what housing should I get with an S100?

[Dive the World]

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[/QUOTE]

Thanks I-121 - can I call you I-121? :=) Need clarification on the control all settings bit - Just got back from a dive and my dive buddy had a canon s100 with FIX housing - she claimed that there is a lack of controls with the Canon housing and with the ikelite she had previously faced problems with the buttons.

BUT if you say you can have access to controls with the basic Canon housing that would be a cool thing - and I have no problem diving with that for a while before I upgrade.

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

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.

Thanks Super G, where did you get the Patima housing from? - I had checked it out and liked the raw appeal it has. Couldn't find a place that sells them.

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

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.

I do purchase something and grow with it - I also come to a decision after quite a but of consideration - Headache - so I can make sure it will last me and so when I purchase something and I tend to grow with it after a decision has been made from a lot of consideration so my purchase can be something I can grow with - just got inspired by a podcast of radiolab about loops - sorry couldn't help myself.

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.

I would like that assurance too - worth spending more on housing or have to spend multiple time getting new cameras because they keep getting flooded.

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.

I bet your pics are not lousy - but i do get the point. I just want to be able to document my dives through pictures and enjoy doing it

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.

IMO? I don't even know what that means and can't even guess.

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.

I have already considered that - and yes it is something that is one my mind - are you a gypsy? or a shrink?

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

At least once a year - maybe twice.

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.

i think the strobes and lenses will come later as I go further down the wabbit hole.

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".

A little more than average - I guess would be correct - in 2012 I have hoping for 40. it was a 100 before I got married. AND yes - a good time - taking pictures would be a fun thing to impress my non diving friends on facebook and look cool

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

O rings - take care. Gotchya.

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.

Never even would have guessed that! Thanks

Long question - long answer!

long re-answer

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



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

will wait for fox fish to come back with this one.

One of my dive buddies pointed out that recsea does not have labels of the button where as the fisheye does - for her that was important as the camera was new to her.

 

[Interceptor121]

First answers to question about controls

Both the canon and ikelite housing do not give access to the rear dial however if you keep pressed the ring button and then press left or right you achieve the same of rotating the back dial

The recsea has labels of the buttons on the top of the housing, and besides after two use you remember it yourself

Seatool (aka recsea) used to produce fisheye fix housing for the S90 and G series. Fisheye fix themselves do not produce housing they get them done by subcontractors

Maybe it is worth sharing my personal choice of camera as I just upgraded 2 months ago. I went for an S95 and not for an S100 for the following reasons:
1. I got a great deal for the S95 and an ex display for the Recsea saved myself a lot of money
2. I preferred a camera with a CCD sensor instead of CMOS
3. When I bought it there were no releases of CHDK for the S100 it looks like one is coming shortly whilst the S95 had one already
4. I like to shoot with DSTTL in manual mode a feature I can achieve with CHDK and a script or even just with CHDK and some overrides on the S95
5. I had a set of inon AD lenses and I was worried about the possibility to reuse them, It turns out even the UFL165 can be used with the S100 however at the time of my decision this was not tested so I did not take chances
6. Generally I go for tried and tested model that have just been replaced by a new one as I find plenty of posts on forums of other users that give me insight on how to use the camera

I have a rather unconventional approach at buying equipment however if I see the picture that my buddy (who is my student and guinea pig) takes and those that I occasionally take (there days I am into video) I can say this strategy pays

 

[Madacub]

Dive the World: IMO = In my opinion.

 

[Knackas]

It turns out even the UFL165 can be used with the S100

Thanks for this information Interceptor this is good to hear, can I ask where you got your information from so as I can read any report and content for myself,

thanks Knackas.

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

Just did a quick search and found this info at this link http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk/test-inon-ufl165ad,

cheers.

 

[Foxfish]

First answers to question about controls

6. Generally I go for tried and tested model that have just been replaced by a new one as I find plenty of posts on forums of other users that give me insight on how to use the camera

I have a rather unconventional approach at buying equipment however if I see the picture that my buddy (who is my student and guinea pig) takes and those that I occasionally take (there days I am into video) I can say this strategy pays

Not a bad suggestion in theory. However, the S95 camera and Recsea housing are now not readily available from some of the leading suppliers at least in Australia. What happens if you flood the housing in six months time? Maybe buy a spare camera as well.

The difference between the price of a camera and housing for the S95 and S100 is about $100 for each item. If that is such a big deal maybe you shouldn't be considering the more expensive housing.

 

[Interceptor121]

Not in my case I got the camera for $200 less and the housing for $160 new ex display
Total saving $360 and at the time I was not sure my lenses would have worked with the S100
In terms of flood that is always true the solution is to insure the whole rig but also eBay is your friend...

 

[Madacub]

Hi Foxfish, re your post # 11, 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

 

[RonFrank]

The s100 is not a pricy camera and it will be foolish to spend a small fortune on a housing. In a year or two that pricy housing will not be worth much. In a market where camera manufactures update their offerings annually equipment does not hold value. The Canon housing is adequate and allows access to most functions. It costs a bit over $200 and my cannon housings have worked well. I generally shoot UW in M mode and RAW so that provides flexibility.

The question I would ask is what do you get for the extra $1000? If the answer is a $xxxx poorer well.....

Spend your money on a good flash. A good flash will run more than the camera. The good news is the flash will hold value and likely outlast the camera.

I shot my Avatar with a Cannon PnS in 2005. I purchased a DSLR housing shortly after but that's a different story.

 

[Knackas]

Foxfish have you checked out Camera Paradise online, that's where I purchased my S100 and it cost just over $400 with a second battery. It arrived at my door in five days from Hong Kong and they give you a tracking number to track it.

Having a spare camera for your housing is always a good plan and I will be buying a spare in time as the camera is the cheap item.

cheers Knackas

 

[supergaijin]

The Canon S 90/95/100 is probably as much camera as people ever need. So there is no need to hold back on getting a decent housing set-up with the later options to add lenses and strobes.

Next year no doubt sensors will become 0.15% more sensitive, shutter lag time will decrease by 0.24 secs etc, but will this ultimately affect the consumer's ability to take keepers?

In the long run, unless you go towards DSLR, the Canon 'S range' is pretty sweet and IMO it make sense to buy a housing with easy access to its features.