Looking for a Canon point and shoot

[Nemrod]

I looked closely at the Canon G9 as a "compact" to use alongside my Canon DSLRs (1Ds III and 5D), and rejected it as neither a true pocketable compact (it's too big and heavy for that) nor a high quality DSLR-substitute. To me it falls between the two camps. I bought instead a slightly-larger-than-minute compact from another manufacturer, which gives better results on land than I have ever had from any Canon or Sony compact. And it was way cheaper.

But there's no u/w housing available for it, and I want to upgrade from my present three u/w compacts (I rent them out) which all date from 5mp days. Hence my initial interest in the G9. I have now pretty well decided on another Canon, but this time a true compact. That's the SD950IS. A guest here had one a few weeks ago in the Canon housing and took some superb u/w photographs with it, as good as any I've ever seen taken with a compact. He used the internal flash at a range of subject distances and I couldn't see any shadows or vignetting.
And when not underwater it makes a tiny but high-performing pocket camera, very light yet durable thanks to its titanium case. I really can't fault it.

Sure, it doesn't have many manual controls, but I don't want that in a sub-compact. I want to be able to take good shots automatically as quickly as possible. It does have the important controls of being able to freeze exposure/focus and then reframe, and to bias the automatic exposure up or down by several stops. And it has a built-in very effective "underwater" mode. That's all I look for in a compact. If I want to fiddle or take more difficult shots I'll use a DSLR.

A camera can't do everything. To me the SD950IS is the perfect pocket camera for surface use, and the perfect compact camera for underwater use. Sorry to disagree with other people who've posted here.

I like having manual and Av mode but auto is good and here is a link to exactly what makes your choice a better choice than the square port variety. Good luck, looks like a nice set up.

INON America - News & Events

N

 

[Rickg]

Most Canon P&S do not have housing with round ports, the 720 for example does not and neither does the G9 and this results from the longer than 4X zooms. Even the Ike housings for them have a long port. This means you cannot fit wet lenses to the Canon housing and on the Ike housings the long ports produce vignetting.

The Canon 570IS with it's short 4X zoom and round port Canon housing works great with wet lenses (Inon AD bayonet type) and the Ike housing for it should work with the larger 67mm screw mount wet lenses.Long zoom lenses are not a good thing for underwater use due to the compromised ports.

N

Actually these days you can fit Inon wetmate lenses (macro and W/A) to Canon P&S housings with oval ports (DC6, 8, 11 or DC16, 18, 21) by using an Inon M67 adapter.

UWdigitalcamera.com

To use these add-ons you will first need to purchase a lense adapter like Inon M67 lense adapter for Canon DC housings that can be found at:

UWdigitalcamera.com

The following is a quote from their website.

"M67 Lens adapter for Canon DC housings

This item is the 67mm lens adapter for Canon DC housings which have oval port ( DC6,8,11 or DC16,18,21)

You can use 67mm thread type close-up lenses with your Canon housing. It also accept 67mm wide conversion lens physically, but by the reason of camera lens construction, you see hard vignetting ( black shadow of the corners) and it is no use. These powershot cameras, when you use wide side zoom, the lens position is at the far side from the port glass."

Regarding W/A attachment lenses - as you can see in the quote above from their website they aren't really recommended for the Canon P&S housing with an oval port like the DC-16 housing that is used for the A720IS. But I also saw the following response from Yuzo of

UWdigitalcamera.com

to another Scubaboard member on this subject and here is what he had to say.

"For DC8/18 or DC6/16, it is possible to use UWL-100 with some zooming up but not recommended. Even with these, you see some blooming of the image.

But with DC11 or DC21, you see hard vignetting and blooming of image, and I say it is impossible to use."

So it appears that a W/A attachment lense is an option for the A720/DC-16 setup depending upon what you want to do with it but doesn't work well if you attempt too much zoom with the W/A lense.

I believe my next purchase will be the INON UCL-165 M67 Close-up Lens.

 

[Whitten]

As I am sure others have commented on in the previous posts the SD series point and shoot really is limited.

I personally shoot with a Canon SD900 with the DC-7 Housing. When I first started doing any kind of of UW photography I had 0 experience with anything else other than a disposable. Obviously the SD was a vast improvement.

Pros: Very light, manuverable, extremely easy to use, UW mode really helps with the color when not using any kind of light or strobe, great for snorkeling, and takes some excelent shots for just a cheap camera.

Cons: I find it's focusability to be extremely limited and taking pictures anything more than 10' in clear water requires you to stay extremely still which is really hard when you are snorkeling in a current. Diving with it in Fiji yielded me some photos that were good, but certainly not great. I have to remind myself that it is still a lense system, and the less surface area you have to collect light, and the smaller the sensor is the less ability it will have to take good pictures.


I love my camera and will continue to practice getting shots with it. While the clarity and sharpness aren't the best I find that for the money it was worth every single penny I paid due simply to the memories it has helped me capture.

 

[BigFame]

i have an sd1100is and LOVE LOVE it. next I'll get the housing. I can't imagin that with 7mm gloves on I would have much control over manual controls nor am I photosmart so I will let thecamera make the decsions for me. (Just had an image of Vincent Gallo explaining in Buffalo 66 about how he drives cars that shift themselves)

 

[peterbj7]

I find it's focusability to be extremely limited

Don't know what you mean by this

taking pictures anything more than 10' in clear water requires you to stay extremely still

That's always the case with underwater photography, and no less so with a DSLR

..... which is really hard when you are snorkeling in a current

You'll be unlikely toget any worthwhile pictures taken from the surface, because the ripples/waves toos you around too much. Whether diving or snorkelling you need to drop at least a foot below the surface, stabilise and get comfortable and still, then take your picture

Diving with it in Fiji yielded me some photos that were good, but certainly not great

From what you've said above, I'd say your technique is to blame, and maybe also your basic diving skills. That camera should be capable of some really good shots.
That said, the pictures you've posted don't look too bad to me!

 

[rubbachicken]

i have a canon ixus 960is
i got to use it for the first time last week
it's great, not cheap though
it's capeable of taking better pictures that i am, i have a bit of learning to do

some pictures i posted on another forum
chicken pics

 

[peterbj7]

Well I'm confused. The Canon USA and UK sites list totally different information and cameras. The UK site shows SD950, 960 and 970, the USA site just shows 950. But the US 950 appears identical to the UK 960. Furthermore, the 950 & 970 (UK) are both shown as having larger CCDs than the UK 950 (and different from each other) - the US 950 has the smaller CCD as installed in the UK 960. Only the US 950/UK 960 are made of titanium, the others appear to be aluminium.

What on earth are Canon up to? I was going to buy a (US) 950, but now I'm afraid I'm skipping Canon altogether.

 

[rubbachicken]

Well I'm confused. The Canon USA and UK sites list totally different information and cameras. The UK site shows SD950, 960 and 970, the USA site just shows 950. But the US 950 appears identical to the UK 960. Furthermore, the 950 & 970 (UK) are both shown as having larger CCDs than the UK 950 (and different from each other) - the US 950 has the smaller CCD as installed in the UK 960. Only the US 950/UK 960 are made of titanium, the others appear to be aluminium.

What on earth are Canon up to? I was going to buy a (US) 950, but now I'm afraid I'm skipping Canon altogether.

i guess they are like some other manufacturers, like ford they have a different range in the US and the UK and in europe

just because they show different camera's for different countries, i don't see that as a reason to buy a different make of camera all together

i have the UK ixus 960is, i'm usually a sony fan, but this camera was a better choice
and i've yet to discover all it's different modes and settings, i way happy with it


i need to start reading the instructioins

 

[peterbj7]

The size of the CCD is a good indicator of IQ, largely the noise aspect, which is why when I bought a DSLR last year I chose one with a full size sensor (ie. one the same size as a 35mm film frame). Ironically this was a Canon, the 5D.

Now I see the UK SD950 (not available under any name in the US) has a sensor size of 2.5", which is the largest I have seen on any compact - even Canon's own G9 has a sensor only 1.7" (or it does in the US - I haven't checked to see whether the UK version is different!). Yet that camera is cheaper, and at 8mp still has ample resolution.

Even the UK 970 has a sensor size of 2.3", with mp of 10. Still better than the UK 960/US 950.

What I object to is the deliberate obvuscation, using the same name for different products in different regions. Since these cameras all come from the same SE Asian factory and are merely badged for different markets, it HAS to be deliberate.

It isn't just that I don't like this company treating me as a fool, I genuinely now don't have a clue which of these cameras is the best. In any case, I have had quite a few compacts, Canon and otherwise, and I've found the best performance came from another make. Sadly though there's no underwater housing for that camera.

Actually, thinking about it, I had a guest here early this year with an SD950 (I know it was - I even took a picture of it) with a titanium case and 12mp. Yet he's English, lives in London, and to the best of my knowledge bought the camera at a London shop. Now I AM confused.