First and foremost a good snorkeling camera must be fully waterproof. Ideally it should be waterproof without needing to be placed in underwater casing, which can limit access to some buttons, thereby slowing up controls.
That’s why 5 of the 6 snorkeling cameras we’ve reviewed (all but the cheapest option, the Akaso V50 Elite), can be operated underwater without any underwater casing.
Snorkeling cams should also be durable and compact and they shouldn’t cost too much money either as they’re usually orientated towards hobbyists. Once again, only models that meet these standards have been presented.
A good snorkel camera should have decent filming and photo specs – it ought to be able to at least film 4K and take 12 mp photos, which all of the cams on this page are capable of doing.
All the same, I’m going to be honest with you about something. Waterproof cams that are orientated towards snorkelers can take some very respectable video footage but the photos they snap will usually be of poorer quality than what your smartphone would take.
However – because waterproof cameras are both sturdier and cheaper than smartphones, they’re far more appropriate to risk at sea.
(But if you’re really serious about getting a high quality waterproof camera and you don’t mind forking out a lot of cash, check out our main page on dive cameras).
Because snorkelers usually stay at the surface, it’s extremely useful for a snorkeling camera to have a zoom, because that way you can get a closer shot of something that’s below without having to swim down closer to it.
Every camera in this article comes equipped with a zoom – the Akaso Elite V50 and GoPro Hero 9 have digital zooms which are pretty handy; sort of like a close up crop, however the other four snorkeling cams all have optical zooms, which are even better as they give extra detail when applied.
It’s also useful for a snorkeling camera to have image stabilisation tech as this counters for shaky video footage and makes it less blurry – once more, all the cams featured on this page have video stabilisation.
Finally, when a camera is equipped with an electronic viewfinder, it’s slightly easier to see the shot you’re framing in bright light – which a snorkeler is likely to experience, due to being at the surface.
Because of this, our favourite snorkeling camera of all time is the Panasonic Lumix TS7, as in addition to having an optical zoom, video stabilisation, macro mode, being sturdy and waterproof without casing to 30m, it has an electronic viewfinder, so it’s easy to see what you’re doing even if the sun is out in full force!
The other cams rely on traditional lcd viewfinders, which can still be used at the surface and unlike the electronic viewfinder are better to use in low lighting, meaning they’ll actually be better for greater water depth / diving – but they still make excellent snorkeling cams as well.
Among them, is our second favourite snorkel camera: the Olympus Tough TG 6!