firmware upgrade for G5 and option for upgrading to dSLR

[barry_abdul]

Hi everybody,

 

i'm new in this forum. i'm not a serious photographer, just love to

take pictures everywhere i go. i'm using a G5 and would like to know

is there a firmware upgrade for this model. as time passed, i found it

slow in autofocussing, much worse in low-light condition. plus, the

shutter lag is bothering me. i still love the camera, but those

shortcoming has made me decide to give it up, unless there's a

firmware upgrade to remedy those problems.

if there has not been any firmware upgrade. i'm thinking of purchasing

an entry level dSLR. 2 models has caught my attention. one is canon

eos 350d (or digital rebel xt in the US) and the other is olympus

evolt e-500. which one is better. i understand that e-500 has a better

package with better pricing (less than usd800 with 2 lenses kit), but

Canon is still my favourite brand for photo equipment, and i have a

speedlite 430. so, any advise would be very much appreciated.

 

cheers,

barry

[vincent_j_m]

I don't think there are any firmware upgrades for the G series cameras, none that I've come across on their websites. Most consumer canon P&S cameras are notoriously slow with focusing and shutter lag, including my G6. Compared to some of the cheap offerings from casio, sony, fuji, etc the slowness on the canons is ridiculous.

 

That said, unless you are really stuck to canon for some reason there are some very good options. The Sony H1 is a very good camera. Focus speed is MUCH faster than the canon, and even zooming is much more responsive. Shutter lag is much less, and image quality is very good. There are many alternatives from Fuji, Sony, etc. Check them out.

 

I'd give the Oly E-500 a serious look if I were you. Even the entry level 14-45 lens is extremely good, far better than the cheap canon 18-55, and their anti dust system really works well. In all, unless you're going for a mid to high end canon DSLR, Oly offers better bang for the buck. The black hand grip on the EOS-300D I use is falling off, and it looks like it's just been glued together to the body - this is just shoddy construction and design. Canon's low end DSLR's like the 300/350D are not so well made.

[allen]

I had the same dilemma recently. I found that in shooting my children's soccer and gymnastics, the G5 was limiting. I went with the Rebel XT since I already had CF cards and a 420 Speedlite. It made more sense (to me) than buying into a completely new system and accessories.

[barry_abdul]

thanks Vincent & Scott for your opinion.

i'm leaning toward the Oly E-500. But a friend of mine urge me to stay with Canon so he can sell his 24-70 lens to me because he's short on cash. so I'm going to the stores tommorow to try out both of them to decide which. Any other opinion are still welcome ;)

 

cheers!

[andrew_hall1]

>I don't think there are any firmware upgrades for the G series cameras, none that I've come across on their websites.

 

Obviously you went to the wrong sites. http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/bebitarchive-e.html

[barry_abdul]

"Obviously you went to the wrong sites. http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/bebitarchive-e.html"

 

Apparently there is a firmware upgrade for the G5, but it's for addingPictbridge compatibility only (which my G5 already has), not for enhancing the performance (improving auto focus and reducing shutter lag) of the camera :( So I guess I have to part with the G5. And my choice is to go for dSLR rather than some other prosumer.

 

When I went to look out at stores today, another model caught my attention: KonicaMinolta Dynax 5D. It has an Image Stabilizer in the body. Now, it's getting confusing for me to choose:

Which is more important, to have an anti dust system (and get 2 lenses kit on Oly Evolt E-500), to have an image stabilizer in the body (KM Dynax 5D), or continuing with the system that I already have (well, just the Speedlite 380 for Canon EOS 350D)?

 

Apologize for so many question, because I only have limited budget so I want to make the most for my money. Again, your opinion would be very much appreciated.

 

Cheers!