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Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom | List Price: $665.99
Discount Price: Too low to display
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Brand: Canon
Binding: Electronics
Release Date: 2007-08-31
Features: - 12.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
- 6x image-stabilized optical zoom; 3.0-inch LCD display; optical viewfinder
- Face Detection technology and in-camera red-eye fix
- 25 shooting modes, including 9 special scene modes; Print/Share button
- Powered by NB-2LH lithium-ion battery (battery and charger included); stores images on SD or MMC memory cards (32MB MMC memory card included)
Great Option when you don't want to carry your DSLR [Posted on 2008-07-11]
I've got a nice Canon DSLR setup with L-series lenses, etc... the whole works. But a lot of times you just don't want to lug it all around, or even get it out just to take a couple of quick shots. I really wanted to get a good "point and shoot" but I didn;t want to compromise on images and say, "I wish I got my good camera out".
So I did a lot of searching and playing with various cameras and ultimately I selected the Canon G9 and here's why...
1. It has a huge LCD display so you can hold the camera away from you and still see what you're shooting at, even from odd angles. Checking photos after the shot is easy too without having to zoom in all the time.
2. It's fully automatic if you want to leave it that way or you can fully customize it with shutter-priority, aperture priority, fully manual... basically almost everything you can do with your DSLR. So you can manage depth of field, etc. with ease.
3. The ability to add on the telephoto lens and converter is great... effectively gives it a 400MM optical zoom. I haven't tried the wide lens since the camera lens is wide enough for me.
4. It's image stabilization works well... great for low light shots without a flash without compromising on image quality by using a higher ISO.
5. Finally - the ability to use an external flash is terrific. I already had the 580EX but wanted to get a 430EX as a "slave" - this gave me the reason to do so, as a 430EX looks much better on the G9 and works great. (The 580 works too but it's so much bigger.
Are there compromises with the G9? I suppose so but not too many. It's not the smallest camera out there. It fits in a jacket pocket but not a shirt pocket. Also, it would be if the G9 and it's Raw photos could be managed with Canon's Digital Photo Professional software. But having two sets of software for my Canon cameras isn't that big a deal.
In the end - I think it's a great little camera and with the add-ons of lenses and external flash - it gives you big camera benefits from a little camera package.
Best Prosumer Compact (By Default), But Overpriced [Posted on 2008-07-12]
I wanted a compact camera with full manual controls to use this summer. I also wanted RAW, decent zoom length, and good build quality (not flimsy plastic). I didn't want a DSLR (too big and way too expensive when you add in the cost multiple lenses). I chose the G9 by default because there's almost nothing else on the market with these specs today. On the whole, I really like the G9, but I wish there had been more options. If I could have waited any longer, I would have because there should be more choices at better prices within the next few months.
Pro's
Full manual controls
RAW
Excellent build quality -- best of any compact camera I've ever held
Lots of non-gimmicky functions (too many to name)
6X zoom length -- way above average
Perfect size -- relatively compact, but thick enough to get a good grip
Great macro focus
Viewfinder
Rechargeable battery (not AA)
Great pictures from ISO 80-200
Excellent ergonomics
Shoots quickly
Con's
Expensive
ISO 400 not great
ISO 800+ pretty bad, very limited usefulness
Much worse in low light than in bright light (both performance and image quality)
Bundled software is annoying to work with
No hand strap -- had to buy one separately
Comments/ Explanations:
Performance: When shooting in JPEG the shot-to-shot time seems faster than any other compacts that I have tried. Shooting in RAW is only a little bit slower, still very fast. No problems with focus in bright light. Focus and shot-to-shot time are not as good in low-light (e.g., indoors).
Image Quality: ISO 200 is excellent, almost as good as ISO 80. ISO 400 looks pretty smudgy and produces somewhat disappointing images (especially macros, even in bright light). ISO 800 is barely useful, very smudgy. Low-light image quality is much, much worse because the higher ISO's aren't very good and because the focus isn't as good in low light.
Software: The bundled RAW software, though useful, is annoying to work with. The work flow is just not as streamlined as it could be.
Conclusion: I would give this 4 1/2 stars if I could. I highly recommend this camera for someone who wants a sophisticated compact camera rather than a DSLR, and who wants it ASAP. The build quality and ergonomics are superlative. I cannot see myself outgrowing this anytime soon because there are just so many functions that I have control over. At the same time, I think the camera was a little overpriced at $430 plus tax. Also, I would really have preferred a camera that had better image quality at ISO 400+. (This makes a huge difference because if high ISO's are good, then you can drop the shutter speed very low and get much better pictures in low light and of fast-moving subjects.) Currently, there are no acceptable alternatives if you want a prosumer compact -- i.e., RAW, full manual controls, decent zoom length, and a compact body. (There is the Panasonic LX2, but it has at least as many problems as the G9, probably more IMO.) Canon has the market cornered, so Canon can get away with charging a premium for the G9. I've heard there will probably be a G10 out this year, and I know that some other companies are definitely coming out with new prosumer models (e.g., The Panasonic LX3, and possibly Nikon). So if you aren't 100% sold on the G9 and you can wait a few months, then there should be a more competitive market with a more diverse range of prosumer compacts, and prices will probably be lower.
The fun starts here . . . [Posted on 2008-07-16]
Canon PowerShot G9 12.1MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
This camera has restored the fun in photography for me. Let me explain: I am 80 years old, started out with a Speed Graphic using the Ansel Adams Zone System, graduated to a Linhof Technica V with all the extras, downsized to an Olympus OM-1, then a Canon EOS 35mm with most of the extras, got older and grew tired of toting all that gear and, in 2000, gave it all up for snapshots with a Canon Digital Power Shot 100. Shot lots of 2.1 MP stuff and quickly lost all interest in photography. But the spark was still smouldering so this year (2008)I bought a Canon G9 and started shooting again. Wow! It's like my Linhof days with 2 pounds of equipment (including the tripod) instead of fifty pounds.
There's an abundance of technical reviews on the G9 so I'll skip that and move on to the REAL reason I give it 5 stars: When I put this little digital tank on a tripod and set it on M (manual) it reminds me of my 4x5 days, under a focus cloth composing on a 4x5 screen or peeking though a mirror back and checking parallex, depth of field, and composition. When I scroll through the aperture and exposure settings it reminds me of my spot meter days of evaluation except, with this little jewel, you see the final result BEFORE you press the shutter.
What I missed most was the way 4x5 slowed you down and made you study your subject. You weren't after 10 shots bracketed, you were after 1 shot carefully composed and technically structured. There was something special about getting to know your environment while you took the time to compoose and evaluate or wait for the right sky conditions. 35mm didn't satisfy, it simply motivated me to become a quick shot bracketed shooter. And, like 4x5, it hid its final result until after the darkroom.
So - if you REALLY want to experience the shot and put it in your memory bank, get this camera, put it on a tripod, and ENJOY photography. And, when circumstances dictate, just whip it out, point and shoot on auto, and get the shot. Either way, this camera excels. Then there's always RAW if you miss the darkroom and want to adventure into Adobe's Creative Suite.
Happy Shooting!
Great Results So Far [Posted on 2008-07-17]
I have had this camera for a few months now and find it absolutely incredible. Shots are great and it's a very easy camera to get to know even with all the bells and whistles. Iso 800 is almost completely useless though... way too much noise in photos. Keep it to to the lower Iso levels and you're golden. The landscape photography excellent with it although I'd recommend getting a lens adapter so you can put some filters on the camera. A polarizing filter is a must when shooting landscapes. Opt for an aluminum filter from Lensmate as opposed to the cheap plastic one from Canon. You will spend about $5 more but it will be well worth it.
powershot G9 [Posted on 2008-07-19]
This is a wonderful camera, I love it. It takes incredibly detailed shots and is easy to carry and use.
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