Just bought a G10

[Captain_Bob]

This is my first post on Scubaboard and I'm hoping for some advice. I have wanted to get into underwater photography for a while now, and today I got started and bought a G10. I'm sure that it is way more camera than I need but I figured might as well do it right. Now that I got the camera I need to find the right housing and strobe, and I don't know where to start. Any advice would be great.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Because the camera is so new, you may have limited options for housing but I am not sure. Your best bet for a quick turn around would be Ikelite. I have an Ikelite housing and Ikelite strobes for my Nikon....the big drawback to Ikelite housings in my opinion, is the size....there is a lot of extra space and they are very heavy. But having said that, I really like mine. Usually the Ikelite has pretty much full control of the camera.

Do you have a budget to work within? The strobes that I personally would recommend would be 2 of the DS-125 (again Ikelite and I believe this is now a D-160) and some fairly long adjustable arms. With that you would get lots of good lighting for both WA and macro shots. This will be quite expensive because the strobes are expensive but they are a very important part of the system.....you can get away with one to start as well. That is all I have to cut down on costs and I need the second but I manage.

Others will also have a lot of great advice.

http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/can_g10.html

 

[Scared Silly]

Lots of info on sites like:

Wetpixel.com :: Underwater Photography and Videography

Digital Diver Network - Your source for digital underwater photography information!

 

[kadleck]

I would go with the Ikelite housing, too. Canon do have their own housing, which is cheaper and more compact. I have the slightly older G9+Ikelite.

The Ikelite housing has a few benefits over the Canon offering:

• It gives access to all the camera's buttons and dials
• It allows the use of TTL (through the lens) flash
• It has a deeper depth rating

If you want to read more on the above benefits, search for G9 Ikelite. They have been discussed a lot. The Ikelite housing is more bulky and is heavy (especially with strobes and arms attached!). But is only slightly 'negatively buoyant' under water and is very easy to handle.

 

[Gilligan]

I am also most interested in the G10 because of its 28mm lens.

The Canon housing is fine but will not allow you to quickly change F stops and shutter speeds because there is no dial on the back of the housing for that control. If it is like the G9 you will have to use two different button controls at the same time to accomplish this. I believe the Ikelite housing has a dial on the back. The price difference is considerable between the two. Personally I would buy the Canon housing at around $270. versus around $650. for the Ikelite one.

As for strobes I have nothing against Ike strobes except they have no built-in focus/target lights. I used an Inon D-180 (replaced by the D-2000) for about four years and it had a focus/target light. I found it to be invaluable and wouldn't buy a strobe that didn't have one.

Currently the Inon D-2000 and latest Sea & Sea YS110 Alpha have built-in target lights.
The D-2000 has two bulbs with an offset target light.
The YS110 Alpha has three bulbs with a center target light.

My D-180 died on me and a friend was kind enough to give me his Sea&Sea YS90DX (no focus/target light) After using the Sea & Sea I prefer its shape over the Inon's as well as it is more buoyant than the Inon.

If I purchased a strobe today it would be the Sea & Sea YS110 Alpha.

If you don't buy a strobe with a built in focus/target light odds are you will add one and that's just another piece of equipment.

 

[kadleck]

As for strobes I have nothing against Ike strobes except they have no built-in focus/target lights.

Some don't, some do! They call the feature a 'modeling light'. See IKELITE Substrobe DS125 digital

I do think the ability to use TTL flash (which needs the Ikelite housing + strobe + sync cable) is a major plus, and well worth the extra money. TTL flash not only takes the guesswork out of the exposure, it stops the camera's internal flash firing, negating the need to mask it off. With the Canon housing, you will need to use a fiber optic cable to fire an external strobe (or use the internal flash alone).

 

[ScubaSteve]

Kadleck is right Jim. I have the DS125 and it does in fact have the focus light. Having said that, I have nothing against the Sea&Sea or others. Each one is a little different but they all get the job done in one way or another.

And by the way, the housing and camera are more than slightly negative with the Ikelite. If you read the link I attached to my first post, that combination without the strobes is 6 pounds (not buoyancy, just weight). Add 2 strobes on there and you are likely to hit double digits almost.

 

[Gilligan]

I stand corrected on the Ikelite not having a modeling aka focus light.

While true TTL (hard wire) will likely be easier to use than fiber optic fired strobes I still believe great photos can be taken with either. A G10 in a Canon housing with an Inon D-2000 or Sea & Sea YS 100 Alpha strobe will probably ending up costing half as much as a full Ikelite setup.

I guess the bottom line is how much money one wants to spend.

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Although the Canon housing is significantly less than the Ikelite, there is definitely a huge difference in the quality and features. Ike's extremely durable housing build, better controls, and of course the TTL functionality, makes the Ike housing a much better choice. Budget is always a decision factor, but in my eyes its worth waiting to save the extra few hundred so you do it right the first time.

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I'll second the 'Pros comments. I started with a A570IS in a Canon housing, and less than a year later I find myself with the housing and camera replaced with a dSLR system and a new pair of DS-125 strobes. I could have saved a bit by starting with the good stuff.