Dx1g

[Bloor]

I was recently on a dive with a guy who had a Sea and Sea camera with a YS27 strobe.

He told me his dream camera was the DX1G. I've read a bit about it and being as it exports in RAW, it's definitely the camera I think I'd like to have.

He told me the YS27 strobe had a manual adjustment on it. Whereas if you got a higher end strobe there was a fiber optic cable where the camera could detect the light needed etc and fire the strobe at the correct level.

I think he was talkoing about the YS110?

But here's where I get a little confused.

He said something to the effect that the current model of the DX1G doesn't have the fiber optic connection for the strobe? (Or something to that effect).

Can anyone speak to what he may have been talking about?

He showed me the YS27 and I can see where having to manually adjust your strobe could be tedious.

Thanks for your input.

Best,
Robert

 

[Eskasi]

The DX-1G fires flashes via fiber optic cable. However, you will still need to manually adjust your flash.

The YS-110 can indeed detect flash levels from the camera and mimic the flash output via fiber optic connection. However, the 1G camera (essentially a Ricoh GX100) cannot adjust the flash intensity. The output is ALWAYS the same (with the exception of the one "soft flash" setting available). As such, if you set the YS-110 to iTTL, it will simply fire at the same power each time.

When you take a shot on auto settings, the camera takes into account the light given out and adjusts accordingly (Fstop, ISO, etc). However, in manual settings in conjunction with any strobe, you will need to adjust the flash manually. This really isn't too hard to do. Leave it on 2/3 to full on Wide angle and put it at 1/3 for Macro for starters. Pretty soon, you will get a good feel for lighting conditions and adjust fairly quickly. I used to find myself adjusting my strobe angle and at the same time doing a quick check on strobe intensity setting.

It's a great camera and really easy to pocket (good for when you are not diving!). A YS-110 will be able to follow you as you upgrade in the future. The 27 may not. I used a DX-1G / YS-110 combo. When I upgraded to DSLR use recently, I bought an additional YS-110 to use with my new system and TTL.

You may also want to go to Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ and search under the Ricoh forums. Many people use the GX100 (1G) for street photography with stunning results. Also consider a Canon G9, Ikelite housing and Inon D2000 strobe..... This combo will run at about the same price but the results have also been pretty stunning. The trade off here is size. THe camera and housing are both much bigger than the 1G. The Canon lens is also to as wide to begin with.

 

[gustele]

Hi Robert

I have a DX1G with YS110 and fiber optic cable to connect the strobe to the underwater housing of the camera. In the beginning I was somewhat disappointed about the technical quality of the pictures but that disappointment turned into enthusiasm when I discovered that I shouldn't use the camera with a higher sensitivity than ISO100. Now I shoot almost everything on ISO80 and the technical quality is very good. Almost all my pictures are taken with the strobe. The YS110 is a TTL-strobe which means it is capable of shutting down the strobe as soon as the camera tells it that there was sufficient light on the subject. That means that not only you need a TTL-strobe but also a TTL-capable camera. As far as I know the DX1G is not. That is not a problem because you have to shoot on manual mode when using the strobe and that means that you have full control over the aperture. It is a simple matter of adjusting the aperture based on the subject distance and the guide number of the strobe. This sounds more difficult than it is. Most of the time I set my camera at 1/125 seconds for the shutter and about f/5.6 for the aperture. Theoretically the subject should be at 2 meters with this setting, but in practice you get good pictures from 0.5 meter till about 1.5 meters. Only when shooting macro I adjust the aperture to f/12 - f/15 and zoom in completely. If necessary (I never did) you can decrease the amount of light on the strobe itself. This could be necessary when there is sufficient ambient light (near the surface) but then I switch to automatic mode without flash.

You can see a lot of my recent pictures at Picasa Web Albums - John. All pictures are taken with the DX1G and YS110 and with RAW output. The pictures of the Mediator are mostly taken without flash and sensitivity on max ISO800 to prevent backscatter. I am very happy with this camera and strobe.

Regards

 

[Bloor]

Wow you guys gave some great info. Thanks very much for that.

My wife has suggested she would also like a camera but doesn't care to use it for the anything more than capturing memories.

My interest in the DX1G goes to the RAW format and being able to produce enlargements 16x20 or so and print them on canvass etc. But that's a ways off for right now. I need to get better at bouyancy and basic underwater photography before I go to that I think.

My wife suggested getting the Sea Life DC600 Pro to have a fairly basic camera to learn to use and capture decent underwater pictures.

It would be a good start and then when we switch over to the DX1G, we'd each have a nicer camera to use underwater.

By nicer I mean, not the Kodak disposable underwater camera. haha

Thanks for your input!

Best,
Robert

 

[Eskasi]

No problem Robert. This board was also really helpful when I was starting out too. RAW will give you a lot of leeway if used in conjunction with programs like Adobe Lightroom. Fixes in White Balance, Exposure, etc. It wont bring back a bad picture but it can save many mediocre ones.

However, RAW should not be the only concern. I find that the greatest aspect of the 1G is the manual controls (Shutter and aperture) and the fact that they can be so easily maneuvered via the command dials. Shooting in manual allows for much more creative possibilities and is a great step toward photography as a serious hobby.

Gustele, some really nice pictures you have on your site!

 

[gustele]

Robert

You will not regret the DC600 either. I had the DC500 before I got the DX1G and I always liked that camera. But in the end I wanted more control over my pictures and the option to work with RAW-format. I now save the DC500 for my future Underwater Photograhpy specialty students (I am not yet certified to teach that specialty though ).

 

[Bloor]

gustele,

Thanks for that info. My thought is the DC600 would be a good entry level camera. Once I get the hang of it and the money is there the DX1G will be my purchase.

Best,
Robert

 

[Bloor]

gustele,

Would you recommend getting the wide angle lens with the DC600? Or would just the stock DC600 do well enough?

Thank you!
Robert

 

[gustele]

I would certainly recommend the wide angle lens with the DC600. On every dive, the first thing I did when going under water, was putting the wide angle lens on the housing. You are able to get closer to the subject which reduces backscatter and reduces the amount of water between the camera and the subject.

Regards