Canon Powershot G10 - pro or contra ?

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I have a G10 and I love it... within limits.

It is good for landscapes and outdoor scenes in good light. If you can stay at ISO 100, you're fine.

The optical viewfinder is worse than useless. This bothered me at first, since I have almost always used SLRs or view cameras. But once I realized I could brace the camera using the neckstrap and use the lcd on the back, things were much better. This is especially important for closeups, and the G10 does amazing work on things that are absurdly close to the lens -- but only if you frame correctly (the optical finder is useless for anything closer than ten feet or so.)

When I don't want to lug around a tripod and my 5D, it lets me get shots that I would otherwise miss. And image quality (at ISO 100, in good light, without too great a contrast range, with subjects that aren't moving around too much, etc., etc.) is excellent for prints up to 13x19".

Thus, within its limitations, it's a fine camera. But you can't expect good results at high ISO. It's no substitute for a good DSLR.

That's my take on it.

[ndevlin]

The G10 is better than the G9, which was a wonderful camera. The lens is outstandingly sharp and the camera is much faster than the G9. I have one, and love it. That said, it simply does not replace a dslr.

I would note, however, that while the files from the G10 don't look nearly as good as those from a dslr on-screen, in print up to about 13x19 they hold up very well indeed.

The IS is also rather brilliant, allowing one to shoot far longer in lower light (at lower ISOs) than with an equivalent dslr.

If you want a big-ish RAW-capable compact, there's nothing better.

- N.

[pss]

i think the g10 is the best in its class....mostly because it is a very small class....
we don't have to mention the positives, but the problem is that the negatives really come to the front every time i use it....and all have been mentioned here....
the problem is the small sensor....that in combination with the slowish lens makes it a 80 or 100 asa camera which is annoying...a snapshot camera should really be useable 400 with a faster lens....

the other thing is: i never use the zoom.....i shoot 99% wide.....so maybe the sigma would be better for me anyway and i should just shut up....

i really really love the leica m8, although slowish as well, it provides much better images...much better...no comparison....so is the price...and no af and so on.....

but i guess that is the difference...the m8 is a camera capable of amazing images...the g10 really isn't....it really comes down to the size of the sensor....any olympus or contax film p&s was smaller and totally capable of amazing images....these small sensors just don't do it....in a way i use my iphone camera (with all the funky apps) more...and i always have that with me...and it gets the job done....the same image with more resolution does not make it any better in most cases....

the second panasonic (or olympus) come out with their pancake 20mm for the gh1, i am getting that kit....larger sensor, wide fast lens, smaller then g10?....and HD video.....

this is where canon really dropped the ball...no hd video is just a joke....

i guess i would like to see a pancake lens for my 5DII....now that would be a p&s! definitely not small, but MF quality!