The Most Important G7X Underwater Setting You Need to Learn
Our G7X is still a relatively new camera for us, and I still have moments where I say to myself, “I wish I could…”
Well, with summer (and many more underwater photo opportunities) approaching, I am either confirming how to perform different tasks/functions, or proving they don’t exist. This week we went to the beach, and I pulled out the underwater housing, just in case. The water was too cold, for anyone to feel like a swim.
However it did remind me that I need to figure out how to move the focus point when I don’t have access to the touch screen.
The Importance of Choosing the Focus Point On The G7X Underwater
On our recent trips to Hawaii and the Reef, I encountered some incredible sea life and reef scenes.
Unfortunately, my composition was limited by the center focus point. In the photo above, you can see focus point was over the dolphins in the middle of the frame. 
I was able to get away with centering the dolphins in the frame, by cropping out the unnecessary space on the computer. However, I know how much choosing the focus point improves my ability to frame the photos in the water. There is an option to use AI SERVO mode for moving animals such as the these, but I wanted to conserve my battery life because I am still uncomfortable opening the housing on a boat or beach to replace the quickly drained battery.
The other option is to change the focus from a touch screen function to a ring function.
Set the RING FUNC button
- Power on the camera into a shooting mode, with the lens extended.
- Press the menu button, and scroll to the bottom of the camera settings tab.
- Select the menu option for “Set RING FUNC. button…” (It is 4th from the bottom.)
This brings up a menu of 24 small icons for the possible functions to assign to the RING FUNC button on the back of the camera. The default setting is “RING FUNC,” which allows you to swap functions for the lens ring during various shooting modes.
- Select the icon immediately to the right of “RING FUNC.” It is a small rectangle with 5 points in the shape of a cross. When you select this, the label at the top of the menu reads, “AF Frame Adjustment.”
- Press the “FUNC SET” button to lock in your choice, and the camera is ready for the underwater housing.
Bonus Tip: We love using the ND (Neutral Density) Filter built in to the camera on extremely bright afternoons. However, scrolling through the Menu to turn on a off the ND when we walk through patches of shade can be annoying. Turns out we can set the RING FUNC button for quick access to the ND settings. We will definitely be using this one as well!
G7X Underwater Focus Point Selection Without the Touch Screen
Now that the RING FUNC button is setup, place the camera in the G7X underwater housing so you can practice a bit without worrying about drowning. 🙂
With the G7X installed in the underwater housing, press the yellow button on the back of the housing for the RING FUNC, and the camera reads “Move the Frame” at the top, with an orange rectangle in the center.
If you want to enlarge the focus point, turn the knob on the left side of the housing to adjust the size.
With the size set, use the yellow buttons on the back of the housing to move the rectangle up, down, left, and right. The “FUNC SET” button in the center will lock in your choice, and take you back to the standard shooting screen.
Now you are all ready to go.
Simply point the camera so the rectangle is over your subject, and fire away with the shutter. I recommend running through this a few times on land to make sure you are comfortable before you you enter the water.
As always, if you have any additional tips, share them below, and we’d love to see some of your images over on our Facebook page!
