ok, new guy and G10 case question

[saschagast]

hey everybody, I'll keep this short.
I bought a G10 a few months ago, main reasons are not wanting to carry my D3 around and also the underwater housing option for the G10.
the canon housing seems hard to come by these days and after using the search function on this site, I have been reading what all you guys have been using.
I do mainly wildlife/portrait photography with my D3 and i am way to cheap and dive to seldom to get a case for it, but in 3 weeks I'll be in Maui and I want to take nice underwater pics.
I am thinking of getting a nice housing and a decent strobe that allows me to use the TTl functions even though most on here seem to like manual, that's something I don't think I'll be ready for yet.
so what should I get keeping budget in mind.

right now I am thinking all Ikelite gear, the housing and at least the DS51 strobe, but usually it doesn't take me much to be talked into something better. yes, I am aware of the Patima and Fix housings, yummy is all I can say, but I don't go diving that much and I think for the money the Ikelite is not a bad option.

my questions are, do you guys recommend the wide angle lens from Ikelite, am i gonna get use out of it or would you just use the housing and one strobe to start?
is the DS 51 strobe enough or should I go better so i can grow into it and have better options.
can you guys, at least the ones that have a similar setup post a pic of all the components needed and how big all this might be, I don't wanna lug around too much gear, after all I am just mainly gonna dive around black rock this time,

any and all help would be appreciated.

and yes, so far I know i'd rather have a Fix housing and a Sea and Sea strobe, the 110 or whatever it's called sounds like it would be the nicest setup, but maybe a tad over what i am willing to spend.

please help a new guy

thank you so much

Sascha

 

[Gilligan]

"Budget" is relative.

If you go for an Ike housing then go for at least the DS160 strobe which is true TTL as it is hard wired to the Ike housing. For my wallet it's not budget at around $1400. If you go the Ike route best to stick with an all Ike setup.

For my "budget" it was a Canon housing, a Sea & Sea YS-27DX strobe and a generic tray/handle off eBay. The strobe is manual and uses a fiber optic cable. I use the camera in the "M" mode so using a manual strobe was not an inconvenience. I will say it is a very compact setup.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

What Gilligan said. And what he has previously said "What's the big deal about shooting manual?" Ok, he didn't maybe say that but it is not a big deal to shoot that way. Why? Because the strobe determines exposure and that's based on distance and output, there really isn't that much to fumble with for most shots.

Flash shots are usually done in a predictable range, rarely beyond 4-5 feet. (You can easily switch over to an automated exposure & white balance mode for distance shots.) Gilligan noted in a previous post that you quickly learn the "sweet spots" for aiming the strobe and exposure is similiar. After shooting a few times you figure out some basic exposure settings and tweak as needed while diving, usually by adjusting the flash output manually and/or maybe occasionally f/stops (shutter speeds can stay set, usually 1/1000th or higher).

Sure, TTL is swell--but pricey when you figure you need at least an Ike to pull it off. B&H currently shows the Canon housing in-stock, shouldn't be a problem to get them again (though it was for a while). Put the extra $$ into a good strobe (Sea & Sea 27DX or 110A, Inon S2000S etc.). You'll get more mileage out of a better strobe than a spendier housing. (I'm not knocking higher-end housings but only if budget and diving opportunities warrant it.)

Don't sweat shooting manual, a bit of dry land practice and by the time you hit Hawaii you'll be having fun and getting good pics. // ww

 

[saschagast]

Jim, I'm not gonna lie, your setup is also what I had in mind, especially budget wise and I know I might get buyers remorse if I go any crazier than that, but with all my other photo gear, I have always gone all out, so no surprise that I am debating the better gear, but like I said, I'll be in Maui and I don't know how much diving I'll get done in the future.

how did you adhere the fiber optic cable and where did you get it from, would you now go with the 110 or is the 27 enough strobe.
yes, your pictures do look just like what I am looking for and the setup seems small enough.


Wank, thank you so much for your input as well, I think you guys are about to safe me lots of money and if I like it so much, I can always go crazy later

 

[maddmack]

MY FIRST POST I also have the canon housing, a yellow reef master strobe with fiber cable.
what did you use to attach the cable to the housing,and can you remove it?
any closeup pictures of your setup you're willing to share?
Respect,
Maddmack

 

[FrankPro1]

If you go for an Ike housing then go for at least the DS160 strobe which is true TTL as it is hard wired to the Ike housing.

Any current Ikelite strobe can link up with TTL bulkhead in the G10 housing and provide true TTL.

my questions are, do you guys recommend the wide angle lens from Ikelite, am i gonna get use out of it or would you just use the housing and one strobe to start?
is the DS 51 strobe enough or should I go better so i can grow into it and have better options.

The wide angle lens from Ikelite is very poor. It only bring back the FOV which the G10 has above water. I know of a few companies which have options in the works, but unless you absolutely need wide angle right away.... I would sit on it.

I currently have the G10/Ikelite/DS-51 setup. I am very happy with it and have had some pretty decent results. The DS-51 is plenty powerful enough for macro and adding a second 51 would make alright for mild wide angle. If you want to shoot true wide angle and have something you can grow into, I would go for the DS-165 as Gilligan suggested. The 165 has a wider angle of coverage then the 51 and has a built in focus light. If you do get the Ikelite setup, I would recommend getting the dual handle tray as soon as possible. Its a cheap 65-75$ investment and really helps the stability and handling on the system. The G10/Ikelite is the bulkiest option, but I have had no problems handling it above or below water.
Some links to my picture posts:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/292450-christmas-tree-cove-7-3-09-a.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwater-photography/286409-spring-diving-palos-verdes-peninsula.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/287553-neptunes-cove.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/281790-christmas-tree-cove-4-21-09-a.html
Every one of my photo posts were done with the internal strobe besides the 7.3.09 Christmas Tree Cove.
Here's a picture for reference:

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Fiber optic attachment should be a STICKY item, it comes up enough! (hint) Go to Radio Shack,they sell a clear base velcro like material called Sticky-Back that works fine and is cheap (its plastic not fabric, like regular Velcro, holds great UW). Here is one source for fiber optic cable w/ a plug that fits the slave socket on Sea & Sea (and other flashes) w/ a slight bit of trimming (soft rubber, trims easily).
Newegg.com - Rosewill RCW-H9001 6 ft. Toslink Optical Cable M-M - Audio Video Cables

The cable is 6', cut it in half and you have 2 FO cords for like 9 bucks (well, + shipping). Oh and you can coil this stuff easily by coiling it tightly around a pencil then heating it w/ a hair dryer until it softens a bit. Cut the non-plug end at a diagonal w/ an Exacto for better sensing capacity. Someone else posted a link for a cheap, ready to go cable w/ velcro etc. all set up but I can't find it--maybe do a seach and hunt for it.

Jim seems happy w/ his 27DX (not to speak for him though), I like the 110A (has an aim light and a tad bit more output) but either one is fine. The Inon S2000S is around $450. through Reef Photo, it's a very nice flash also. Nynex on eBay is a diver selling a very good tray & arm setup, got my 110A & tray setup through him, good person to deal with. // ww
ps--Welcome to SB you two!

 

[Gilligan]

how did you adhere the fiber optic cable and where did you get it from, would you now go with the 110 or is the 27 enough strobe.
yes, your pictures do look just like what I am looking for and the setup seems small enough.

1. The cable came with the strobe from the eBay seller. It's a generic one that has the plug for the strobe on one end and is bare on the other for you to attach to the housing as you choose.

2. I used my old Olympus housing Inon strobe cable attachment for the housing on a temporary basis until I get back to the USA. Then I will likely use Velcro to design one.

3. The YS-100 alpha has an aiming light and can be used with a TTL cord. The 27DX is a manual strobe with no aiming light. Price dif is about $150. I had an aiming light on my old Inon D-180 and loved it. I may have gotten the 110 alpha if I was in the USA but the import tariffs and taxes here in the Philippines are a killer. There have been a few times I could have used the aiming light but is the price dif worth it if I can't use the TTL cord on a Canon housing and I'm shooting manual anyway?

Bottom line is; I wanted to replace my dead Oly C4000Z with a quality camera and quality strobe. I don't want to carry wet-mount lenses underwater anymore. I wanted a compact yet quality setup. The G10, 27DX and my generic tray is all of that.

I used the flex arm for years with my Oly but from that experience the ball and socket/arm type is much better for range of motion as I previously stated. You need that range of motion to compensate for the Canon housing partially blocking the camera's lens on very close-up macro shots. I couldn't do that with the flex type arm without adding numerous segments, too many segments for my liking.

If you go the Canon housing route be sure to block the camera's strobe when you rig the fiber optic cable to the housing so it doesn't interfere with the photo.

 

[saschagast]

thank you again guys, this really helped, can't wait to go dive

 

[SeaSoulSelf]

saschagast, keep an eye out on amazon -- when they get new stock in for the Canon housing, the price drops considerably. i got mine for $167.

Haven't had a chance to try it out yet. soon come.