Anybody using Canon G series ?

[Tafflad]

Bought myself a Canon G16 & just ordered the Fantasea FG16 housing.

Quick background ... this is not my first camera, had several, and now know that I will not be using any strobes ... please don't respond saying to use them, been that route and it ended up spoiling my diving.
I dive for fun ... I take pics of what I see, the purpose of the dive is not about photography.
That said always keen to get good shots within limits of kit I have.

The Q is .... what mode should I be using on camera when diving, I will be shooting in RAW so that eliminates any of the SCN modes (incl underwater)

One suggestion is to simply use P mode (Flash off) and manual WB and take all pics this way.

manualWB is not critical for me, as I will shoot in RAW, and can set the WB later in post processing with Lightroom .......... although when I remember I will set WB as matter of good practise.

I will probably use video as much as stills ... the 60fps full HD is one of the reasons I changed cameras.

Be interested in any feedback from any G series users.

 

[Gilligan]

I use a G12 and use the Custom 1 and 2 settings. I use C1 for my strobe shots in the M mode with 1/200 shutter anf F5 as my base settings.I use C2 for my non-strobe shots in Av mode with a base setting of 1/100 shutter and Auto wb. All shots in RAW mode.
Keep in mind you have to calibrate your WB for video shots or use a filter. I calibrate off a white card.

 

[diver 85]

Not a G series--but a current S & former A570 user(both Canon's)......On both those Tv or Av worked fine(I had no strobe for my 570 & remember using 100% Av on that one---came out with some,IMO, fairly good shots......Used the Canon housing on that one, have a Fix for my S95)......Click below link to see some of my 570 shots --ie Av, internal flash only, & marco 100% of time, varied my F-stop from 5 something(in shallower more ambient lite) down to ~2+ the deeper I went, & no RAW on that camera---in clear Caribbean/Pacific waters.......lol, hope some of this makes sense......good luck....
UW PS Pics Photos by GEAUXtiger | Photobucket

 

[Tafflad]

I use a G12 and use the Custom 1 and 2 settings. I use C1 for my strobe shots in the M mode with 1/200 shutter anf F5 as my base settings.I use C2 for my non-strobe shots in Av mode with a base setting of 1/100 shutter and Auto wb. All shots in RAW mode.
Keep in mind you have to calibrate your WB for video shots or use a filter. I calibrate off a white card.

Do you use any exposure compensation? ... previous advice for UW pics was to set to -2/3ev

What about ISO do you leave on auto? ... or lock down to for example 200

---------- Post added April 14th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ----------

Not a G series--but a current S & former A570 user(both Canon's)......On both those Tv or Av worked fine(I had no strobe for my 570 & remember using 100% Av on that one---came out with some,IMO, fairly good shots......Used the Canon housing on that one, have a Fix for my S95)......Click below link to see some of my 570 shots --ie Av, internal flash only, & marco 100% of time, varied my F-stop from 5 something(in shallower more ambient lite) down to ~2+ the deeper I went, & no RAW on that camera---in clear Caribbean/Pacific waters.......lol, hope some of this makes sense......good luck....


UW PS Pics Photos by GEAUXtiger | Photobucket

Were you using AV mode to specifically change the depth of field, or using it for adjustments it until you obtained reasonable shutter speed ?

 

[diver 85]

Do you use any exposure compensation? ... previous advice for UW pics was to set to -2/3ev

What about ISO do you leave on auto? ... or lock down to for example 200

---------- Post added April 14th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ----------




Were you using AV mode to specifically change the depth of field, or using it for adjustments it until you obtained reasonable shutter speed ?

.....

For me, I was using that --well, just because..lol......Also, ISO @ 80(the lowest every time)......For what ever reason, it seemed to work..

EDIT:...remember, this isn't film down there(like the old days......)..You've got unlimited number of shots, not 36.....Take as many as you can---to bracket ie adjust the F-stop if get a bad one--& delete the ones you're not happy with

EDIT 2:..I currently(S95) use -1/3, always......

 

[Tafflad]

.....You've got unlimited number of shots, not 36.....Take as many as you can---to bracket ie adjust the F-stop if get a bad one--& delete the ones you're not happy with
......

So do you use auto bracketing function ?

 

[diver 85]

So do you use auto bracketing function ?

I have no idea what you're talking about---so, the answer is No.........A quick thought I just had---when I got my A570 back in ?07 I think it was, the G series was just coming out(I think) & the number was ?maybe 7 or so?......Now they're up to ?16----that's how many cameras later(6 or 8--+?) ie the 'quality' of your shots should be many times better than I was getting with A570.....When I bracket(not very often btw but for a newbie it would be wise) I would take a shot--let's just say in Tv set to 1/200th, review it, & if you're not happy go to a ?faster speed...Now that's IF your subject is still there & not darted away...

The only thing i'm not sure(familiar)about is the housing you've bought ie the Fantasea...Everything I'm speaking of is using the EOM Canon clear plastic housing.......In fact, here's a pic I ran across just a couple days ago of me(on the left)taking a pic with my old A570 of a 14' Tiger shark in Fiji in 2010......ie I used my A570 for over 3 years till I went back to stobe/WA(that I had in my old film rig).......

EDIT:....just saw who took this pic(Early Ewing) & remember it was with a G10, with a Ikelite 161 strobe & Ikelite housing---he had JUST gotten....Since that trip, we make about 2 diving trips a year together(part of a group of about 20 of us that travel together now)......

[/URL]Fiji..Me taking a pic of tiger shark...photo by Early Ewing.. by GEAUXtiger, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Tafflad]

I have no idea what you're talking about---so, the answer is No

Thanks ....
On G16 you can set Auto bracketing, to quote the manual:
"Three consequtive images are captured at different exposure levels (standard. under exposure, over exposure) each time you shoot. You can set the amount of under & over exposure form -12 to +2 in 1/3 rd increments"

 

[sunnyboy]

I'm in the process of upgrading from an A570is in the Ikelite housing to a G16, again Ikelite housing. With the A570 I used P for all stills but had a Sola1200 video light as back-fill for the on-camera flash. Worked great and allowed me to take video whenever I wanted as well.

For the G16 setup I'm adding a strobe arm and the DS51 flash for stills, but am waiting for the dual arm tray so I can take the Sola as well. That will allow stills and video.

I personally love the effects you can get with the video light acting as fill, or dynamic side light etc.

 

[Tafflad]

I had an Ikelite housing on a previous camera, while I can see great advantages to these if you regularly dive in 5mm gloves ... I found the housing far too big & heavy, there was so much space around camera the whole thing became the size of a shoebox. Plus the clunky controls are not needed if diving is warm water and no no gloves.
I'll admit they are built ruggedly ... just too much for my needs, I'm at the happy snapper end of the scale, no strobes & and no intent to do greater than 40m
Last 3 housings have been manufacturers own, and while many don't like the simple polycarbonate .... they are a good fit for camera, work well and good for 40m which is as far I go nowadays.

This time I chose a Fantasea as the Canon own housing does not allow access to all of the controls, it is compact fitting camera like a well fitting jacket ... ergonomically it is reviewed by some serious dive photographers as being excellent, and fits the hands perfectly, and only 1/3 of the price of the Nauticam or Recsea.
I know it is limited to 60m but that is far deeper than I will go to, it has a nice bonus of built in leak detector.
I appreciate the choice of add-on lenses from Fantasea is really down to either the 'Big Eye' (had one with previous rig) or their macro wet lenses, but they produce an M67 adapter .... which opens up options of all the usual choices .... or you use one of the 3rd party adapters ... eg
Deeproof M67 Mount Base FG16 for Fantasea G16 housing