Please help me decide: Lumix LX2 or Canon G7

[harvestqueen]

Please help me decide: Lumix LX2 or Canon G7

These both seem like great cameras that will suite me just fine.  I am going to be taking general photos and shots of my artwork.  It seems like the G7 is great but doesn't have RAW option (which I am not familiar with, but it seems like it might be something I would use because I crop a bit and adjust brightness and contrast in photoshop) and the LX2 is great, but has a noise problem.  I think either would be good for me, but would love some opinions.
Thanks!

[thompsonkirk]

Go for the G7?  I use the Lumix for an always-carry-with-me camera, but from what you say, the G7 should fit your needs better.  The amount of PS adjustment that you mention doesn't require RAW processing - assuming you set the white balance correctly when you photogaph your artwork.  And the 16:9 image ratio probably isn't best for that purpose.  You'll appreciate the G7's eye-level finder for your other pix.

[Dale_Cotton]

One possible concern with the G7 would be the sRGB colour space, which could clip the gamut of colours in your artwork. This would depend on whether you ever use vivid, pure hues, esp. in the primary and secondary colours. This would also depend on what forms of reproduction you foresee, since many cannot exceed the sRGB gamut, whether you've captured more or not.

(Speaking of colour, doing a custom white balance off a white card - NOT art paper or canvas - combined with RAW would be ideal if you have need for a very exact colour match between original and reproduction. At an extreme, one could even get into custom profiling using a GretagMacbeth Color Checker. If that all sounds like Greek, then it's probably beyond your needs and you needn't worry about whether the camera has RAW.)

The LX2's noise issue would have minimal impact on photographing art, since presumably you'd be doing that at 100 ISO in bright light or with flash. At the other extreme, if you foresee taking pictures in museums or galleries, the high ISO of the G7, combined with IS, would be invaluable.

[harvestqueen]

Doesn't the LX2 have a high ISO as well, and IS?  good point about the noise for my art shots.
About RAW, it is a little foreign to me, but I have been looking into it and practicing a little on my computer and becaue I am not a super experienced photographer, it seems like it would give me a lot of control fine tuning the image at home on my computer where I can see it better (white balance, etc...)
I am definintely interested in transferring my digital images to slide format (I know this is expensive, but I would do it sparingly) so in terms of sRGB that might be important.  I don't really know what that all means, and my artwork isn't really very colorful, but I would like to stay true to what color is there.

Thank you for your feedback!

[Dale_Cotton]

Can we have a smidgeon more background, please? I find it very hard to advise in general terms. The advice would vary according to what your purpose is for recording your pictures. For example, if your aim is to preserve them for your own personal needs, that's very different than if you are sending the image files to a lithographic shop to have a series of numbered prints made for sale to galleries.

[jeffok]

At this point, if you want maximum versatility, which means RAW plus the option of 16:9 format plus a smaller package with a great lens, choose the LX2. I just spent 2 weeks iin Europe with this camera and took shots under a wide variety of conditions. It is great at 100 and 200 ISO and very acceptable at 400. Forget all the blather about having a rangefinder- it certainly won't improve your picture taking and has no other real advantage other than sentimentality- if you still love old cameras.

If you won't be needing to go much higher than 400 ISO and are not printing those high ISO images at larger than 8X10 or so, I don't see why you would want to pay a $100 more for the Canon G7- a good camera yes, but not as much of a camera as the LX2.