Need Help with next canon purchase

[jgoodstein]

I am a Semi-pro photographer (I get paid.. but don't do it full time). I only shoot canon although I have no gripes about other brands... Canon is just my choice. I recently have been doing underwater jobs for a company and when I do, I rent enclosures & lighting. My gear is all covered by insurance and I have no fears taking a 50D, or 5DMKII underwater in that scenario. However, I want to buy a P&S for my more casual diving and for non work trips. I don't want a full DSLR, just a rig that can shoot in raw.

I have between $600-$700 burning a hole in my pocket for such a present for myself. I'm looking for suggestions on camera's and cases that fit that budget.

I'm not looking for external flashes.. I'm buying those with work money (read tax deduction) and they have to be TTL compliant.

I was thinking about the S95 or G11 and case, but wanted to get some more opinions before I pull the proverbial trigger.

 

[PatW]

I am familiar with the Canon G11. The Canon S90 is similar. They are advanced point and shoots.

Ikelite makes housings for the G11 and S90. The Ikelite housing for the G11 is about $600 and the housing for the S90 is about half that. The S90 housing is considerably less expensive. Both cameras will shoot RAW format which is important. Both cameras will do manual. The G11 is more capable for macro photography. But for really close in work, a wet lens is something you want. The point and shoots have advantages over DSLRs in that they have more flexibility underwater. Once you stick a lens on a DSLR, you are stuck with that lens for the dive. The point and shoots have a disadvantage in having some shutter lag but it can be worked with.

The G11 set up would be more expensive and a bit bulkier and more capable.

 

[skankpile]

I'm a total canon buff, and have all canon glass.. so I tend to stick with canon as well..

the S90 has the same sensor as the G11, and when its not in an enclosure it will fit in your pocket. The s90 will also let you go into manual & P mode so you can do fill flash etc. In good light it makes good 5X7, but thats as far as I go with it.

When I want an awesome pic I use my 1Dm3, but I usually carry a s90 around. If you are going to compare a p&s to your 5D... color, metering, saturation, shadow detail... not even close, but it will get the job done.

1dm3

s90 after lightroom resizing, wb, and exposure comp

 

[Gilligan]

Since you stated you were not looking at an external strobe I would go with the S90 or S95 (same camera except the S95 has HD video and a few other minor improvements over the S90.

I have a G10 in a Canon housing with an external strobe.

The G10 and G11 in Canon housings have a shortcoming without an external strobe. On closeup macro shots the lens tunnel on the housing obstructs the camera's internal strobe to the degree it creates a dark area on the bottom of the photo. The use of the diffuser does not solve the issue. You have to back away from the subject and/or position your subject in the upper portion of the photo then crop the photo in post-processing. You simply can't use either camera in the Ikelite housing without an external strobe.

The S90 and S95 do not have the impairment the G10 and G11 have in their respective Canon housings because they do not have the longer lens tunnel as they do not have as much zoom, which you don't need underwater anyway. The S90 and S95 have pop-up internal strobes which position the strobe a little higher than the built in ones on the G10 and G11. I doubt you can use the S90 and S95 in the Ikelite housing because it has a large lens port for the addition of 67mm wet lenses and it may partially block the internal strobe.

A big plus for non-strobe shots is the 2.0 lens on the S90 and S95 versus the 2.8 on the G10 and G11.

IMHO for a compact underwater camera/housing WITHOUT an external strobe the S90 or S95 in their respective Canon housings are my choices.

Using RAW mode, especially for non-strobe shots, is a must for top quality photos. All the above mentioned cameras have it.

 

[bvanant]

There are about 13,000 posts on the relative merits of the G11 (now G12) vs. the S90 in underwater housings. Your price limit suggests that you will be using a Canon housing. Go to your favorite camera store and play with them. I think the S90 is a bit too small for my taste but like the G series a bit more but YMMV.
Bill