James_N wrote:
What does that have to do with reading the review of the G10 written by DPReview's stall?
Sorry... I guess I'm just too automatically dismissive (or "snarky", if you like) when it comes to posts by the regular forum trolls.
I did read the review on DPReview, which had some interesting comments on the G10:
"Here you can see how astonishingly good the G10 can be in some situations. With good lighting, and on a tripod, the G10 is out resolving the 1000D. While the G10 may have more pixels, the 1000D has a much larger sensor. It is really impressive for a compact..."
This is consistent with my own experience with the Nikon Coolpix P6000. I bought it to replace an Olympus E-520 and kit lens for hiking, and at ISO 64-200, there was no comparison - the Coolpix produced clearly superior images (although the problem with the Olympus was more likely the quality of the kit lens, and not necessarily of the camera itself). The Coolpix is even more pocketable than the G10, but the G10 seems to have the edge in image quality, a slightly longer zoom, and is compatible with the Speedlights I already own.
I guess it depends on the nature of the shoots where you must have a backup. The G10, good as it is, wouldn't be my first choice to shoot an indoor event.
- Consider using your DSLRs as skating on relatively thick ice.
- Consider using the G10 as skating on reasonably good ice until conditions become less favorable from which point on you rapidly find yourself on very thin ice crackling under your blades.
Post processing G10 jpeg images has very limited leeway as in camera processing is already close to the limit of what the image will take
Post processing G10 RAW images will allow you to process images perhaps more to your liking, but don't expect near the leeway you are used to with your DSLR images.
Backup is a term relative to your uses and expectations. Using the G10 is quite a different experience compared to using a DSLR, and the connection between you and your subject may seem awkward and more remote. If your expectation is capturing a decent image under decent conditions and getting an image you would otherwise not have had, the G10 may work for you.
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad,
She was horrid!
the camera has a boatload of power and way more than enough image quality for usage. Capture textures, capture life's little moments, capture images for publication . . . it can do it all with ease.
K_Strecker wrote:
the camera has a boatload of power and way more than enough image quality for usage. Capture textures, capture life's little moments, capture images for publication . . . it can do it all with ease.
the galleries have shots at all ISO's. In real world use i've found it to be perfectly acceptable at all of them as long as your only goal is to create compelling and interesting imagery.
- Consider using your DSLRs as skating on relatively thick ice.
- Consider using the G10 as skating on reasonably good ice until conditions become less favorable from which point on you rapidly find yourself on very thin ice crackling under your blades.
Post processing G10 jpeg images has very limited leeway as in camera processing is already close to the limit of what the image will take
Post processing G10 RAW images will allow you to process images perhaps more to your liking, but don't expect near the leeway you are used to with your DSLR images.
Backup is a term relative to your uses and expectations. Using the G10 is quite a different experience compared to using a DSLR, and the connection between you and your subject may seem awkward and more remote. If your expectation is capturing a decent image under decent conditions and getting an image you would otherwise not have had, the G10 may work for you.
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad,
She was horrid!...Show more →
That's very well put (including the old poem!), nicely balanced. I'm glad to have my G10, and make no apology for the fact that there are some situations where it's the largest camera I can carry. On the other hand, when I'm shooting for pay I carry the best, most suitable DSLR I own, and have a very similar second body as backup. That doesn't mean everyone is in that situation, and I could see wanting to have a very small bag with a 5D and one lens, supplemented (rather than backed up) by something like a G10.
molson wrote:
I currently have a 5D Mark II, with a 40D for back-up. It's pretty rare that I'm shooting in a paid situation where it's critical to have a second DSLR, and I find the 40D never sees the light of day now that I have the 5D Mark II.
I'm seriously tempted to get a G10 for casual travel, skiing, and hiking photos, and I'm thinking of selling the 40D to pay for it. I believe the G10 has E-TTL flash compatibility, so I think it may just be possible to use it as a backup to my DSLR. Am I crazy, or has anyone else considered doing the same thing?...Show more →
If you are accustomed to using ETTL flash with a Canon DSLR in manual exposure then be aware that the G9/G10 -- in fact, all the G series -- do not act the same way as your Canon DSLR. Specifically, with the G9 in manual exposure mode, the flash is also in total manual exposure mode. That is, you can't set, say f8 and 1/250 sec on the camera and expect the flash to fill in properly automatically. You'll have to adjust the flash power manually to get the proper exposure.
Not crazy at all. Superb camera up to ISO 400 and good at ISO 800. It's not a 40D or even a 30D in terms of flexibility and range of applications, but if you know how to take a good picture, you'll take great pictures with the G10.
You might want to download some sample JPEGs from dpreview and see how they process. (dpreview doesn't sample RAW images.) If you like what you can do with the JPEGs, imagine the possibilities with RAW.
One caveat: there's no getting around the fact that it's a very small sensor camera. Even at ISO 80, viewing at 100% shows you that very fine detail is slightly distorted, smeared and sometimes "bloated" (for use of a better term) compared to the same shot taken with a 1.6 crop. No amount of sharpening can correct this. However, at normal viewing and printing ... including up to 16" x 20" ... you won't see much difference, if any.
I mention this because many photographers used to the crispness and clarity of cameras like the 40D at 100% (much less the 5D II) tend to look at G10 images at 100% and wonder if it was a bad choice. It isn't....
I use both 5D and G10. G10 is a compromise from the beginning. There is less overhead with a reasonably good point and shoot; you will pack less and there's less to keep track of. Whenever I take the 5D out, there's the creeping thoughts of whether I'll need this or that, ultimately winding up taking most of my kit. This doesn't happen when I've reconciled to bring the G10 along.
I have a G10 and love it. But you need to define "backup".
If you want a second camera to "cover the range" while your 5D is using a long lens or a prime, but don't have space for a DSLR, AND you're willing to live with reduced capabilities, then yes, it's a good backup.
If you want a second camera to carry in case your first one fails, then no, it's not a good backup.
Compared to a DSLR, the G10 has shutter lag, slow AF, poor shot-to-shot time, and poor continuous shooting. It's still a great camera, and good enough for most uses anyway, but if you're shooting, say, a wedding, and your 5D fails, the G10 will be a huge reduction in capability. You'll have a much harder time capturing "the moment", let alone using selective focus.
If you want a backup camera in case your 5D fails, I suggest finding the cheapest Rebel you can. (A used 350D should go for $300 or less.) Store it in your bag with a body cap and pull it out only when needed.
While I don't have a G10 I do have the G9 which I bought to be my underwater camera, replacing an S1 IS. I've tried using it at a car show and although many would be happy with the photos I wasn't, and really wished I'd carried at least my 40D and Sigma 18-200 because one very high quality new car (to me) was there and I wanted some really good photos. My mistake, even at ISO 100 they don't make the grade for me, and I don't consider myself to be that fussy. I guess it comes down to just how much you are willing to compromise on before it bugs you. Luckily the G10 isn't expensive relative to your other gear, and if it doesn't do the job I'm sure it will sell without a major loss.
I would think that the 40D would compliment the 5D well. It has higher shutter rate when needed and the 1.6X would help in other situations. I have a G9, and while it is great for lots of things, it does not compare to even my old 10D in low light or ISO over 200. In good light it is great. I will also take it places I would not take a 40D, which is it's greatest value.
If all you can carry at any time is a compact type of camera the G10/9 is a good choice.(just for those times though)
I have a G9, I ordered a G10 and returned it because although the extra features of the G10 were good it moved further into the high pixel density and although the G9 was lower res IMHO the images were more usuable.
I did in fact creep some G9 images into stock work but to be honest when viewed at 100% I just couldn`t submit the G10 images. Like most people I`ve tried to find a compact camera to carry when I can`t carry a DSLR but as good as some are they are what they are.
If all elses fails and I must have a camera with me just in case then I will take the lens off of my 450D and keep the two parts in separate walking jacket pockets or in a light canvass bag.(and it`s still a compromise over my 5D2)
I`ve broken a habit of a life time and haven`t fitted a battery grip to my 5D2 just so as I`m not tempted to travel without it and the offshoot is that no body takes a lot of notice of me now
Let me preface this by saying I am not a pro and have NO first hand experience with these cameras, although I will probably get a G10 soon.
I suspect that the G10 is significantly better than any top of the line digital SLR from 4-5 years ago. If they were good enough for paid work, presumably the G10 is.
Many people (not all who have posted here) have the mindset that only the current "best" camera is good enough and last years camera is crap.
You know the environments you normally shoot in. I suspect the G10 will be "good enough" and the customer will not know the difference.
Well as I said I have the G9 and not the G10 but my eyes say my 20D produced better images, even with my old Sigma 18-200 non OS lens. I don't have any of the current new bodies right now, and if I didn't need a decent underwater camera (I did a lot of research on which P & S was best at the time) I would have returned the G9 to the store once I ran it through my test cycle.
mhayes5254 wrote:
Let me preface this by saying I am not a pro and have NO first hand experience with these cameras, although I will probably get a G10 soon.
I suspect that the G10 is significantly better than any top of the line digital SLR from 4-5 years ago.
Nope. Maybe you should actually try one of these cameras before making such grand statements.
