canon g16

[Interceptor121]

I posted the Ikelite recc settings .... another 'pair' I came across, not settled on my own set yet.

One definite item is set the shortcut key to manual white balance

Custom1 (ambient light)
A mode
no flash
RAW
ev -2/3
iso 200
f2.8

Custom2 (Strobes)
M mode
Forced Flash (manual, minimum)
RAW
ev -2/3
f5.6
1/125
iso 50

Those setting make little sense to me
The first you aperture priority but then you set the ISO to 200. Doing that will force the camera towards lower shutter speeds. If you shoot aperture priority you should set a max ISO but leave it free to change
The second makes little sense to me as well
The Ev value does nothing in manual as you are locking the exposure already
ISO 50 would make sense only for macro bit for macro you would not use f5.6 and 1/125

Setting custom white balance for stills may have a small advantage if you use the histogram to check exposure it is useful for video for sure

 

[seaworm]

For people buying fantasea housings can they bring their
1. wet lens and other lens to a nauticam?
2. Why are fantasea port rectangle and not round?

 

[Tafflad]

Can't advise about US ... but in UK price was £339 deliverred

 

[Interceptor121]

The fantasea housing is a nice piece of equipment but comes nowhere near the quality of Nauticam that is aluminum (a benefit in itself) and takes lenses on an M67 thread.
You can attach macro lenses to a fantasea housing but not wide angle as the adapter is not designed to hold significant weight
Using the fantasea instead of the nauticam effectively means no close focus wide angle photography. With the canon housing instead you can actually put wide angle lenses.
So thought the fantasea housing is better built than the OEM in practical terms it restricts shooting opportunities to macro and close up shots

 

[Tafflad]

I'd agree that an aluminium housing is nice ..... but for me , I would never pay more for a housing that I pay for the camera ... that is my guideline, I look at it as equipment cost balance.
I personally do not see any benefit in Aluminium over a Polycarbonate housing for the diving I do, or value in the investment, compared to number of dives.

If you are worried about damage, I have had 5 polycarbonate housing not one of them has ever damaged or leaked. I lost one .... but would have lost Aluminium exactly the same.

If I were taking UW pics every weekend and exceeding 60m, and wanted a whole range on add-on lenses then maybe I would warrant the cost .... but I don't go deeper than 40m any more ... so the 60m rating is more than adequate,and don't use supplementary lenses.

The Fantasea does take an M67 adapter direct, but not suited to very large add-on lenses, in this case or you can fit and external M67 adapter if you want WA wet lenses.
However the physical design of Canon zoom optics limits what you can get in terms of WA lens .... even the much vaunted Inon has to have the Canon lens fixed at 80mm (losing a lot of the lens wide angle capability) ... or you will get vignetting.

For me I don't want need either ... its obviously the choice of the OP whether they do, but as they had 'concerns' about paying extra to go from Canon oem to the Fantasea, the Aluminium housing are not even part of the consideration.

 

[Interceptor121]

The inon lens are designed to work at zoom of 80mm and have magnification of 0.23x so that makes 18.4mm equivalent which is 100 degrees diagonal

Amongst various benefit of an aluminum housing:

1. Depth : rated to 100 meters vs 40 or 60 of plastic
2. All internal parts can be serviced some plastic housings are not serviceable
3. less fogging. Plastic housings tend to fog on the port as this is glass and conducts heat better than plastic, aluminum housing fog less as condensation happens first on the metal
4. more robust it does not crack
5. Take heavy wet lenses

Now the price difference is quite hefty for the G series if you compare dollar prices
Canon OEM housing $349
Ikelite non TTL $550
Fantasea $575
Nauticam 1050$

The Nauticam housing is 3x the OEM housing. You would argue that as the OEM housing in effect allows you to do exactly the same things except the depth rating you should not bother and put up with the worse control (having to hit two buttons to control the dials)
Fantasea to OEM is 65% more. It is better built it gives you a moisture alarm and you can control the dials with no problems however does not take wide angle lenses. This would be a good choice if all you do is close up work
The Ikelite housing for me makes no sense and it is outperformed by the fantasea

So my summary would be:

If budget is an issue and you don't change settings a lot (two G series has two custom modes that would be sufficient for more situations) you go for the OEM housing
If you shoot only macro and close up and want to change settings a lot you go for the Fantasea
If you shoot CFWA and want a product that will last over 3 years (at this time any plastic housing is ready for the bin) then you get the Nauticam

 

[Tafflad]

The inon lens are designed to work at zoom of 80mm and have magnification of 0.23x so that makes 18.4mm equivalent which is 100 degrees diagonal

Amongst various benefit of an aluminum housing:

1. Depth : rated to 100 meters vs 40 or 60 of plastic
2. All internal parts can be serviced some plastic housings are not serviceable
3. less fogging. Plastic housings tend to fog on the port as this is glass and conducts heat better than plastic, aluminum housing fog less as condensation happens first on the metal
4. more robust it does not crack
5. Take heavy wet lenses

Now the price difference is quite hefty for the G series if you compare dollar prices
Canon OEM housing $349
Ikelite non TTL $550
Fantasea $575
Nauticam 1050$

The Nauticam housing is 3x the OEM housing. You would argue that as the OEM housing in effect allows you to do exactly the same things except the depth rating you should not bother and put up with the worse control (having to hit two buttons to control the dials)
Fantasea to OEM is 65% more. It is better built it gives you a moisture alarm and you can control the dials with no problems however does not take wide angle lenses. This would be a good choice if all you do is close up work
The Ikelite housing for me makes no sense and it is outperformed by the fantasea

So my summary would be:

If budget is an issue and you don't change settings a lot (two G series has two custom modes that would be sufficient for more situations) you go for the OEM housing
If you shoot only macro and close up and want to change settings a lot you go for the Fantasea
If you shoot CFWA and want a product that will last over 3 years (at this time any plastic housing is ready for the bin) then you get the Nauticam

Accept most points would add ... on your options... I don't want to use strobes or WA lenses, however I do want to be able to access all of the camera functions underwater ....
You cannot operate all of the controls on Canon housing, nor can you raise & lower flash ...
That was my main reason for opting for Fantasea

Disagree on one key point... why would polycarbonate be no good in 3 years ? .... I have used mine well past 5 years and no problem.
Only change a set of O rings once in that time.
There is no reason to expect Polycarbonate to only last 3 years.

I'm sure Ikelite, Fantasea & Canon would completely disagree with you that Polycarbonate is only good for 3 years.

I still have a polycarbonate housing for my old Canon G3 and that is over 10 years old .... and is my loan camera to dive buddies, used, abused and still works as good as when new.

Your need to upgrade camera will come in before housing will need replacing .......... and that again is a good reason not to spend more on housing than value of camera (but that is just my personal money guideline)

 

[Interceptor121]

Depends how many dives you do. Usually what wears out are the orings of the buttons not the seal ones. And no manufactures guarantees any housing for any time. Those that can be serviced recommend a yearly service of parts

 

[Tafflad]

Depends how many dives you do. Usually what wears out are the orings of the buttons not the seal ones. And no manufactures guarantees any housing for any time. Those that can be serviced recommend a yearly service of parts

OK .. never had a button seal go .. they did go 'stiffer' on Ikelite, but no leaks, no failures.

Agree on warranty ... I can accept standard 2 yr warranty on Fantasea, in any event if O rings fails, you can replace O rings ... just never had it happen, maybe my post dive maintenance is better than most.

On teh comment 'depends on how many dives you do' .... this is exactly why I won't spend more on a housing than the cost of camera ....... I do 2 dive trips a year ... the camera though will get used in housing 'topside' on my boat, and on water surface every weekend from Apr to Nov, gets soaked every time ... so use of buttons for me is pretty high, just not all underwater. :blinking:

 

[Interceptor121]

Best is to keep the camera in fresh water and press all buttons. Buttons fail as salt deposits on the spring under which then in turn may create leaks. Anyway for the average diver a plastic housing can last 10 years. If you dive a lot much leas