G9 now... or wait for G10?

[kadleck]

One thing I will say in favour of the new G10 (though it will not convince me to rush out and buy one!) is the improved grip. Should make one-hande use a lot easier.

Early look ... http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091702canon_g10.asp

 

[diver 85]

Will this drop the price of the G9 down the road??...

 

[Tigerman]

Will this drop the price of the G9 down the road??...

Dont think the G9 did much for the price of the G7 which basicallt just went unavailable around here..

 

[MR_Photo]

No one seems to have mentioned the Digic 4 processor. While I doubt that the noise in higher ISO will be resolved by the Digic 4, the G9 could use quicker auto-focus and quicker times between shots.

Other than this improvement, I'm not too impressed with the g10 over the g9. I'd have liked to see a CMOS sensor, but I'll have to keep dreaming of that while I enjoy my G9.

 

[Tigerman]

If you want a CMOS, get a dSLR...

 

[Baconated]

Early look ... Canon PowerShot G10: 15MP & 28mm wide: Digital Photography Review

From the specs listed on dpreview they dropped the underwater white balance. Not a huge issue since I shoot underwater in RAW with my G9, but its still nice to have the option w/out having to go the custom route. Its also nice for the JPEGs when shooting RAW/JPEG combos.

The 28mm lens might make it worth the upgrade though. That is one thing that bothers me about the G9.

Nathan

 

[under water]

From the specs listed on dpreview they dropped the underwater white balance. Nathan

It's still there according to the specs on the Canon web site.
Shooting Modes
Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C1, C2, Special Scene (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Aquarium, Underwater, Indoor, ISO 3200, Kids & Pets, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap), Stitch Assist, Movie

White BalanceWhite Balance Control
Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater), Custom1, Custom2

 

[kadleck]

Looks like dpreview may have missed it - it's not a full review; though they will have a review as soon as they lay hands on a sample.

Anyway, I would not bother with the underwater white balance setting. Yes, it helps, but it is no way accurate (depending on the depth where you use it); but it's easy to set a manual white balance (aim at your hand, or a slate). Better still, shoot RAW underwater and fix the colour balance later (sorry, I know that you do - I just add the info for completeness)!

 

[friscuba]

but it's easy to set a manual white balance (aim at your hand, or a slate).

All this time I've never seen anyone recommend using your hand for a manual white balance... gotta try it now! If it works reasonably well it eliminates a lot of hassle when not shooting RAW. Thanks for the tip.

 

[under water]

...but it's easy to set a manual white balance (aim at your hand,..) ..

Hmmm.. White balance assumes a neutral target.. your hand is usually what in photo terms is called 'fleshtone'.. ie.. not neutral.
Anything whitish or grayish will work .. If you want the pictures to come out so that your skin comes out gray.. then WB on the hand works really well.
Then again .. there is always post-processing.
BTW. the combo of the 28mm lens and the 5X vs 6X zoom does make a big difference in the far zoom image.. but that might be a good thing when it comes to building an U/W case and MIGHT even allow wet WA lenses to work.
And I agree , the new Digic IV processor should improve some of the issues.. like faster focus, etc.
One of the biggest advantages of the G10 might be the new battery.. almost twice as good as previous battery.
G10 Shooting Capacity
Still Image: approx. 400 shots (NB-7L/LCD on)*, approx. 1,000 shots (NB-7L/LCD off)
* LCD screen on. The above figures comply with CIPA testing standards and apply when fully-charged batteries are used.

G9 Shooting Capacity
Still Image: approx. 240 shots (NB-2LH/LCD on)*, approx. 600 shots (NB-2LH/LCD off)