Input needed

[Sinclair9]

Greetings all,

I have been doing a lot of reading on this forum about various cameras and have a few follow up questions. I am new to diving and uw photography and would like some input. I read the entire g12 vs s100 debate and am leaning towards the s100. This with the camera and ikelite housing is around the $700 range without any strobes. My question is, should I go this route with a new camera and housing? Or I have seen some g9 for sale with canon housing for around $350 or so, this would leave me another $350 to get a strobe and be in the same price range. Would this be a better investment? The g9 I was looking at had the canon housing, can you add external strobe to the canon housing? I typically only get to dive about 4 times a year. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[cbrich]

I shoot a G12, and 2 weeks ago got a chance to play with a S100 & S95. I am not satisfied with the S100, the controls were awkward. The G12, has a controls for ISO, aperture, and exposure right at your finger tip, but that depends on the case you get.

I shoot mainly macro, and use full Manual.

 

[Gilligan]

Greetings all,

I have been doing a lot of reading on this forum about various cameras and have a few follow up questions. I am new to diving and uw photography and would like some input. I read the entire g12 vs s100 debate and am leaning towards the s100. This with the camera and ikelite housing is around the $700 range without any strobes. My question is, should I go this route with a new camera and housing? Or I have seen some g9 for sale with canon housing for around $350 or so, this would leave me another $350 to get a strobe and be in the same price range. Would this be a better investment? The g9 I was looking at had the canon housing, can you add external strobe to the canon housing? I typically only get to dive about 4 times a year. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

1. I would not buy the G9. It was a good camera in it's time but has since been replace by the progressive technology of the G10 followed by the G11 followed by the G12 followed by the G1X.

2. I use a G10 and a G12 in Canon housings. IMO neither of these cameras can be used effectively without an external strobe. The lens tunnel blocks the lower right part of the photo when using the internal flash even with the supplied diffuser. I use an external strobe that is fired via a fiber optic cable. You cannot use the G cameras in an Ikelite housing without an external strobe.

3. I have used an S90 in a Canon housing with only the internal flash and gotten some decent results with macro shots using the supplied diffuser. I can't speak for the S100 as it has more zoom than the S90 and S95 so it therefore has a slightly longer lens tunnel which may or may not block part of a macro shot using the internal flash. You will have to have someone here advise you on that, especially with the Ikelite housing. The pop-up flash on the S cameras places the flash slightly higher than the built-in ones on the G cameras except for the G1X which has a pop-up flash.

4. If you buy the Ikelite housing for the S100 I would suggest also buying their AutoFlash AF35 strobe and tray. It is a simple setup to use and does not require a fiber optic cable to fire the external strobe. Check it out HERE

 

[BluewaterPhoto]

One the one hand, recent cameras like the S95, S100, G12 are much better than the S90 or G9 imho. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be shooting a compact camera without a strobe So definitely try to factor a strobe into your decision. Good luck! - Scott

 

[Warmwater Wank]

S9--Give thought as to what sort of shooting you want to do, which mostly means do you want to shoot more macro or wideangle? If it seems like wideangle is a big draw for you then an S100 would offer more options for wa wet lenses. (Personally I prefer a G-series because I do a lot of macro but that's me.) While you are thinking about this, think about the strobe. If this is your first uw camera you might go w/ a Canon housing and put the money saved towards a good strobe on an expandable army & tray setup.

I rarely disagree w/ Gilligan (as in never!) but you'll likely keep a good strobe through several camera changes. My suggestion would be for a better strobe like a Sea & Sea YS-01 or an Inon S2000. If you couldn't swing a good external lighting package now, you could still get decent, acceptable macro shots (in telephoto mode) w/ the Canon housing and the camera's flash. A few dives might be all it takes to clue you in as to what you really need. I'm just saying don't slam something together to hit a budget limitation now, then find a big part of what you bought isn't doing what you want later. Better to hold back on a piece of gear if you aren't sure.

You might get a better response if you could state some of your interests or what you might like to shoot. I've used an S-95 and a G-11 in Canon housings and think the housings are quite serviceable. A better housing is nice...but it won't get you better photographs like good lighting equipment will. Well, that and a lotta practice! // ww

 

[RonFrank]

Here is a inexpensive strobe option.

Intova Strobe ISS 4000 ISS 4000 B&H Photo Video

I would get the Canon housing. Canon housings are Cheap and they work well. The S100 is a decant PnS camera.

What ever you buy get to know it topside so the handling UW is more intuitive. The more comfortable you are with the camera topside the easier it will be to use UW. Use the flash topside as well just to get a feel for triggering it with the internal strobe and how it functions.

Good Luck

 

[Interceptor121]

Photography is an expensive hobby and $700 is very little to start new and get a strobe in the package
A good quality strobe though will easily stay with you 5+ years so what you could do is to buy a current model as pre-owned from a shop with arm and tray and spend say $500 (good arm and trays and good strobe stay with you forever) and then get a Canon Powershot A570 + housing on ebay you should be able to buy it around $120-150
This set up makes you take good picture and once you have more money you sell it again with a small loss and buy a better camera
Alternatively spend the money on a current camera and housing S100+Canon housing and start learning how to take macro and close up and later on add strobes
Ebay and pre-owned make wonders I would consider that for sure

 

[Sinclair9]

Thanks for the input. I don't really know what I plan to shoot, although I don't see myself doing a bunch of extreme macro work; wa seems more what I would like, but am not sure. Interceptor, why do you suggest the A570 over the G9; is it that there is not much difference and the 570 would save a few hundred dollars? It seems from what everyone is saying lighting is really the key; to me if that is the case, it almost seems better to go with an older generation camera (or less expensive) and spend my money on lighting (stobes and such). Is this incorrect thinking? Would I be better to learn to shoot underwater without a strobe first? Then add it in a year or so?

thanks

 

[darook]

Without a strobe you are obviously limited to available light shooting which is going to tax the very small sensor found on any compact camera so your results are not likely to be great though they will be very blue. Whatever camera you can afford plus a strobe of decent will result in better results than a good compact with no strobe. Since you are new to diving you will find your best returns right now spent on becoming a proficient diver with excellent buoyancy control and good air consumption. Once you have those down your luck with photography will be much greater as you generally consume much more air while getting in the right spot for the shot. If you just want to document your dives right now a cheap compact in a cheap housing will suffice to remind you of cool things you saw.

 

[RonFrank]

That Intova strobe I listed is $175 and will do a good job. Strobes are outrageous in cost and honestly I own thousands of dollars worth of lighting and this is the best strobe for the money. Two strobes is not a bad idea but one is a good start. UW equipment does not last as long as one hopes. I have never flooded my stuff but have gone through a bunch of strobes for various reasons. I am to the point where spending less on strobes is not a bad decision.

Get as good of a camera as you can afford. They continue to improve the PnS line and the latest cameras have faster focus lock and shooting speeds.

Once you have shot for a while you may decide that a better camera is in order. To start however the S100 is a really good choice. The Canon housing is all you need. IMO don't break the bank now. If this is something you really like upgrading is easy, all it takes is Money!

Canon S100.................. $363
Housing.........................$229
Intova flash...................$175
Tray / Arm.......................$50
=========================
$817

My pricing is ALL from B&H Photo.

That is for a very low end camera and strobe, but a great start. You can always spend more later!

You will spend more as there are memory cards and something to carry this in and rechargeable batteries and chargers.... the list goes on.