Help feeling overwhelmed....!!

[leezy]

Hi

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the choice of compacts I am just starting out with underwater
photography not sure what to go for a quite like the look of canon s95 or panasonic tz20... what do you think
has anybody had exp with these cameras or should I consider other alternatives...?

Thanks

 

[TightLines]

As far as Canon's go you should probably consider the S95 (better wide angle) or G12 (better at macro).

Run some searches and you will see alot of very good information on these cameras as well as others.

 

[Nemrod]

What do you want to do, macro? wide angle? what? Are you going to use external strobes? Do you want a durable pro grade aluminum housing or the OEM plastic wet cases? When you know what you want to do you will have a better idea what camera you want.

Does the Panasonic have manual controls, RAW?

N

 

[c0r3yz]

I am a big fan of Canon cameras. While I am personally not familiar with the S95, I have used a friend's TZ20 on land and I didn't like it at all. It is probably just the fact that I'm used to my DSLR, but the only thing I like about the TZ20 is that it has manual controls. Other than that, I'm not impressed.

I have had some experience with the Canon G12 and liked it a lot. It has a broader focal length, faster shutter, and a better battery and is better for Macro than the S95. It is also a little heavier, which can both be a good thing and a bad thing. My cousin actually lost a G12 in a plastic case during a quarry dive only to have it returned to him almost 9 months later, because he had his contact info in the case. It was still dry, albeit dinged up a bit, and the battery still had a charge.

 

[Nemrod]

I have had some experience with the Canon G12 and liked it a lot. It has a broader focal length, faster shutter, and a better battery and is better for Macro than the S95. It is also a little heavier, which can both be a good thing and a bad thing. My cousin actually lost a G12 in a plastic case during a quarry dive only to have it returned to him almost 9 months later, because he had his contact info in the case. It was still dry, albeit dinged up a bit, and the battery still had a charge.

The S series is a superior camera to the G series for underwater use, IMO. The G series does NOT have a faster shutter than the S and if anything it is slower. The longer focal range lens is a distinct DISADVANTAGE for underwater use especially for use with accessory lenses (particularly wide angle) and macro, smackro, not a hill of beans difference if you ask me.

N

 

[c0r3yz]

The S series is a superior camera to the G series for underwater use, IMO. The G series does NOT have a faster shutter than the S and if anything it is slower. The longer focal range lens is a distinct DISADVANTAGE for underwater use especially for use with accessory lenses (particularly wide angle) and macro, smackro, not a hill of beans difference if you ask me.

N

The G12 has a shutter speed of 1/4000s versus the S95 which has 1/1600s and it also has less shutter lag by about 300ms. I find the longer focal ranges useful underwater and like doing macro, especially underwater. To each his own.

 

[birdwrasse]

i particularly like olympus... fast lenses (lets in lots of light) and overall just good cameras...

if you want good electronics, then sony is really good. very dependable.


consider ikelite housings! better housings and better depth ratings!



--c

 

[Nemrod]

The G12 has a shutter speed of 1/4000s versus the S95 which has 1/1600s and it also has less shutter lag by about 300ms. I find the longer focal ranges useful underwater and like doing macro, especially underwater. To each his own.

More than enough room for opinions and I will stay with what I said, the S series in practical use seems faster to me in overall response and shutter response (lag) and especially using the lens ring to pre-focus (great with fisheye lenses). The shutter SPEED, I don't need 1/4000 underwater but I do need the f2.0 lens which is TWICE as fast as the G series f2.8 lens. I find macro interesting but much prefer the wide angle perspective and the S series smaller zoom ratio is great with the add on wide angle lenses, the G series is as horrid as the S is splendid in that regard.

The new Oly Pen cameras with high speed auto focus look great. I am saving already for my next rig, it will still be another year or two off as I need to get some more use from what I got but the Sony NEX and Pen cameras two years into the future, looking good at this point. Unfortunately the little XZ1, while a nice camera comparable to the Canon S series, is slightly limited in the wide angle accessory lens department only able to use the large, heavy expensive Oly lens and the Inon new H series. To get comparable DFOV to the little UFL165AD or Fisheye UWL-04 the price is double, 450 vs 900 dollars.

Good luck.

N