FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nicksy on December 20, 2008, 04:54:50 PM
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It's so hard to wade through the options. I'm looking for a compact (ie non-slr) mid-range digital still.
The Canon g10 is at the top of my list right now because even though I've read about the overloaded sensor and lens lag, the ergonomics of it are so so nice. Does anyone know about other cameras with pro dials and knobs but with less lag?
I've also read about these ultracompact still cameras that have HD video bult-in. Any knowledge of that?
thx
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I am a G9 owner and I love it. The G10 should be even better. The wider lens makes a big difference in the G10 and I myself am tempted to upgrade. I also use mine every day. Seriously.
The only thing I do not like (but this goes for all point/shoot digitals) is the shutter lag between pressing the the trigger and when the camera actually takes the picture. Hard to take motion shots with the lag but, like I said, that is common on all point and shoots.
I love all of the manual override features and the ability to shoot RAW. I also bought the Canon water housing for about $70 new. Once they pack a CMOS sensor in one of these things I will be ever so pleased. Until they do, sensor noise at higher ISO's is going to be a regular thing.
I also love the time-lapse video feature. SUPER fun. Check out this one I made while taking my folks on a cruise to Alaska. (By the way...cruises are awful. Simply awful)
http://www.vimeo.com/1456878 (http://www.vimeo.com/1456878)
Shoot me an e-mail if you have any specific questions.
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Cruises are awful. That's no joke.
Thanks for the tip, by the way. I'm in the market for a new camera as well.
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Thanks, PiO. That video is really cool. How is the non-time lapse video on the G9?
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My mom just got the G10 (recommended to her by professional photographer friends) and as far as either of us can tell it's great so far. I can vouch for Canon PowerShots in general myself- my camera is an ELPH one that's a few years old but still takes pictures that are impressively great for the fanciness of the camera.
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Holy cow, Patrick, that is a pretty video.
I've heard the Leica has a cult following. I've never held one but they look like they smell like Paco Roban.(http://www.cosmonet.org/camera/leica_3f_1.jpg).
I'm interested in shooting astronomy pictures. Imagine going camping and coming back with a bunch of slow shutter speed pictures of stars reflected in a lake at night?
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Thanks, PiO. That video is really cool. How is the non-time lapse video on the G9?
Thanks (and to the rest) for the comment(s) on the video. The regular video is also great. It has three different modes. You can even shoot 1024x768 but they can be a bit jerky as they are 15 frames per seconds as opposed to the 30fps you get at 640 X 480. All in all, pretty durn good video though.
If you don't know about it DP Camera Review (http://www.dpreview.com/) is an incredible resource and does some very thorough testing on pretty much any digital camera on the market (including the G10 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong10/)).
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Leica makes great cameras but they are way out of my price range.
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I've heard the Leica has a cult following. I've never held one but they look like they smell like Paco Roban.
That is funny. It has been said by many (including me) that the pressing of the shutter release button on a Leica M-series camera produces a sound and feel that can only be described as 'sexy'. It is beautiful. If you get the chance to shoot with one, I highly recommend it. They are really something else.
Alas, out of my price range too...
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Yeah, did you listen to the Studio 360 episode where they talk for quite awhile about that noise?
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Yeah, did you listen to the Studio 360 episode where they talk for quite awhile about that noise?
No. Is this it (http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2006/11/17/segments/69049) and is it worth it? I hate to admit but I am unfamiliar with the show. Looks OK though...
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Yeah, that's the one. It's a really great program. Sometimes they focus way too much on visual art (it's radio, you morons, focus on your strengths!) but they still have a great presentation of things.
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Leica makes great cameras but they are way out of my price range.
Once on an otherwise mundane trip to Canada to visit a lens vendor my company at the time was using, I discovered the company was the commercial and defense component of Ernst Leitz (ELCan). I didn't realize until we met in their conference room and it was a Leica camera mini-museum of sorts. Neat surprise, I also discovered they make all the lenses for IMAX theatres too. THey are owned by Raytheon now, but the german engineering culture was still very much in effect there.
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Yeah, that's the one. It's a really great program. Sometimes they focus way too much on visual art (it's radio, you morons, focus on your strengths!) but they still have a great presentation of things.
Studio360 is the inquisitiveness of Ira Glass without the smugness (which I suspect is just Alex Blumberg); truly one of my favorite shows. I love their coverage of the visual arts, because unlike most people who cover the arts they try not to shroud it in mystique and mystery and instead ask a lot of good questions. I always remember him talking to Kehinde Wiley and he talked about his dogs in the studio; it just ended up sounding so much more Human and less Mr. Fancy Professional Artist.
I'm also looking for a new camera and this thread is awesome. The G9 is a GREAT little camera, and I too can attest that Powershots seems to hold up pretty well.
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Hey, that cool time lapse feature on the Canon G9? Well, they removed that from the G10 for some reason. What a bummer....
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~sad trombone~
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I am by no means an advanced photographer, but I love my Panasonic. The TZ4 and TZ5 are great little cameras. Good even in low lighting, a 10x zoom, and beautiful color reproduction.
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So, I'm starting to have my doubts about the size of the G10. Does anyone know about the wild world of ultracompacts?
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we got a new sony for x-mas. I like the startup and first picture speed of the sonys and they are my favorite by far when it comes to the subcompact/compact models. I've have olympus, canon, nikon, kodak, etc... cams.
is the G10 comparable to the old Pro1? Does it have the capability to use attachments/lenses? I have a pro1 that's about 5 years old and I've liked it, but there are some things about the interface that I don't really like. I'm thinking about going with a DSLR next.
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I used to love the casio ultracompacts, but they've really gone downhill during the past couple of generations. I think it's a symptom of cramming too much into the sensor, and tweaking the software instead of the hardware.
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My wife has the Canon SD-870 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sd870is.asp). A great little compact. (Also has the time lapse feature!) I have shot with it and it is a great little camera. Nice and small and fast without all the extra controls like on the G series that she will never, ever use. I also had an older Sony and was quite pleased with it. (you may check out the SD-880 or SD-890 for newer models).
As far as adapter lenses, yes, the G9 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong9/) and G10 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong10/) both support them: The G9 has either a telephoto or a wide angle attachment and the G10 has a telephoto attachment only, all sold separately. HOWEVER, the wide angle attachment for the G9 is frickin' HUGE! I bought it for mine and had no idea how big it really was. It weighs more than the camera and I only ended up using it twice because it defeated the purpose of carrying around a smaller camera.
The Panasonics are good, but I had one (DMC-LX2 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasoniclx2/)) and the digital noise was horrible even at 100iso. It is a shame too. They put a nice sharp Leica lens on a camera with a crappy sensor. What a waste. The TZ4-TZ5 are supposed to be great compacts but the reviews I have read said their one fatal flaw is the poor sensor. I do like the Panasonics, though, and wouldn't turn one away. They are worth looking at.
Again, the G series are great cameras IF you are looking for a lot of manual controls. If you are going to spend most of your time shooting candid shots on automatic mode, it may be more than you need. In fact, it will be. Spend less on a less featured camera and you will be happier for sure. If I had given my wife a G series instead of the camera I did, I am sure she would not use it enough.
I am not to familiar with the Pro 1 nor it's interface. The main difference I see from the G series is that the lens doesn't collapse into the Pro's body making it a non-compact. The G series do fit in my pocket. Also the Pro has a flip screen which the G series discontinued. It looks like the controls are quite different as well.
By the way, I did just get the G10 on Friday. B & H was selling them at $414 with free overnight shipping. Couldn't resist (and the wife said go for it.) Despite the loss of the time lapse feature, I really like it. (I'll bogart my wife's camera for that! Mwuhahahah!) It is slightly larger than the G9 but not enough to make a difference. The start up time is much faster than the G9 and the wider angle lens is really what I was after. I am almost sad to give E-Bay the G9 though but I can't keep two.
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I don't know much about cameras (I use a Sony DSC-H7 but I'm getting tired of it - it takes nice photos but I can't carry it with me as easy as I'd want), but my roommate is a photographer and he swears by his Ricoh GX200 for compact, everyday use.
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That's a good deal, I may have to jump on that also.
What I want to know, though, is it jeans pocketable or cargo-pocketable?
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I would say cargo. Jeans would be tough.
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So I broke the bank and bought the g10. I love it so much!! my favorite digital camera that I've used.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3196371238_6c7825d870.jpg)
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So I broke the bank and bought the g10. I love it so much!! my favorite digital camera that I've used.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3196371238_6c7825d870.jpg)
Nice. I bought one too and am very pleased - except for the removal of the time lapse feature. Congrats!