Canon WP-DC21 (OEM) housing vs Ikelite housing for G9

I justed wanted to add that this has been a great thread. Informative discussion. Very timely for me.

 

Where I think I am at is getting the G9 and OEM housing, as a starting point. I do use it, in large part, as a point and click--as I do REEF surveys and come across a new species or one I am challenged to identify in the field.

 

With this in mind, getting this set up is a big step forward from the SeaLife model I use now. A plus is that it does not have an awkward external strobe as part of the setup--more streamlined for the occasional but important use of rare species verification.

 

That gives me another year to save up for a 3rd party (Ike) housing and TTL external strobe(s). Wife will appreciate this plan --at least more than having me going for G9+Ike+external strobe all at once!

You won't regret that ... I did the same and now own both the Ike and the OEM case. The OEM has its utility ... snorkeling, at the pool, skiing, in shitty weather, etc.

I've gotten some really nice results with OEM case using the built in flash and diffuser for close-up stuff ... just have to zoom in a little to avoid the shadow of the port.

Good to hear that it takes good macro shots with the OEM housing, and nice hint on the touch of zoom to avoid obstructions.

I am about to purchase the camera, uw housing, 2nd battery (cold water diving, replace between dives), 4 Gig SD card, aux weights for UW housing...anything else? Easier to buy the stuff all at once.

Good to hear that it takes good macro shots with the OEM housing, and nice hint on the touch of zoom to avoid obstructions.

 

I am about to purchase the camera, uw housing, 2nd battery (cold water diving, replace between dives), 4 Gig SD card, aux weights for UW housing...anything else? Easier to buy the stuff all at once.

If you take a SDHC card, make sure it is at least class 4, writes RAW in 4~5 seconds. I haven't see any differences from class 4 to class 6 thought.

I almost forgot, thre are adapters for extra lenses. Yuzo has got one, but the built-in flash will be of small use with 67mm shadowing it

If you take a SDHC card, make sure it is at least class 4, writes RAW in 4~5 seconds. I haven't see any differences from class 4 to class 6 thought.

 

I almost forgot, thre are adapters for extra lenses. Yuzo has got one, but the built-in flash will be of small use with 67mm shadowing it

With the OEM case, I have seen some 3rd party adapter mounts, but they say the length of the port makes those only suitable for Close-Up lenses and not Wide Angle.

If you want good wide angle, you need the Ikelite housing and the short port (which restricts the full zoom a bit - but it is worth it) and then you can use 67MM wide angle adapters. The ability to get a 100 degree view with that kind of adapter was one of the biggest reasons I bought the Ikelite case after owning the OEM case for a year.

You may also want to investigate "magic filters" ... invented by one of wetpixel's resident super-pros Alex Mustard. They re-balance the light underwater and give ambient light photographs a unique and very "natural" look.

One other thing ... get a BIG card (I use 8GB from Kingston) ... the video works GREAT underwater and I find I end up shooting a lot of video with my G9. I like the 15fps 1024x768 mode a lot - looks terrific on a big TV. I find the combination of the video mode and the G9 is a great combo ...

Check out a little video from a trip in January ... shot with magic filters ...

[flickrvideo]2442492277[/flickrvideo]

What the "wet lens" is referenced on page 1 of this thread?

I wonder also if there are any underwater filters designed for my WP-DC21 housing.

It seems like the lens port has some plastic frame with screws, so it should be relatively easy to attach something there for prefiltering blue color out...

Thanks.

I just finished reading this thread and it provides some great information regarding the different options one has for setting up the G9 for underwater use.

I know that some of you are already aware of this, but I'd like to add that Patima also makes a housing for the G9.

http://reefphoto.com/index.php?main_page=p...roducts_id=2873

It's a bit pricey at about $1K, but it's made of aluminum, has a depth rating of 120 meters and comes standard with a short port for wide angle and a long port for macro, which are already threaded for 67mm lenses. The housing also provides the ability to connect strobes via a sync cord or via optical cables.

I just bought one this week and set it up with my dual Inon Z-240 Strobes. I also bought the Inon wide angle conversion lens and 2 Inon closeup lenses for it.

Hello,

I'm considering G9 and am on decision point about the housing.

You here mention that two button operation is needed in A and S modes.

My doubt is how isi it possible to set the parameters in M manual mode.

Any experiences?

Thanks and regards.

My doubt is how isi it possible to set the parameters in M manual mode.

Any experiences?

Thanks and regards.

Any time you would need to "spin" the wheel on the back you need to use two buttons.

You hold the "customizable" button on the upper left hand corner and you use "left" and "right" on the four-way control around the wheel to do the "spinning".

I found this very easy to do underwater.

Hello,

I'm considering G9 and am on decision point about the housing.

You here mention that two button operation is needed in A and S modes.

My doubt is how isi it possible to set the parameters in M manual mode.

Any experiences?

Thanks and regards.

The Patima housing has a seperate wheel/knob that you can spin the wheel with and you can accomplish that with your right hand without having to use your left hand at all - Very convenient.

The Patima housing has a seperate wheel/knob that you can spin the wheel with and you can accomplish that with your right hand without having to use your left hand at all - Very convenient.

As does the Ike housing

Some great info in this thread. I just bought a G9 (primarily as a carry-around topside camera) and the OEM housing. It sounds like in less-than-crystal-clear water that combo - using the built-in flash - will be best used for macro shooting (i.e., close enough that the flash doesn't cause too much backscatter).

I also have an old S&S YS-90 strobe from a prior rig. I know I can't use its Nikonos cord with the G9 OEM housing, but I'm wondering if I can get a fiber optic cable kit of some sort and be able to use the YS-90 with it. That would turn the G9 into a decent fish camera as well as macro, even in water with limited vis. Are any of you familiar enough with the OEM housing and lighting options to know if that would work?

I used to trigger my S&S YS-27dx using an optical cord and the OEM housing for the G9 ... worked great. Sea & Sea makes a velcro masking kit (about $25-30) that allows you to block the strobe and leave a "port" for the optical cord.

Here's a picture: