Thread: canon G10 alternatives?

just starting to do my research on the latest crop of high quality somewhat-compact cameras.

I passed on getting a G9 a while back when i saw that the lens speed was not great (F2.8-4.8 as I recall) and hoped that the G10 would have a better lens. well according to dpreview, it doesn't.

but other than that, the G10 looks to have a lot of good aspects to it.

and other obvious competitors to the G10 that come to mind? i've never owned a Lumix...i assume they have something comparable.

optical viewfinder, good range of control, fast and decent glass, good battery life in cold conditions...i'm looking for the usual nirvana we all are. any comments would be welcomed. for example, i've heard there's a new format that one brand just came out with that will enable relatively compact SLRs...can you remind me of the brand?

i was going to say the panasonic gmx g1, but it lacks in optical viewfinder what it makes in sensor...

after being marginally dissatisfied with my G9 (dust on sensor, very poor noise above iso 100) i think i'll get one of those next year.

The G1 using micro 4/3s is an option... and the rangefinder from Oly should be pretty good as well (uses the same lenses as G1)...

If you can handle it, wait until summer and see what is available then.


Oh, and 2.8 is pretty darn fast for a zoom lens... (and ~4.5 at the long end is pretty tolerable as well)...

Heck, bar teh few prime 50mm's I don't even know any reasonably priced lenses that are faster than 2.8...

Panasonic Lx3 is close. Reviews of g9/lx3 always compare/contrast one to the other. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmclx3/

thx for the Lumix LX3 tip -- looks like a good contender. fast lens, true wide angle, good battery life, lotsa manual control options and RAW. about the only negative is the 60 mm equiv max telephoto. oops -- just noticed it doesn't have an optical viewfinder.

california winter ski days are super bright. i've never really liked using cameras here that don't have an optical viewfinder. am i out of date on that? do the higher contrast screen settings really make a difference?

Panasonic cameras have pretty good backlighting, even on bright days. The LX3's meager zoom is the only reason I didn't get it. I wound up getting the Panasonic TZ5. The G1 mini-SLR looks pretty cool, but it's not all that compact.

the showstopper for the LX3 for me was the small optical zoom. i am kind-of used to the G9's 6x, which seems to have been reduced to 5x for the G10

Originally Posted by frorider

california winter ski days are super bright. i've never really liked using cameras here that don't have an optical viewfinder. am i out of date on that? do the higher contrast screen settings really make a difference?

If you are getting this to shoot skiing why do you need a lens that fast?

Originally Posted by mavrick

If you are getting this to shoot skiing why do you need a lens that fast?

i should clarify -- this camera will get used in all kinds of situations, not just skiing.

i'm looking for something no bigger (i.e. no thicker than about 1.8 inches) than the G10, since my intent is to get a horizontal pouch that will go on my belt or pack waistbelt.

hemas, i know that digicams seem to advance pretty regularly...is something coming up this summer that is worth waiting for?

Did you see the other thread I posted about this? Search is poor for this as G10 is a very small string so here it is http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ighlight=canon

Originally Posted by frorider

hemas, i know that digicams seem to advance pretty regularly...is something coming up this summer that is worth waiting for?

Heck do I know...

But the geek in me says this could be a winner:
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/d...sp?newsID=3716

The Oly Micro 4/3s Rangefinder... Of course it might not be perfect for ya, as with a zoom it'll be most likely too big for ya...

But interesting non the less.

Originally Posted by hemas

Heck do I know...

But the geek in me says this could be a winner:
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/d...sp?newsID=3716

The Oly Micro 4/3s Rangefinder... Of course it might not be perfect for ya, as with a zoom it'll be most likely too big for ya...

But interesting non the less.

i saw that one. pretty interesting, from my layman point of view.

more pictures of it here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08...our_thirds.asp

Originally Posted by LeeLau

Did you see the other thread I posted about this? Search is poor for this as G10 is a very small string so here it is http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ighlight=canon

thx for the link to that thread. so you rejected the lumix LX3 because you don't like to use hotshoe-mounted optical viewfinders? Or was the zoom 60 mm limit the dealbreaker?

Yikes! Did you notice the external optical viewfinder costs $230?

i think i'm going for the lumix LX3. good review that hits on the points that are important to me. this is a camera that appears to be aimed at photographers rather than being an exercise in marketing hype.

and the canon viewfinder apparently leaves much to be desired (doesn't accurately frame things, and the lens partly obstructs the view) -- sounds like most are just using the LCD anyway.

just gotta find a good price. buydig.com had decent service, last I checked.

thx everyone for the help.

Sorry frorider. The lack of optical viewfinder was a dealbreaker. I am biased to Canon because I like the workflow and I find the lowlight performance adequate for my needs. Although the shots from the clubtread thread I x-linked with the lowlight were jaw-dropping

I find the Canon viewfinder to be no worse or better then the viewfinder on other point-and-shoots. Not great but again -- good enough for me

Originally Posted by frorider

... lumix LX3.... this is a camera that appears to be aimed at photographers rather than being an exercise in marketing hype.

It is...After all it's a cheaper rebadged version of a Leica something...

and optical viewfinders are a must for action

Originally Posted by Eldo

Yikes! Did you notice the external optical viewfinder costs $230?

you can get the panasonic optical viewfinder for $140, and if you shop around you can get the voigtlander for that price too. but it doesn't adapt to the selectable aspect ratio, and it doesn't track with the zoom (obviously).

now if i could just find a store that has the black LX3 in stock....the silver version is easy to find.

Originally Posted by haydukelives

and optical viewfinders are a must for action

Bullshit.






Shot with G9, not using the viewfinder. Not shot using burst mode either. A little blurry cause I was still jonging around and not using a fast enough film speed.

Got an LX3 to replace the G9. I like taking pictures up close and I got a big setup for far away. Love my LX3 thus far. Anyone wanna buy my G9?

Would my Speedlite 430EX be compatible with the LX3? Is there some sort of flash interface standard? Not just the hotshoe, but the TTL for auto exposure.

Or are flashes mfr specific? I know it's like hanging an orange on a toothpick, but for those nude girlfriend bounced flash shots....

An interesting compact roundup review at DPreview.com

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q408...oup/page13.asp

Here's an excerpt from the conclusion page on the LX3 (pitted against the G10, P6000, SX110 IS, TZ5, and others).

Overall Winner: LX3

The Panasonic LX3 gets so many things right that we knew before we started it would be the camera to beat in this group. It's not that it has the highest measurable resolution (the Canon G10 wins that one) or the biggest zoom range (in fact its one of the smallest here), or even that it offers the most intuitive controls (never going to be the case with a camera so small). No, what's so impressive about the LX3 is that Panasonic has actually produced a camera aimed at photographers, not one designed by a marketing department. So instead of going for the easy option of adding even more megapixels and beefing up the other headline specs, the designers concentrated on the things that actually matter to a photographer.

Thus we get a fast zoom with a real wideangle, a superb screen and excellent image quality, including high ISO performance puts most competitors to shame. The LX3 is positively understated compared to some of its competitors, which loudly proclaim the 'bigger is better' rather than 'less is more', and it's a far, far better camera for it. It's small enough to carry anywhere, fast and subtle enough for street photography and good enough to produce a decent 8x10 without the need to use raw.

Of course it's not perfect; the controls are pretty fiddly (as it's so small) and there's no telephoto to speak of, but if you want telephoto you're not going to be considering this camera. If you want more SLR like controls and a longer zoom - and don't mind the bulk - go for the Canon G10. Me personally? By that point I'm using an SLR. For a carry anywhere 'walk around' camera I'd go for the LX3 every time.

Its been tough to find an LX3 as they're so in demand. I tried the Panasonic LX 3 with gloves on. I used thin and thick gloves.

This is immaterial to the fredmiranda and dpreview types who use cameras in warm rooms.

It has relevance to me as an outdoor user.

The controls can barely be used with thin gloves. The Panasonic controls are unuseable with thick gloves.

The G10 controls can be used with Thin and Thick gloves.

I totally agree that the Panasonic's low-light shots kill the G10 low-light shots in terms of quality and lack of noise.

i can't stand the iso noise of the G9. if anyone can confirm that the G10 has gotten better it'd be great!

the attached are full crops from a cloudy day in AB, taken at 1/500 and 1/400 shutter speeds at 400 iso (automatic sport mode)... the skier is there for context, but it's really the snow that shows how bad the noise is.

Thought i'd drag this thread back,

I'm looking at getting a digital camera that will take really good quality (not-professional needs) pictures, that's smaller than lugging my slr. I have heard many good reviews of the G10, and saw that Lee Lau shoots with it. I wondered if anyone has it, how do they like it, anything they don't like about it? I'm also comparing the Panasonic Lx3, which is about the same price and is smaller and has a wider lens that's faster(better low light performance?).

i find that while my slr is in my pack I don't swing my pack around, open the lid, and take the camera out as much as i'd like to. it would be nice to have this thing in a side pocket on the waist belt of my pack and to whip it out in steep couloirs, while tied in on a rope, and the like without too much trouble.

I know I could go to a smaller camera but I really like having the adjustability of the G10 at my finger tips, and the fear of dropping something when my hands are cold, I also fear. Thanks.