Landscape Photography with a G6

[rebeldigital]

I've been photographing landscapes for well over 5 years now, and I use my trusted Mamiya RB67. Naturally you can't compare a prosumer digital cam to a medium format beast, but I'm sick and tired of carrying 30pounds of equipment.

I've been reading up on the G6 and wanted to find out if it is good enough for landscape photography. Yes I know I won't get gigantic prints out of it, but atleast I should be able to get 13 x 19 prints.

I already own the Canon Mark II, Canon 10D(backup), Canon 300D(backup) and a couple of L lenses, which I mainly use for weddings, concerts, and sports.

I want the capability of going hiking with least amount of gear and have a top notch camera with me. Do you think the G6 will provide that?

Thanks in advance for all your opinions!

[ATucker]

I have a G5, no DSLR's, and after reading your equipment list, including the Mamiya, you are more qualified to answer your own question than I am. You already know the tradeoffs and limitations of the G6. You might consider posting this question in the EOS section as well.

That being said, a lighter kit will let you get farther and faster in the backcountry and enable you to get pics in places you would not be willing to haul your heavier gear.

You may be be able to reduce some of the perfomance gap with technique - always shooting RAW (if you don't already). More autobracketing exposures and blending in post processing to overcome the reduced dynamic range of digicams.

File and print size limitations can be overcome by shooting mosaics (multi row panos). This has the added advantage of overcoming the 35mm focal length limitation of the G6. A lightweight tripod and panohead will help, a must if you want close foreground interest. A tradeoff includes more post processing time.

I was DSLR shopping for awhile. But, my desire to acquire a DSLR was interrupted with two multi-day backpacking trips that left me happy to get away from it all and happier yet I wasn't carrying it all on my back. So I am keeping the moths in my wallet ... for now anyway.

[rebeldigital]

Thanks for the reply. Qualifications don't mean anything, I've got great experience in the field but I just wanted someones first hand experience with the G series.

I completely understand that the G6 will no way match my Mamiya, heck, the Mark II is left in the smokes if you compare image quality.

All I want is to go hiking, have a great *light* time, and take pretty pictures for 13 x 19 prints. I have been battling against the Olympus C7070 but apparently after some research and views on this forum, it is not a good choice.

Well, lets see how everything turns out, I will wait a few days and then decide which compact to buy.

Keep the opinions coming.

[RAW]

I recomend the G6. You might wanna get one 52 mm adapter and one wide angle too, since you shoot landscapes...I have the Raynox 6600 pro and I love that lens.
Where to buy? www.lensmateonline.com (http://www.lensmateonline.com)

[Superbaldguy]

If you're careful with exposure, you can easily make gallery-quality 16x20's from the G6. I was stunned when I saw my first big print made with this little jewel (taken with the Large Superfine JPEG compression), as it was superior to anything similar shot with film. I regularly print off 8-1/2x11's with my HP7960 and no issues. 13x19's will be child's play for an experienced shooter like yourself.

Of course, with RAW images, you don't have to be quite as fussy with exposure.

I'd suggest stopping the lens down to f/5.6 at the long end as it's not quite as crisp as the shorter focal lengths

[pcguy]

the powershot pro 1 might also be a viable option, since the lens is slightly wider at 28mm....

[digidog]

G6 should do the job nicely. I've been using a G3 for a while and it fits nicely in my daysack along with my velbon maxiSF tripod (which is really dinky). Does a fantastic job. The extra resolution of the G6 is very nice (really superb images!) and its even smaller than my G3. It'll also be a lot cheaper to replace if something happens to it out in the hills.

[rebeldigital]

It seems like G6 is a winner. Has anyone of you noticed that the G6 is not availabe at most stores for months now. Bestbuy was sold out 2 months ago and so is Ritz/Wolf camera.

Maybe Canon is planning an upgrade this fall.

PS. No offence to Pro-1 users, I'm sure the camera is great, but in my opinion the handling is horrible and it feels too much like a miniature space shuttle, plus I prefer the rangefinder feel of the G6.

Cheers.

[Michaelmjc]

I think it would work great, I have a G1 and used it for a while and got outstanding pictures with it... and the G6 is far better than the G1.

[digidog]

Maybe Canon is planning an upgrade this fall.

I only recently upgraded to the G6 so I'm sure the G7 will be out any time now :) I just got fed up of waiting. You have to ask yourself what an upgrade is likely to bring and whether or not that's likely to make a big difference to you. I decided that it probably wouldn't.

[rebeldigital]

Canon will make the usual upgrades. Probably an 8MP sensor along with some in-camera function changes. Other than that, ergonomics of the G6 will probably be carried on to the next 2 G upgrades atleast.

Wolfcamera is selling the G6 for 599 and abesofmaine, for $484. I wonder why such a big price difference.

[dyeman12]

As a rank amateur G6 owner, I can only speak to the joy of a light weight kit that I take out all the time, even afternoon trips to the playground with my little one. I have hauled the Rebel 35mm around several years ago on vacations but after going digital 5yrs ago, never looked back. But then, I am not that far into photography.

As to where to buy, I recommend spending a few extra $10's and go with a reputable reseller. I had a minor problem with the selector wheel of my first G6 (total rare fluke) and was able to return it to Circuit City for a "no questions asked" swap for a brand new unit. The salesman simply took a brand new unit out of the box and swapped it for mine. To be honest with you, I would have to go back and check the receipt for the price I paid, but I will remember that level of service for a long time.

Also, just to put a face with an advertisement, check out this album of mail order store fronts in NYC-
http://donwiss.com/pictures/#buildings
Check out the Brooklyn and Manhattan Store Fronts. That should answer your question about variance in price.

My advice: Buy from a local store or as I have repeatedly seen here, go to http://bhphotovideo.com. You can also see their storefront in the above listing of Manhattan Store Fronts. I have a 420ex flash coming from B&H tomorrow and am very glad I took the advice of this forum to go with them.

Best of luck and post some of those landscape with an explanation on how to get the good shot.

[Turbowolf]

I've used the G6 several times when carrying the 'whole kit' was prohibitive.

It's not a 20D, but it does the job very well. It also matches up quite nicely with my microscopes for when it's needed there too...

[rebeldigital]

So you are recommending I go with BHPhotoVideo instead of Abes of Maine?

I will post landscape shots as soon I get my hands on a G6. First off I would have to get used to the compact size of the camera and the whole idea of not having several lenses at my disposal.

I played around with it at a local camera store, and liked it alot. The rangefinder feel of the camera did it for me.



As to where to buy, I recommend spending a few extra $10's and go with a reputable reseller. I had a minor problem with the selector wheel of my first G6 (total rare fluke) and was able to return it to Circuit City for a "no questions asked" swap for a brand new unit. The salesman simply took a brand new unit out of the box and swapped it for mine. To be honest with you, I would have to go back and check the receipt for the price I paid, but I will remember that level of service for a long time.

Also, just to put a face with an advertisement, check out this album of mail order store fronts in NYC-
http://donwiss.com/pictures/#buildings
Check out the Brooklyn and Manhattan Store Fronts. That should answer your question about variance in price.

My advice: Buy from a local store or as I have repeatedly seen here, go to http://bhphotovideo.com. You can also see their storefront in the above listing of Manhattan Store Fronts. I have a 420ex flash coming from B&H tomorrow and am very glad I took the advice of this forum to go with them.

Best of luck and post some of those landscape with an explanation on how to get the good shot.

[RAW]

Canon will make the usual upgrades. Probably an 8MP sensor along with some in-camera function changes. Other than that, ergonomics of the G6 will probably be carried on to the next 2 G upgrades atleast.

Wolfcamera is selling the G6 for 599 and abesofmaine, for $484. I wonder why such a big price difference.

Be very careful where you buy because it may be a gray market product....if it says it is a US product then go ahead and buy the cheapest...did you check amazon?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002OE2P8/qid=1115272157/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-1737413-4473628?v=glance&s=pc&n=507846

When you put it on your cart it is almost $600 but you have free shipping, no tax and a name of amazon...personaly, I am very satisfied with their service.

[Bryan Bedell]

I bought my G6 from B&H... there was no tax outside NY, and shipping was minimal, and it came on time, with no follow up calls from their salespeople trying to upsell me, and everything was smooth. Even with shipping, it cost less than best buy or wolf or circuit city once you factor in the tax. Abe's seems to be a little better than some places, I read about a thousand reviews on photo.net and the ratings sites, and places like Abes and Butterfly seem a small step above some of the really bad bait-and-switch "crooklyn" grey-market places, but they still call you to goad you into accessories and I noticed a lot of their memory cards and accessories were off-brand stuff. I really think it's worth paying $540 or whatever at B&H or a really reputable place and saving yourself some possible stress just to save $30 or $40 at a possibly dodgy place.

[gardenstate]

Another place to buy your cameras and equipment from...

I bought my G6, Bogen monopod, and other equipment from ADORAMA in New York (http://www.adorama.com). They are a first class, competitively priced, and reputable camera store that provides great service to pros and consumers.

For work, I bought the Canon Powershot Pro1, a Bogen tripod, and other attachments also from Adorama. Again, the service was top notch!

Although I have not used them, their ADORAMAPIX online photo service is also supposed to be one of the best in the industry.

[rebeldigital]

Yes I have shopped at Adorama and they offer a great service. Well, it's either BH or Adorama. I'm going to be placing my order over the weekend, and have the camera in hands within a week. I'll keep you folks posted and thanks for all your suggestions.

Side note: I've noticed people go crazy over which cameras to buy, trying to get top notch equipment where as the photograph lies in your mind and only you can make it happen. A camera is just a tool making photography as convenient as you want, but I know tons of fools who spend thousands of dollars on equipment and have yet to produce a stunning photograph.

[dyeman12]

If you are ordering from an online reseller, I highly recommend going with the best reputed place you can find. B&H is good to go in my book. Just got a 420ex flash that was sealed in the box & they even threw in the canon “Cash-In” rebate form for $15 back. No follow-on calls, no BS.
I would throw in one extra point: Digi-cams are just like any other complex electronic gadget these days- if they are going to have a problem; it typically shows up in the first couple of weeks. I returned my first G6 for a finicky selector dial and was able to walk out of the store with a brand new unit. Point is- have a clear return policy mapped out.
As for price, I think I must have lucked out. At Circuit City I payed $539 + $26 in tax about a month ago. They had 4-5 in stock. Haven’t checked them out lately- been too busy enjoying the camera :)

[ficklelips]

I went to Circuit City where they had 2 G6's left for $599 and showed them a much lower scam internet price from one of the online stores that we frequently warn each other about. The manager didn't tatally match the ridiculous price but he came down to 499, and I bought the Circuit City extended guarantee. Not too shabby, considering Abe's of Maine was selling it for almost that amout but when you include shipping and insurance and the waiting period versus being able to play with the new toy right away it sounded good to me.

:)

[rebeldigital]

I finally got the G6, and I also bought the A95 along with it. The G6 is definitely a solid camera and I've taken some nice casual pictures with it. However, the A95 is not that far off. Granted the pixel count is lower than the G6 and is more of a consumer camera, the quality from A95 Iso 50 and 100 is exactly the same as the G6. The only difference that can be seen is if you print 13 x 19 prints, where the G6 clearly knocks out the A95. I spent $550 on the G6 and $260 on the A95. I'm thinking of returning the G6 and use the A95 as my backpacking camera, since it is mu