Looking for an underwater housing for a Nikon L8XX / P6XX series or similar?

You're out of luck. Ultra Zoom (Bridge) cameras are not adequate for underwater photography.

Examples of Ultra Zoom cameras which are not compatible for underwater photography

What Are Bridge / Ultra Zoom Cameras?

Bridge cameras, also known as Ultra Zoom or Super Zoom cameras, are a type of camera which bridges the gap between DSLR's and Compact cameras. They usually feature fully manual controls, a large, fixed, versatile lens with x10, x20 or even x60 zoom capability, and a sturdy build slightly resembling a DSLR. Many prosumers choose these cameras as an excellent alternative for all around photography before diving (no pun intended) into the world of DSLR's and lenses.

Some examples for popular Ultra Zoom / Bridge Cameras are:

  • Panasonic Lumix FZ200
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80
  • Canon Powershot SX50 HS
  • Canon Powershot SX60 HS
  • Canon Powershot SX510 HS
  • Fujifilm FinePix S-1
  • Fujifilm FinePix SL1000
  • Olympus Stylus SP-100EE
  • Nikon Coolpix B700
  • Nikon Coolpix P530
  • Nikon Coolpix P600
  • Nikon Coolpix P610
  • Nikon Coolpix L820
  • Nikon Coolpix L830
  • Nikon Coolpix P900
  • Nikon Coolpix L110
  • Nikon Coolpix L120
  • Nikon Coolpix L130
  • Nikon Coolpix L330
  • Nikon Coolpix L340
  • Nikon Coolpix S9700
  • Sony Cybershot RX10

 

What Happens Underwater?

Unfortunately, specifically for underwater photography, these cameras are not popular. The reason for that being that they are quite large in physical size, and their lenses extend a long way forward. Creating an underwater housing for that would result in a bulky, complex and quite expensive product that frankly, won't be very popular among Bridge Camera users.

Supporting a long range zoom lens underwater is also a rather complicated task, since an underwater lens port is always fixed, and trying to support that type of lens throughout all its range would be nearly impossible.

What Are My Alternatives?

The best alternative would be to get a compact bundle, including a good quality compact camera and an underwater housing. These bundles range from $600 to $1400 and provide the best combination for shooting quality photos underwater, due to their large sensors yet small size.

Try some of these popular bundles:

 

What if I still want to take my Ultra Zoom / Bridge Camera underwater?

The only option in that case would be a soft case such as Ewa Marine and Dicapac. We no longer carry those, but they are always an option and most of them work fairly well.

If you still need any advice, please contact us at contact@housingcamera.com or via the online chat on the bottom right corner!