Love my G11

[leonardobarreto.com]

So far the experience of going G11 way for genera life documentation system has been very good. I also go the small AAx2 strobe a TTL cable and a filter adapter $7 from china. Everything integrates really well specially the small fantastic flash that never quits (have no idea how they can do it with half the normal batteries). The flash has no controls other than 0N/OFF -and a very useful lever to anchor it to the mount-. It works as if it was part of the camera and changes with the modes. There are some things a bit strange and not to my liking. For example, when you set the camera in M mode the flash is also M ... literally ! you can only set it at 1/1 1/2 1/16 of power etc. --unless I am missing something--. When used in other modes you can easily compensate the power. The flash recycles reasonably fast and rechargeable batteries last a long time. Then it is so small that you can put it in your pocket and deploy it as needed. Furthermore it bounces and has a manually activated two position zoom (28mm and 100mm)

Anyone getting a G11 should definitively also spend the small extra amount and get the 270EX SPEEDLITE

 

[Ken Tanaka]

Well you're sure having fun with that G11, Leonardo! I agree, it's a terrific camera.

I also second your recommendation for that little 270EX flash. If you want to go bagless it can't be beaten for versatility. That tilt head is very powerful for bouncing.

If you want to have even MORE fun, albeit with slightly more bulk, try slapping Canon's ST-E2 transmitter on the G11 and then bringing a bigger Canon flash (ex: 570EX or 580EX) that can talk with that ST-E2. You can then hold the flash in your left hand while you fire the G11 with your right. Or you can drop or mount the flash somewhere else (in line-of-sight). For EVEN MORE FUN, use a little GoillaPod to attach that flash to almost anything.

 

[Asher Kelman]

If you want to have even MORE fun, albeit with slightly more bulk, try slapping Canon's ST-E2 transmitter on the G11 and then bringing a bigger Canon flash (ex: 570EX or 580EX) that can talk with that ST-E2. You can then hold the flash in your left hand while you fire the G11 with your right. Or you can drop or mount the flash somewhere else (in line-of-sight). For EVEN MORE FUN, use a little GoillaPod to attach that flash to almost anything.

Ken,

That's an especially good point in travel. I took with two flashes and the STE:2 and then put the flashes right near the places I needed to light. Actually on the ground pointing upwards. Then one can stand back and use the camera from a far greater distance. I used that to photograph inside the water cistern beneath the city of Istanbul with seemingly hundreds of purloined marble columns from the Greek-Roman ruins of Ephasus, one of the greatest cities in the world at it's time.

With the STE-2 one gets the bonus of extra working distance and ability to have different flashes at higher or lower settings. I'm surprised that this cute little flash is so fixed in manual mode!

Asher

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

Thanks for the comments.

I am not familiar with wireless Canon, so, can I ask you: The 270EX SPEEDLITE can be used TTL with a Canon on-flash-shoe device? That could be something to look in to.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Any flash can be used with a photocell triggered hot show. I have one from Wen that I use with an old 540 EX that my 5DII does not recognize. However, it goes off with the other flashes now!

Asher

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

Asher,

The problem with the 270EX is that unlike old flashes that had controls, this has only an OFF/ON switch and a LED.

There isn't even anything for yo to test release the flash.

If you managed to trigger it would probably be a full power only something that makes it in practice a TTL only device.

It is meant to work in tandem with a Canon EOS or G type camera. Not that I am complaining since I have other bigger older flashes that can be used a slaves with A mode.

Going back to my impression of working with the G11, the battery goes with almost no warning and it could be a "The Party is Over" event, so I immediately went to Adorama and Efraimn to sell me a spear one.

The other problem that I fixed -as usual, with photo tape-, is that there is almost no way to hold the camera with your right hand w/out pushing one -or more- of the many controls placed in the way of your thumb. I taped something like a small hill in the best place I found and the camera is much more holdable and almost as small as before.

Some time ago I made a vertical grip for a C4004Z Mamiya and I sold the camera but kept the prototype. It is a simple square piece of aluminum tube that I gave form with epoxy and is used just to hold the camera better and carry extra batteries, SD (I think I can put 10 or more, if I had so many). It is a work in progress but I should document it and post images here since "a photo is worth more than...."

Talk to you latter

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

As promise, here are some self portraits showing the grip -after the first one I put some black tape- and the strobe plus bracket. There is a small flash head where the flash sits that can be adjusted in infinite positions but the fastest way is to tilt the little flash head.

Since there is no light to help camera's AF like in other strobes, (or the auto cut off eye), the flash can point in any direction you want it to point -no LCD to read or controls since they are all on camera..

 

[Asher Kelman]

What do you have on the lens?

Asher

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

It is just an adapter with a UV filter. The weak part of the camera is the very delicate lens. I don't like to have to turn the camera on and off all the time, -or cameras that you have to keep a cap on-. So I got this ($7 from China on eBay).

The only problem is that you cannot zoom while the filter is one, but I shoot most of the time with the 28mm, and remove the filter if I need to.

This is the one thing I keep complaining about the design of this type of cameras --same as the Leica-- but I found my own solution ... sort of

 

[Clayton Lofgren]

For next to nothing you can use Chinese radio triggers and get away from line of sight limitations, though you must use manual flash control. I get 1/500 sync with the G9 and Cactus 4 triggers.

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

For next to nothing you can use Chinese radio triggers and get away from line of sight limitations, though you must use manual flash control. I get 1/500 sync with the G9 and Cactus 4 triggers.

Clayton, there is no manual control with the The 270EX SPEEDLITE, just FULL power...

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

It is just an adapter with a UV filter. The weak part of the camera is the very delicate lens. I don't like to have to turn the camera on and off all the time, -or cameras that you have to keep a cap on-. So I got this ($7 from China on eBay).

The only problem is that you cannot zoom while the filter is one, but I shoot most of the time with the 28mm, and remove the filter if I need to.

This is the one thing I keep complaining about the design of this type of cameras --same as the Leica-- but I found my own solution ... sort of

Hi Leonardo,

May I ask why you didn't buy a lensmate adapter which supports zooming as well? Just curious.

I bought the Lensmate filter adapter for my G9 at the beginning and have started off using it enthusiastically. After a while, the added bulk and the inconvenience have become an issue. I now shoot almost always without the filter adapter, except in cases where I need to use a circular polarizing filter. Luckily, this is next to never with the G9 ;-). So my investment is busy gathering dust right now.

Cheers,

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

Cem,

I do want something like that, but I had only a week in NY before coming back to Bolivia. Adorama had no adapter whatsoever in stock and since I had not seen the camera I was not sure how the lens worked. I think I can probably make something like that here, but thank you for the idea.

 

[Clayton Lofgren]

Having your flash untethered does give some manual control by making it easy to vary the flash to subject distance.

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

Having your flash untethered does give some manual control by making it easy to vary the flash to subject distance.

I know that it is good to have a flash that is untethered, but it would have to be TTL so that the camera communicates with the flash wirelessly. The compromise is to use an inexpensive TTL cord that lets you move the flash away from the camera somehow and point it in any direction you need...

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I know that it is good to have a flash that is untethered, but it would have to be TTL so that the camera communicates with the flash wirelessly. The compromise is to use an inexpensive TTL cord that lets you move the flash away from the camera somehow and point it in any direction you need...

Hi Leonardo,

I'm glad you are enjoying the G11. Although I know it's a pricy option for such a camera (and that you have switched attention to painting), I'm currently experimenting with the new generation of PocketWizards (2x FlexTT5 in my case).

I can only say: "WOW", but they are not cheap.

The FlexTT5 is roughly as small as an ST-E2, but it also allows to achieve synchronization in bright daylight and doesn't require a line-of-sight (IR) connection because it uses radio frequencies. It is fully ETTL II compatible as far as I can see, and on a DSLR it will allow to reduce power consumption while increasing light output and increasing the apparent X-synchronisation shutter speed by user tweaking of the flash pre-timing. On my 1Ds3 I can boost the high speed focal plane flash from 1/250s to 1/320s without adverse effects (1/400s shows only a small shutter curtain obstruction). From reports I've read the gain on 1.3 crop (or more) cameras seems to be at least 2 stops in shutterspeed before the reach of the flash is reduced by strobing the flash output.

There is a difference between the USA and the European MiniTT1/TT5 models in the Radio frequencies used. That will cause RF interference issues with some of the Canon flash units for the USA market (e.g. the EX-580 mark II), but the smaller 430-EXII apparently is not negatively impacted (don't know about the EX-270 you mentioned).

Cheers,
Bart

 

[leonardobarreto.com]

Bart,

It sounds fantastic, I wish I had all of that when I was doing slide work for magazines, and on location portraits. e6 was very unforgetting and I used to go to the lab to pick up film expecting surprises. It as like being a blind samurai if you compare it to shooting digital with an LCD...

I think that what I have is as far as I go with the G11, but I could bring my old Nikon flash and set it as a remote with a simple slave if needed ...

I have things I don't even use like a Vagabond for my AlienBees that lets you shoot with a few lights outdoors. It would be interesting to use one light with the G11 on location one day...

I do miss work as photographer, --except one time I had a ton of equipment rainy Saturday night in Manhattan not finding a taxi in sight --...