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Why not wider than 35mm on G9?


oofoto

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It is not just Canon that ignores this, most other compact camera manufacturers start with zooms at 35 or 38mm. This is one of the reasons I tend to struggle with compact digital cameras, I always find I can't back up enough to get the view I want.

 

Panasonic has launched various compact cameras with 28-100mm zooms, which is a range that suits my photography better. Then there is the Ricoh GX100 with a 24-72mm zoom. Sigma is due to bring out the DP1 with a 28mm fixed lens, but commercialization has been delayed for some time now and it is still unclear when it will be available in the shops.

 

So if you want to go wider, there are other alternatives available. Unless of course there is something about the Canon G series that you absolutely need that no other camera offers. I'm not that familiar with Canon cameras, but I understand the G6 offered RAW and JPEG shooting, but the G7 did away with the RAW option. Now RAW is back on the G9. Maybe Canon listened to their costumer base and provided them what they wanted. What we need from camera manufacturers in general is more innovation and radical new ideas.

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It would be quite a surprise (to me at least) if Canon were to design a whole new lens for the G-series, especially after just re-designing it a year ago (longer and with IS).

 

I do not agree with Sam that Canon can't design a wide angle compact lens. Claims of corners so soft as to be unusable from the SD800 IS are, IMHO, nothing more than pixel measurbators gone wild.

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I'm sure if Canon decided to make a wide angle lens they can do a decent job. But people with DSLRs also complain about the lack of good wide angles especially for their EF-S capable cameras. They are bundling the 40d with the 28-135IS which is a 45-216 and that's for a 1600 dollar camera. If they can't figure that out, there is little hope for compact cameras, I can only come to the conclusion that Canon marketers or engineers are too busy working where the only times they take pictures of mountains is through their office windows.
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<<They are bundling the 40d with the 28-135IS>>

 

I have yet to see any evidence that Canon has created this bundle. It is very likely the 28-135 IS "kit" was created by Amazon.com You may have noticed that Canon just redesigned the 18-55 to include IS. It seems clear to me that this new version is ment to be the Canon kit lens, not the 28-135.

 

Rather strange that you would conclude that Canon has somehow "thrown in the town" by "bundling" the 28-135 with the camera. The 17-40, 17-55, 16-35 Canon lenses remain among the highest quality zooms the company has produced. Your conclusion is erroneous at best.

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http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=24449144

 

"I placed amazon pre-order this morning: Canon 40D bundled with the 28-135IS for $1499.99. It still lists this on my order page but suddenly, when I click link from order page it goes to the bundle with 18-55IS lens. Waiting for reply for Amazon..."

 

So, again, Sam, you may want to re-think your assumptions.

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Canon press release.

 

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/prodtech/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003627926

 

"The Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR is scheduled for early September delivery and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,299.00. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,499.00."

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I would certainly have preferred a fast 24- or even 28- lens that does not need to go further than 100 (equivalent). But I think for me the raw is significant enough improvement to put this on my shopping list, something I wanted to do with G7 couple of times but always finally decided against due to its lack of raw capture.
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Altough I would expect 28 or even 24mm on any advanced digital camera such as the G9, Canon is selling external lenses (which will decrease the quality of the picture) to reach those wider angles you are looking for.

 

On the other hand, "8x" or "10x" or "35-350" is probably a more powerful selling tool than "24-180" (unfortunately).

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Sam,

 

So, we've established the body/lens combo is coming from Canon (thank you for pointing that out) but you've yet to say how you can logically take that to mean Canon can't produce quality wide-angle lenses. (Especially given the previous paragraphs in the very press release you link to). Your conclusions, I still believe, are erroneous.

 

The issue here is not one of engineering but one of profit. Back to the original question (sorta): Canon using the same lens on 3 digital point and shoots means lower costs for them which means greater profits. End of story.

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Uh, I never said that they can't make wide angle lenses. It's just that their marketing tends to make lenses more suited for longer lenses.

 

It was a joke. Picture bunch of engineers working really hard at Canon not having enough time to fully test their cameras. So they decide to test the camera outside their window ignoring the wide settings.

 

Conclusion is the same either way. Canon can't or won't make wide angle lenses profitable for their business.

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I still use a G3 and I have both the wide and tele Canon adapters. They are surprisngly good even if they are expensive. I considered a G6 just so I could use the same adapters but that model is so far out of date it probably isn't even available. For slow work the G3 still does a nice job up to 8X10 but the shutter lag is terrible. I still have and use many film cameras but I need a more up to date digital camera. I will balance the G9 with the wide adapter against the least expensive Pentax DSLR with IS. I have a bunch of older K mount lenses I could play with on a Pentax but my widest one is a 24. This works out to a 36 on the DSLR so I would be right back where I am on the short end with the G9. If I get the kit lens with the Pentax I get approximately a 28mm equivalent in the 35mm format. At some point even a very good viewfinder type digital camera bumps up agaunst the price of an entry level DSLR. Maybe the G9 will be a nice second digital camera for some people.
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If you do get down as far as this :-)

 

The demand is becuase photographers cannot be bothered to take two or more shots and stitch them in editing. I have no wider than 35mm equivalent and have no need for it becuase firstly I don't like the distortion of the short focal length and when I want a wide panoramic view I stitch. There is a lot of nonsense written about the problems of stitching but really it is quite simple and commonsense observation of what looks 'right' and what doesn't.

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<<Uh, I never said that they can't make wide angle lenses. >>

 

<<Canon doesn't do good wide angle lenses.>>

 

Come on Sam...

 

<<Conclusion is the same either way. >>

 

That's an absurd conclusion and one not based in reality.

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It appears so. You clearly misread what I wrote here:

 

<<but you've yet to say how you can logically take that to mean Canon can't produce quality wide-angle lenses.>>

 

Regardless, you've provided zero evidence to back up your claims.

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