Canon G12 accessories and advice please

[Interceptor121]

The G12 does not take the Inon UFL165AD

Basically the Gx series have this limitations when it comes to underwater and there are unfortunately no good solution for wide angle, some people have tried using a macro adapter 67 for wide angle but it vignettes severely due to the distance from the port

Arms: spend more to spend less I use ultralight two 5" are enough when you combine them with a handle it gives sufficient lenght plus you won't be shooting a lot of WA with this camera. I would even consider not upgrading the housing in view of the limitations

 

[Probably Narced]

Hi again, I'm being offered this package from a supplier in the Ppines as I understand it this WA lens offers 170 degrees which sounds fairly impressive:

Fisheye housing for G12
Fisheye dome converter
Macro Port adapter 67MM
Inon Macro UCL 165m67
Inon Dual lens holder
Sea and sea Ys01
Sea and sea finer optic cable
Ultralight tray and handle, 3 clamps, 2 x 8 " arms, strobe adapter

of course without seeing any of this Im relying on 3rd parties to assure me of the quality, As good as this sales assistant has been to me via email the bottom line is they want to take my money!

 

[Interceptor121]

The recommended set up for mix of wide angle and macro is one 8" and one 5" arm segments
Two 8" can be awkward to manoeuvre in small spaces
The fisheye is practically identical to the recsea the rest of the items look pod choices
This wife angle lens needs you to change the port so I think you can't swap the lenses in water
The double lens holder is not required as the lenses can be stacked

 

[Probably Narced]

Ill check the arms in the store and see what feels most comfortable for me, I don't tend to do very many dives in enclosed environments and I don't really see that changing since the wrecks here are not what Id call stellar anyway and generally are situated at around the 30 meter mark plus. Practically speaking how much of that set up can be exchanged to fit the next generation of compacts in a year or two's time. If the lens, arms and strobes etc are good to go and I only need to upgrade my housing I'm a happier bunny spending what will amount to almost 2 grand on a compact rig for UW photos. If I have to bin it all and start over Id probably rage the house down.

Again Interceptor you've been golden with your help, thanks a lot man appreciate it.

 

[Interceptor121]

No problem feel free to add a couple of likes!

For your information I have two 5" segments and they are good enough with CFWA with a 165 degree lens, this give you 16" from the handle which is sufficient in most cases

The recommendation from most of the good shop is to have one 8" and one 5" segments with the shorter segment closer to the camera this gives you the ability to flex the set up depending on the shot

Take into account that for wreck photography not even two flashes will be sufficient to take a whole wreck and you will be mostly shooting with natural light

Many photographers that shoot with two strobes have a 5+8 combination but again is down to personal choice and also how wide is the strobe , the YS01 (that I have got) goes to around 100 degrees which is less than the fisheye lens anyway

 

[Warmwater Wank]

P.N.--Do yourself a big favor and do a search in this forum re: G series cameras and wa lenses. Unless YOU know the wa lens of your dreams will not vignette w/ a G-12 and your housing choice you won't be very happy w/ the results. Nemrod made invaluable (and one might say numerous) posts on this topic.

The problem has to do w/ where the lens sits when at it's widest (smallest focal length) setting, where the edges of the housing port are, how far the port glass sits from the lens and how far the wet wa lens sits from the port in it's adapter. (You really didn't think it was gonna be easy did you? ) So, you get things uw, zoom to your widest setting and later see that the corners in all those shots are dark and/or distorted. To avoid it, you bump up the zoom a notch or two. At which point you wonder why you have it on the camera since it won't be much wider than what you started with. When you walk in a store and put things together you still can't really tell even then because the wet lens will refract differently uw which can alter results w/ a lot of them.

I've owned a G-10, now shoot a G-11 & just added a G-12 and shoot them in Canon housings. Love 'em. But I don't do any wa except what the camera does on it's own (which is ok but...). Ah, but for macro? What a sweet deal. (I use a Sub-See setup but have used Dyron diopters and they are also solid.) IMO the latest G-series Canons are really superb for p&s macro. If wa is more your leaning grab an S-100 (or an S-95 if you can find any!). Significantly improved wa options due to smaller size, lens position, distance from port etc. It does ok on macro if you add some diopters but I think the G-series does better. So. Simple. Get both!

For your budget, you almost could--if you went w/ Canon housings. You asked about what things will come along for the ride on a p&s upgrade down the road and almost anything but the housings will. When you are looking at Fisheye or RecSee housings you aren't talking a low cost component. If you thought "This G-12 is all I will ever use" then sure, spend the bucks and get a great housing. Since you are already aware that down the road things change, a pricey housing that is now obsolete may not prove the best choice, budget wise.

I've been happy w/ Canon housings. They are more than adequate to the task (300+ dives on my G-10 setup). I added an S-95 I found on closeout and picked up a Canon housing and paid around $480. total. That's less than the additional $$ a better housing would have cost for my G-11. Not an ideal solution (the wrong camera will be on shore at the wrong time on occasion) but it adds a lot of possibilities and gives great backup peace of mind (the much smaller Canon WP-DC38 housing is easy to bring along). I have a Deeproof adapter and a Dyron on the S-95. The swingaway Deeproof is very handy and may avoid needing the Inon lens holder.

The other gear (strobes, arms etc.) will move along w/ any upgrades so get good arms (like UltraLite) and a good strobe (I use Sea & Seas, which are pretty bomb-proof strobes). Make sure you can expand to 2 strobes down the road (ie--your tray selection will let you add a 2d handle etc.) because eventually you will enjoy using two. Starting w/ one is a good way to go. I used a single strobe for 3 years and when I added a 2d it not only helped but it was also pretty easy to phase in to use. The YS-01 is a nice strobe. If you start w/ that you wouldn't have a problem adding a 2d one later or even upgrading for more output if needed. (And don't get me started on s-ttl. Shoot the camera and strobes on Manual. It's easy, gives much more controllable results.)

Well, this only added more opinion but it's what can help you decide--even if it's not to do what someone else did! Aside from housing choice I'd say pay real attention to the dome port & wa aspect of all this. It does no good to have any lens deliver a wider field if you can't use the whole field because the corners look like crap. If you can't view honest wa results (ie--uw pics) shot w/ a setup in question I'd question it. Hmmm, I just reread your list. A dome converter? This is not one that bungie cords over the housing setup is it? Alls I got to say about those is . // ww

G-11 w/ +10 SubSee/ Anilao May, 2012:

 

[Interceptor121]

Considering the limitations of the wide angle mount that is a dry system I would consider seriously buying an S95/S100

The money you save on the housing and the ports can go towards the new camera and you have a real system that can mount wet lenses underwater

 

[Warmwater Wank]

As a more versatile camera there is a lot to like w/ an S-95 or S-100 approach and Interceptor's points about housing & port costs are one's to pay attention to.

I prefer the G-11/12 for macro because three years ago I had Reefnet cobble up a dual-gate hinged adapter so I can use their +5 and +10 SubSee dioper lenses on a Canon housing port. I love using the SubSee for macro and appreciate the slightly longer focal length of the G-11 as well. UW the larger G-11 housing is no trouble and I actually prefer it for steadiness. In short, I have a lot of personal reasons to prefer a G-series. For travel and for versatility though give the S-100 some real thought, they are a solid choice. (And if you see an S-95 don't even have a thought, just grab it.) The image quality between my G-10 and my S-95 is typically interchangeable.

You have lot's of good options here, it's not like there is ONLY one best one. If you think you would be drawn to shooting much wa, the smaller Canon in a higher-end housing (one that gives you real wet mount/dry mount options) may be the ticket. If this is your first decent uw camera and you aren't sure if macro or wa will be your tendency, a Canon housing might make sense for starters. By the time you've taught yourself enough to know what you want to use next, the housing you buy now is likely to be obsolete. If that isn't a deal breaker then a better housing now would be a treat. Hard to go wrong with either camera though, frustrating as the decision seems. // ww

 

[ozziworld]

P.N.,

Choose the lens you want then choose the camera/housing combo to suit. For UW use, it is misleading to start with the camera the build the system from there just to find out your options are limited. Since the camera is not the most expensive part of the system, it should not be given so much more importance over the rest of the system.

Since you already have the canon housing for your G12 - that is already a great start for Macro. An aluminum housing will not offer you much more practicality unless it brings with it some better options for WA which you may not want to pay extra for.

The advice on wet macro lenses and strobes is more straightforward.

I am guessing that you are going to see Jovic of SPLASH Photography when you go to the Philippines. - you are going to the right place. He will give you good advice and most likely have what you need and you can check it all out there. Be sure to set an appointment (figure on at least an hour minimum) and bring all your stuff to see how it all plays well with the new stuff.

 

[Probably Narced]

I do indeed already own the G12 and Canon housing, I shoot on land with a DSLR but I'm finding the g12 to be such a capable compact that I'm considering selling my DSLR (primarily because since leaving Africa and the associated safaris I don't feel I need a super zoom for capturing wild life at range). I have not truly had a chance to play with a S95 underwater but I have seen one in an Ikelite housing. As compact cameras go its difficult to imagine a more compact compact but I personally like the size and reassurance of the slightly heavier and larger g12. Its also a dream to have Exsposure compensation on a dial that is readily accessible.

With that said perhaps underwater I'm flogging a donkey that isn't able to deliver what I'm looking for (namely decent WA shots). The wide angle dome mentioned above is the Fix UWL04 lens option produced for the Fix housing. Does anyone know if this lens produces Vignetting?

I will be visiting Jovic this week probably around wednesday, Ill take your advice and spend a quality amount of time in the store with the products and see what is most comfortable but of course Im not going to have a chance to shoot with it underwater. Unless Splash happen to have a pool and tanks available