G9 settings??

[barrmust]

I just got this camera and i am going to grand cayman in 2 weeks. I have a g9, ike housing, wide angle lens and a single ds-51 strobe.

I am new at this stuff, so i could really use some pointers and what to set the camera for in what mode. i would also like to set the 2 custom modes up to get me started.

Russ

 

[waynel]

There are some really good discussions on this in other threads on this site. Just look for some of the older threads here in Cannon Corner and "Tips and Techniques". You'll find more than enough advice. I'm like you, new to the Canon and ike set up and that's where I got my info. What I have learned: manual setting will require manual white balancing which can change with your depth (bring a white card), some folks don't like the "underwater" mode. I plan to start in auto (2 weeks in Key Largo), switch to AV and manual adjust exposure settings and then to on to P and do the same thing. If you don't realize this yet, you can view every shot you took, what mode you were in, what your exposure, aperture, etc. was in...when you play back the shots in "display". It really cut down my learning curve shooting the G9 at the surface. One big tip I got, if you have Photoshop or some other program that will let you edit RAW files, shoot RAW (G9 will also record a JPEG as a backup). I do it on the surface all the time. Just make sure you get a big gig card and keep your camera battery fully charged. Post your shots when you get back along with your settings. I'll do the same. Good luck

 

[barrmust]

i did a search before posting and did not really come up with anything specific for the g9. what what did you search under. i am really looking for a basic set of settings that i can start with and go from there.

Russ

 

[paradicio]

There are so many variables (how good is viz, is it cloudy or clear up top, where is the sun positioned at that moment, etc...) that can effect what settings you use it's really hard to imagine a blanket that would cover the vast array of possible dive conditions you might encounter, even in a tropical location.

The best advice is to take some practice shots with different settings that might make sense and see what works best for you. If you're not familiar with shooting in Manual try Auto and see how well that works out. You can even play with Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes. The great thing about digital is that you get immediate feedback.

Enjoy the setup, I've got a G9, with Ikelite housing and DS-51 strobes (just got my second!) as well.

 

[waynel]

As you can see paradicio and I are telling you the same thing. There are no ideal settings. In fact, that's why I got the G9 instead of other Point and Shoots. I wanted more control. Understand, the same variables Paradicio mentions for underwater exist on land as well. I am constantly changing settings on my camera. I can start shooting when the sky is clear and sunny and 20 minutes later there will be total cloud cover. Guess what? I have to change my settings. That is why I've suggested experimenting and documenting your settings for each shot. Again, (as paradicio agrees with me) start with Auto so you know you will at least get some great memories. Experiment with the manual settings. Just shoot and shoot and shoot. Trust me, you'll astound yourself with what you will get

I guess for the sake of answering your question select AUTO. In fact, my mentor told me "when in doubt, use AUTO". But other than that, there are no magic settings in photography. Keep that in mind and you won't drive yourself crazy.

 

[Mel Moncrieff]

I just got a G9, Ikelite housing and wide angle lens as well--only difference is that I got the 125 strobe. If you are going to try manual mode in the clear water of the Caymans you might want to set your shutter @ 1/100 of a second and your aperture @ F6.3, with your strobe set to TTL full power. If you're shooting wide-angle, that will be fast enough to stop most fish action, unless they're really darting about, and will render the water a nice, natural looking dark blue. I used a similar setup on a recent trip to Roatan, and the settings are listed below the pictures--they may give you somewhat of a guide. I didn't have TTL, so I tended to use aperture priority, and got a few slow shutter speeds, but you can see how the pictures turned out, based on the various apertures. The link to the photos is roatan Photo Gallery by Mel Moncrieff at pbase.com

I agree with Wayne who said that you should shoot RAW if convenient. That way, even if you don't have the ideal white balance or perfect exposure, you have much more latitude to fix it later. For white balance, I have been pleased with Canon's underwater--I'd give it a try.

Hope this helps, and please share your results. I'll be taking out my G9 to Catalina Island this weekend and will post some photos.

Mel

 

[Chris Walrod]

Late April I upgraded my camera to a G9, Ikelite housing and WA lens, DS51 strobe as well. Seems to be a popular choice these days.

The first week of May, we spent 8 days in Cozumel diving six of those days. Had a great time thankfully and spent as much time as possible learning this new camera.

My first camera was a gift from wifey a few years ago, a Sealife DC500. I do appreciate that camera and strobe but felt I needed to learn more about manual settings plus shooting RAW was a great feature of the G9.

Anyhow, most of the trip I spent in Av mode as I seem to get the best images in this mode. I did try some manual shooting, but I am afraid I really need to take a class to better learn total control. Did some auto shooting as well, but seemed to always fall back to aperture priority. I never ventured to manual strobe settings, always TTL mode.

Anyhow, here are some of my better shots I came away with. Actually, given the crazy currents that week, I am surprised I got to stay still long enough for anything worth posting.

These images are .jpg's straight from the camera without any post processing:

These ones were tweaked RAW files, still getting the hang of CS3:

Still a lot for me to learn, but I am having fun doing so

 

[barrmust]

Thanks for the help guys. I am going to the local quarry this weekend to try and get a feel for what the setting do.

Russ