For long I’ve been dreaming about merging my passions to scuba diving and photography. Those beautiful underwater sights have got to be documented!
Before the Canon G11 I was carrying a Canon S3 which is too big to handle underwater. Seeing the quality of the G11, as well as its relatively small size, I couldn’t resist buying its affordable waterproof case companion for my occasional scuba trips. I did not buy the G11 for its underwater abilities, although it did cross my mind. That said, for some the Canon S90 might be more convenient for scuba photography because of its smaller size and similar abilities. Canon offers the WP-DC34, an affordable waterproof case, capable of going down to 130ft or 40 meters.
This is a great video compilation of scuba dive underwater clips taken mostly with the Canon G11 and Canon G10. They are mixed together so you can’t tell which is which.
Click HQ to watch in High Quality
“Some great deep dive video and photos taken on seperate dives on the Zen. Camera used was mostly a Canon G11 or G10. This video is compiled over many dives so please bear this in mind if you are planning a dive trip to the Zen.” (MrDiveman1971)
Planning to take your Canon G11 to the pool? Wonder how your videos turn out?
Check these three video samples. Click HQ to watch in High Quality.
AUTiger published some amazing shots taken with the Canon PowerShot G11. Yet another record for this camera in underwater conditions. These are extremely sharp and detailed photographs.
“Exactly two months surgery on my collarbone where I got an extra piece of hardware, I returned to the sea. The LDS chartered the Great Escape out of Long Beach to Catalina. We went to the far west and and started diving on Johnson’s Rock. It was a great dive site – a rocky spire in about 105 feet of water. The top of the larger pinnacle was about 60 feet deep and there was a shallower pinnacle that topped out at about 45 feet.” (AUTiger)
See them full-size by clicking here.
Canon G11 dipped into the water to take a video of some blacktip sharks swimming around the boat.
Click HQ to watch in High Quality.
“Holding my Canon G11 underwater from the boat, filming the sharks while they were feasting on the bait.” (ieising)
The G11 turns out to be a wonderful camera for scuba diving. These are great underwater shots by hetland with Canon PowerShot G11 and a single Inon D2000 strobe.
“Taken with G11 in Canon housing. I use a single Inon D2000 strobe. These are all jpgs straight from the camera. The only post processing I did was crop and then re-size for posting. These were all taken Thanksgiving weekend in Pensacola (Florida) waters.” (hetland)
Fredaroony posted a few Canon G11 galleries and videos from Shelly Beach, Manly, Australia.
Images were shot at ISO 400 with no flash. Visibility was quite bad, depth is 8 meter.
Videos taken using underwater mode. Click HQ to watch in High Quality.
Hungry Cuttlefish at Shelly Beach
Big Cuttlefish
Andrew Cooper from A Darker View published one of the first underwater dive reviews using the Canon PowerShot G11 and the Canon WP-DC34 . Images seem to be sharp and acceptable. In the meantime you’ll have to settle with the three images published.
“The photos could be better. There are a few lessons I learned during the dive, settings I will need to experiment with to improve performance. I need to experiment with focus modes. I was using fully automatic mode, and expect that many of the frames I was taking could be improved with better control of depth of field and aperture priority mode. I also need to setup the external Sea&Sea YS110 strobe to provide better illumination. With these lessons and better lighting I hope to achieve even more impressive results.” (Andrew Cooper, Darker View)
Looking for a camera to take photos when you go scuba-diving? The Canon G11 is an excellent candidate for you. Superb image quality along with compact size and low-light capabilities are crucial factors for divers.
The only thing you need is an underwater housing to protect your camera while diving. This housing protects your camera not only when you go deep, but also for surfing, swimming, snorkeling and other water activities.
The problem with waterproof housings is that they tend to be too expensive for the average guy. Some cost more than the camera itself. This is not so convenient for people who go diving a couple of times a year, or for people having a tight budget.
Canon WP-DC34 Underwater Housing
Fortunately Canon has a reasonably priced housing called the Canon WP-DC34 ($180). Its depth rating is 130 ft. or 40 meters. This is enough for most recreational divers.
Ikelite Housing for Canon G11
Technical and professional divers may find interest in the more expensive Ikelite Housing for Canon G11 ($616). Its depth rating is 200 ft or 60 meters. This housing offers external adapters such as macro and wide angle adapters.
