S90/g11?

[andydob27]

I recently lost my G9 and will be replacing it with either the S90 or G11. I loved the G9 and never had 1 problem in the 2.5 years I had it. I had only the canon housing without any stropes or anything, and was pretty happy with the direction my underwater photos were heading.

My gut tells me to get the G11 because it will be such a smooth transition. But I have heard nothing but great things about the S90. As great as the Gs are, they sure are bulky, the housing is bulkier and taking off and putting back on that neck strap was a pain.

Pros for the G11: Already comfortable with the ergonomics, better macro?, exposure + iso external dials, longer battery life

Pros for the S90: Compact, faster lens, fuction assigned front spin wheel (why does the G11 not have this?), big LCD

I'm leaning towards the S90 mostly because of the size. My one worry is that I heard that it can't focus in macro as close as the G11? If there are S90 users that have been more than pleased with there S90+Canon WP-DC35, I would love to hear your thoughts/concerns/advice/recommendations. And I would love to see some underwater photos from the S90.

Thanks

Andy

Here are some pics from the my last trip and the final days of my old camera.
Picasa Web Albums - andy - Tioman

 

[FrankPro1]

I currently shoot with a G10/Ike and while I love the G'series cameras, the S90 is the way to go. The S90 has all the bells and whistles of the G'series but also has the capability of accepting wide angle wet' lenses. I didn't think wide angle capability was a big issue for me when I first starting underwater photography, but now that I have some experience underneath my belt I realize how important it really is. The minimum focus distance of the S90 is 5cm, while the G10 is 1cm. Have you ever focused on a macro target underwater closer then 5cm? Even though you have a good history with the Canon OEM housings, I would still look into the other housing options for the S90. If you go the S90 route instead of the G10, you will be saving about a 100 bucks on the camera purchase alone. That lets you dedicate more funds towards a better housing. I've never been impressed with the build quality of the OEM housings and while they do work, there are far better options out there.

Here is a great thread showcasing the S90/FIX combo "skip to the later pages for photos":
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/canon-corner/317325-fisheye-fix-s90.html

 

[ghnouer]

I just bought a G11 and I am very happy with my camera. ( not underwater yet).

When I had to choose between G11 and S90, there was not avaiable yet the inon mount for the canon housing. I didnt want to spend a lot of money in an expensive house.

Now is possible to buy S90, canon housing, inon 28AD mount, and you can get a very good WA (Inon 100 28AD, dome) and macro lense (165AD) in the future.

Go for S90 and the canon housing.

My 2 cents.

GHN

 

[Charlie59]

I personally still like the ability to use a ttl to take flash pictures. I would have chosen another brand of camera if the G11 didn't have the ttl feature. It has made flash pics underwater much easier and I believe the pics come out better.

A different $0.02

 

[Nemrod]

The S90 has sTTL using Inon strobes and works very well. The TTL capability of the G10/11 would require the bulky shoe box size Ikelite housing. N

 

[under water]

The S90 has sTTL using Inon strobes and works very well. The TTL capability of the G10/11 would require the bulky shoe box size Ikelite housing. N

N. You must have very small feet!!

 

[Nemrod]

N. You must have very small feet!!

The Ikelite G series housing is freaking huge.

N

 

[under water]

The Ikelite G series housing is freaking huge.

N

Actually, since I use both handles and 2 strobes, the housing size doesn't bother me. Holding my hands closer together wouldn't be much of an advantage. With 2 strobes and a UWL-100 & UCL 165, the extra air in the housing actually helps out with the buoyancy a bit.

To the OP.
Have you looked into getting a used G9? I don't think the pictures are going to improve a lot by going to a G11 or S90. That's just me talking. Others may disagree. I'm looking for a substantial improvement before moving. I'm staying with my G9's until Ikelite delivers on a housing for a 4/3 cameras and then I'll check those out.

 

[andydob27]

I went with the S90. Can't wait to get it into the water. Thanks for the advice.

Andy

 

[jammer84]

I also just took a notion of going for an S90 lastnight Couldn't sleep, started browsing and before I knew it, I had the camera, spare battery and 16GB SDHC card purchased.... impulse purchases are always the best

Was long debating a TZ10 or Sony Cybershot HX5V for the zoom and video capability, however opted for the s90 for the better performance underwater, can always get a topside camera again if video and zoom are required.

All I need to do now is decide on a housing (Fisheye Fix, Ikeline, etc) and where I can purchase from Ireland.