what housing should I get with an S100?

[Foxfish]

THanks foxfish - appreciate you pointing things out - I find the S100 interesting because it is a point and shoot but it can also be advanced. So that means I can grow with it. So hopefully start from beginer to novice to advance with the s100.

Agree. I had an Olympus Tough TG 810 underwater camera to start with before buying the S100. It survived three floodings at around 25 m in a housing before it got stolen. The biggest problem was lack of control on the shutter speed so that in low light it was hard not to get blurred images. A couple of shots using the TG 810.






I recently upgraded to the S100 and bought the Recsea housing. The housing has a few quirks but at this stage I'm not ready to throw it in the bin. The construction is robust and nicely finished. Easy access to all camera controls is a nice convenience. Double seals has got to help.

If you buy an expensive housing and flood the camera in a few years time, what are you going to do if you can no longer get the camera?

Like you I prefer the flexibility and compactness of the point and shoot. It is great to be able to get decent quality close up and medium range shots as well as some video in the one dive.

 

[Interceptor121]

The op has no previous land photography experience and will mostly shoot in automatic until he learns how to go in manual
The journey will take a few years at that point technology will have changed and there will be a newer better camera
As this is a learning experience I would recommend starting with the canon housing, I have had several that lasted for years, unless you go consistently below 40 meters and at that point I would look at an ikelite

Spending a lot of money on a recsea housing is only a good idea if you have already in budget trays, strobes and lenses

Besides it turns out you can control all settings of the S100 including the rear dial keeping pressed the ring button

 

[supergaijin]

I would stay away from Ikelite for the S95/100. Apparently there have been a bunch of trouble with them and for regular deep dives, I'd get something a bit more solid.

I have the S-95 Patima and am happy with that camera/housing combo. The Patima was approx 150 notes cheaper than the Recsea or Fix.

Diving below 15m, you'll want a strobe straight away unless you're able to get really close and/or the viz is astounding. This will make learning from scratch a fair bit harder as there are now more variables than just deciding between basic settings like the different apertures. For the last week or so I have been doing long (100-130min) shallow (10m max) dives everyday. I am just starting to get some pictures with which I'm happy. For an example check my website.

This is after working as a videographer and having a few thousand OW dives... so if you have little experience of photography in general, you have your work cut out for you. It's fun work though! Diving that deep (30m) you won't have a lot of time to learn unless you're diving doubles and planning on some deco obligations. I don't know about the learning curve for others, but it's taken me about 35 hrs to start to understand what I'm doing.

Your OP question was whether to buy an S95 housing to use with the S100? I don't think they are compatible- S-90 and S-95 went inside the same housing. If you're asking which to go for S-95 or S-100- personally I'd get a S-95 as they should be coming down in price and I don't care about the HD video aspect. HD video with a small compact means having very stable hands and a Dome and a WA lens which run at about $700-$800. Again- if you're going deep, you'll then need video lights.​

 

[maria munn]

Hi Dive the World,

Bless you for having a headache choosing a system, I still have a headache after all these years of working with compact cameras. There are so many options and housings to choose from.

Canon's S100 is a really lovely camera, super fast focusing, one touch video button as well as the ability to get super creative with your photography should you want to develop your skills over the next few years. It is a camera which will definitely last you for a while. If you can, I would definitely go with an aluminium housing such as FIX or Recsea. I have been using both of these housings over the past year and absolutely adore them after sadly losing a few Canon cameras due to that dreaded word ...

Today I was helping a lovely girl with her photography and she was using a Canon S100 for the first time in a Recsea housing with an INON wide angle lens, the one of the turtle with the light in the background was taken using just the camera's own built-in flash and the other one was taken by Cathryn using the wide angle lens. She took a couple of split-level shots with it too and were really sharp.

If you can, as a beginner, I would go for a solid system right from the word go, and with either of these two brands you won't be disappointed. Cathryn was indeed over the moon after just an hour in the pool today.

Best of luck and look forward to hearing how you get on.


maria
Ocean Visions - Tailor Made Underwater Photography Courses by Maria Munn

Helping compact camera users take beautiful underwater photographs since 2005

 

[Interceptor121]

I would stay away from Ikelite for the S95/100. Apparently there have been a bunch of trouble with them and for regular deep dives, I'd get something a bit more solid.

I have the S-95 Patima and am happy with that camera/housing combo. The Patima was approx 150 notes cheaper than the Recsea or Fix.

Your OP question was whether to buy an S95 housing to use with the S100? I don't think they are compatible- S-90 and S-95 went inside the same housing. If you're asking which to go for S-95 or S-100- personally I'd get a S-95 as they should be coming down in price and I don't care about the HD video aspect. HD video with a small compact means having very stable hands and a Dome and a WA lens which run at about $700-$800. Again- if you're going deep, you'll then need video lights.​

There is no need of a dome for video, flat ports are actually fine. Is for photography that you really want a fisheye.
If you have an Inon UWLH-100 28LD that goes on a canon housing or a UWLH-100 28M67 for ikelite or even an UWL105AD if you have a recsea with AD adapter the results are excellent as for video you don't actually need to get that close
A fisheye for video introduces a level of barrel distortion that makes you sick watching the video

I shot video on an old Sanyo Xacti HD2000 and I have used an Inon UWL100 and recently made my own adapter to attach an Inon UWL105AD, this set up shoots some great videos and I have spent £350 for camera and housing between ebay and ex display and I have recycled an old UWL105AD bought 6 years ago. With a push on filter and a little focus light I am quite happy
However the ease of use of a real video camera compared to a compact camera shooting video and the options you have still create quite a gap
Stability is required for sure and shooting video is totally different from stills both in terms of lenses and lightning you can have a compromise solution but as the word says it is a compromise

For what concerns the lens Maria is mentioning you can attach the Inon UWLH100 28LD to a canon housing using an inon mount, you don't need a recsea or fisheye

If instead you want to have a real fisheye lens such as the one fix produces or be able to attach an old Inon UFL165AD than you need a recsea or fix housing

Again spend more to spend less however a recsea plus AD adapter costs you £810 and a Canon plus inon mount £ 280 with the £530 difference you can buy yourself a wide angle lens and a diopter...

If instead you already have AD lenses it is a no brainer get a recsea or fisheye fix with an AD adapter

I have one for my S95 and I am super happy I could reuse the complete set of lenses

 

[maria munn]

"For what concerns the lens Maria is mentioning you can attach the Inon UWLH100 28LD to a canon housing using an inon mount, you don't need a recsea or fisheye"


Good points above for sure ... the only reason why I am steering towards either FIX or Recsea is that they are way sturdier ... I'm not the only one who has flooded a few Canons ... my guests have too and I know that Scott from BlueWater Photo or Ryan from ReefPhoto have also confided exactly the same fear too ....

If you can afford it, either of these are a breeze to use for a beginner, full wheel control for apertures and shutter speeds at both the front and rear of the housing. And the video is AWESOME ... I was lent one to demo a couple of weeks ago and captured some great mating Leaf fish footage ... super sharp and you have the beauty of being able to set your custom white balance for it too to banish blue videos forever, as well as control over exposure too ...

I can't rave about the set-up enough, and I've experimented with all of them over 10 years of shooting ... Good luck ... you'll have tonnes of fun whatever you decide

maria

 

[Interceptor121]

If you have the cash is best to spend it immediately!

This is my S95 rig



I have never flooded a Canon and there are sad reports of people flooding their recsea though the reasons are not clear

 

[Madacub]

Hi Dive the World, I too am looking for a housing, but I have already decided on and bought my S100. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Why are you buying an S100? If it is your first camera, for "let's try & see" , as Interceptor is (maybe) interpreting, why not buy something really cheap and then after a year or so spend a whole lot more. But reading what you say regarding "So I purchase something and grow with it.", I don't think that is your mindset. You seem to be someone who comes to a decision after a lot of consideration (and headache!), so you've probably chosen the S100 for a set of good reasons. So then why cheap out on a "lesser" housing? Buy the best your budget will allow. I suspect you will even be inclined to save up and buy what you really want, rather than buy quickly.

2. I have used OEM housings by Panasonic (ZS3/TZ7) and Canon (G12). I have taken them both past 35 metres. No flooding. But, with each of them, the controls were sometimes not responsive even above 35 metres. This is with properly maintained O rings. I plan on getting aftermarket housings from now on. They tend to be rated deeper - so even if I am not diving that deep (60-90 metres), I have a little more assurance they will work properly at "normal" depths.

3. Don't worry about the learning curve or the quality of your photos. Mine are mostly lousy but I still enjoy the heck out of this.

4. IMO video is king! Stills are great, and I take plenty of them, but it is a mobile environment down there after all. (And you can take video of static scenes also). For this reason I will not consider a camera that does not have a one touch video button. Turning the top dial back and forth means lost time which could mean a lost shot.

5. Given what I think is your philosophy in this, (see 1. above) I think you should include in your decision making right now, the ease of adding macro and wide angle lenses to the housing.

6. Are you going to travel a lot with this setup? If so, weight and size should be a consideration.

7. Interceptor says in post # 6. "As a result your diving will change completely and you will find yourself spending more time on shallow water". I'm not going to enter into a big discussion, but this is certainly not the case for me, even though I do take my camera on every dive. And also "get also lens and strobe as without those all you can shoot is close ups". Disagree again. I have a lot of fun without needing to get magazine quality photos. And I am very very happy with my video. I'm not here to win competitions. Having said that, I partly agree with the comment. External strobe and/or video lighting will improve things vastly, but balance that against travel problems. (And budget!) Manual white balance does great things, within limits.

8. "My advice would be to start with a plastic housing as by the time you learn to take good pictures it will be a couple of years by then probably you will want a new camera anyway". Interceptor, I know you help many with your responses in this forum, (including me, in an earlier thread of mine) but, come on! Couple of years!?? We're just trying to have a good time here. That won't take a couple of years. We don't even know how many dives he does in a year - from his profile it seems to be a little more than "average".

9. Don't neglect to maintain the O rings! Very easy and quick enough - just be careful and follow the instructions.

10. One more tip - don't close the housing with the O rings in position and take it on the plane. I used to do this until one time the housing would not open on land. Just sealed tight with the pressure. The dive shop photo shop could not help either. I had to wait for the return flight to pry it open in mid air. The manual actually says to remove the O ring for air travel.

Long question - long answer!

---------- Post added ----------

I recently upgraded to the S100 and bought the Recsea housing. The housing has a few quirks but at this stage I'm not ready to throw it in the bin. The construction is robust and nicely finished. Easy access to all camera controls is a nice convenience. Double seals has got to help.

Hi Foxfish, I'm considering the Recsea. Would you please let me know what quirks? And if you are considering throwing it in the bin, is that an accurate measure of your frustration with it or were you just being flippant?

Thanks

 

[chile7236]

I would stay away from Ikelite for the S95/100. Apparently there have been a bunch of trouble with them and for regular deep dives, I'd get something a bit more solid.

i would have to disagree here...the only issue i had with the ike housing was that the zoom is kind of a PITA to get used to but after that, the housing was great. i never had any problems with it down to 140ft...and i was never concerned about exceeding the depth rating (as i would've been with the canon housing)...both housings have their pros/cons. it's up to you to live with them.

 

[Interceptor121]

In response to Madacub my advice to people starting with underwater photography is to get a Powershot A570 and housing on ebay...
But this is because of the expectations I set of actually printing some of the photo. There are no completely manual entry level cameras and starting at £600 for an S100 in Canon housing for me is a high entry price