We all know the pain of looking for a good product, one that functions, is reliable & works well. But fear not as we have combed far and wide to find the 5 best underwater fish cameras possible that won’t break the bank and you will be able to use them for a wide variety of underwater applications. From fishing to underwater exploration. Each will have its pros and cons but our goal is to give you a general guideline as what to expect from each product so the listing is not necessarily “best” to “worst”. So let’s dive right in.
A Quick Look at the Best Underwater Fishing Cameras
Rank | Photo | Brand | Price |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Anysun | ||
2. | Moocor | ||
3. | Eyoyo | ||
4. | Vexilar | ||
5. | Aqua-Vu |
5 Best Underwater Fish Cameras Reviewed
1.
Anysun AS SY3800 Fishing Camera
A nice, neat package containing what you need right out of the box. The case is well padded and contains a 7-inch color monitor, camera control module, metal encased camera, and a lengthy 20-meter cable.
Ease of use and portability- Right out of the box you can see that the product is convenient to use as it does have a 7-inch monitor which displays in either 510x582px or 510x492px so for the portability of the display it puts out a decent quality image.
Sun visor equipped- The nicely sized screen also does come with a sun visor so you don’t have to worry about squinting on sunny days. The effective camera range is the meter length so it is 20 meters.
Long battery life- This is also one of the higher priced alternatives but it does well in justifying the price considering it does boast an impressive operation time of ten hours. Fully rotatable camera- A thoughtful feature is since the camera is housed in a lantern-like unit it is fully rotatable 360 degrees. Even allowing you to automatically track fishes which is not very common in the semi-affordable price range. The battery pack and camera controller is integrated into one unit which takes away the worry of a battery cable snapping during use.
On the note of batteries, the battery is a Lithium 12 volt DC 4000MA. So with all these features what’s good and the bad with this underwater fish camera?
Advantage
- A simple straightforward design with no trouble to set up
- The camera can easily survive violent waters due to its alloy housing
- Long battery life enables maximum usage and minimal charging time
- excellent for professional underwater photography with the fish tracking feature
- 360-degree panning of the camera
Disadvantage
- The battery may be difficult to replace as it is integrated into the camera control unit
- This underwater camera is on the pricey side
Summary: A bit pricey for the features it offers but it is definitely worth it in some aspects.
2.
Moocor LQ 4315B Fish Finder
Looking at this camera right upon purchase it comes in a fabric pouch that stores the camera in an adequate amount of padding and stores additional components such as the charger and floats if you wish to store them there.
Tiny and very portable- A very convenient design thought is to make this underwater fish camera as compact as possible to the point where it could fit in a cargo pants sized pocket.Not only this but it is only a 2 piece system so set up time is minimized as much as possible to the bare minimum.
High definition display- The unit boasts a 1000 TVL HD camera which would show immaculate detail underwater. The range of the camera is 15 meters underwater thanks to the 15 meter long cable that is also tough enough to withstand 15 kilograms of pulling force. Not to mention that this tiny camera is also equipped with night vision capability and an automatic Cmos sensor to switch to night vision in low light conditions.
Fish shaped body with functional fins- One amazing feature is that this is the only underwater camera in the list that has directional fins. Meaning that it is not only disguised as a fish but also this gives the ability to the operator to change the direction simply by moving the pole in the direction they want the camera to face (This can also be done by twisting the wire to change the direction).
Fantastic warranty and after sales service- A final feature is not the actual product, but the good quality after-service which offers a 365-day warranty and 24-hour customer support. Another thoughtful feature of this little camera to show they truly care about their customers and are confident in their product quality.
Advantage
- Lightweight and portable design that can be carried anywhere
- Affordable for all the features it offers
- Ergonomic camera housing that is also highly functional
- comes with a 1 year warranty and 24 hour customer support
Disadvantage
- Does not come in a hard aluminum carry case
- Internally integrated battery does not allow for a DIY battery swap should the need arise
- No inbuilt 360-degree rotation
Summary: This underwater camera is definitely recommended for it’s high definition display and low,affordable price. Even an intermediate or professional underwater photographer can appreciate a product like this.
3.
Eyoyo Q1506 Fish Finder
A tiny,portable package that has a suitcase maximum length of only 9.5 inches. It seems that every possible bit of space was used for maximum functionality rather than simply bulk or looks.
Portable and waterproof- All the required equipment is snuggled in a waterproof aluminum case that measures 9.5×8.3×5.1 inches so you can pretty much carry it anywhere in a car or truck and not even notice it’s there until you decide to have a spontaneous fishing trip
Excellent battery life for its size- The battery life is 8 hours which considering this is practically one third the price of the first alternative is not a bad trade off. To make up for the shorter battery life the unit does feature a fish shaped housing which makes it possible to come in for some nice close ups without startling the fish.
High definition display for the small size- Navigating the camera can be a challenging task for some as it does not rotate 360 degrees, instead it is entirely dependent on which way you can rotate it with fishing line via the 2 attachment points in the top of the camera housing. However, it should be noted that the display quality on the 7-inch display is phenomenal for the price range as it puts out a whopping 800×480 pixels.
Long cable length- The cable length is not too bad either as it is 15 meters long which only falls short by 5 meters compared to the pricier alternative.
Full night vision capability-The camera also features full night vision capability however as expected the night vision mode only allows for black and white display.
Advantage
- Very affordable
- No problem accidentally dropping the closed suitcase in water as it is waterproof
- Minimal disturbance of fish due to the camera being well camouflaged
- The externally mounted battery allows for a replacement if the need arises
- Decent battery life for the price
- Very good display resolution
- Night vision enabled
Disadvantage
- Requires fishing pole in order to be used effectively
- The camera is not capable of 360-degree rotation
- Night vision mode only allows black and white display
Summary: This fish camera is definitely recommended for anyone looking for a functional, well priced underwater camera that will serve its purpose.
4.
Vexilar FS800 Underwater Camera
The Vexilar has been a long-time favorite for maritime products since the 1960’s so needless to say the FS800 also boasts their hallmark of quality. The product comes in a fabric bag that holds all the essentials for operation.
Long battery life- The FS800 is built to make efficient use of its power which gives it an operational time of 9 hours. Perfect for those long days out fishing or on a hunt for good underwater footage.
High-temperature difference resistance- Since quality has been a longstanding virtue of Vexilar, they have made the FS800 a tough product. It is capable of withstanding a temperature from as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Decent cable length- The FS800 boasts a decent cable length of about 16 meters which is not bad for its portable design.
Black and white or color output- This is a neat feature that is especially useful for underwater photography enthusiasts to be able to toggle from black and white or color output at the push of a button.
Decent display quality- The standard 7 inch LCD display is able to put out an image quality of 480×234 Pixels. Not bad for the price range.
Advantage
- Well built and durable
- Capable of operating in a wide variety of conditions
- Long battery life
- Convenient and easy to use design
Disadvantage
- Camera is not 360 degree rotatable
- Pricey for the number of features it offers
Summary: A to-the-point and tough machine that comes from a longtime reputable company. Although it seems expensive for some, it is definitely a favorite for number of buyers.
5.
Aqua-Vu AVMicro II Underwater Camera
This is a tiny smartphone sized underwater camera having only a 3.5 inch display. It also is quite pricey for its size and functionality but it makes up for it by having features that most more expensive underwater cameras lack.
Entire kit is no larger than a smartphone- This camera is 4.2 x 3 x 2 inches big (approximately the size of a smartphone), weighs 1 pound and runs on 1 lithium-Ion battery that comes with the kit. The battery life is 6 hours which is not the longest but considering the size of the kit,it is acceptable.
Amazing cable length and range for its size- An amazing feature no one would have thought could be pulled off with this tiny camera is the fact that it comes with 50 feet of cable ( A little over 16 meters) which is as much as any average sized underwater fish camera.
Wide field of view- Although the product image does look like the camera is only capable of being suspended facing down the supplier does claim that it comes with a fin kit to allow for the camera to be positioned facing any direction. One thing to mention is that the camera does have a 135 degree field of view which is really wide for such a small camera.
Advantage
- Very portable and lightweight design
- Wide camera field of view
- Simple and user friendly design makes the unit easy to use straight out of the box
Disadvantage
- Pricey for the features it offers
- No 360-degree camera rotation
Summary: This camera is an incredibly affordable underwater viewing system including out and out highlights at a small amount of the cost. Playing live shading submerged video on a 3.5-inch LCD, the Micro II incorporates 50 feet of camera link wrapped on the coordinated view screen.
The Final Words (Summary)
As stated in the beginning this is not a strictly chronological list as each individual looks for different features from underwater cameras. Some look for portability to be able to carry the device for a weekend fishing trip while some look purely for high definition video output and also there are some that look for a combination of both. Needless to say regardless of the varying price spread of the cameras in our list these are the best underwater fishing cameras of 2023.