S90 + Ikelite housing : First Impressions

[marmagi]

Compudude, I have read many times this concern of the AUTO MODE not working properly on the canon S90, I am very surprissed, how can this be? how can Canon let this happen? can you please tell me in more detail what are the problems of the AUTO MODE? focusing? why ? slow focusing? or slow speed ? bad focusing under what conditions have you noticed? low light? please explain us

thanks

mario

 

[Puffer Fish]

Compudude, I have read many times this concern of the AUTO MODE not working properly on the canon S90, I am very surprissed, how can this be? how can Canon let this happen? can you please tell me in more detail what are the problems of the AUTO MODE? focusing? why ? slow focusing? or slow speed ? bad focusing under what conditions have you noticed? low light? please explain us

thanks

mario

Straight auto sucks, but program/Tv are great and pretty much all I shoot in.

Getting everything to work correctly in those modes requires some additional setup, and many find just going manual easier. I seem to be one of the few that don't.

Auto sucks because it was designed to take basic pictures on land and the setting it uses don't work very well underwater, for the most part.

 

[CompuDude]

Compudude, I have read many times this concern of the AUTO MODE not working properly on the canon S90, I am very surprissed, how can this be? how can Canon let this happen? can you please tell me in more detail what are the problems of the AUTO MODE? focusing? why ? slow focusing? or slow speed ? bad focusing under what conditions have you noticed? low light? please explain us

It might just be my camera, as I explained in a later post.

One issue I've noted with Auto mode, however, is that it FORCES continuous focus to be on. Continuous Focus cannot be disabled, and while it sounds like a great, it can actually cause simple, static, non-moving pictures that would otherwise be perfectly fine to be out of focus, if you happen to click the shutter in between focus movements.

In other modes, like Program, Tv/Av/etc., you can control Cont. Focus on or off. But not in Auto... it forces it on.

 

[phillybob]

With this camera, why even consider shooting in auto ? As Puffer Fish said, 'Straight Auto sucks'.

 

[Puffer Fish]

It might just be my camera, as I explained in a later post.

One issue I've noted with Auto mode, however, is that it FORCES continuous focus to be on. Continuous Focus cannot be disabled, and while it sounds like a great, it can actually cause simple, static, non-moving pictures that would otherwise be perfectly fine to be out of focus, if you happen to click the shutter in between focus movements.

In other modes, like Program, Tv/Av/etc., you can control Cont. Focus on or off. But not in Auto... it forces it on.

Humm... well just took a more detailed look at "AUTO"..

You

1. Don't get to set ISO

2. It uses general focus.. no spot

3. It uses general exposure

4. It decides what it wants to focus on.

5. You can only have auto flash or no flash.

6. If it does flash, it does it an 1/60th of a second.

7. There is none of the fancy "raw" shooting possible.

Based on just the above, I don't see why anyone would want to use Auto on the surface, let alone underwater.

 

[Nemrod]

The Auto mode in all of these P&S cameras basically sucks, can I say that? So, the Auto mode on the S90 also sucks, in fact it especially sucks on this camera because who would buy a 400 dollars P&S with multiple manual and controllable modes to shoot in Auto? I think if a fellow is stuck on Auto then he needs to stick on a different camera because I also notice that with my Canon S90, Auto sucks. If you have to and feel the urge and need to shoot in Auto, the Canon S90 is sure to disappoint you. If birthday pics of your spawn and kitty kat pics are your thing, Auto will deliver, generic, soft focused, bland, pictures suitable for showing grandmaw and grandpaw.

Auto will also suck the battery down because it blows huge flash, constantly fidgets with the focus and does all sorts of magic things that, suck, at getting the picture I want. I think I am going to paint Auto out on mine so I can forget it is there to ruin my pictures.

N

 

[CompuDude]

I almost never use Auto... NEVER underwater, and not especially often on the surface.

But you know, I DO expect my $400+ camera to take decent snapshots at a party or restaurant or family dinner without having to resort to specialized modes and manual controls, when all I want a freaking snapshot of my niece with spaghetti stains on her adorable face. Auto mode is supposed to be perfect for stuff like that. If a cheapo $150 camera does a good job of it, why on earth shouldn't I expect my $400+ camera to do it? And a snapshot of friends hanging out in broad daylight? I really shouldn't expect my camera to take a good shot in ideal conditions like that, because it's too good for it?

I happily use all the manual controls underwater. But for topside snapshots, I really don't want to have to think about which mode I should be in and what the ideal aperture is for xyz situation... nor do I want to have to preset my camera to just the right mode before handing it off to my wife for an evening.

So yes, I expect the same level of performance, or better, of my good camera as a cheapie... in Auto mode.

 

[ghnouer]

I almost never use Auto... NEVER underwater, and not especially often on the surface.

But you know, I DO expect my $400+ camera to take decent snapshots at a party or restaurant or family dinner without having to resort to specialized modes and manual controls, when all I want a freaking snapshot of my niece with spaghetti stains on her adorable face. Auto mode is supposed to be perfect for stuff like that. If a cheapo $150 camera does a good job of it, why on earth shouldn't I expect my $400+ camera to do it? And a snapshot of friends hanging out in broad daylight? I really shouldn't expect my camera to take a good shot in ideal conditions like that, because it's too good for it?

I happily use all the manual controls underwater. But for topside snapshots, I really don't want to have to think about which mode I should be in and what the ideal aperture is for xyz situation... nor do I want to have to preset my camera to just the right mode before handing it off to my wife for an evening.

So yes, I expect the same level of performance, or better, of my good camera as a cheapie... in Auto mode.

This is true.

GHN

 

[dogdrjohn]

Nemrod
Another thought on the pictures FIX posted taken by the S-90 in a FIX housing with an INON 165AAD lens. You said that the "vignetting" we see on the un-zoomed picture is the lens hood, but if that is so it is because the camera is seeing MORE then 165 degrees through the lens when set a no zoom. That makes sense when you consider the lens is designed for a native 35 lens, it SHOULD get wider with a wider native lens. How this will affect focus, especially close focus and around the edges, is the big question. When I get back from Cozumel next week I will order one from Backscatter, but of course it will be just bathtub or hot tub pictures to check it out - I'm not going in the 40 degree river behind my house to try out a lens.

 

[Puffer Fish]

This is true.

GHN

Ah.. it sucks with every Fuji I've owned.. the G9, the G10 and the S90.

Use program mode.


You guys would really not like a Leica M9 then, or any of the high end Canon DSLR's.

I will say that the S90 sucks just a bit more than most, particularly in complex lighting. But as I don't use it, other than to see what it does, don't have a clue why.

If shooting on land, I just turn on all the land features in program and then anyone can use the camera.