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03/21/2006 09:53:57 AM · #1 |
| I'm thinking about upgrading from my Canon PowerShot A60 (2 megapixil) to a Canon PowerShot G3 and would love to hear any opinions about this camera from current/former owners. |
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03/21/2006 10:02:21 AM · #2 |
Go check out www.dpreview.com
You will get the low-down there.
What is your budget?
To be honest, I'd say you will probably be happier with a Canon A80, A95 or newer equivalent with 5 megapixels or LESS and a flip and twist screen.
The only real benefit of the G series is being able to stop down to f/2.0.
Not really a major benefit.
If you can, keep your eyes open locally for a Panasonic FZ20. It has a nice lens and WAY more versatility.
You might even be able to get by with finding an S2 IS. I wasn't really impressed with the S1 for various reasons, but the S2 isn't bad. The FZ20 is better though (except for battery life... I can get nearly 3 times the number of shots on a charge)
I wouldn't personally go for a P&S camera that's more than 5 megapixels.
The noise starts to get away on you.
There are some other short-range cameras that might be of interest.
What kind of price range were you looking at?
What kind of pictures do you like to take? or hope to take?
What features of the G3 were really standing out to you?
Message edited by author 2006-03-21 10:04:23. |
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03/21/2006 10:57:29 AM · #3 |
Why the G3?
That camera's several years old. Even it's successor the G5 has been retired. It's a good camera for its time, but so many improvements have been made in the later models. |
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03/21/2006 08:02:19 PM · #4 |
OK did it, bought a used G3. Many reasons behind my decision such as double my previous camera resolution, memory card compatibility with previous camera, more advanced features including hot shoe, better glass (larger apeture), many accessory options and ... COST within my budget!
We'll see if it has any effects on my photography~! |
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03/21/2006 11:39:04 PM · #5 |
Ok no worries.
It's not a bad camera.
The hotshoe will come in handy for sure.
You might consider getting a hotshoe cable so that you can use hotshoe functions with the flash in different places. It can be quite handy and isn't too expensive.
Make sure you keep the light levels up there because noise will still be a factor beyond ISO 200 (as with nearly all P&S cameras).
have fun!
EDIT:
PS. Oh yeah and remember that while it does have double the megapixels, it doesn't mean that you can print double the dimensions, only double the total AREA of the picture.
IE If you are happy with results on a 3.5x5, you can't say that you will get the same results on a 7x10.
3.5x5=17.5. Doubled is 35.
So you will get the same results in a 5x7. which has an area of 35.
4 megapixels is a good number for that size of sensor, you should be ok with it for most purposes.
Message edited by author 2006-03-21 23:43:06. |
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03/21/2006 11:57:40 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by eschelar:
The only real benefit of the G series is being able to stop down to f/2.0.
Not really a major benefit. |
IMO, a maximum aperture of 2.0 is actually quite a plus in a point and shoot camera. You can isolate the subject easier due to the shallow depth of field (for a point and shoot camera at least), and it helps a bit in low light (not nearly as much as having a camera with good high-ISO sensitivity, though).
And stopping down usually refers to using a smaller aperture (higher F-number). |
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03/22/2006 12:25:34 AM · #7 |
Ok, it is a moderate benefit.
I don't find that it's enough of a benefit in the area of low-light performance in most situations to help me. It's only 2/3 of a stop.
As far as DOF, I don't know how the G3 is for macro performance, but my S30 blew. Later cameras such as the A80 and A95 have MUCH improved this aspect, but some of those older P&S cams were kinda awful in this area.
The primary reason for this is that the focal length is soooo tiny.
The longer the focal length, the smaller the DOF. This applies to the lens, not including the crop factor.
The lens on the G3 is probably something like a 6-18mm lens (I'm low on time right now or else I would check the correct numbers) and this is miniscule.
Therefore, even at f/2.0, improvement in DOF will be relatively minor.
That isn't to say that the G3 will necessarily have poor performance in these areas, as the A80 and later cameras seem to have gotten around this with their macro modes, but it's just that that extra 2/3 of a stop isn't really as much as it sounds.
Aperture is a ratio of the size of the opening in the lens to the distance to the focal plane/sensor. This ratio is translatable from camera to camera, but it's effects on DOF are not.
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03/22/2006 12:35:56 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by eschelar:
The primary reason for this is that the focal length is soooo tiny. |
This is also the reason I'm definately getting a dSLR as my next camera. Damn sensor! |
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03/22/2006 03:12:25 AM · #9 |
If you shoot at/near the long end of the zoom and maximise subject-background distance, you can get pretty shallow DOF at f/2.0.
For instance, these shots from last year with my G5:
//jonbuder.com/temp/g5_1.jpg
//jonbuder.com/temp/g5_2.jpg
^ Both were at 3.0, long end of the zoom or near there (you can check the EXIF as well as me), and a pretty close subject.
//jonbuder.com/temp/g5_3.jpg
^This was at 4.0. Note that her face is in focus, while her hand with the tooth is slightly out of focus. Not as extreme an effect as you could get with an SLR and a 50 1.8 wide open, but it's something to work from.
Althogh, I must admit my tendency with point-and-shoots is to shoot at the wide end and try to get everything in the frame, rather than zoom/move in and try to control focus and get simple composition.
EDIT: Found another decent example one:
//jonbuder.com/temp/g5_4.jpg
Message edited by author 2006-03-22 03:23:52. |
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