Canon S90/G11 underwater settings

[scottg]

I got to use a Canon s90 and G11 underwater this past weekend for a while.

Based on my experiences I came up with some recommended settings.

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/canon ... r-settings

Let me know if there is anything else you think I should add to the page, or if you have had different experiences

thanks!
scott

[James]

I do not find it useful to set the S90 to macro settings for use with my Inon dome lenses, neither the 165AD or the WAL100 with dome. In fact, I would recommend against it but that is just me, my camera and my equipment, others may have differing results.

I don't have any "standard" settings as such. I do find my self shooting at f4.0 to f 5.6 range quite a bit. I find that the wet lenses I use seem to work better, less tendency to vignette, less light drop off in corners if I stop down to at least f4.0 as opposed to shooting wide open at f2.0 (f2.6 at 35mm).

I like the way the S90 copes with natural light shots and see no reason to restrict myself to f5.6 or ISO100.

Using any Canon advanced P&S with a strobe can cause one's head to swell and explode due to all of the combinations of "settings" that will work well, depending upon exactly what one is attempting to do and what strobes you have.

Since I am an Inon strobe user these are my "settings" with my S90 and they were the same ones I used with my A570 rigs.

Manual exposure:

Set camera strobe to low or 1/3. Install magnet in D2000/S2000 strobes. Match f stop on strobe power knob to f stop on camera. Alter the strobe setting or camera f stop to bias exposure. Normally set to ISO100, I like 1/60 second unless there are fast movers and I go to 1/125 or faster.

Av exposure mode, Inon D2000 in EA mode:

My favorite set up, this is an auto mode that allows the photog to set f stop, the camera selects the shutter. On the S90 I use the front ring control for exposure compensation control so that I can quickly adjust my exposure bias plus or minus two full stoops, I use the rear ring control for f stop selection.

Set the camera strobe under Func Set to manual control and lowest power setting. With the D2000 install the magnet. Set the D2000 to external auto mode and match the f stop of the camera on the strobe.To increase or decrease exposure of subject, alter strobe power setting, to darken background I set the camera exposure compensation to minus 1 plus stop. Of course dial in ISO100 (unless you are playing some tricks)

Av exposure mode, Inon S/D2000 in sTTL:

This is an odd mode but it works, under Func Set set the camera strobe to Auto. You can bias the strobe exposure significantly using the camera's strobe exposure compensation under Menu plus or minus two full stops. Of course, more directly using the strobe power knob and be sure to set your D/S2000 to the sTTL normal position. Again, ISO100.

P exposure mode, Inon D/S2000 in sTTL:

Mostly useful in my opinion for close ups and macro shots. Set S90 to P, set Inon strobe to sTTL normal, set flash to forced if you have not, bang away. Exposure compensation via the front control ring for background and overall, strobe exposure control via strobe power knob or the camera's strobe exposure compensation under Menu. Set ISO to 100.

There are several other combinations that will work, for example you can shoot camera in manual mode, D2000 in EA mode for example. You can, if you have two D2000 strobes shoot one as master in sTTL and the other in EA mode to create shadows etc.

Batteries and the S90 , get a high cap battery of 1.4ah with Japanese cells. Shoot with Av or manual mode with the camera strobe in manual and lowest power setting. Turn IS to shoot only, turn off the focus assist light, turn off all of the Safety Focus and Safety Exposure overrides, set Power Saver to leave lens extended and set the LCD screen to go to sleep, this allows a shake or a button push to wake camera up. Turn the LCD screen brightness down a notch or two as well. I prefer spot meter or CW meter to evaluative, I sometimes use manual focus mode to speed up the camera shutter and to conserve battery because with dome lenses the DOF is so great, unless I am doing close focus stuff, it simply does not matter.

YRMV.

James

[mwellard]

I'm using the standard canon housing and I find that the g10 (and presumably the g11) will not focus on macro unless zoomed all the way out - this means you need to get very close to small subjects.

Using the canon housing, I have not found a way to alter the shutter/aperture manually while the camera is in the housing, so manual is not a viable option. Other housings give access to the adjustment wheel on the back of the camera, canon does not. I would be grateful if someone can tell me I'm wrong on this.

I also have a Fantasea BigEye lens which is OK, however when taking pictures near the surface or pointing up, it suffers from reflections. This is aggravated by the lens hood which allows patchy reflections. Can anyone suggest a workaround to reduce this interference?

Thanks,
Mark

[scottg]

I'm using the standard canon housing and I find that the g10 (and presumably the g11) will not focus on macro unless zoomed all the way out - this means you need to get very close to small subjects.



Thanks,
Mark

hey Mark - FYI - the closest focus distance is smallest when zoomed out; when you zoom in, you must back up further away to achieve focus. Were you aware of this?

Scott

[mwellard]

Thanks Scott, I was aware of this. I find that anywhere other than fully un-zoomed, the camera rarely finds focus, even when backing off the subject.

[scottg]

are you talking about topside or underwater? achieving focus UW can be difficult in dark conditions.

I'd start off with a simple test in a bright room, photographing a ruler zoomed in, zoomed out, and zoomed in halfway - to make sure your camera isn't defective. see what the smallest area is you can photograph at each step, and post the results here.

[cyberon]

Using the canon housing, I have not found a way to alter the shutter/aperture manually while the camera is in the housing, so manual is not a viable option. Other housings give access to the adjustment wheel on the back of the camera, canon does not. I would be grateful if someone can tell me I'm wrong on this.=

I have the G11 in the Canon OEM housing. To change both shutter speed and aperture in manual mode, press the shortcut button and the metering button at the same time. This will allow you to cycle between shutter speed, aperture or metering type. Then use the 4 selector buttons on the clickwheel to increase of decrease your shutter speed, aperture or metering type.

[mwellard]

Scott, I was referring to difficulties with focus UW - I don't think it's lack of light for focusing. I will try the ruler exercise and summarize the results. I was thinking that it was a 'feature' of macro on this camera.

Thanks Cyberon, that's very useful. I had looked in the manual and hadn't picked that up.

Regards,
Mark