Having an amazing camera like the A6000 an not being able to use it when you go diving or snorkelling is...disappointing, right?
I have been on a few vacations where I had to just accept that I could not use my camera and had to buy the ones the tour company made! Never again.
That is why it is a great idea to get a decent underwater housing for your Sony A6000 if you plan on swimming, snorkelling or diving a lot. Heck, you can even use it during any watersports.
The big question is how much money you want to spend, and the kinds of features you need.
So, I have found all the top underwater cases for the Sony A6000 below, starting with the most affordable and ending with the model I would buy as a pro diver!
Sea Frog Underwater Case (40m/130ft)
Sea Frog are the go to manufacturer when it comes to reasonably priced underwater / waterproof housings for the A6000 range. This model is rated to 40m/130ft so should suit most hobby divers.
There are some limitations with such cases, which makes sense as you are putting a case around your camera. For one, you can only use autofocus on a limited range of lenses (including the 16-50mm kit lens) - see below for more details. Also, you can't control everything on the camera.
However, you get access to the flash which is great for underwater photography where light is often quite low. Just be aware that the A6000 built-in flash is only so powerful, so it will normally only help quite close up.
Sea Frog Underwater Case (60m/195ft)
If you are wanting to go a little deeper this case is usually an extra hundred or so bucks, but it will be worth it. On top of the increased diving depth, it also fits the A6300 and A6500 as well. The packaging actually comes with a kit for the A6000, which makes sense as it is the smaller of the three cameras.
The same kinds of specs and limitations apply to this casing as well, With access to a limited lens range and use of the flash. However, considering it works 195ft underwater it's a great way to be able to take your Sony with you when you dive.
Fantasea Underwater Housing (60m/195ft)
On the more professional end of things is a company like Fantasea that specialises in underwater camera gear. Not quite as expensives as the Ikelite below, this is the kind of housing you want if you do a lot of underwater photography.
The case not only allows you to control almost every part of the camera, it also comes with a system of interchangeable ports to allow you to use different lenses. They also go the extra mile to make shooting underwater easier with things like an LCD hood (removable) to reduce glare, HDMI connection access and lots more.
The housing is also nice and shock resistant, so might suit other uses as well like dusty outdoor filming where things are not so clean.
Ikelite Underwater Housing (60m/195ft)
The Ikelite is a little pricey for most people's underwater adventures, but if you are serious about diving and underwater photography then it might be the best solution for you.
Not only do Ikelite use far superior components and materials in their case, they also have a system to swap out the lens dome. This means you can use almost any lens with the case. The only downside is that you have to buy one of their DLM domes for almost every zoom range. And, the case does not come with one.
The case also has a universal 1/4-20 threaded tray mounting on the bottom, which many divers will appreciate as it helps add the camera to various underwater support systems.
