Canon 40D or G12 set up??

[macaudiver]

Should I buy a new Ikelite housing for my 2007 40D or go for a new G12 + housing???
need your kind opinion...
The cost for the 40D set up is higher then the G12,
I'll need to buy a new lens as well, thinking of the 60mm EF-S Marco,
and strobe...arms...

I'm using a Ikelike video housing with Canon HF200 video cam,
I found I like to switch to real underwater photography...

 

[HollywoodiversImaging]

This will really depend on what you are looking to do. Of course DSLRs have some great advantages. However if you would like to shoot HD Video as well, then a current point and shoot with a high quality housing might be an option. The G12 is a great option. Take a serious look at the Panasonic LX5 and also the Olympus XZ1. Both have housings from Nauticam and Ikelite available.

 

[Jxh2297]

+1 for the G12 not sure about the others you mentioned but the g12 is very easy to use and takes awesome photos

 

[hmarashi]

Depends on what you want to do. Have the capabilities of shooting good pics and video or shoot great pics. Pic quality, the nod is going to go to the 40D. I have a 30d that I will soon use for underwater photography. For video, I have been using a little gopro. It does alright, but there is a lot to be said with entry level equip as opposed to semi/pro quality.

 

[PatW]

As above, the answer is "it depends".

A G12 will be extremely versatile. But it is limited at the wide end. Also with the small sensor size, there are diffraction problems in macro. Another problem with the G12 is shutter lag.

A DSLR like the 40D should take better photos. However, it will be much larger and more unwieldly and heavier for when you travel. The weight of the camera might impose problems of making the weight for air travel. Another thing, is the whole system is much more complex. You will need a macro lens and a good wide angle zoom and maybe even another lens. The problem is that you might get frustrated having to "commit" to a certain plan. You might have a 10-20 mm wide angle zoom and see a sea horse and get mortally vexed because you could not get the shot. The G12 does not give you that problem. Or you could have on the macro lens and along comes an eagle ray so again you miss a shot.

The thing is that underwater photography is pretty demanding. You have to get close because of the stuff in the water. You have bad light so you need strobes. You need to shoot RAW because getting just the right exposure and white balance is really tough. Your camera is in a box which makes accessing the controls much harder. You also need to really know the controls because you are doing it largely by feel.

 

[bvanant]

The 40D will take demonstrably better pictures. The 40D will be 3x bigger and twice as much PITA; but it will take much better pictures. Only you can tell what is the most important parameter.
Bill

 

[macaudiver]

I have been using the Ikelite video housing along with Canon HF200,
I always use the dual mode( for video & photo), but all setting in auto then with this mode!
I'm not happy with the picture quality, thats why I wana move up to DSLR...anyway, I have the camera already!!
after reading this thread, I should stick to the 40D housing...

 

[Ulsterkiwi]

I dont use a DSLR but lots of my photo dive buddies do. Two of them are professional photographers.
Invariably they say that unless you are operating at professional level, a camera such as the G12 is more than up to the job.
The important thing is that the controls should NEVER be set to automatic. I would, in my humble opinion, concur. Actually thinking about things like white balance, lighting, shutter speed, ISO and aperture means you will get the best out of the camera. If you want to shoot auto all the time there are plenty of P&S cameras out there with housings for far less money. Using a DSLR underwater will not fix your image quality issues if you are not already using the "lower" quality camera to its limits.
Its a steep and often frustrating learning curve and one I am still near the bottom of but one lesson I have learned is that the gear maketh not the man/diver/photographer!

 

[Tigerman]

I did go for the G7 (which was the G12 equiv back then) for the same reasons youre having your dilemma.
The picture quality of the G12 is more than good enough, you have raw functionality and as you have pointed out its a lot cheaper option. Also as others has pointed out, theres the whole "PITA-factor" of a larger setup.

To give a general idea of what a camera like the G12 with a standard Canon housing can do check Sharm El Sheikh 06-2011 - ScubaBoard Gallery and do keep in mind that those pictures is shot with a G7 which is 4 models old, by me who's merely an a bit enthusiastic amateur..