Need some advise with my G11

[Jorgy]

There are many good points in these posts......for all kinds of reasons......

A common theme is that the Canon housing is good enough for now and has limitations......

So why buy it? Just to replace it later.........

I went down this road with a G9 and Canon housing........

I did go with the S90 over the G11 due to the housing cost and smaller overall size....

The G11 is capable of pro level underwater pictures not the blue/green colorless pictures that many end up with.........my sense is the OP can keep and use the G11 for many many years..........

I did preface my comment that budget would allow it.....

If the OP wants to get really get into underwater photography and be able to get the "shot" not just get lucky ever once in a while then buying a full rig is the only way to go......

While the learning curve is steep, it is not impossible.....

Buy the housing that can grow with you, not limit you, learn to use it correctly (this includes how you dive, buoyancy control, etc) and add capability to your rig as you can afford it.......

The first 5 shots below are S90/Ike Housing/WA lens and no strobe......

I think the key to the pictures is the WA lens as it allows you to get "stuff" in the frame.....

I went B&W in 4 and 5 as there was not enough light at depth...

1,2 and 3 were taken in shallow water on bright days........

The 6th shot is the G9 in the Canon housing with a strobe - good color, detail, etc....but not enough FOV to get the full turtle and get color/detail, etc......

Just my thoughts........

M

 

[mpgunner]

Wow, you guys are messing with my mind. I'm going to be getting a G11 and I thought a Canon UW case would be good. Then I appreciate the comments on the IKE and the perspective of a wet lenses. If I want a simple, nice setup which way should I go?

 

[Nemrod]

If I want a simple, nice setup which way should I go?

"Simple and nice" is an undefinable concept for me, for you. I dunno. I would spend the money and get either the FIX 90 or FIX G11 housings, appropriate lenses and strobes and a G11 or S90 camera. For me that is the definition of simple and nice. N

 

[diver 85]

For starters, an UW case(Canon's is a good start) might be all you need......For example, see some of my pics in my Sig below for pics I have taken with the A570 & no strobe, it's 'distant-lowly' relative.....

 

[LeeParrish]

For starters, an UW case(Canon's is a good start) might be all you need......For example, see some of my pics in my Sig below for pics I have taken with the A570 & no strobe, it's 'distant-lowly' relative.....

Nice photos, and a testament to it can be as much the person behind the camera as it is the camera itself. Now we all know that there may be limitations with the lower cost equipment, but it's often not near the dramatic difference you'd think based on the difference in price.

I have a simple SD770 that I have been quite satisfied considering the total expense of the camera and housing was under $400. Originally bought it to do some snorkel photos and when I got certified it was still able to work for me until I now feel I'm ready to move to something with a little more control. I've posted a few of the photos I've done with the SD770 here: Australia 2009, and while they aren't world class, they are good enough that I'm quite happy considering the money it cost me to get these.

I've recently purchased a G11 and Canon housing. I did it because I wanted a camera with a little more control than the SD770 allowed. With the Canon housing I don't have a path for add on wet lenses that is anywhere near as flexible as those with housings such as the Fix or Ikelite, but then I have a budget and would rather put the money I save into going diving. The housing cost me a total of $175, and the savings of $425 over the Ikelite will pay for my diving in Kona in May. The savings over the Fix would nearly pay for my entire trip. So for me I'd rather go somewhere interesting with a little less capable camera than spend all my money on a camera and then not be able to really go anywhere with it.

 

[under water]

.... A common theme is that the Canon housing is good enough for now and has limitations......
So why buy it? Just to replace it later.........
M

One reason.. when you buy your Ike or whatever, you can still use the canon housing as a backup. Which has proven to be a valuable strategy for me when I couldn't get a $.02 part for my Ike housing on Curacao.
I also bring a spare camera, just in case.

 

[Nemrod]

The Canon housings are fine if you can deal with the severe limitations. That and the stuck buttons and seeping mold lines. I don't really see buying an advanced capability Porsche camera and then sticking it in a Pinto housing that limits what you can do. But, then most people just like to take the nice bluish fish pics and shoot nice snails so for that, I guess. N

 

[LeeParrish]

The Canon housings are fine if you can deal with the severe limitations. That and the stuck buttons and seeping mold lines. I don't really see buying an advanced capability Porsche camera and then sticking it in a Pinto housing that limits what you can do. But, then most people just like to take the nice bluish fish pics and shoot nice snails so for that, I guess. N

I would think that it's a bit of an overstatement to dismiss all setups that use Canon housing to doing "nice bluish fish pics and shoot nice snails". Could you share some of what your setup is capable of doing in photos and not in specs? And I don't mean this in any negative way, but it's one thing to talk about what you can do with a particular camera setup in a theoretical sense, it's another to show the actual results. I've shared what I've been able to do with my SD770 in a Canon housing, and diver 85 showed what they did with a A570 and Canon housing. I don't have anything yet with my new G11 as I've had it about a week, but will be happy to share what I get as soon as I have something. Maybe you're in the same situation as I am with a new camera and nothing to show yet, but it might be more useful for people who are wondering what to buy if they could see results not discussions. I know when I was deciding I started with specs, but ended up making the decision to get the G11 mainly because I found a good number of actual photos to judge on the G11 that I would consider up to the quality I want. This isn't saying that another camera isn't just as capable, possibly more capable, but in the end I looked at the results I could find as the indication of what was possible, not specs on a web site or discussion.

 

[toastman]

Just order the WP-DC34.

you should pay more than $174 plus shipping.

All you need to start with

 

[Nemrod]

I would think that it's a bit of an overstatement to dismiss all setups that use Canon housing to doing "nice bluish fish pics and shoot nice snails". Could you share some of what your setup is capable of doing in photos and not in specs? And I don't mean this in any negative way, but it's one thing to talk about what you can do with a particular camera setup in a theoretical sense, it's another to show the actual results. I've shared what I've been able to do with my SD770 in a Canon housing, and diver 85 showed what they did with a A570 and Canon housing. I don't have anything yet with my new G11 as I've had it about a week, but will be happy to share what I get as soon as I have something. Maybe you're in the same situation as I am with a new camera and nothing to show yet, but it might be more useful for people who are wondering what to buy if they could see results not discussions. I know when I was deciding I started with specs, but ended up making the decision to get the G11 mainly because I found a good number of actual photos to judge on the G11 that I would consider up to the quality I want. This isn't saying that another camera isn't just as capable, possibly more capable, but in the end I looked at the results I could find as the indication of what was possible, not specs on a web site or discussion.

I agree, Diver85 is a standout shooter.

I have posted plenty of pics from my two A570 rigs and even a few from my Nikon SLR and Nikonos previous rigs. These below, one is a Canon housing and the other is a Ikelite, both for the capable A570. The difference in the two housings is considerable. The Canon housing seeped at a mold line which I had to do the "sanding" repair on. The buttons stuck over and over below 60 to 80 feet until I did the "button spring" mod. One thing with the Canon DC-12 housing is that Inon does make a wide angle capable adapter that allows it to use the amazing Inon UWL165AD lens and the Ikelite housing allows the 570 to couple with the Inon or similar 67mm threaded lenses, which, is something the G10/G11 Canon housings CANNOT do. A wide angle lens is used, to get close, to take a wider view, to eliminate "bluish" fish shots, to allow the use of a strobe at an effective distance.

Sorry, I don't do snail shots or bluish fish head shots. The above are not my best, I am still learning digital. I expect much better from my new camera. Ok, Ok, one bluish fish shot:

Compare to the top second shot above, what is the difference----I am four times closer because I am using an Inon WAL100 with dome, I am in effective strobe distance and I have eliminated a bunch of water between me and the fish. Something the G10/G11 in the Canon housing cannot do.

I am sorry you don't agree with me, I will stick with what I said, for the G10/G11, if shooting without a wide angle lens capability and doing macro and fish head shots, the Canon housing is adequate but then similar shots can be accomplished with much less capable camera so why spend the money to a G10 to begin with if you intend to cripple it up front. My opinion, I never said you had to agree or abide by it. When people ask for advice or opinions to get "nice" shots they need to specify that they only want supporting opinions similar and reinforcing to their own.

N