Asian Diver and Scuba Diver No. 4/2015 Volume 139 | Page 9

Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II Text & Photos by Fabien Souffir The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II – and some great dive trips, especially to Anilao – has definitely changed my view on diving, adding a whole new dimension to my passion. I had the greatest time at the Anilao Photo Hotel and have just returned from a fourweek stay in Indonesia. Now, I’m getting ready to go to Egypt for a dive expedition. If a year ago someone had told me that using the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II would change my life – and dives – I never would have believed it! Indeed, the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is very powerful and extremely creative, so don't be fooled by its compact body. I photographed whalesharks and ladybugs with the same device… On-land or underwater, macro or wide angle, it does it all. And to be honest, less is more when you want to pack light! Happy bubbles! Beginner on a budget, I initially bought minimum equipment, i.e., an underwater Canon WP-DC53 housing, an INON D2000 strobe and a Subsee +10 macro lens. From the first on-land and underwater tests, results were more than promising. The grip of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II is simple and efficient. I immediately felt at ease in M mode – where I could make any adjustment to the shutter speed and aperture, among other things, to suit many situations – eventhough I had never used this mode before. It only took me a short while to grasp the skill of taking beautiful pictures! Thanks to good advice and appropriate setup, I was quickly able to achieve great pictures underwater. This very cool mode is designed to filter out blue, so that images are more representative of the actual colour of the subject you're photographing. Indeed, whether during the day or at night, the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II remains equally efficient. Diving by night, I quickly realised the high sensitivity of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II sensors. I managed to get focus and take sharp and clear pictures without any noise with only my strobe's light. “AFTER TESTING AND HESITATING BETWEEN SEVERAL COMPACT CAMERAS, I EVENTUALLY CHOSE THE CANON POWERSHOT G1 X MARK II…”