Dijitaal Ink

So, you’re lovin’ your G9 and you’ve got those cool, neat little accessories to set you apart from the rest of the G9 pack.  Your photos are looking better than ever and then, WTF?!?  Your G9 lens won’t retract.  Panic begins to set in.  Before you try banging the damned thing back into it’s housing, stop, take a deep breath and let’s talk about what happened here.  Understanding the problem should help you determine the best course of action regarding the stuck lens of your beloved G9 (which you may not be so fond of at the moment).

The E18 error is an error message on Canon digital cameras. According to Canon, the E18 error arises when anything prevents the zoom lens from properly extending or retracting. It is currently not acknowledged by Canon as a flaw in the cameras’ designs. Many G9 owners are dissatisfied with Canon’s responses to E18 errors, and at least one class action lawsuit is under way.  Other digital cameras suffer from similar problems, as almost all compact digital cameras with zoom lenses will give an error for a stuck lens to avoid potential mechanical damage.  E18 basically immobilizes the camera in an attempt to prevent any further damage.

I’ve personally seen this E18 (not on my G9, knock on wood).  Man, is it frustrating.  The impulse to push the lens back into the housing is strong.  Deny your urge as you may only void your warranty or cause more damage to your baby G9.  I tried everything I could think of to pull my friend out of his E18 depression.  I pulled out the battery and put it back in.  I pressed the power button, time and time again.  I even connected it to a computer to see if that would jolt it out of its rigamortis state.  E18 was not going away.  Conclusion:  You cannot fix this issue without opening up the camera itself.  Hopefully, your G9 is under warranty and hopefully, Canon won’t interrogate you about camera abuse.  In this particular case, my friend was denied warranty coverage due to liquid damage.  He does not dive nor snorkel nor take his G9 out in the rain.  Liquid damage?  The ‘frozen’ lens on the G9 was ultimately remedied by 3rd Party vendor ($200) - A bit steep for my budget but, obviously less expensive than buying a new camera altogether.  Instead of jamming the lens back in, why don’t you vent in a less violent manner and leave your rant in Comments.  Love live the G9.

Maybe, you’re like me and didn’t even look at the CD that came with your G9 until you started doing some Spring cleaning and found the CD that came with your G9 under a pile of magazines and junk mail.  I’ve heard that curiosity killed the cat but, in this case, you will be able to cheat death for mere disappointment - I was not impressed by Canon’s offering.  I performed the installation on Mac OSX (Leopard).  The installation created a folder in my Applications called Canon Utilities.  This folder contains the various programs that Canon so graciously included with their G9. The following screenshots were taken during the Canon Utilities intallation on Mac OSX (Leopard):

1. Insert CD.  Click Install.

2. 

3. I selected Custom Installation since I am typically comfortable selecting Custom on most installations.  Easy Installation works just as well.  In fact, I did not change any of the default settings during the Custom Installation.  Click Next.

4. 

5. Leave default selections.  Click Next.

6. 

7. Click Next and you wait for the installation to finish.  Done.

8. 

Three icons will be placed on your Dock (Mac OSX feature) - Image Browser, Camera Window, and EOS Utility.

• Image Browser 6.0 - Used to capture photos from your SD card onto your computer or other storage media.  Personally, I find this piece of software lacking and awkward.  For those of you with Mac OSX, I would highly suggest using Image Capture.  Image Capture comes with Mac OSX and does a very clean job of downloading your files from your SD card.  iPhoto is another option to download your files from your G9 but, I find it super annoying that you can’t access the downloaded files outside of the iPhoto application.  Image Capture is the clear winner here.
• Camera Window - Used to control your G9 while it is connected to your computer via USB cable.  You can control your G9 via your computer.  As cool as this sounds, I haven’t found this feature particularly useful.  If you do happen to endeavor upon a project that Camera Window would be useful for, I would imagine battery life being a concern and would recommend purchasing the optional AC Adapter Kit for your G9.  This kit runs about $53 before tax and shipping.
• EOS Utility - Bundle application that combines the features of Image Browser and Camera Window.  Essentially, does the same thing from one application.  Remember, Canon is a leading camera manufacturer not a software company.  In my opinion, once again, lacking.

In addtition to the 3 obvious Canon applications on our Dock, the installer also created a folder within Applications called Canon Utilities.  Withing this folder, there are a few more applications worth mentioning.

• My Camera DC - This application is actually pretty neat for those of you interested in ‘pimpin’ out your G9.  Through My Camera DC, you can upload custom Themes, Sounds and Backgrounds for your G9 to add a little of your own flavor your G9.  Click here for instructions on how easy ‘pimpin’ can be accomlished.
• Photo Stitch - This application is used to put together photos that were taken with the Stitch setting on your G9.  In theory, if done correctly, you can create awesome panoramic views with your G9.  The poor man’s wide lens if you will.

In sum, the software included with the Canon Powershot G9 is not essential to download your photos from your SD card.  Unlike Image Browser, Camera Window and EOS Utility, I did find that My Camera DC and Photo Stitch provided me with a few cool things that I can now do with my G9.

My apologies for the 6 day hiatus.  I’m on the verge of a breakthrough - a hack for the G9 - CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit).  Sound interesting?  It is.  Once I sort out the mumbo jumbo, I hope to put together a simple tutorial that anyone can follow.

Auto White Balance.  Sounds intimidating for the everyday Point and Shooter.  Today, we will push through the enigma of Auto White Balance.  Essentially, Auto White Balance or AWB determines how whites show up in your photos.  In the AWB setting, the G9 determines for you how it will process the whites in your photos.  For the most part, I find the AWB feature on the G9 very serviceable.  Keep in mind that the AWB setting is an automatic setting that the G9 is in charge of.  If you would like more control over your photos, the G9 offers 8 presets for White Balance - Auto White Balance (AWB) being one of them.  The following list will provide you with a basic guideline as to when you may want to consider deviating from the safety of AWB and moving into the custom world of White Balance.

Tip: The White Balance setting is very easy to get to.  Simply, power on your G9.  Press the Func. Set button which will bring you straight into your White Balance options.  By default, your G9 is set for AWB.

Caveat: The White Balance Presets are named according to their intended use in certain lighting situations.  For example - for the Daylight preset, one would assume that this setting should be used during Daylight - and it is a good White Balance setting for a bright day.  However, I would suggest experimenting with all of the White Balance settings - especially those that are counter-intuitive for your lighting situation.  And now, on with the lesson.

White Balance Presets for the G9:

• AWB - Auto White Balance - determined by the G9.  This is the default White Balance setting for the G9.
• Daylight - This White Balance setting is used to mute or suppress some of the super intense brightness from the Sun.  In my opinion, it ‘cools’ off the photo.  The whites appear less ‘warm’ than they are in ‘reality’.  I especially like this White Balance preset when shooting more serious subjects as it takes away the ‘warmth’.
• Cloudy - This White balance setting is great for ‘warming’ your photos.  It gives cloudy days a brighter warmer feel.  Initially, this was the White Balance preset that I fell in love with.  It made my photos appear warmer than real life itself.  At first, it gave me that Wow! factor but, I have since gained an appreciation for less ‘warm’ photos.
• Tungsten - I find the name of this preset pretty scientific.  Basically, this White Balance setting is used Indoors when shooting under traditional light bulb conditions.  Traditional light bulbs (Incandescent light bulbs) emit a different light frequency than flourescent lights and is quite noticeable on your G9 LCD Viewfinder.  Use this preset when shooting Indoors under incandescent lighting.  This setting ‘cools’ your photos.
• Fluorescent - The preset name of this setting says it all.  For use under flourescent lighting conditions.  This preset tends to ‘warm’ your photos by offsetting industrial vibe of flourescent lighting.
• Fluorescent H - This preset is obviously used for Flourescent H lighting.  Fluorescent H bulbs get there name from the unique H shape of these bulbs.  This setting adds more ‘warmth’ than the previous preset, Flourescent.  Flourescent H gives human subjects more ‘life’ by compensating for the ‘coldness’ that flourescent lights can emit.
• Flash - This is an interesting preset since, I rarely use flash in my photography.  I feel that flash in photography tends to give too much of an artificial feel.  To tell you the truth, I just experimented with other White Balance settings while using flash and I found no discernable difference between the White Balance presets.
• Underwater - This preset reduces the bluish hues in your photos.  While I cannot personally attest to its results in the water, out of the water, this preset does ‘warm’ your photos.  For those of you interested in Underwater photography, WP-DC21 is the part number for the G9 Waterproof Case.

My hope is that through learning, we will be able to push past the wall/obstacle known as the unknown.  I hope this provides you with the confidence to experiment with your G9.

So, you recently got yourself the Canon G9.  Or maybe, you’re wondering what to get for that G9 enthusiast in your life.  It is Cyber Monday after all and your boss already knows and has accepted that today will be one of the least productive days of the year (at least from your company’s standpoint).  So, as an homage to Cyber Monday, I present G9 Accessories: Cyber Monday Edition.

One accessory that is always welcome by G9 owners is more storage.  An SD (Secure Digital) or SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) is always a welcomed gift for anyone who just purchased the Canon G9.  The Canon G9 comes with a paltry 32MB SD card.  And while I certainly appreciate the gesture on the part of Canon, 32MB is simply not enough space to work with.  Personally, I purchased the 8GB San Disk Extreme III ($29).  8GB gives you ample storage space so that you don’t have to fiddle with constantly switching out lower capacity SD cards during your photo shoots.  The Extreme III feature signifies that the Read/Write speeds of this particular SD card are the highest available from San Disk (at the time of this writing).

8GB San Disk Extreme III (SDHC) Card

Another great accessory for the G9 is the Adorama 58mm Conversion Lens Adapter.  With this piece of equipment, your possibilities with the G9 greatly expand.  Lenses and filters with the 58mm specification can be used with G9 if you own the Adorama 58mm Conversion Adapter for the G9.  The Adorama 58mm Conversion Adapter also doubles as a makeshift hood for those of you looking to justify the cost of $17 even further.  The Adorama 58mm Conversion Adapter does not come with any lenses or filters as these pieces of equipment are purchased separately according to your personal needs.

Adorama 58mm Conversion Lens Adapter

If you decide to purchase the Adorama 58mm Conversion Lens Adapter, I would highly suggest purchasing a filter or lens as well so that your gift recipient can experience the utility of the Adorama 58mm Conversion Adapter.  The less expensive option would be to purchase a filter - the Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer.  This filter runs about $40.  The Circular Polarizer creates more saturation in your photos and drastically reduces glare produced by intense lighting situations.  When photographing blue skies, the circular polarizer saturates your photos with deeper colors.  The clouds against the blue sky just pop when the circular polarizer filter is applied.

Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer Filter

For those of you with a more flexible budget, I would highly recommend the Canon Telephoto Lens (TC-DC58C) which boosts your G9’s zoom capability by 2X.  This piece of equipment will cost you a little over $100.  The boost in zoom capability is great for photographing the stars.  You will be able to see more detail in the light eminating from the stars which lends an artistic touch to your photos.  One thing to keep in mind when using the Telephoto Lens, use a tripod.  Due to the nature of zoom, the camera shake is magnified as the zoom is modified.

Telephoto Lens for the G9 (TC-DC58C)*

*Must use the a 58mm Conversion Lens Adapter to affix to G9

The great thing about these G9 Accessories is that you can decide on what works for you and your budget.  Happy Cyber Monday!

Awwwman, this is the one piece of equipment that should be affordable to most.  The cost $38.  The piece of equipment, the Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer.  The results, stunning.  For all you G9 enthusiasts out there, this is the gateway piece of equipment that will show you how far a small investment can take you with your photos.  In order to use the Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer with your G9, you will have to purchase a separate adapter.  I purchased mine at Adorama.  This site really does it right and the reviews are pretty reliable.  I preferred the Adorama brand over the Canon brand because the Adorama is made from aluminum not plastic, like the Canon (not to mention it’s less expensive than the Canon make).  The Adorama adapter will run you $17.  So, let’s do some simple math here, $38 + $17 = $55 + Tax + Shipping = $55-$60 (depending on whether or not these items qualify for Free Shipping which is done from time to time) $55-$60 for photos that you won’t believe your G9 captured.  The polarizer reduces glare from the sun and also pumps up the saturation of your photos.  Saturation that only an advanced Photoshop artist might produce.  The raw material with which you will be able to work with is much richer and deeper with the Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer.

You may come across the less expensive Linear Polarizers in your hunt for knowledge.  The Linear Polarizer is less expensive and you may wonder why.  The reason is that these Linear Polarizers are meant for traditional film whereas the Circular Polarizers are optimized for digital film.  The blues pop and are super saturated.

Tip:  If you find that your photos are not warm enough, you can set your AWB setting to Cloudy Day denoted by the Cloud icon.  This will compensate by adding a ‘warm’ filter to the exposure.  This is a great way to expand the benefit of the polarizer filter even more.  You can experiment with the various AWB settings to create dramatic effects.  I highly recommend experimenting with Black & White using the polarizer filter.  The results are unreal.

Not only do the Adorama G9 Conversion Lens Adapter and Hoya 58mm Circular Polarizer give you great photos, it gives your G9 a nice cosmetic boost that gives you confidence to hang with the big boys (the dSLR)