Hi! I just got the Canon G11 as a present and now I am looking to buy the housing, strobes, etc. Would you recommend the FIX or Ikelite Houseing? What are the cons and pros? Which strobes would you recommend and any other gadget?
Canon G11
- Thread starter vvitola
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
FIX housing
FIX wide angle lens/port
Inon D2000 X 2 strobes
N
FIX wide angle lens/port
Inon D2000 X 2 strobes
N
HerraduraDivers
Contributor
- Messages
- 570
- Reaction score
- 10
- # of dives
I have tha Patima housing for my G11 and use my "old" Inon D-2000 Strobe with it.
Pros of the Patima housing:
- VERY sturdy (usual comments: built like a tank)
- very good quality and production
- WA and zoom port included
- WA port accept all 67mm wet lenses and filters
Cons of tha Patima Housing:
- very heavy and negative boyancy
- use of internal strobe not possible
- expensive
Pros of the Ikelite housing:
- Good and tested quality
- internal strobe may be used ( but only in telemacro)
- macro, "wet dome port" wet lenses and colour correcting filters
- free choice of internal, external slave or external corded strobe
- Canon eTTL conversion circuit included for true eTTL using a Ikelite DS series strobe
- relatively leight weight
- reasonable price
Cons of the Ikelite housing:
- Effective use of internal strobe is limited to macro photography at a distance of less than 2 feet (0.6m).
- WD-4 "dome port" is a wet dome port and may be tricky to use
The Patima or FIX aluminium housing are almost professional housings with a respective "professional" price. The best choice for a G11 housing for "normal" use is the Ikelite.
I agree with Nemrod about the Inon D-2000 strobes, relatively small, powerful, sturdy and to use with various settings (full manual, automatic and s-ttl)
If you need maximum power the Z-240 have slightly more power, if size, weight and price is a concern, the sweet, little S-2000 may be perfect with a slightly lower (unverified) output.
If you would like to take advantage of the eTTL using the Ikelite housing, the Ikelite DS-161/161/200 are very sturdy, but bulky strobes.
Chris
P.S.
Is the price difference worth it? Yes, but only if you need a rugged aluminium housing.
I am dive instructor and need a super sturdy housing to have with me every day,
A weekend and holiday diver may take more care of his gear and so the Ikelite or OEM
housing may be fine too.
Pros of the Patima housing:
- VERY sturdy (usual comments: built like a tank)
- very good quality and production
- WA and zoom port included
- WA port accept all 67mm wet lenses and filters
Cons of tha Patima Housing:
- very heavy and negative boyancy
- use of internal strobe not possible
- expensive
Pros of the Ikelite housing:
- Good and tested quality
- internal strobe may be used ( but only in telemacro)
- macro, "wet dome port" wet lenses and colour correcting filters
- free choice of internal, external slave or external corded strobe
- Canon eTTL conversion circuit included for true eTTL using a Ikelite DS series strobe
- relatively leight weight
- reasonable price
Cons of the Ikelite housing:
- Effective use of internal strobe is limited to macro photography at a distance of less than 2 feet (0.6m).
- WD-4 "dome port" is a wet dome port and may be tricky to use
The Patima or FIX aluminium housing are almost professional housings with a respective "professional" price. The best choice for a G11 housing for "normal" use is the Ikelite.
I agree with Nemrod about the Inon D-2000 strobes, relatively small, powerful, sturdy and to use with various settings (full manual, automatic and s-ttl)
If you need maximum power the Z-240 have slightly more power, if size, weight and price is a concern, the sweet, little S-2000 may be perfect with a slightly lower (unverified) output.
If you would like to take advantage of the eTTL using the Ikelite housing, the Ikelite DS-161/161/200 are very sturdy, but bulky strobes.
Chris
P.S.
Is the price difference worth it? Yes, but only if you need a rugged aluminium housing.
I am dive instructor and need a super sturdy housing to have with me every day,
A weekend and holiday diver may take more care of his gear and so the Ikelite or OEM
housing may be fine too.
The "worth it" is if you want to have a compact housing or one as big as a small shoe box and the other definitly "worth it" is the expensive, to die for, super wide lens port.
Yeah, it is all a lot of money. The dry port wide angle is 500 dollars BTW.
If macro is all you want to do then maybe not.
N
Yeah, it is all a lot of money. The dry port wide angle is 500 dollars BTW.
If macro is all you want to do then maybe not.
N
Well after reading all of Nemrod's posts on the s90 and FIX housing I decided to get the FIX for my g11. I am quite pleased with the quality and build. I hope it lasts 3-4 years that I will probably use this camera. I really had to talk myself into getting it due to the cost but I don't like the Ikelite box and know from experience that the canon housing will start to have button sticking problems after a while if you don't do some serious lubing of the orings which may require disassembly.
I also bought the lense adapter for the FIX. I really like it as it speeds up the addition of my two macro lenses either single or stacked. I am completing a tropical trip and really the biggest issue I had was getting used to the best setting on the G11 for various conditions not requiring my z240 strobe. The shutter button on the FIX really provides a lot more feel due to the greater travel of the lever. I saw someone with the Patima case and it is a lot bulkier than the FIX.
markrovner
Contributor
Hey as long as we're on this subject...I have a brand new Fix and dry-mount fisheye lens. I cannot for the lif of me figure out how to remove the lens prt that came with housing. Manual says push the release button and rotate the lens port, but the lens port won;t budge.
What am i doing wrong? Thanks for your help!
What am i doing wrong? Thanks for your help!
Oh come on, I like my shoe box, I mean Ikelite housing with DS-160 strobe! Not as big as you are led to believe and the ttl is great. Not nearly as big as a dSLR case.
Sure you will be happy with whichever you get but can say happy with my set up.
Sure you will be happy with whichever you get but can say happy with my set up.
HerraduraDivers
Contributor
- Messages
- 570
- Reaction score
- 10
- # of dives
markrovner:
I have the Patima housing and had the same issue. To unlock the port i have to pull the release knob and turn strong counterclockwise.
The first few times it was very hard to turn and as your manual says to push the release button and turn, you may try it a bit harder.
If it comes off, remember to grease the o-ring with a thin film of the grease you got with the housing.
This may help that it comes off easier next time and avoid that the o-ring get twisted/pinched while turning it back.
Charlie:
The Ikelite is maximum the size of a dwarf shoebox and for the price the Patima/FIX housing costs you get the Ikelite G11 "dwarf shoebox" AND a Inon D-2000 strobe together.
Chris
I have the Patima housing and had the same issue. To unlock the port i have to pull the release knob and turn strong counterclockwise.
The first few times it was very hard to turn and as your manual says to push the release button and turn, you may try it a bit harder.
If it comes off, remember to grease the o-ring with a thin film of the grease you got with the housing.
This may help that it comes off easier next time and avoid that the o-ring get twisted/pinched while turning it back.
Charlie:
The Ikelite is maximum the size of a dwarf shoebox and for the price the Patima/FIX housing costs you get the Ikelite G11 "dwarf shoebox" AND a Inon D-2000 strobe together.
Chris
The O ring is probably stuck but since I am not there and I don't have that particular unit, proceed with caution, push the release and put some more twist on it. N
Similar threads
