Recsea G15 Housing Review & Canon G15 Underwater Macro Review

By Amr Abdu-Majeed

April 28, 2013

The Recsea G15 is a great housing and has many improvements over the previous G12 model.  The housing is made of high quality aluminum and comes with a big wheel in the rear which makes it easier to change settings like ISO, macro, manual focus and flash. The buttons are easy to press even when wearing gloves and do not get stuck.

Recsea Housing Improvements (G12 to G15)

In my opinion there are two major differences (improvements) between the Recsea G15 housing and the previous Recsea G12 housing:

1. The ISO wheel has been improved, which makes changing the ISO smoother than before.  It also fixes an issue with the Recsea G12 where if the ISO wheel is not pressed hard enough the Mode wheel will rotate with the ISO wheel, causing the camera mode to change.

2.  The Recsea G15 has a Record button (Red Button), which makes recording video quick and easy.  With the Recsea G12 you had to switch to video Mode through the Mode wheel.

A unique feature of the Recsea housing is that the port can be replaced by a fisheye lens like the UWL-04 fisheye.  For supermacro photography an adapter can be placed on the Recsea housing port to add macro wet lenses.

Canon G15 Improvements

I had a canon G12 for almost 3 years and the results I got from it were pretty good.  In my opinion, the thing that put the canon G12 at the top of the compact camera list for almost 2 years was the amazing macro capability with its 10MP.  I loved the sharpness in the pictures.  The Canon G15 has the same macro capability but with some major improvements.  It is smaller, focuses faster, is sharper, and the video quality has significantly improved since the G12.  Canon added the full HD 1080 video, along with faster focus during video shooting, improved white balance adjustment and a separate video recording button.

Shooting Supermacro with the G15

To achieve a supermacro shot with Canon G15 I recommend using a wet macro lens or two macro lenses stacked together for maximum magnification.  Common macro lenses (diopters) include the Bluewater +7, SubSee +5 and SubSee +10, which allow you to get closer to your subject and fill the picture frame with your subject, eliminating the need to crop photos.

Bluewater +7 Wet Lens:  This is a great lens that provides increased magnification and sharp details.  Because of the high-magnification, you must bring the lens close to the subject.

SubSee +5 Wet Lens:  This lens also delivers sharp image details, however at less magnification.  I've found that if you zoom the camera in all the way with the +5, the results will not be as nice as with the +7.  The front of the lens is further from the subject, allowing room for many creative strobe positions.

When you stack the 2 lenses together, the Depth of Field is very shallow, so remember to use a higher f-stop.  A focus light helps dramatically when stacking two wet lenses.  Shooting with two wet lenses takes some practice, and I would recommend new divers/photographers to practice with one wet lens before stacking two together.  Stacking 3 wet lenses together yields poor results - two is much better.

Recommended Settings

I recommend the following settings for shooting supermacro with Canon G15, along with one or two macro wet lenses.  If  you are using single or double strobes:

• Flash always on (forced to fire)
• Macro mode on
• Digital Zoom standard
• Servo AF on
• Continuous AF on
• F8
• ISO 80-200
• Shutter Speed 1/250 to 1/500
• White Balance Auto
• Zoom all the way in (even go with digital zoom 10x to 20x)

Note:  If you are not using strobes, use the same settings as above but with a lower f-stop - about F6.3.

Shooting Tips

1.  The photographer must be neutrally buoyant and keep the camera very steady in order to keep the subject in focus (especially with 1 or 2 wet lenses).

2.  Start with your aperture at F8 and play with shutter speed and ISO for a couple shots.  If the image still isn't light enough, reduce the aperture by 1/3 or 1/2 stops, which will bring in more light and help the camera focus faster.

3.  Try various compositions.  For macro, the subject often looks great in the center of the frame, however you can also frame the subject using the rule of thirds.

4.  I prefer to use the digital zoom in supermacro, which allows me to see exactly where my focus point is and to fill the frame.  The more you zoom, the more shaky the subject will be in the viewfinder, so remaining stable is key.

About the Author

Amr A. Abdul-Majeed was born in 1980, in Jeddah-Saudi Arabia to a Jordanian father and an Iraqi mother.  He graduated from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2006 as a Telecommunications and Electronics engineer, and is currently works at the Consultant & Design Engineering office.  Amr became certified to dive in July 2009 and has been a PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Instructor since May 2011.  He lives in Jeddah, a coastal city on the Red Sea.

Further Reading

• Compact Camera Housing Wet Lens Guide

• Best Compact Underwater Cameras for 2013

• Canon G15 Camera Specs

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

A Customer Review: Sony NEX-7 and Nauticam NA-NEX7

From Wide to Macro, Bill Pottinger gives an evaluation of the Sony NEX-7 and Nauticam NA-NEX7 Housing

Text and photos by Bill Pottinger

NEX-7 and 30mm lens, F11, 1/60, ISO 100, Nauticam NA-NEX7 and macro port 45, 2 Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes, TTL control.  Glass Anemone Shrimp with eggs, Wakatobi, Indonesia

I would like to share my experiences using my new Sony NEX-7 and Nauticam NA-NEX7 housing on my May 2012 Indonesia diving trip to Wakatobi and Bali (Pemuteran).    My comments will be confined to actual use of the equipment underwater.  I assume the reader has read more extensive reviews of the camera and housing elsewhere, and has made peace with the limited lens selection in the short term. 

Equipment Choices 

My priority in camera rig selection was to reduce equipment weight and bulk without compromising image quality.  I only used Sony’s fixed prime lenses (30mm macro and 16mm with 12mm ultra-wide converter), seeing no compelling reason for the 18-55mm zoom for my underwater work.  

Assembled rig without camera.  Single arm segments and 3" strobe adapters reduced weight and drag.  Maximum distance 

Equipment details: 

• Purchase price (camera body, 2 lenses, housing, ports, arms, tray and handles, strobes, cables, camera backpack) $6,171
• Topside assembled rig weight 8.5 lbs
• Submerged weight less than ½ lb negative with buoyancy floats
• Airline baggage weight including backpack, laptop, extra batteries and charger, hand tools, and 18-200mm lens for topside use,  22 lbs 

I chose two Sea and Sea YS-01 strobes on ULCS 5” arms (only one arm section per strobe) and a Nauticam tray and handles.   The small strobes and one-segment arms significantly reduce size, weight and drag, and are well suited for macro and CFWA photography.  However, I found that a more powerful strobe with wider beam width and additional 8" strobe arm segments are needed for wide angle reefscapes at distances over 6 feet, or for fisheye work where very wide angle illumination may be needed.

Everything plus laptop fit in this Case Logic DCB-309 camera bag with room to spare

Otherwise, I never missed the extra length that adding 8” strobe arm segments would have provided.  The 5” arm length and 3” strobe adapter length achieved every strobe position I needed.  I tried the same setup with single 8” arms but could not position the strobes properly in some macro circumstances.  I really appreciated the reduced form factor that one arm segment per strobe presented when diving currents.  It was also smaller in the rinse tank, easier to port around topside, and helped reduce carry-on size and weight. 

Nembrotha Lineolata.  Example of NEX-7's high ISO performance.  30mm lens at F16, 1/60, ISO 1600, Pumeteran, Bali, Indonesia

Nauticam NA-NEX7 Housing

The Nauticam NA-NEX7 Housing size is small enough for easy one-handed operation.  I added Stix jumbo buoyancy floats to my strobe arms to achieve slightly negative buoyancy.  When released in open water, the rig retained its upright position and sank slowly enough that I never used a lanyard.  

Consider purchasing the hand strap instead of the second handle if opting for a single strobe setup.  The result will be an even smaller profile with no compromise in ergonomics, but one less grip for handing the camera to and from dive staff on board.  Note that this alternative may require two strobe arm segments for all lighting requirements, or an 8” arm and 3” strobe adapter mounted on the housing cold shoe. 

NEX-7 and 16mm lens, F5.6@1/60, ISO 100, Nauticam NA-NEX7 and 100mm dome port, 2 Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes, manual control.  Wakatobi, Indonesia

The Nauticam tray and grip assembly is widely adjustable, which was essential for my small hands.  I definitely recommend the Flexitray over the Easitray for added customizability.  The Nauticam tray and grip design, machining and finish are all superb.  Every adjustment is secured by two set screws, and never slips.  I like the grip finger molds.  ULCS 15 degree clamps and arms worked perfectly with Nauticam handle ball ends. 

White Spotted Combtooth Blenny.  NEX-7 and 30mm lens, F11, 1/60, ISO 200, Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia

Sony NEX-7 Camera Setting Accessibility

All primary camera settings are directly accessible with a knob or button, or are available from one click of the control wheel button.  Aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation are set by the top dials, and ISO is set with the control dial.  I customized the ”A” and “B” buttons to access flash compensation and shooting mode (though most of the time I shoot aperture priority), and the control wheel button (“C”) for white balance when shooting with ambient light.  Another button toggles between auto focus and manual focus with Sony’s very effective focus peaking feature. 

NEX-7 and 30mm lens, F16@1/60, ISO 100, Nauticam NA-NEX7 and macro port 45, 2 Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes, TTL control.  Tomato Anemonefish, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Because no manual focus ports were available for my lenses, I used the autofocus for initial focus settings.  I then switched to manual focus/peaking when needed, and moved the camera closer to or away from the subject to fine tune the focus point to precisely where I wanted it.  The peaking feature is readily visible for precise real-time focusing assistance, and it worked very well.   I worked most often at F8 or F11 and ISO 100 or 200 when shooting macro. 

Schooling Barracuda.  My twin Sea and SeaYS-01s and 5" strobe arms were able to handle this wide-angle shot without difficulty.  16mm lens, F5.6, 1/160, ISO 100, Wakatobi, Indonesia

Strobe Settings

TTL worked reliably for macro and close-in work.  For in-the-blue subjects I usually switched to manual strobe exposure settings.  YS-01’s controls are easy to operate in warm water diving conditions but might be challenging for larger hands in 5mm gloves in cold water.  For those regularly shooting using manual strobe, note that having flash compensation directly accessible on the housing allows turning the camera strobe intensity to a minimum (-3EVF) to conserve battery strength.  As noted below, I never exhausted a battery on my 3-dive days, but conserving battery strength can improve shot-to-shot times, which are delayed by the camera’s strobe recycle time. 

Pleurobranch.  This guy left no discernable trail in his wake as he crept along the sand.  Night dive, 30mm lens, F11, 1/60, ISO 100, Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia

I discovered a flare issue when using the wide-angle lens and port.  The on- board camera strobe strayed past the lens through the dome and lit the subject.  I reported this to Nauticam, and they are working on a more elegant solution than the lens barrel baffle I devised.  Check with them for details and status. 

Editor's Note: Nauticam is shipping a solution to the flare problem as we speak.

In the interest of weight savings and initial cost reduction, I used the YS-01’s aiming light as a poor man’s focus light on night dives and dark conditions.  Its auto shutoff at exposure works perfectly, preventing hot spots in the image.  It was an acceptable compromise since I had a second strobe available for top, side or back lighting.  However, I may add a dedicated focus light to the housing’s cold shoe.  Moreover, I came to really appreciate the aiming light for its intended purpose of fine-tuning the strobe’s direction and placement.  It takes the guesswork out of the initial setup, and has little apparent impact on battery drain (though I turned them off when not in use as a courtesy to my fellow divers).   

Frogfish, 30mm lens, F11, 1/60, ISO 200, Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia

NEX-7 Electronic View Finder

Although the NA-7 housing’s electronic viewfinder (EVF) window works well with the NEX-7 EVF, it obscures the upper left corner of the rear display when viewed from an overhead angle.  I think Nauticam should offer a plain back option with no EVF lens.  I never had reason to prefer the EVF to the rear display when underwater.  The rear display’s resolution, size and brightness are excellent, and quite sufficient for quickly evaluating exposure settings for subsequent adjustments. 

The housing accepts Nauticam’s pricey 45° EVF viewfinder attachment as a factory installed retrofit, providing a shooting position close to the ocean floor while still floating above the reef.  But you don’t need the existing EVF lens for that option since the entire glass backing is replaced.  In any event, if you use the camera’s EVF eye cup for topside photography as I do, you must temporarily remove it when placing the camera in the housing. 

NEX-7 and 30mm lens, F11@1/60, ISO 400, Nauticam NA-NEX7 and macro port 45, 2 Sea & Sea YS-01 strobes, TTL control.  Decorator Crab at night, Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia 

For cameras larger than compacts, housing designs use mounting shoes to position the camera in the housing with utmost precision and stability.  I learned how important it is to screw the camera on its tray very snugly to assure all controls properly engage. 

Amenone in Brittle Stars, 2nd Place, macro category, SoCal Shootout.  "Anemone" is Greek for "daughter of the wind."  It took several exposures to catch the anemone's surging cnidae at just the right moment for symmetry.  16mm lens, F9, 1/60, ISO 160, Channel Islands, California, USA

Sony NEX-7 Batteries

As noted earlier, all camera body controls are accessible from the housing.  The camera lens and port can be quickly changed without removing the camera from the housing.  Swapping the battery requires taking the camera off its mounting shoe.  A fully charged camera battery easily lasted three dives, or over 200 flash exposures and a few videos.  I never came close to draining a battery. 

As for the YS-01 strobes, same story – I never drained the batteries to the point where refresh times became noticeably longer, even with frequent use of the aiming lights.  I started each diving day with freshly charged batteries in strobes and camera.  I never noticed any overheating from either camera or strobes. 

Chromodoris Magnifiica, 30mm lens, F11, 1/60, ISO 200, +.7 step, Pemuteran, Bali, Indonesia

Sony 30mm Macro Lens

The 30mm macro requires small working distances for best detail.  I regularly worked a few inches from my subject.  However, the shorter lens improved depth of field and reduced camera shake for very sharp images.  Although these benefits help offset the challenges from the small working distance, I still look forward to when a longer macro lens and port are available. 

I’m very happy with the performance of my NEX-7 rig, and look forward to lots of great photography over the years. 

Pygmy Seahorse, 30mm lens, F10, 1/160, ISO 800

About the Author

Bill Pottinger lives in Berkeley, California.  He can be found diving the Monterey Coast and elsewhere with camera in tow.

Further Reading

• Underwater Digital Cameras Reviewed

• Introduction to Mirrorless Cameras

Where to Buy

Please support the Underwater Photography Guide by purchasing your underwater photography gear through our sister site, Bluewater Photo & Video. Click, or call them at (310) 633-5052 for expert advice!

Olympus PEN E-PL1 camera and PT-EP01 Underwater Housing

First look at the new micro four thirds E-PL1 camera from Olympus, and the PT-EP01 underwater housing

By Scott Gietler

While walking around the PMA conference, I played around with the Olympus E-PL1 camera ($600 retail with a 14-42mm lens) which takes 3 new micro four thirds format lenses, which are very small. There is also an adapter ($175) that allows you to use any Zuiko lens on the camera.

It's quite a small camera that seems like a regular compact camera, except it takes these small changeable lenses, and has a much larger sensor size. The camera seemed to focus and fire faster than a regular compact, but not as quick as a dSLR. I also used it with a Zuiko 50mm macro lens and the required adapter. I found the auto-focus was usually quick but could be a little jittery and took a second to lock. It was fairly easy to set the manual controls on the camera.

Olympus micro four thirds cameras are smaller than dSLR's because they don't have a mirror box, meaning there is no viewfinder, only live view. There is an electronic viewfinder you can purchase, but you are really just seeing the live view and the experience is not the same as a real viewfinder.

Noteable changes from older Olympus PEN four thirds format cameras are an internal flash, and a lower price tag.

Olympus E-PL1 quick specs:

12 megapixel sensor

Sensor size: 17x13mm (same size as Olympus dSLR's)

dSLR Crop factor: 2x

Internal Flash

2.7inch LCD

1280x720 Motion Jpeg

In-body image stabilization

RAW & JPEG modes 

Size: Compact camera size

Click here for the full Olympus E-PL1 review

Olympus PT-EP01 underwater housing for the E-PL1

I also played with the Olympus PT-EP01 underwater housing (also $600) for this camera, which seemed quite large given the small size of the camera, and did not allow port changes, so there is no dome port as of this time. The port is actually part of the housing and does not come off. The underwater housing had 2 built-in fiber optic ports, and will do TTL with Olympus strobes. An external strobe will be required. It works with only 2 of the 3 micro four thirds lenses - the 14-42mm and 9-18mm, both behind the flat port. It does not work with the micro four thirds 40-150mm lens.

How to purchase the E-PL1 underwater housing

Support the UWPG and get the housing from our sister company, Bluewater Photo

Further Reading:

Underwater Housing features

Underwater Housing reviews

Digital underwater camera guide

Nauticam D90 Underwater Housing Review

Reviewed by Underwater Photographer David Henshaw

Like many users of underwater housings we come to a point when we want to upgrade our system. The usual route is to move to the latest camera housing by our current manufacturer to utilise the investment we have previously made in port and lighting systems.
 
We wanted to upgrade our two Nikon D200 system to D300. The search was on for the best deals available on both cameras and housings through our network of underwater photographers around the globe.
 
Our conversations led us to Hong Kong where our friends Stephen Wong & Takako Uno considered that we may be interested in talking to Edward Lai, owner of the newly formed Nauticam company, who was completing the final pre-production housings for the Nikon D90 and D300/300s models.  Edward and his team have been in the precision mould manufacturing industry for more than 20 years, and now focusing on development and production of underwater photographic equipment.

The introductions were made and after many e-mails over a couple of weeks Edward kindly sent us a Nikon D90 and Nauticam Housing for us to use on our trip to The Philippines. Joy and excitement to have such a generous offer made and nervous anticipation to be experimenting with a new camera model and a new housing – a daunting prospect…
 
Upon arrival the quality of finish and precision of the engineering was most eye catching. Underwater the system was very simple to operate and having much easier access to the operating features than we were used to. Additional levers replaced some of the traditional push in rods making regular operations much easier and at your fingertips. We were able to connect our Inon strobes via optical cables that enabled use without electrical sync cords (a potential point of weakness) and for those that like to use TTL the need for additional converters was not necessary.
 

The bonus was that we could use our existing Sea & Sea Ports by simply removing the existing locating plates and replacing with a simple Nauticam bayonet ring – a one off operation for continued use on the Nauticam Housings. The fitting of the ports is simplicity itself through the unique lever/locking feature on the front of the housing – open lever, push in port – close lever! Existing Zoom Gears – no problem – a well engineered adapter allows all existing Zoom Lens Gears to be used!
 
During our trip we used the system on 50+ dives and only had two minor faults, one of which was due to camera failure and the other, a fixing point which has since been rectified for the production units.
 
The Enhanced Optical 180º Viewfinder is supplied as an Optional extra but has such excellent qualities that once tried would be difficult to return to the standard.
 
We have been introduced to a well engineered housing system that provides easier usage, advanced operating features, lighter in weight and is able to use our existing ports and strobes -  all for the total expense of purchasing two optical cables.
 
We will soon take delivery of a Nikon D300 and D300s Nauticam Housing and suggest that anyone looking for a change for the better to look at the Nauticam range as extensions are planned in the near future (including Canon models) before making a final decision. Prices are realistic and extremely competitively priced which is surprising for such a quality item.

Nauticam Housing Features and Benefits                                                   

1. The port mount mechanism provides quick and easy exchange of ports via release/locking lever on the housing
 
2. Allows use of Sea & Sea  ports by replacing rear locking plates with Nauticam bayonet ring  by a simple one off application to existing ports. Nauticam also produce adapters for Nexus, Aquatica, Subal, Ikelite etc.
 
3. Provides dual strobe connection via dual optical sensor bulkheads using the cameras built-in flash enabling strobes to be used in TTL or Manual Mode or through an optional single Nikonos 5-pin bulkhead.
 
4. Operating levers are used for the OK, AF, Live View (if featured) and Review operations.
 
5. Moulded grip handles in polycarbonate and rubber for textured, smooth grip. Spacers are available to increase width from housing if required.
 
6. 3 point locking latch housing closure.
 
7. Lighter weight housing construction versus competitors.
 
8. Moisture audible and visual alarm sensor.
 
9. Simple installation of optional Enhanced 180º Viewfinder.

Nauticam underwater viewfinder

More Information on the Nauticam D90 Housing

For information, visit the official Nauticam D90 page at www.nauticamusa.com
  

The views and opinions in this article are solely those formed by DigitalDiving – www.digitaldiving.co.uk

Canon S90 Underwater Housings

OEM, Fisheye FIX and Ikelite Canon S90 Housings

By Scott Gietler

The Canon S90 is currently the hottest compact point and shoot camera out there. It has an excellent 10 megapixel sensor, large viewfinder, has full manual controls, RAW, and a fast F2.0 lens. It does not have a hot shoe and can't support an external flash. I would probably pick this camera over the Canon G10 or G11 because it's more limited zoom range (28-105mm) is better for underwater photography.

 Update: The Canon S95 is basically the same as the Canon S90, but adds HD Video. 

The Canon S90 has a new wheel, called the front control ring, to allow the user to easily control aperture, and a rear wheel that controls the shutter speed. It is a fairly small camera, smaller than the Canon G10 or G11, but I didn't find them very large either. I guess I'm used to the size of a dSLR.

Like other Canon cameras, Canon TTL works in P, TV, and AV modes. This is true whether using an internal flash topside, Ikelite TTL, or a strobe fired via fiber optics. In manual mode, you must set the strobe power manually.

I do not expect image quality of underwater photos to be noticeably different between those of a Canon G10 or Canon G11. I've used the camera several times and I thought the image quality was excellent for a compact.

Canon, Ikelite and Fisheye all make underwater housings for the Canon S90.

Canon S90 Macro Capability - the bad news

The macro capability on this camera is less than stellar, especially once you start zooming in. As you zoom in, the maximum size of an object you can take changes from 2 inches to 4 inches, not good, especially for skittish fish and critters you'll need to zoom in for. To make matters worse, the in-focus indicator does not seem to work properly when you get very close to the subject, and the camera easily slips out of macro mode unless you use custom settings. Test this out for yourself carefully.

Canon S90 Underwater Settings

I've done a separate writeup on the Canon S90 underwater settings

Canon S90 WP-DC35 underwater housing 

This housing made by Canon is actually quite well built and works well with the Canon S90 controls. However, there is no way to control the rear dial, so you must push buttons to change shutter speed. Depth rating is 130ft. Dyron sells an adapter that allows the housing to work with some wide-angle wet lens made by Dyron.

Controlling the rear dial

As with the G10 Canon housing (and the S80 Canon housing) there is no way to control the rear dial, so there is a workaround which involves two hands: Press the "S" (shortcut) button, and then the left and right dial pushbuttons change settings up and down, instead of rotating a dial.  This method works reasonably well, according to users, but it does require two hands on the camera and multiple button pushes even for relatively small settings changes. An alternative is to switch to Tv mode, use the front dial, and then switch back.

Here's some feedback from Kalani Patterson:

"I was very impressed with the precision fit of all the control dials and rods. All push or turn in the precise place needed. The mode dial turns the top mode dial very positively. I believe it is a thick rubber disk that is compressed against the dial when you close the housing, and thus easily maintains enough grip, regardless of depth, to turn the dial. The left side control for the front control ring has "gears" whose "teeth" positively engage the mode dial, turning it perfectly, and delivering tactile feedback in addition to the on-screen display. Again, it's position will make it impervious to depth issues. The zoom lever is spring-loaded to return to center... significantly, the Ikelite housing is NOT spring loaded, and there is little tactile feedback on the mechanism, and you can't see the control arm from behind the screen since the control is in the front of the camera."

Canon OEM housing photographs taken by Kalani Patterson.

Canon OEM Housing wet lens options

Inon has released an adapter that allows several wets lenses to be used with this housing. This is exciting news, here's the full article

Canon S90 Ikelite underwater housing 

This housing is much smaller than other Ikelite housings, and is more compact. It doesn't cost too much more than the Canon housing, $300 versus $175. Since the S90 does not have a hot shoe, this housing does not have TTL. 67mm threaded lenses can be attached, although due to vignetting issues, wide-angle capability is limited to the Ikelite WP-20 wide-angle lens, which has a flat port, and only restores the original 28mm field of view, not true wide-angle. If you do get the Ikelite housing, I also recommend getting the wide-angle lens.

Using the controls is fairly easy, even with 5mm gloves. The shutter lever could be a little longer, it's fairly short - so pressing the shutter halfway to lock focus is not easy.

The Ikelite housing partially blocks the internal flash on some shots, so if you get this housing you should probably plan on getting an external strobe. Also, there is no way to control the rear dial, so you must push buttons to change shutter speed in the menu (see the instructions in the Canon OEM housing section above), or switch to Tv mode and then use the front dial.

One other small complaint is that the fiber optic cable is difficult to attach to the housing in front of the flash because of the round shape of the housing, and comes off sometimes underwater. One other small complaint is that the zoom lever is not spring-loaded to return to center, making it a careful affair to stop zooming. And until the zoom control is released (centered) other buttons will not press.

One person I know actually bought a B&W +4 67mm diopter for macro, and simply screws it onto the underwater housing. A very simple, innovative solution for macro! When not using the lens he must carefully place it in a case which he keeps in his BCD pocket.

Depth ratio is 200ft.

Canon S90 FIX underwater housing 

Read James's FIX housing review

The FIX housing is the most expensive ($800 in the USA with standard port), but the one serious underwater photographers are leaning towards, because of it's wide angle lens support.

It looks like this housing may support, with adapters, both the Inon UWL-100 wide angle lens, and the FIX UWL-04 wide angle lens. It will also have a couple choices for macro - using Inon UCL-165 AD macro lenses, or the FIX flip macro lens. The Fix housing offers adapters to attach Inon AD28 mount, 67mm, or Fix add-on lens accessories. This housing also has a "cold shoe" on the top of the housing to allow the mounting of focus lights and similar accessories without needing to attach them to strobe arms, which saves complexity. 

Changing F-stop and shutter speed is very easy with this housing, as it has controls for the front and rear dials. The housing also has built-in adapters (4 total, 2 different sizes) to attach one or two fiber optic cables from Inon or Sea & Sea strobes. 

The housing may not come with a user guide, so make sure whomever you buy it from will give you support when you need it. The company that made the FIX Canon S90 housing now makes the RecSea S95 housing, and it's even better.

Canon S90 or S95 purchases:

Support the UWPG and purchase your Canon underwater housing from the UWPG staff at Bluewater Photo

Further Reading:

Canon S90 / G11 Underwater Settings

Underwater Camera Modes

Underwater Camera Guide

Underwater Strobe Guide

Canon G10 Underwater Housings

Many thanks to Kalani Patterson for help with this page.