in the market when you consider that other high-end cameras provide better, clearer images. But despite its affordable cost, if you’re looking for quality photos and videos for a trip, the quality, and features of YISENCE’s camera is good enough to do the job.
AKASO EK7000 Pro Action Camera ($74.99)
Another camera under Amazon’s Choice, AKASO’s EK7000 Pro is a step up from the EK7000, providing better shots and an operating experience at less than a hundred dollars. It can deliver up to 1080P or 60fps videos or 16 MP photos, capturing your photos in crisp and clear detail whether or not you’re underwater.
Compared to the YISENCE camera, it has a better range for deeper water activities. It can reach up to 131 feet or up to 40 meters deep. This is a much better option for diving or snorkeling, but not so much for deep diving. Like the former, it also does not come with a micro SD card, but it can support up to 64 GB.
Because of its small size, it might be difficult to control for people who aren’t used to touchscreen features. It’s like your regular Go Pro and comes with several stands and mounts, but be sure to keep it secure on its stand especially when going underwater as its small size makes it easy to get lost.
Dragon Touch Vision 5 Action Camera ($69.99)
A second GoPro on this list, the Dragon Touch Vision 5 Action Camera prides itself on being durable for underwater use. While some waterproof GoPro cameras require an additional layer of protection to go underwater, this one has a tough outer shell and can also withstand water pressure up to 131 feet or 40 meters deep.
This camera offers multiple modes and filters, including video, photo, and slow motion. Despite the price, it’s a professional-grade camera that can produce 4K/30FPS, 2.7K/30FPS, 1080P/60FPS video and 16MP photo resolution, which enables you to capture exciting moments. The Vision 5 also allows you to zoom up to four times.
However, what protects the camera from water can also be what ruins the user’s experience. Because of its outer shell, the buttons are hard to press and require some force to work. And while it has a long battery life of 90 minutes, it won’t last the whole day on the beach if you forget its extra rechargeable battery.
The package includes all the stands, mounts, and other accessories you’d expect from a GoPro. Overall, it’s a good deal at almost $70 for an underwater camera. But again, if you’re not familiar with handling relatively new forms of tech, it could take you a while to get a hang of this camera.
There are many budget underwater cameras that cost less than $100 but still provide reliable underwater and waterproof features while still giving high-quality photos and videos. This summer, don’t forget to include one of these cameras on our list if you want affordable but quality products.
