G9 Underwater

I just returned from using the G9 on 10 dives in the Caribbean. After using the G2 for about 5 years, this is a serious upgrade.

My question is for anyone else using this underwater. The G2's onboard flash was more square & larger than the G9's and it seemed to pick up more color at a farther distance even with the diffuser on. The G9's flash is much more narrow and I found it worked only at closer distances.

Has anyone else had this experience?

Is anyone using the G9 in an Ikelite housing with a substrobe? I've never used a substrobe before but after this recent experience with the G9 underwater, I'm convinced a substrobe is necessary to capture color at moderate distances, 3-4 feet.

I'd like to hear from anyone who's used the above combination and any hints about its use. Is there a good tutorial on the internet somewhere on how to use the G9 & substrobe?

I'll be posting the preliminary pics at www.pbase.com/dougstur​gess/grandeur asap on Sunday 4/13.

Thanks.

You experience matches mine. My next purchase for my next trip for underwater will be to add an external flash. That will work great.

I'm using the canon housing and the diffuser is a must because of the shadows that the snout of the housing will produce. This, of course, reduces the power of the flash.

J.

I won't get to try it out in the real world for a while but it worked great with my S1 IS 98% of the time so I have great expectations.
http://picasaweb.googl​e.com …CanonG9WPDC21Fl​ashAdaptor

and samples from the S1 and strobes.
http://picasaweb.googl​e.com …ozumelDivingWit​hBlueXTSea

i have the G9 w/ikelite housing and DS-51 substrobe. I used it in early march in the Turks & Caicos.

here is a link to my pics:

http://picasaweb.googl​e.com/ryan.and.jess.cl​ark

I thought it worked well overall. It would probably be better with the DS-125 substrobe, or maybe a second DS-51.

Actually, I really liked PP software canon has to adjust white balance and color saturation in my UW pics.

Ryan

my biggest problem was I used the wrong focus setting and got a few to many pics just slightly oof.

The final pics are now posted at www.dougsturgess.expos​uremanager.com/g/grand​eur . The only thing with the G9 is since the flash is narrower than the G2, I'm convinced I'll have to get a strobe for it to capture any color at more than about 2-3 feet.

JohnJ80 wrote in post #5319347
You experience matches mine. My next purchase for my next trip for underwater will be to add an external flash. That will work great.

I'm using the canon housing and the diffuser is a must because of the shadows that the snout of the housing will produce. This, of course, reduces the power of the flash.

J.

But then the G9´s best argument is dismissed, to have a small compact camera "as god as" the elder G series

Canon_Owner wrote in post #5401322
But then the G9´s best argument is dismissed, to have a small compact camera "as god as" the elder G series

It would be nice not to have to have a lag with an SLR but the great thing about the G9 is you have the ability to switch to macro mode, video, etc. I would love to have wide angle capability. I may have to pursue that when I get a strobe. I think Ikelite offers a wide angle lens. Does anyone have/use this? If so, any examples of pictures?

Canon_Owner wrote in post #5401322
But then the G9´s best argument is dismissed, to have a small compact camera "as god as" the elder G series

ah, no.

For underwater, the housing for a DSLR is more than $1500. The camera is $1000 (for purposes of discussion).

The G9 in housing is much smaller than the DSLR in a housing. Adding the external flash, it is still very much smaller.

The G9 costs $400, the housing costs $180.

So it is a much smaller package and it is a much, much, much less costly package.

Trying to find housings for out of production cameras is not easy and more work than I wanted to put into it.

The difference is shutter lag - the dslrs have no appreciable shutter lag, the P&S has appreciable shutter lag.

j.

JohnJ80 wrote in post #5402462
ah, no.

For underwater, the housing for a DSLR is more than $1500. The camera is $1000 (for purposes of discussion).

The G9 in housing is much smaller than the DSLR in a housing. Adding the external flash, it is still very much smaller.

The G9 costs $400, the housing costs $180.

So it is a much smaller package and it is a much, much, much less costly package.

Trying to find housings for out of production cameras is not easy and more work than I wanted to put into it.

The difference is shutter lag - the dslrs have no appreciable shutter lag, the P&S has appreciable shutter lag.

j.

Ok yes, maybe i will buy a water proof plastic bag for my G6 then =)

The bags are pretty much worthless. The control are difficult to operate and if you go any bit underwater, the water pressure compresses the bag around the camera which can render the controls inoperable.

J.

I would recommend a Sea&Sea or Inon strobe instead of the Ikes. The Inon D2000 is about the same price as the DS-51 and runs circles around it, in terms of power and features.

I use a Se&Sea YS-110 with my G6 in an Ike TTL housing. I was sorely tempted to buy the DS-51 for the TTL, but ultimately, TTL isnt really that much of a big help underwater and I got a much more powerful strobe for less ($350 or so from Yuzo at Naturephoto.co.jp).

I use this set up with Inon wideangle and macro add-on lenses - it is my backup/travel system for when I dont want to lug my housed DSLR around, and within its limitations (lag, wideangle, no optical finder), it works really well.

Best settings - set the camera to aperture priority and 1 stop underexposed for wide angles, and manual exposure, high aperture and shutter speed to taste for manual (faster shutter for black water, slower shutter for blue water).

Vandit

ok so substrobes are the ones that don't actually attach to the hot show right? they just work off the pre flash?

rockabilly808 wrote in post #5709946
ok so substrobes are the ones that don't actually attach to the hot show right? they just work off the pre flash?

if you're talking Ikelite strobes, depends on the housing - the Ike housing has TTL circuitry so if using an Ikelite strobe (DS-51 or DS-125) you get a sync cable and get TTL (i.e. it is connected to the hot shoe)....if using the Canon housing, you need the slave sensor to trigger the DS- substrobe off the on-board flash.
For Cannon housing it is just the slave sensor to trigger whichever strobe you decide. (no TTL)

Ike housings are significantly more $ though for the G9. I think in the $600 range, rather than the $200 range for Cannon.
Personally I'd go Ike every time though.

scubasushi wrote in post #5710340
if you're talking Ikelite strobes, depends on the housing - the Ike housing has TTL circuitry so if using an Ikelite strobe (DS-51 or DS-125) you get a sync cable and get TTL (i.e. it is connected to the hot shoe)....if using the Canon housing, you need the slave sensor to trigger the DS- substrobe off the on-board flash.
For Cannon housing it is just the slave sensor to trigger whichever strobe you decide. (no TTL)

Ike housings are significantly more $ though for the G9. I think in the $600 range, rather than the $200 range for Cannon.
Personally I'd go Ike every time though.

yeah my plan is an ike hosing for the G9, and not sure which substrobe. ho useful/important is the ttl?

dougsturgess wrote in post #5318389
I just returned from using the G9 on 10 dives in the Caribbean. After using the G2 for about 5 years, this is a serious upgrade.

My question is for anyone else using this underwater. The G2's onboard flash was more square & larger than the G9's and it seemed to pick up more color at a farther distance even with the diffuser on. The G9's flash is much more narrow and I found it worked only at closer distances.

Has anyone else had this experience?

Is anyone using the G9 in an Ikelite housing with a substrobe? I've never used a substrobe before but after this recent experience with the G9 underwater, I'm convinced a substrobe is necessary to capture color at moderate distances, 3-4 feet.

I'd like to hear from anyone who's used the above combination and any hints about its use. Is there a good tutorial on the internet somewhere on how to use the G9 & substrobe?

I'll be posting the preliminary pics at www.pbase.com/dougstur​gess/grandeur asap on Sunday 4/13.

Thanks.

Hi Doug,

I've recently started a thread

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=518279

Michael has joined in and seems quite knowledgeable on the G9 you may want to ask him some questions re the strobe.....

Cheers