Canon G9: Housing and strobe?

[thor]

What are your recommendations for a housing and strobe for this camera, and why?


Is the Ikelite housing the way to go?

Should I get the Ikelite strobe b/c it is the only strobe compatible with the TTL features?




Just bought the G9, and love it, on land that is. I find myself using my SLR less and less, especially for the movie features, that look pretty darn good, even on an HD set.

[gibson1525]

post some pics with the new camera when you get a chance.

[chewyjr15]

I'd go with the canon housing its cheaper and you can use a sea and sea strobe which is cheaper

[BobArnold8265]

Like most things, you'll find a lot of different opinions to your question. Part of the answer depends on you budget. If you have a tight budget, then the canon housing and a sea & sea strobe may be the way to go.

If you have the money though, I don't think you can beat an Ikelite housing and strobe. Ike housings are extremely well made and very tough. Also, (based on postings from other forums) the Ikelite housings seem less prone to leaking. I've read many postings about Canon housings developing a leak. Ike housings tend to be a little larger and heavier but personally, I think they are well worth it.

As for strobes, I use a Ike DS-125 and think it's outstanding. It does allow a TTL sync with your camera is pretty powerful and has a 1 second recycle time !!.

Finally, Ikelite has a great group of people who support their products. I have e-mailed them many times with questions and they are always very quick and helpful with their responses. I've used an Ike housing and strobe for about 3 years now and have never had a problem with either.

I'm glad to hear that you like your G9. I am very seriously considering buying one myself. How's the response time on your camera ???? I'm currently shooting with an Olympus C-8080. It's a very nice camera but the focus and shutter lag are rather slow. In three years, technology has changed a fair amount so it might be time to buy something new. I'm optomistic that the G9 has a quick focus and very short shutter lag. If that proves to be the case, I'll probably buy one just after Christmas

[thor]

Originally Posted by BobArnold8265

Like most things, you'll find a lot of different opinions to your question. Part of the answer depends on you budget. If you have a tight budget, then the canon housing and a sea & sea strobe may be the way to go.

If you have the money though, I don't think you can beat an Ikelite housing and strobe. Ike housings are extremely well made and very tough. Also, (based on postings from other forums) the Ikelite housings seem less prone to leaking. I've read many postings about Canon housings developing a leak. Ike housings tend to be a little larger and heavier but personally, I think they are well worth it.

As for strobes, I use a Ike DS-125 and think it's outstanding. It does allow a TTL sync with your camera is pretty powerful and has a 1 second recycle time !!.

Finally, Ikelite has a great group of people who support their products. I have e-mailed them many times with questions and they are always very quick and helpful with their responses. I've used an Ike housing and strobe for about 3 years now and have never had a problem with either.

I'm glad to hear that you like your G9. I am very seriously considering buying one myself. How's the response time on your camera ???? I'm currently shooting with an Olympus C-8080. It's a very nice camera but the focus and shutter lag are rather slow. In three years, technology has changed a fair amount so it might be time to buy something new. I'm optomistic that the G9 has a quick focus and very short shutter lag. If that proves to be the case, I'll probably buy one just after Christmas

Thanks for the info. The G-9 has great response time. Althought the auto focus is not as accurate as an SLR, it is definitely closer than other advanced point and shoots that I have used. The face recognition also works very well. The LCD screen alone will make your friends jealous.

So far the only negative is that it is a little hard to hold, b/c Canon has changed the design and removed the "grip" or bump that used to be on the side. Now it is very flat. I actually attached an old strap to it, just as a safety precaution. (the one that comes with it is an SLR type strap, which I find a little useless and funny looking. ) Won't pose a problem for diving since it will be in a housing.

[Scubakraut]

I tried the G9 and returned it. Got an DSLR instead. The quality and graininess is not what I'd expect. But for diving I guess I would use the Canon housing and a cheaper strobe. Not worth spending all the big bucks on a Ikelite.

[BobArnold8265]

What ISO settings did you have the G9 set at ??? Based on all of the test results that I have seen, the G9 has exceptional picture quality at ISO 200 and below.

As for housings, the G9 is still a $400+ dollar camera. If you save a couple hundred dollars on a housing that is more likely to flood, have you really saved anything ???? The Ike housings are more expensive for a reason and I think you'll have a hard time finding someone who's had a bad experience with one.

[thor]

Originally Posted by BobArnold8265

What ISO settings did you have the G9 set at ??? Based on all of the test results that I have seen, the G9 has exceptional picture quality at ISO 200 and below.

As for housings, the G9 is still a $400+ dollar camera. If you save a couple hundred dollars on a housing that is more likely to flood, have you really saved anything ???? The Ike housings are more expensive for a reason and I think you'll have a hard time finding someone who's had a bad experience with one.

I have to agree with you. No complaints from me regarding grain, except at the higher ISO settings. Even compared to my 10D, it looks great.

Also, I think I would rather spend the extra money on a better quality strobe, which I can then use if I decide to buy a housing for my DSLR, rather than buy two different strobes (and thereby spending even more money in the long run.)

[BobArnold8265]

Thor,

That's a great point about the strobe. Camera technology changes so quickly that it seems that every few years we're looking at a new camera set up. The exception to this is a good strobe. I bought my Ike DS-125 for my Nikonos IV a number of years ago. When I went digital and bought my Olympus C-8080 and Ike housing, I could still use my DS-125.

Now I'm looking at the Canon G9 or possibly a DSLR and my trusty DS-125 is still usable in the new set-up. Thinking ahead a little and spending your money on a good quality strobe is well worth the investment.

Bob

[bettaninja]

I've read that if you are getting the ikelite housing, you need to get an external strobe. The internal flash will be obscured by the ikelite housing.