Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

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dery
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Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

I am getting a new camera next month with dive housing. A professional photographer said G16s and their accompanied dive housing were my best choice. Is this true and can I add lenses like macro to improve pic quality?
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MattSullivan
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by MattSullivan »

the g16 is a point and shoot so you can't add lenses to the camera itself. with a housing you can add external diopters/lenses (depending on which housing you get). As point and shoots go the G series kicks ass. i have a G9 from 2007? that i still use sometimes and the g16 is way above that. there are hundreds of point and shoot cameras though and its about what will fit your specific needs best.
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by Antonsrkn »

A professional photographer said G16s and their accompanied dive housing were my best choice. Is this true and can I add lenses like macro to improve pic quality?
We can't answer this question without knowing more about your needs, experience level, and whatnot. We don't know what is best for you. Give some more info, what you're looking for in a camera, what your goals are with it and so on. A professional photographer is a good source but keep in mind, she or he as a pro probably doesn't use point and shoots too frequently, so read some reviews on your own. Dpreview.com is a great site to check out, both their reviews and their forums are good sources.

I took the liberty of finding you the first impressions article of the g16
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/155885 ... ershot-g16

Is this true and can I add lenses like macro to improve pic quality?
Like Matt said, with point and shoots you can't switch lenses, bu sometimes there are add ons. A quick google search confirmed that there is a macro lens you can attach to a g16. But a macro lens doesn't improve pic quality, it allows you to take a different kind of image, granted if you're doing mainly herp photography a macro lens is something you'd probably want to invest in.

Anyways having said that I know nothing about the G16 or G series, but to make it easier for folks to help you probably want to provide some more info as i said above.
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dery
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

I'm switching from a Powershot SX170 IS which I get recurrent problems with shutterstick. I'm a talented amateur. My needs are video and photo modes like my current powershot but better durability, easily sealing and instillation in proper dive housing, usable macro lens to invest in, and somewhat better clarity on videos and photos. Some of the things I record and photograph are: Severe weather, skateboarding(freestyle and downhill), SUP-surfboarding, herping, water skiing, bridge diving, numismatics, boating, caving, and historical(such as cemeteries, ghosttowns, archaeological projects, and marked historic sites) activities. I prefer the price range in the following link: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=canon+g16&tbm=shop
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chrish
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by chrish »

Why do you need a dive housing? Do you really plan on going that deep?
The reason I ask is that there are some good waterproof point and shoot cameras that will go down to 16 or 20 feet underwater without any additional housing. The dpreview site that was recommended has reviews of those underwater cameras. I can vouch for the Olympus tg-2 as taking pretty good pictures underwater.
The trick is to get a camera that's good above the water as well.

Also if you are staying in reasonably shallow water you might consider the inexpensive Dipac bags I reviewed under the reviews link at the top of this forum. I have used them on several snorkeling trips with DSLR's quite successfully.
Image

Of course, if you will be in deep water, you will need a proper housing.
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dery
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

Is Canon G16 one of them? As of now I'm not PADI certified, though I will be in a couple years. But I often skin dive up to between 10-15 feet. I thought of Olympus and Sealife, but hear bad reviews and want something more bang for my buck. TG2 is a step down in quality it seems. I'm looking for something mildly better and more complex than my current powershot. Something like Canon G16(Advanced Point & Shoot).
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by chrish »

dery wrote:Is Canon G16 one of them? As of now I'm not PADI certified, though I will be in a couple years. But I often skin dive up to between 10-15 feet. I thought of Olympus and Sealife, but hear bad reviews and want something more bang for my buck. TG2 is a step down in quality it seems. I'm looking for something mildly better and more complex than my current powershot. Something like Canon G16(Advanced Point & Shoot).
I had a sealife and I can report - junk. It worked ok, but focus was slow and the seals eventually gave out. The Olympus TG-2 has been very dependable, but it isn't a great herping photo camera above the water.

The DP review article is only about waterproof cameras although some will tolerate 15-20 feet submersion. It is under their buying guide.

Looking at the huge amount of stuff that's available now (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Still ... 185679681/), I think I would take a "camera first" approach. It appears Canon makes housings for a wide variety of their P&S and other cameras. I might be inclined to make myself a list of all the cameras that are available with housings, then compare those in regard to quality and dependability and most importantly - herp photography capabilities.

I would rather have
- a larger CMOS (large in size, not MP)
- a longer zoom (to at least 300mm equivalent for lizards, crocs and sleeping turtles)
- macro capability down to at least 1:4 at a reasonable focal length (~100mm - wide angle macro capability is also great, but not if it is the only choice)

Once I found the camera I wanted, then I would choose the combo based on those criteria.

I would never buy a camera based solely on the recommendation that some other photographer said it was the best. They don't know what and how I need to shoot.
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dery
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

Any better suggestions for my listed needs and preferred price Chris? None of your suggestions fit more than a couple of my needs. Waterproofing is not one of them until I'm certified and have dived a couple locales.Until 2016, I'll just get a bag like the Dipacs you, Antron and Matt suggested.

So far, I'm still leaning more and more toward a G16.

The photographer was a herper as well. Part of the prelude to his recomendation was the wildlife photography and video. My main use of cameras. All other activities are documented while herping or taking a day or two hiatus. The means is always whatever camera I have. The sports and boating photography and videos are always just study guides for improvement that I care nothing about quality.

Thanks :thumb:
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chrish
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by chrish »

I played around at work looking at what some of the options would be. Basically I asked myself what I would do in your situation and I came across an interesting option.

One interesting option I found was buying a used Sony NEX-5N with the 18-55 (27-80 equivalent) kit lens and the Polaroid waterproof housing that goes with it.

The reasons I like the NEX-5N (not the plain NEX-5) option are:
- the NEX-5N is a very positively reviewed camera - http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonynex5n/15
- you can pick up the camera used for under $300 with the 18-55 lens
- that kit 18-55 lens will focus down to 1/3 life size which is damn good for a kit lens and plenty of magnification for small herps
- the housing is $129 but works down to 200 feet.

The real benefit it has over the Canon G16 and similar cameras, IMHO, is that the camera can take other lenses. For example:

- Sony makes a decent variety of their E-mount lenses and are adding more every year.
- Sony have a wide macro lens that is only $278 and even a pro-level 70-200 f/4 for this mount. It is expensive, but priced comparably to the same lens in other lens mounts (Canon/Nikon/Sony A-mount).
- Many reputable third party lens manufacturers are now making E-Mount lenses (Sigma, Tamron, etc).

But there's more.....
You can buy an adapter to mount ANY type of lens on the NEX cameras. That means an adapter for ALL canon (AF) lenses, ALL Nikon (AF) lenses, ALL Sony A-Mount lenses, Pentax lenses, Olympus lenses, Leica Lenses, etc.

You can use a wide variety of flashes on this camera, including things like macro flashes.

If you eventually outgrew the smaller body, Sony now makes some very good SLR-like bodies in this mount. These new camera bodies get extraordinary reviews, including one of them being named Popular Photography's 2013 Camera of the Year (Sony 7R).

But if you were wary of a long term commitment to the the Sony E-mount for some reason, you could buy the Canon/Nikon/Olympus/etc. adapter and start collecting a stable of lenses in one of those formats. Then you could shift over to that other format should you want to move to a DSLR.

I have a friend who has the earlier (and less well rated) NEX-5N and he simply loves the camera. He gets excellent herp shots, scenery shots, etc. and loves that it pretty much fits in his shirt pocket.

It is a really intriguing option for someone starting with a clean slate.....and you could probably get the camera with 18-55 lens and underwater housing for under $450 which is less than the price of the Canon G16 by itself..

Food for thought?
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dery
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

Awesome. That seems better. :thumb:
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by Stohlgren »

So I haven't read this whole thread, and I have no personal experience to add, but this guy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmayes/ uses the canon g16 and his results are absolutely incredible. He also has great info on his setup and all the modifications/attachments he uses here: https://www.flickr.com/people/brianmayes/

If I were going to do any significant underwater photography, I would mimic his setup exactly.

-Kevin
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chrish
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by chrish »

Stohlgren wrote:So I haven't read this whole thread, and I have no personal experience to add, but this guy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmayes/ uses the canon g16 and his results are absolutely incredible. He also has great info on his setup and all the modifications/attachments he uses here: https://www.flickr.com/people/brianmayes/

If I were going to do any significant underwater photography, I would mimic his setup exactly.

-Kevin
First of all, that guy has between $1100 and $1300 worth of gear there, possibly much more depending which closeup lenses he actually has. I'm sure it is great gear, but if you are going to spend $1300, there are other options.

And that guy's photos are great, but not because he has great gear. His photos are great because he is a great photographer. He could probably get great photos with other gear as well.

I'm not against the Canon G16, I just think there are cheaper options which might provide more flexibility in the long run.
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by Stohlgren »

You are correct. But the OP did not mention he had a budget, just asked opinions on the Canon G16. And obviously it is capable of great results. Being as I have a camera that does not have a great underwater housing option, if I were to get serious about shooting underwater I would have to consider looking at other options. You would have to spend more than double the cost of his setup to build an underwater SLR setup from the ground up. Knowing what the possibilities are for the G16, it seems like it would be a great camera to build a setup, especially with its ability to add attachments and make modifications to suit your taste.
chrish wrote: And that guy's photos are great, but not because he has great gear. His photos are great because he is a great photographer. He could probably get great photos with other gear as well.
This is true of every camera ever made. It would, of course, be prudent to research other options and other price points, but I wouldn't buy any camera until I saw what it was capable of.
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by Noah M »

I had the Canon G2 back in the day, and upgraded to the G12 when it came around. I love the G series. They are more top-end point and shoots.

I don't know much about underwater housing, but I would recommend the G series to a friend.

Depending on budget, I would try having 2 cameras - one for above water and one for below. I only suggest this because I have no trust in water around electronics. If something goes wrong and your camera is ruined, then you are stuck w/o a camera.

Do you have an old camera that you could buy an underwater housing for? Get the G16, use it above land, and use your older, still functional camera underwater.
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dery
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Re: Canon G16 Advanced Point and Shoot Question

Post by dery »

I tried using housing for a previous SX, but I noticed it didn't seal before the camera went in. I have not found any reliable housing for an SX. I plan on using dipac, then dive housing on my new camera-not the old. Since that's the only camera of the two that I hear has a reliable dipac and dive housing to go with it.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
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