Flat or domed lens ports
One of the most important but often misunderstood features of underwater camera housings is the lens port. The planar port was all that was available for underwater photography from 1893 until 1931, when the hemispherical domed port was first used to correct for the refractive properties of water. Both planar and domed ports have a place in underwater photography, and it is important to understand the theory and practice of each. For underwater photography with wide-angle lenses , the dome port is the best choice, but if starting or ending a shot on the surface, or if you need to use a long lens for close-ups, you should use the flat port. Flat ports - Flat ports do not correct for distortion caused by differences in light refraction index between air and water. When used underwater, the use of a flat port introduces many aberrations. They are Refraction - This is the bending of light waves as they pass through media with different optical densities (air inside the camera housing