Canon G9 vs the G10

I am considering one of these two cameras as a back up to my DSLR (in case of mechanical breakdown or just wanting a lighter

alternative) and am wondering what the benefits of the G10 are over the G9 other than the extra megapixels. Thanks for any guidance! cb

:-)

You will want to double-check the accuracy of the specs, but it can be a good starting point anyway.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_g10%2Ccanon_g9&show=all

that's just what I wanted DN-thanks! cb

I just switched from the G9 to the G10 - the most important reason (90% wgy I switched) was the 28mm wide angle lens on the G10. I don't need 200mm tele in a P&S - for that I have my serious glass with the 5D or 40D.

Hi Juergen-I know it's early but have you had the chance to evaluate the G10's image quality in comparison to the G9?

 

cb

I think they are on paar - as you said it is early, but so far I have not seen a huge difference in IQ. I did some tests for high ISO shots and the G10 was only marginally better than the G9 - it does hold detail better at ISO800 and 1600 than the G9, but not by much. One thing I noticed immediately is that it takes longer to record a RAW image onto the SD card because of the increased MP count.

As I said before, the deciding factor for me was the wider lens on the G10 - I always hated the use of the wide angle adapter!

thanks Juergen-I appreciate the information! cb :-)

It may be too early to tell, but my decidedly unscientific impression is that the G10 has a little more dynamic range.<div></div>

The G10 lens is much better in the corners,

and not just at wide angle, but a good part of the way to telephoto.

I don't see any reason to buy a G9, even to save $100 or more.

thanks guys-I appreciate all the feedback; I guess I'm leaning toward the G10 as the backup to my Nikon D90 (I'm a Nikon

guy but both the G9 and the G10 outshine any Nikon point and shoot). thanks again! cb :-)

Charles,

 

I'm a Pentax DSLR guy and really like the G10. :-) I imagine you would too. BTW, it is my first Canon digicam.

If I were choosing between these two cameras, a very big plus for the G10 is that it's lens can go as wide as 28mm (equivalent). That's essential for what I shoot. But if you'd prefer to get up-close to wildlife or pick faces out of crowds, etc., the G9 has an additional 60mm on the long end.

Is really better de digic IV versus digic III ?

Thank you

Check out the Ken Rockwell comments on the two cameras in his G10 review. Interesting that the G9 didn't seem to drop in

price when discontinued. The first digital classic?

Weird review by kRockwell: after saying he prefers it to his 5D with 70-200/2.8 L,

every comment is negative. Oh well, at least Ken is entertaining,

and his G9 to G10 comparison is excellent.

 

The Digic IV processor is described in a Wikipedia writeup,

but according to Ken it doesn't make the G10 faster.

Perhaps the Digic IV is what makes G10 images less sharp than G9 images

due to more noise reduction.

 

By the way, even in the extremely downsampled G9 vs G10 images of trees,

you can see that the G10 image is sharper in the upper left corner.

is that sharpness or just smearing (highly aggressive NR)? IMO G10 would have been much better at 10-12 MP with a faster response and less lag. every review i've read says anything above 400 ISO is dicey. it might be classic for landscape shooters--where it's already been compared to a Hassy chassis by the luminous light dude--but a high-end P&S should be able to function in social situations after hours too.

 

that's not to say i dont want one--i want an lx3 too--and its better than any current coolpix, but i think it could have been better. we might have to wait until the G13 to get the camera we actually want, instead of the one we'll grudgingly accept. but if a $400 DSLR can do ISO 1600 clean, a $500 P&S should be able to pull off 800. that's all i'm saying. (bring back the fuji f30: 6mp, ISO 3200!)

I am considering trading my G9 for the G10, but why do they keep running this pixel race? You'd think consumers would be

educated by now, and know that a higher pixel count does not necessarily mean a better camera. And quite often the

opposite, because of added noise, thus added NR, thus lost sharpness, etc... Who needs 15 megpix in a P&S, as

sophistocated as it may be? Now, I guess the vibration reduction in the G10 allows you to shoot at lower shutter speeds,

thus keeping ISO low, but still.

See Michael Reichmann's enthusiastic reports on the G10 on Luminous Landscape.

 

A factor that I don't think has been mentioned is that the latest release of Digital Photo Professional can apparently handle

G10 RAW files. Sadly, Canon have not had the courtesy to G9 users to add to DPP the ability to handle G9 RAW files (I

just tried with 3.5.0.0 as released with the 50D, which I assume is the same version as that supplied with the G10), for which

it is still necessary to use ZoomBrowser. Although that's not a problem in itself, it does mean that if you use DPP for your

DSLR workflow, then the G10 will integrate with it more naturally.