Canon Powershot G9

Hi

Can any of you tell me of your thoughts of the canon G9? i would love to get an SLR of some sort and like to use cameras to their full

advantage. but i have not yet explored different lenses as i have only used other people's cameras. so lenses arent a big deal to me yet.

 

i also dont drive so i need to travel light. is the G9 a good choice for a hard working camera in a small size?

 

su

Hi Sue.

 

This is a forum for digital camera enthusiasts using Canon cameras:

 

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

To answer the question though, the G9 is an excellent camera but for a hard working camera I would choose a Dslr like a 40D or a 50D. I personally own a G9 and a 5D. The 5D comes out when I am photographing seriously and the G9 is my "fun" quick shooter.

Canon FD lenses have long been used on cinema cameras. The RED just a modern digital update that costs well beyond the

average persons budget. I use FD lenses on EOS for close up work & on Oly 4/3rds digital. Beats having 45+ lenses

collecting dust.

If you fully approach your photography with your G9, as you would your DSLR; and fully understand how to get the most out of the G9, it is certainly capable of excellent photography.

sue, trust me on this one. get a dslr first. canon g9 is good, but for about the same price you could get a nikon d40. you have a learning curve either way but IMO learning on a dslr will teach you more skills than a P&S, even a high-end one. plus with a dslr you can upgrade to better lenses while you're stuck with the g9s lens forever.

Sue,<p>

 

Take a look at the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091202panasonic_dmc_g1.asp">Panasonic Lumix

G1</a>. It has just been announced, and has DSLR features in a near-compact body.<p>

 

Also, the G9 has been discontinued for the new <a

href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091702canon_g10.asp">Powershot G10</a>.

Its fine, and amongst the very best of the compacts. But you have to get into it understanding that the picture quality, even in raw, won't match that which you can get from a dslr, especially if you need to get to 400ISO. There are essential differences between a dslr and a compact that go beyond issues of size and abililty to change lenses.

Sue,

 

I shot Canon film for many years and "stuck my toe" in the digital Canon world with a PowerShot Pro1 (circa 2004) P &

S. I was probably Canon's top end point-and-shoot at the time and it had a very nice lens. Because of my experience

with digital photography, two years later I upgraded to a 40D and a nice Tokina lens. I kept the PS Pro1.

 

To be honest, I still shoot the Pro1 a lot. It is compact and I can keep it in the glovebox of my car, which I cannot do

with the 40D. The attached lens is good for 90% of the photos I need to take. Its small size makes it comfortable to

shoot in social situations where a larger DSLR might scare people off. (It's tiny built-in flash is limited in reach, though.)

 

You mention you like to travel light. The G9/G10 are excellent cameras for a person on-the-go. They can do 95% of the

features you would buy a DSLR for, if you can live with the single attached lens. Maybe, like me, you want to start with

the smaller G-series camera and upgrade to a DSLR in a year or two when you discover whether or not you really need

the functionality (speed, control and removable lens) and can live with the bulk.

 

A final thought, even if you buy a G-series camera now and only use it for a year or two and sell it later, you'll lose some

money on the sale BUT the DSLR you can buy at THAT time will probably be worth the extra money. Bear in mind

Canon seems to be upgrading the 30D/40D/50D line every 10-15 months. The 60D will be out by then at today's 50D

prices, if the pattern holds.

 

Best of luck with your decision!

Sue,<p>

Please take a look at this link, the DSLR style Panasonic Lumix G1 <a

href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/audioblog/sets/72157607245255351/">is *TINY*</a>.<p> Seems to fit your wishes for a

SLR that is small and light.

The first question is what are you going to use the camera for? The Canon as well as other P&S cameras I am

familiar with are not that good for low light and action uses. That said, for travel photography where you may

not want (or are unable) to carry a DSLR w/ either an assortment or a large zoom lenses, I think they're great.

I think the image quality is excellent for the mid range of f/stops. I used a G9 instead of my Nikon D300 on a

walking trip in Italy earlier this summer. The 13 x 19 in. images are very good. Yes, there are times I wish I

had the D300, but there also were a few occasions where I probably wouldn't have been carrying the D300 and ended

up with some great shots w/ the G9. I would also suggest that you try handling some of the small DSLRs as well

as a number of the P&S-I really wasn't comfortable with my first choice of a P&S from an ergonomic standpoint,

luckily B & H allowed me to return it.