One of the questions I get asked more than almost anything else is: “What underwater photography setup do you actually use?” In my latest YouTube video, I walk through the exact underwater camera rig I take into the ocean for wildlife photography, dive travel, conservation storytelling, and the big-animal encounters that have shaped my work over the last few years.

Underwater photography is one of the most rewarding forms of image-making, but it can also be one of the most intimidating. Once you move beyond a GoPro or compact camera, you suddenly have to think about camera bodies, underwater housings, ports, dome ports, O-rings, arms, clamps, strobes, video lights, buoyancy, memory cards, batteries, and maintenance routines.

This guide breaks down my current underwater photography gear in a practical way: what I use, why I use it, and how each part of the setup helps me create stronger images below the surface. It is not about telling you that everyone needs the same kit. It is about showing the thinking behind a professional underwater camera setup for wildlife, travel, and storytelling.

The Camera Body I Use for Underwater Photography

At the centre of my underwater photography setup is a full-frame Sony mirrorless camera. I use Sony systems for my wildlife and underwater work because they give me the image quality, dynamic range, and flexibility I need when shooting in challenging natural light. I started with the Sony A7Riii but have recently upgraded to the Sony A1, which I think is the PERFECT hybrid camera.

Underwater, dynamic range matters. You are often balancing bright sun rays, dark reef shadows, deep blue water, backlit animals, and suspended particles in the water column. A strong RAW file gives me more flexibility when I later correct colour, restore contrast, and bring the scene closer to how it felt in the water.

For anyone building an underwater camera setup, the camera body is important - but it is only one part of the system. The housing, port choice, lens, lighting, and how confidently you can operate the rig underwater will often make a bigger difference than the camera body alone.

My Underwater Housing System

The housing is one of the most important parts of any underwater camera rig. It protects the camera, gives you access to the controls, and determines how confidently you can work when conditions change. I use a SeaFrogs / Salted Line housing system for my Sony setup.

Good ergonomics make a huge difference underwater. If you can quickly change shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus mode, or recording settings without taking your attention away from the animal, you are much more likely to capture the moment. That is especially important for wildlife photography, where you rarely get unlimited chances.

The Lenses I Use Underwater

For most of my underwater wildlife work, wide-angle lenses are the foundation of the setup. Water reduces contrast, clarity, and colour very quickly, so getting close to your subject is one of the biggest keys to stronger underwater images. A wide-angle lens lets me get close while still showing the animal, the light, the environment, and the scale of the scene. I mainly use the Samyang 14mm lens because it is budget friendly. I have used the Sony 14mm a few times and it is SIGNIFICANTLY better and will be my next upgrade.

This is especially important when photographing larger animals like whales, sharks, manta rays, turtles, and divers in underwater landscapes. A wide-angle underwater setup makes the viewer feel like they are inside the encounter rather than looking at it from a distance.

I also keep a more versatile zoom lens in my kit for situations where I want flexibility, travel coverage, behind-the-scenes imagery, or a slightly tighter composition. The lens choice always depends on the subject, the location, visibility, and the story I am trying to tell. The zoom lens I mainly use is the Sony 28-70mm kit lens.

Why the Dome Port Matters

The dome port is what allows a wide-angle lens to perform properly underwater. It helps maintain a wider field of view and is especially useful for big-animal encounters, reef scenes, divers, and split-level images where part of the frame is above the surface and part is below. If marco is what you're interested in, a good macro lens and macro port (pictured below) are what you need.

Split-level photography is one of my favourite ways to tell ocean stories because it connects the underwater world with the surface world in a single frame. For that kind of image, the dome port becomes a creative tool, not just a technical accessory.

Lighting, Arms, Clamps, and Buoyancy

Lighting is one of the biggest differences between a basic underwater image and a professional-looking one. As you descend, colour disappears quickly, especially reds, oranges, and yellows. Strobes or video lights can help bring colour, texture, and detail back into the foreground, particularly when shooting reef scenes, close-focus wide-angle, or smaller subjects.

Arms and clamps are just as important as the lights themselves. They allow you to move your lights away from the lens axis, which can help reduce backscatter and gives you more control over how the light falls across the scene.

Buoyancy also matters. A rig that is too heavy or awkward underwater can become tiring and distracting, especially on longer dives or in current. Float arms or buoyancy floats can make the setup easier to handle and allow you to focus more on composition, behaviour, and safety.

The Small Accessories I Never Travel Without

A lot of underwater photography is not just about the camera. It is about preparation. Spare O-rings, batteries, memory cards, silica gel packs, tools, lanyards, cleaning cloths, chargers, and a proper rinse routine all make a difference when you are working in the field.

These small accessories may not be the most exciting part of an underwater photography kit list, but they are often the things that keep a shoot running smoothly. A flooded housing, dead battery, fogged dome, or missing clamp can end a shoot before it even begins, so I always try to keep the essentials organised and ready before getting on the boat.

What I Would Tell Anyone Building Their First Underwater Camera Setup

Start with the kind of images you actually want to make. If you mostly shoot big animals, divers, reefs, and travel stories, a wide-angle underwater setup should probably be your first priority. If you are obsessed with nudibranchs, shrimps, seahorses, and small reef life, then macro might make more sense.

The most expensive underwater photography setup is not automatically the best one. I started on just a GoPro Hero 7 and shot on that for the first few years of my career. Underwater, your diving ability, buoyancy, fieldcraft, animal awareness, and understanding of light are just as important as the gear. The camera is only one part of the process. The more comfortable you are in the water, the better your images will become.

My advice is to build your kit slowly and intentionally. Learn one setup properly before adding more complexity. Understand how your housing works. Practise changing settings without looking. Test your buoyancy. Shoot in RAW. Look after your O-rings. And above all, remember that the welfare of the wildlife always comes first.