Canon G7X problems

[matador]

After much thought over the eternal dilemma (G7x vs SONY RX) I went for the canon option.
I tested it a couple of weeks ago in Koh Lipe and I had a few issues mainly related to the strobe triggering. I was using the Canon housing and an external Sea and Sea YS 02. Here are the problems that I hope someone would be able to shed light on:

1) The strobe is being controlled manually but I was only able to set it at the lowest level as anything above that level would blow out the picture. But at the lowest level it looked like there was no light at all. (see 1 and 2 pictures)
2) Also, it looks like the internal flash (set also at the lowest level internally) is blowing out a tiny part of the picture. This could be because because somehow light escapes the plastic cover that the Canon housing has in order to cover the internal flash and connect the cable to the strobe. In my old and trusted G11 not a tiny beam of light was escaping the case but I had it covered with black duck tape all over it. Maybe I should do the same with this housing as well? But surely, if this is a housing problem I won't be the first one to notice? (see strobe1 and 2 pictures)
3) Also not very happy with the macro capabilities vs the old G11. See the two pictures (G7x and G11) taken with a Inon UCL 165 at the closest range I could focus. Interestingly enough, the G7X has Underwater Macro option but this is under "Scene" mode that does not shoot in Raw! (see Underwater macro vs normal macro pictures).
4) I also had problems focusing at a very close range. I was really surprised to come up and see that various nudi pictures basically had no proper focus.
5) Really disappointed by the battery life as well that was just about lasting for two dives when the G11 battery was easily lasting for 3 dives.

I did the tests over 7 dives so it wasn't just one dive that something went wrong. The strobe works perfectly with other cameras and the G11 so there is nothing wrong with the strobe.
I can only think that the Canon housing does a really poor job covering the internal flash and maybe the connection with the external strobe is failing because of that. But I took tens of photos above water and the strobe would flash every time. I am really frustrated about this and have no idea what is wrong here ...

I am not sure I will stick with this camera. I certainly need an upgrade from the G11 but the strobe issues, poor battery life and disappointing macro tells me that G7X isn't a real upgrade. I think I will wait for the G17...

thanks

 

[dhaas]

Matador,

There's nothing wrong with the Canon G7X as it's a totally capable camera with larger 1" sensor and great features.

Ikelite | Canon PowerShot G7X Dive Guide

Totally blocking the flash so it only trips your external strobe is step 1.

Then I'd suggest going back to the manual and shooting the Canon G7X a lot on the surface. I used both 31 point AF and a single center point and had no problems achieving focus.

Adding your external super close up lens you'll have to experiment turning the macro on or off and zooming in to see where the "sweet spot" is. That way you'll determine the closest achievable focus range for the Canon G7X lens when shooting super close macro images. Many times keeping the macro icon OFF works better with an external close up lens.

The Canon G7X being a smaller camera of course = smaller battery. But firing the flash in lowest setting should get you through 2 dives. The number of dives is also meaningless it's how many SHOTS you fired the flash or used battery power reviewing photos etc.

In Grand Cayman a month ago I did 2 dives only white balancing (with UR Pro filter) and no flash and got 310 shots before the battery died. So shooting flash at low power I'd at least expect you to get 200 shots (????)

Good luck!

 

[Ran Mozaik]

Seems to me like you have something wrong with your settings there...
I tried out the G7X a few weeks ago and was very impressed with the camera. I used it along with the RX100 III, comparing the two, and the answer was not conclusive, but I can say with confidence that both are terrific.
Read my review on it, maybe it will help out a bit.
Canon G7X Underwater With Fantasea Housing Review
I used one UCL-165 stacked with a Fantasea Sharpeye, and was using the Fantasea housing, but that shouldn't make such a huge difference in final results.
For lighting I was using a YS-01 and a Z240, both on manual. The YS-01 should perform exactly like the YS-02 when on manual.
Focusing was great, even in macro. I must admit the RX100 focused faster, but the G7X was performing nicely as well. You can see a couple of Blenny shots I posted there.

According to the photos you posted, something isn't right. Try playing around with the flash settings until it looks better.
Perhaps uploading them here with EXIF would help understand what's wrong.

 

[matador]

Hi Ran, thanks for the reply and the review. I had actually read your review before deciding on G7X ;-)

I have played around with the settings extensively but no luck. I think the only thing left is to cover completely the area around the cable connection to the flash. This is the only way to avoid the issue on Strobe2 picture I guess ... it is pretty obvious that there is something wrong with the case letting the flash escape.

Unfortunately, I wont be able to test this properly anytime soon. So I have uploaded the pictures with the EXIF data here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanost/sets/72157655132631500

If anyone could figure out if there is something else that I am missing here please shout.

thanks again

 

[rob1967]

I had a look at your settings and see that you are shooting in Program AE mode. So your camera is metering for ambient light, and using that ambient light, then firing the onboard flash to add more. Your camera is shooting choosing shutter speeds around 1/100 and aperture wide open. Your camera has no way of knowing you are underwater and have external strobes attached (which are more powerful than your on-board flash), so if you are very close to your subject (which is what you want underwater), your subject will be over-exposed. Conversely, since the light drop-off is much greater underwater than above, if you are too far away from your subject, you might end up being underexposed.

I would humbly suggest that automatic modes don't work well underwater. The ambient light is low and of poor quality (all the reds are filtered out), so for macro you want to reduce ambient light from your shot and use your strobe to light your shot. Try shooting in manual mode. ISO 100-200, shutter at 1/200 or faster and medium to high aperture around f/6 to 9, strobes at half power. Then fine tune exposure by adjusting strobe power and/or aperture. Trust me, it's easy. Practice on your dining room table with a small toy and pretend it's a nudibranch (for macro, settings will be a little different underwater but not too far off).

Probably the reason your camera is having some difficulty shooting up close is because your camera is choosing a wide-open aperture in program mode. If you are in manual mode, you can stop down to f/6 or 9, which should make it easier for your camera to focus close.

 

[matador]

Hi Rob,

many thanks for your reply. you are correct about manual settings of course. I also took a couple of pictures on manual settings and those were the best from the trip (check the link above again with 3 new pictures).
BUT
In the past I have always shot in Program mode with no issues at all (with my G11). So I dont understand why the G7x would create me this problem. I don't want to "waste time" playing around with aperture, ISO, etc. and I am more than happy with the results I get using the auto underwater mode.
So, I am confused why a newer camera would create such issues when with an older model I didn't have those problems ...

btw, amazing photos. well done.

 

[rob1967]

Thank you Matador, I am glad you like my photos!

The G7X has a significantly larger sensor compared to the G11, so it will have more inherent difficulty focusing close if aperture is open wide. In terms of getting the exposure right, I am not sure why the G11 would be better in Program mode. Perhaps it's because it collects less ambient light compared to the G7X (due to the smaller sensor), so it will rely more on strobe power in determining settings.

The nice thing about shooting in full manual is that if the exposure is not quite right, you can easily adjust. If you are in automatic mode, it becomes more difficult!