Thoughts on the Canon G9?

[PhilK]

Looking at getting this camera for an above water camera and, when I'm more experienced, also to use it as an underwater camera..

Can you please tell me your thoughts on this camera, and what I should use it with when underwater (when the time comes)? ie strobes, arms, lenses etc. What are its good and bad points and all the rest?

Thanks a lot!

 

[scuba spark]

If you aren't going to get the case for it soon, I'd say just way for the information on the next camera in the G series. Canon should be releasing information on it in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[maged_mmh]

yeah, heard they'll be releasing "G10??" mid of Sept.

 

[PhilK]

Not sure I'll be able to afford that..

Anyway, any thoughts on the camera?

 

[maged_mmh]

G9 is great when used in low ISO range 80-200 beyond tha, a high level of noise exists.
there is very minor vignetting when the lens is wide open with f/2.8 other than this combination it is negligible. sharpness & contrast are excellent and it shoots in raw format with full manual controls possible.
but i would wait if i where you for the new model, especially not likely the housing will cross-fit; just to avoid the disappointment that you buy something & it get outgated even before it is submerged.

 

[jenazah]

I hope they're going to fix the dust problem in the next version.

 

[scuba spark]

The G9 is definately a good camera, probably the best of the advanced compacts right now. The reason I suggested to wait for the next version if you aren't going to buy the housing right away is that if you wait too long, you run the risk of not being able to get a housing for it or paying more for the same housing that you would have if you had gotten it now.

The other reason I suggested to wait is to see what exactly is coming out from canon. They may go the cheap route and just add a few bells and whistles to the G9, call it a G10 and sell it for $499. Or they may do something nice and weather seal the new camera, put a CMOS sensor in and give it a few other nice features that raise the price a bit. Either way, it still takes time from the announcement to the actual day that products hit the shelf. So the G9 will be available and most likely cheaper than it is now, after the announcements are made. And you will have the choice to buy it then or wait for the new ones to reach the stores.

I'm in the same boat you're in. I'm looking to upgrade and was looking at a G9 or an entry level dslr. But with photokina coming up at the end of september and all the releases that are made at it, I decided it was best to wait and see what comes out.

 

[Nemrod]

You might should wait, in addition to the G10, there is the Nikon P6000 and Olympus is rumored to be about to splash their Micro 4:3 systems which use full size sensors (same as most dSLR) and also can use interchangeable lenses but without the reflex mirror and bulk of a dSLR.

N

 

[scuba spark]

The micro 4/3 could be a great solution but it could be a while before any of them show up. Unless they were working on cameras for a year or so before they announced the new format, I wouldn't expect any until next year. Even then I'd probably wait for the second generation of them to come out before getting one. Of course, canon and nikon might come out with a competing format around the same time as well.

 

[Nemrod]

The Micro 4:3 system is an open structure and several companies have signed on to support it. I suspect they have been working on it for a while now since it is a parrallel to their current standard 4:3 products and compatible with them. When products will be released is a guess but the introduction page says "Coming Soon" so take that for what it is worth.

I was just about to get a nikon dSLR to utilize my extensive collection of Nikon glass but after realizing that all dSLRs within a year will have to have Live View to compete in the market I will wait on that.

G9 vs G10 vs G11. If none of that matters, there will always be the new hot model. Sooner or later you have to grab on and go for it.

My favorite laptop is not that stupid MAC I foolishly bought, no, it is not my wife's new Vista machine, nope, it is this old XP clunker with the burned out cooling fan and missing buttons and homemade parts in it. It is faster, more relaible, does everything better, has way more software loaded and it is coming on it's fifth year. New is not always better.

N