G11 or S90 Ikelite or Canon?

[Jorgy]

I went from a G9/Canon Housing to the S90/Ike Housing......

No issues with the Canon housing for the past few years.....

I would say that the Ike housing is a step above the Canon housing in robustness and quality........the biggest difference is the ability to thread on wet lenses........

The Ike housing is $300 so not that much more than the Canon housing.......

I am also using external strobes.........

M

 

[skynscuba]

How is the build quality of the S90 switches, especially that rear ring? I've had 3 compact Canons, and two (S40, SD450) have had switches fail, while the cameras were otherwise still fine. I bought an S50 to use in the housing I had for the S40 -- so far okay, but it has the same multifunction switch that failed on the S40.

It's bad enough having throw-away cameras -- I don't want to throw away an expensive housing along with it.

How usable is the built-in flash for macro with the Canon or Fix housing? Looks like the big tube on the Ike shadows the internal flash too much for closer than a couple of feet.

 

[Nemrod]

These cameras today, mostly all of them including the plastic dSLR darlings of the photo world are made to last two or three years before being tossed into the land fill with your old 8086 chip computer and last years LCD TV.

Will the switches break on the S90 and G11, yes. Until the consumer demands durability instead of cuteness and celeb endorsement, this is what we get.

The internal flash seems to work with minimal shadowing, all considered, on the FIX housing.

N

 

[jbb]

These cameras today, mostly all of them including the plastic dSLR darlings of the photo world are made to last two or three years before being tossed into the land fill with your old 8086 chip computer and last years LCD TV.
N

That is why I have such a hard time even thinking of spending $800 on a FIX housing. It looks great and by all reports functions quite well in a small package but for an s90? Maybe if I dived locally a bit more and took my camera gear out each dive. But I don't.

 

[Nemrod]

That is why I have such a hard time even thinking of spending $800 on a FIX housing. It looks great and by all reports functions quite well in a small package but for an s90? Maybe if I dived locally a bit more and took my camera gear out each dive. But I don't.

I feel your pain but for a digiSLR which is no better made if made as well, aluminum housings are 2,500 dollars and up.

As I said in another post, just my opinion, the only thing that matters to me is the ability to use the lens I want to use.

I purchased a Tokina 10-17 in mint condition on eBait. If and when I get a dSLR and housing, if it don't use that lens, it does me no good as that is the lens I want to use and in the P&S prosumer category, the only lens I am really concerned with is the Inon UFL165AD-FE and the 800 dollars to shoot that lens is a steal, my opinion. The 800 dollars for a S90 is no worse than 1,100 for the G11, a G11, nice, but it cannot use wet lenses in most housings. I am stuck on that like glue because it is my overriding requirement above all others. The G11 is no more durable than the S90, possibly less so with the swivel screen.

As to the Canon housings, I have one, I don't trust it far as I can spit into the Kansas wind. The buttons stick and deploy from pressure, the clasp is el cheapo and the depth rating is only 130 feet which I routinely exceed.

Housings historically have been two to three times the cost of the camera alone and then let's not go down lenses and strobes road. It is the PACKAGE and the TOTAL capability that matters to me, not the price of individual components vs some other component of the system. I just have a different way of looking at this sort of thing. Not right or wrong, you vs me, both viewpoints/opinions are equally valid. What do you value, price or capability? Is the best deal the cheapest deal or the most capable deal? Is the value for the one shot you seek worth the expense to get there? Wax on, wax off.

N

 

[dhaas]

skynscuba,

I can only speak for my experience but I have had multiple Canon P&S and dSLR models all with MUCHO' plastic. I have never had a switch break off or anything like that.

I owned the lower end dSLR models all through the Digital Rebel, Rebel XT, XTi, XSi and T1i. I've shot 10K + pictures on every body and they never even hiccuped.

I have owned a Canon G10 and now a S90, too.

First trip last December with S90 I shot 1300 frames in a week making hundreds of adjustments on the wheels buttons etc.

Ikelite Product Blog

So I would say the word "reliability" and "build quality" are discussed too much versus using the product to take images. None of this stuff is designed to break or fall apart after a few years.

Mechanical cameras had shutters get dry over the years and vary the accuracy much more than electronic shutters. People never noticed because print film had an exposure latitude that was made up for when you got your negatives printed...

I don't bash my stuff around but I sure don't baby it either.

Worry less, shoot more

dhaas
David Haas Underwater Photography

 

[Maddog59]

skynscuba,

I can only speak for my experience but I have had multiple Canon P&S and dSLR models all with MUCHO' plastic. I have never had a switch break off or anything like that.

I owned the lower end dSLR models all through the Digital Rebel, Rebel XT, XTi, XSi and T1i. I've shot 10K + pictures on every body and they never even hiccuped.

I have owned a Canon G10 and now a S90, too.

First trip last December with S90 I shot 1300 frames in a week making hundreds of adjustments on the wheels buttons etc.

Ikelite Product Blog

So I would say the word "reliability" and "build quality" are discussed too much versus using the product to take images. None of this stuff is designed to break or fall apart after a few years.

Mechanical cameras had shutters get dry over the years and vary the accuracy much more than electronic shutters. People never noticed because print film had an exposure latitude that was made up for when you got your negatives printed...

I don't bash my stuff around but I sure don't baby it either.

Worry less, shoot more

dhaas
David Haas Underwater Photography

dhaas, Couldn't agree with you more! I've had my G10 for about 18 months now and have taken over 14000 exposures with it(both topside and underwater). It hasn't missed a beat and even if it threw in the towel tommorrow I would just go and buy another as they are cheap and still easilly come by. Like you I don't mistreat gear but it is there to be used and not just looked at! I haven't had it serviced and all I do is give it a blow off with canned air before it goes into my camera bag.

Nemrod is also spot on with his comments about the cost of a system vs the desired expectations of the systems . If you want to be taking photos and have them appear in Nat Geo than your gonna need a high end system with all the bells and whistles and blow the expense, just as, if you want to take snap shots to show to the spouse and kids or just to remind you of a holiday then your needs and budget are going to be less. The extent of the difference is up to you as an individual.


Peter

 

[jbb]

As I said in another post, just my opinion, the only thing that matters to me is the ability to use the lens I want to use.

I purchased a Tokina 10-17 in mint condition on eBait. If and when I get a dSLR and housing, if it don't use that lens, it does me no good as that is the lens I want to use and in the P&S prosumer category, the only lens I am really concerned with is the Inon UFL165AD-FE and the 800 dollars to shoot that lens is a steal, my opinion. The 800 dollars for a S90 is no worse than 1,100 for the G11, a G11, nice, but it cannot use wet lenses in most housings. I am stuck on that like glue because it is my overriding requirement above all others. The G11 is no more durable than the S90, possibly less so with the swivel screen.

As to the Canon housings, I have one, I don't trust it far as I can spit into the Kansas wind. The buttons stick and deploy from pressure, the clasp is el cheapo and the depth rating is only 130 feet which I routinely exceed.

Nemrod,

Thanks for explaining your perspective. It certainly helps to know where you are coming from. I was tempted by the FIX for the s90 but without being able to handle one and examine it in person - it's hard to part with the money. I have been toying with the idea of a D90 but that huge price tag is getting in the way. So for the time being I just recieved the UW case for my s90 and will pair it up with the tray Ultra light arm and Inon z240 type 1 strobe, big blue focus light and Inon double macro lenses which I sewed and ziptie a neoprene sock for that fits for that pesky oblong port on the canon uw cases. All this I had for my g7. I know not perfect but it takes a little adjusting to get the lenses centered on the camera lense. I'll play with this setup for awhile to see how it performs. The next step would be a FIX case for the s90, g11 and FIX case or finally a D90 or it's replacement.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Nemrod,

Thanks for explaining your perspective. It certainly helps to know where you are coming from. I was tempted by the FIX for the s90 but without being able to handle one and examine it in person - it's hard to part with the money. I have been toying with the idea of a D90 but that huge price tag is getting in the way. So for the time being I just recieved the UW case for my s90 and will pair it up with the tray Ultra light arm and Inon z240 type 1 strobe, big blue focus light and Inon double macro lenses which I sewed and ziptie a neoprene sock for that fits for that pesky oblong port on the canon uw cases. I know not perfect but it takes a little adjusting to get the lenses centered on the camera lense. I'll play with this setup for awhile to see how it performs. The next step would be a FIX case for the s90, g11 and FIX case or finally a D90 or it's replacement.

I got the S90 and the Ike housing... partially because of size.. part because of cost, and part because of 67 mm "options".

If one wants to spend the money on the Fix housing, consider the new Oly micro 4/s dslr...with the same 67mm attachment. Or the 10bar and the new panasonic.

The fix and the G90 is getting very close to the price of the oly with housing...boy that is an interesting choice.

While I suspect I am headed for the Panasonic and 10Bar, for right now the S90, with wideangle and macro is a very nice package....one I am glad I have.

 

[Nemrod]

jbb, I was just in an ornery mood, I dump on the poor Canon housings, lol, I mean, they are not my favorite but after I replaced the springs on mine it has and will continue to serve well. They are not totally unfortunate, I think it is that stupid square port with no filter threads that irks me endless and sets me off on them . At least my DC-12 had a round port.

I hope it does you proud, I am sure you will have great fun with your new rig and you will get it wet officially before me and as dhass rightly insinuates , all the talk in the world does not equal the doing of a thing.

N