Waist Level Finder (G5 vs. A80 vs. ??)

[theo_alpert1]

I'm looking for a digital point-n-shoot to use for general snapshots.

Requirements are: primarily a waist level finder, reasonably small

size and reasonably good quality. 4-5mp is fine for this application.

I'm leaning towards the G5 as it has a faster/slightly longer lens,

more resolution, a setting dial in the grip and a hotshoe.

 

How would folks who've looked at both the G5 and A80 compare the two?

I haven't found a G5 locally to look at yet.

 

I'd be interested in hearing about other digital cameras with waist

level finders....

[m_.]

olympus, canon and nokon all make tiltable LCD on their prosumer digital cameras. for a point-and-shooter, pick on the cheapest and be done with it. If you want more manual options, you can start discussing more. If you are picking between the G5 and A80 for p&S, then obviously an A80 will save you some money. G5 is a much better camera though, only if you use all the features that come with it.

[david_haynes]

G5 is a great camera. The hot shoe alone makes it a much more

versatile camera as you can use with any canon ETTL flash. I

use mine all the time with multiple flash setups including macro

ringlight. Dead-on exposures 99% of the time.

 

The faster lens is also a big plus, especially if you're wanting to

do available light without flash.

 

The G5 will set you back about $600; A80 around $350. A good

in-between camera to look at is the G3, which is identical to the

G5 except it has a 4mp instead of a 5mp sensor, and body is

champagne/silver instead of black. These can be found new for

less than $500.

 

Really I think the G5 is a small step up from the G3 in terms of

image quality, and the G5 actually suffers from more purple

fringing in strong backlit/high contrast (tree limbs against a

bright sky, etc.) than does the G3.

 

Before getting my G5, I used and loved the 4mp G2 for almost 2

years. I've made beautiful 11x14 prints from G2 files in b&w and

color.

 

I've attached a photo taken with G5 and two slaved Canon 550EX

flashes (one in softbox and another into an umbrella) and

triggered by the Canon ST-E2 wireless transmitter (on the

camera's hot shoe). The ease of using this camera in

complicated lighting setups is nothing short of phenominal, IMO,

especially for a point-and-shoot.<div></div>

[todd frederick]

I have an Olympus C-5050 which has a moveable screen. The attached photo was taken using the downward slant over my head to clear the fence. That is a wonderful feature.<div></div>

[michael_flaherty]

I also highly recommend the Olympus C5050 Zoom (or C5060 Zoom). The C5050's lens is lots faster and its feature set is easier to use and more comprehensive than the G5's. My research convinced me to buy the 5050 over the Canon, which was a tough decision because all my pro equipment is Canon (1D, D30). I have not been disappointed in my decision. It's one fine little camera, IMHO, and its dedicated flash system (FL-40) produces significantly more consistent results than a G5 fitted with it's dedicated top-of-the-line 550EX.