Shopping questions

[caniac]

I am upgrading from a older Canon point and shoot SD800 that I used in a Canon housing (flooded) to the G7X. I usually make 1 or 2 dive trips a year, so I was thinking the Fantasea housing would be sufficient for my needs. I would like to get more into manual control, or at least AV mode of using the camera.

I am considering the Inon S-2000 strobe due to it's power and size.

I was wondering if a red filter would be beneficial. My husband gets amazing results with one on his GoPro, but between the strobe and being able to set the white balance when not using the strobe, I don't know if it would be necessary for the G7X. I plan on taking mostly stills not video.

Then I am wondering if there are other things I should consider at this point - focus light, dome, close up lens, or if a new camera and strobe will be enough to play with on an upcoming 2 week trip to Bonaire.

I would appreciate your input.

Thanks,
Jeanne

 

[Ran Mozaik]

Hey Jeanne,

The G7X in the Fantasea housing would be an excellent choice. Using the camera on manual modes will be easier than you think, especially when using a strobe. The settings are quite straight-forward, with the shutter speed fixed on 1/125 or 1/200, ISO on 200-400 and controlling light with the aperture (f-number) and the strobe output. These settings are great for Caribbean waters.

The Inon S2000 is an excellent choice and the most compact strobe available. Read this to compare against other strobes: Best Strobe for Underwater - The Ultimate Strobe Guide
When using a strobe you will not be using a filter. The filter could be useful for videos.
I highly recommend a wide angle option (Fantasea's BigEye). The added field of view is a blessing and improves your photos immediately. As you progress and gain more experience you can get a macro wet lens as well, since it is a bit hard to begin with.
Anyway the camera, housing and strobe are more than enough to create awesome photos. The G7X is a fantastic and very capable camera.
Perhaps you can find some useful tips here: My First Underwater Compact Camera - Beginners Tutorial

 

[jimw]

I have a G7x and Canon housing. I think I would have bought the Fantasea had it been out a few months earlier. It looks great and seems to have controls for all needed functions--to be fair the Canon housing has all the controls I need as well. I do like the dual oring on the Fantasea as well as the moisture alarm that comes with it.