S90 versus G11...?

[BlueDevil]

On a new battery my S90 will last for 3 dives if fully charged., while G11 which has a big bulky battery will last for a week of normal photos then 3-6 dives afterwards (according to my friend who have the G11)

I wonder if you could elaborate a bit more about the battery life of the S90. When you say it will last for 3 dives I am wondering how many photos you would typically be taking per dive and how long the camera would be 'active' during the dive.

For example with my Canon A640 (4 x AA cells) on a good dive my camera would probably be turned on for the whole dive. I could take between 100 and 200 photos. I also tend to shoot a lot of video - for example I have at times filled a 4 GB card in the space of 2 dives with a combination of stills and video.

Would the S90 cope with my sort of usage pattern? I need it to last at least 2 dives, preferrably three of high usage.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Nemrod]

I wonder if you could elaborate a bit more about the battery life of the S90. When you say it will last for 3 dives I am wondering how many photos you would typically be taking per dive and how long the camera would be 'active' during the dive.

For example with my Canon A640 (4 x AA cells) on a good dive my camera would probably be turned on for the whole dive. I could take between 100 and 200 photos. I also tend to shoot a lot of video - for example I have at times filled a 4 GB card in the space of 2 dives with a combination of stills and video.

Would the S90 cope with my sort of usage pattern? I need it to last at least 2 dives, preferrably three of high usage.

Thanks,

Dave

I had an A570 using Eneloops, the S90 runs longer with a fresh charge on both.

Yes, I turn my camera on at the start of the dive and it stays on until I am on the deco line or anchor buoy.

I have the Power Saver function off and the LCD set to two minutes, the LCD will go black after two minutes but will come back on with a button push or a twist of the camera. Since I am shooting at an interval mostly less than two minutes, the camera or the LCD never shut down.

Battery life will depend to a large degree on how much flash you use and there we have two choices, flash set to Manual and lowest power and flash set to Auto. I mostly shoot with my Inon strobes in External Auto mode with my S90 in Manual Flash and low power. This conserves battery power vs Auto Flash with the strobes in sTTL and boot strapping.

I take pictures constantly through the dive and I get two solid dives from the camera and like I said elsewhere, most of a third. I don't feel the battery life is all that bad, it is just average, the G11 has above average battery life but alas it cannot use all of the lenses the S90 can, so, it comes down to what is important to you.

The ability to use my Inon UFL165AD and the Fisheye UWL-04, both amazingly wide lenses, exceeded only by something like the Tokina 10-17 fisheye on a dSLR make the battery compromise worth it to me.

N

 

[slowhands]

...about the battery life of the S90. When you say it will last for 3 dives I am wondering how many photos you would typically be taking per dive and how long the camera would be 'active' during the dive....

Would the S90 cope with my sort of usage pattern? I need it to last at least 2 dives, preferably three of high usage.

Thanks,

Dave

I second Nemrod. Two dives, on average. I use the camera differently, for long videos sometimes, and otherwise mostly macro. But it comes out a solid 2+ dives. I probably could get 3, but I'd be so mad if I missed that last shot of a rare whatchamacallit. If I am going out on a boat for 3 dives, I just take the spare and switch after the second dive.

I don't agree about the G11 being good for 3 dives, I got 2.5 dives on average with it too. Once I ran out on the 3rd dive, so after that I did not want to push it and miss shots on the third dive. I do shoot long videos, that's probably why.

Batteries are so cheap compared to the cost of everything else about the dive, don't sweat batteries just do a safety swap at 2 dives.

 

[Reefwalker]

One more difference that may be important for some people which is the battery life.

Although both cameras are very close in specs, the battery life varies very much. On a new battery my S90 will last for 3 dives if fully charged., while G11 which has a big bulky battery will last for a week of normal photos then 3-6 dives afterwards (according to my friend who have the G11)

I had to purchase a spare battery to prevent going into flat batteries and no more photos for the day.

I think someone is exaggerating here!! I have used both S90 & G11 underwater and don't see a huge difference in battery comsumption. Certainly not "normal photos then 3-6 dives afterwards". The techno's might argue one over the other, but in my 'practical world', most people will get 2-3 dives out of either camera.
It will also largely depend on whether you are using the internal flash or an external flash triggered by the internal flash. When the internal is triggering an external, you can reduce the camera flash power to the lowest setting to save battery power (and heat in the housing). While if just using the internal flash, you need a higher flash output, like full or 2/3rd's, that will chew through your battery power faster.
TIP: Try turning-off the LCD (on either camera) when you are swimming between photos, this will preserve the battery to last a whole lot longer.

 

[BlueDevil]

Thanks guys for the info on battery life. Sounds like both these cameras would suit my usage pattern.

By the way there is some info on the new S95:
Canon unveils PowerShot S95 premium compact: Digital Photography Review

 

[bradjward]

Update - on my way back from Australia right now. S90 was great on land and underwater!! Left my D300 and lenses at home, didn't regret it one bit. 36,000 ft above the midwest right now, cant wait to upload some pics when I hit home!!

Also got the Fix Fisheye as well, which did a great job.