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I'd like to offer a comment on your camera settings. I used to shoot the G-9 (still have as a backup), but now shoot the 5D Mk II.
The digital SLRs are great. The G-9 is one of the best compact cameras I have ever used, as it has both shutter and aperture priority settings. The issue with the digital cameras is that the manufacturer's try to "idiot proof" them, by having settings on the camera which somewhat override the skill level of the shooter, giving pretty good pictures.
Specifically something that will greatly help your photos is changing the way the camera focuses on the subject. The G-9 (and others) have a way to "track" a subject, whereby the camera will "follow" the focus of the subject, where you point it. This is good and bad, in that if you are slightly moving in the water, the lense will focus on what it thinks you are pointing at.
First, go into your menu (lower right button) and change your "AF Frame" setting to "FlexiZone". Scroll down two, then change "Digital Zoom" to "off". Go down one more and change "Red Eye" to "off". Farther down the first screen, go to "Spot AE Point" and change this to "Center".
Go farther down the menu and turn "off" the image stabilization. With the IS on, there is a noticable lag when you depress the shutter. With if off, there is very little lag.
What these settings do is change the camera to focus on exactly where you want it (you can move focus point to 1 of 9 locations in "FlexiZone"). If you are shooting in AUTO or Scene mode (on the top, right dial), then the AF point will always be "center".
If you are shooting in "Scene" mode (top of camera, right dial), then change the setting to "Underwater" on the selector wheel. This will help overcome some of the color shift issues (like adding an 85 orange filter).
I would also suggest either bracketing your photos (one or two stops above/below your shot) which will help, as well as focusing on what you think is a different portion of the shot. Often it is near impossible to tell if you are actually aiming at what you think you are, looking through a mask and then a housing. I have had shots in my 5D that I thought were perfect, only to go back and download and find I am a tad bit out-of-focus.
Another thing you need to be sure and try and do is get as close as possible to your subject. This reduces the water column between the lens and the subject, which can naturally make things fuzzy, even if you're exactly on with your camera gear. This also reduces backscatter with your flash(es).
Also on the G9, try and use an external flash that connects through the hot-shoe on the camera, rather than using an optical pick-up style flash. The reason is that any flash that fires inside a housing causes moisture condensation issues - even if you have a silica gel pack inside your housing (which you need, regardless). A trick on the silica gel is to put it inside the housing while your are inside an air-conditioned room. Fit the camera and gel pack inside, then take out into the ambient air to let it stabilize. Yes, it will temporarily fog up, but most of the moisture is condensing on the OUTSIDE of the housing. The silica gel inside your housing will take care of any latent moisture trapped inside. A trick on the silica gel is to keep it very dry, inside a zip-lock bag. You can reuse the packets by drying for 3-5 minutes in a microwave set on 1/2 power (important that you do it at 1/2 power, so you won't melt the gel beads together).
From your pix, you're on the right track!!! The G9 is a great camera (even shoots limited video), and has a pretty decent macro setting, to boot.
Good luck, and keep shooting!
The digital SLRs are great. The G-9 is one of the best compact cameras I have ever used, as it has both shutter and aperture priority settings. The issue with the digital cameras is that the manufacturer's try to "idiot proof" them, by having settings on the camera which somewhat override the skill level of the shooter, giving pretty good pictures.
Specifically something that will greatly help your photos is changing the way the camera focuses on the subject. The G-9 (and others) have a way to "track" a subject, whereby the camera will "follow" the focus of the subject, where you point it. This is good and bad, in that if you are slightly moving in the water, the lense will focus on what it thinks you are pointing at.
First, go into your menu (lower right button) and change your "AF Frame" setting to "FlexiZone". Scroll down two, then change "Digital Zoom" to "off". Go down one more and change "Red Eye" to "off". Farther down the first screen, go to "Spot AE Point" and change this to "Center".
Go farther down the menu and turn "off" the image stabilization. With the IS on, there is a noticable lag when you depress the shutter. With if off, there is very little lag.
What these settings do is change the camera to focus on exactly where you want it (you can move focus point to 1 of 9 locations in "FlexiZone"). If you are shooting in AUTO or Scene mode (on the top, right dial), then the AF point will always be "center".
If you are shooting in "Scene" mode (top of camera, right dial), then change the setting to "Underwater" on the selector wheel. This will help overcome some of the color shift issues (like adding an 85 orange filter).
I would also suggest either bracketing your photos (one or two stops above/below your shot) which will help, as well as focusing on what you think is a different portion of the shot. Often it is near impossible to tell if you are actually aiming at what you think you are, looking through a mask and then a housing. I have had shots in my 5D that I thought were perfect, only to go back and download and find I am a tad bit out-of-focus.
Another thing you need to be sure and try and do is get as close as possible to your subject. This reduces the water column between the lens and the subject, which can naturally make things fuzzy, even if you're exactly on with your camera gear. This also reduces backscatter with your flash(es).
Also on the G9, try and use an external flash that connects through the hot-shoe on the camera, rather than using an optical pick-up style flash. The reason is that any flash that fires inside a housing causes moisture condensation issues - even if you have a silica gel pack inside your housing (which you need, regardless). A trick on the silica gel is to put it inside the housing while your are inside an air-conditioned room. Fit the camera and gel pack inside, then take out into the ambient air to let it stabilize. Yes, it will temporarily fog up, but most of the moisture is condensing on the OUTSIDE of the housing. The silica gel inside your housing will take care of any latent moisture trapped inside. A trick on the silica gel is to keep it very dry, inside a zip-lock bag. You can reuse the packets by drying for 3-5 minutes in a microwave set on 1/2 power (important that you do it at 1/2 power, so you won't melt the gel beads together).
From your pix, you're on the right track!!! The G9 is a great camera (even shoots limited video), and has a pretty decent macro setting, to boot.
Good luck, and keep shooting!
