Should I get a G11

[369]

I am returning my dslr because of various reasons. Portability, I use glasses and using the viewfinder with glasses is very annoying, if I need optical zoom I will need to spend more $$$, Overwhelming for me at this time. I may buy a dslr later in life. I am looking at ether the g11 or the S90. Although the S90 only has 3.8X zoom, G11 has more reach. I want a camera that I can carry around in my pocket (big pocket for G11) but still can get good IQ from it.

Is the G11 right?

[mahanee]

LX3

[DisrupTer911]

the LX3 is a big P&S as well....

[cmdisme]

the LX3 is a big P&S as well....

Yes the dangling lens cap can be annoying... and by the "S90 only has 3.8X zoom" comment, I'd assume the OP MAY have issues with a LX3's 60mm limit. Otherwise it'd be an excellent consideration.

[Streetshooter]

G11. The LX3 is nothing to write home about in low light.
It let me down a few times and the last time was...
Iso 800.... 1/8 f2 .... The AF never locked...
Sold it the next day. It has great features but the AF needs work.

Oh by the way, on that image... Luckilly I had my G9 cause that got it even @ f 2.8
it focused in a fraction of a second....

[10megapixel]

Yes.

[Jannie]

yes

[ScottKCooper]

I don't mind spending your money for you...G11.

[n1as]

The DSLR requires that you spend more money (beyond the kit cost) if you want other lenses, but the image quality that even the cheapest DSLR yields is far and away superior to any P&S, period.

Sensor size matters.

But, you want portability and a complete package (no extra lenses to buy). In that case, the P&S would be a good choice. Just don't expect miracles from it.

What do you take pictures of?

What will you do with the pics (web, print?)

Do you want lots of manual control or are you a "green box point & click" shooter who wants the camera to do everything except press the shutter button?

[369]

n1as@ - I mostly will be taking pics of family, kids, vacations etc. If I do print pics it will be 4x6 max size nothing more than that. I have not played with the M mode yet but at the same time don't click pics with the green box. I am trying to shoot with AV and TV mode. See for eg. we are going to las vegas soon, and I don't see myself carrying the dslr with me its an inconvenience. I want something that can be tucked away easily in either my pocket or my wife's purse. So what's the point of dslr is what I am thinking if I am not taking it with me wherever I go.

[Kevin B]

A mediocre picture is always better than no picture. A cheap point and shoot is better than a DSLR if you will take the P&S but not the DSLR. The G11 is probably going to give you about the best picture quality from a P&S and has full manual controls and shoots in RAW mode. It's a pretty good compromise and sounds like a good choice for you.

[n1as]

369, sounds like your needs are in line with what a P&S will give. If you were shooting action or low-light then it would not be so.

G11 would be a more versatile choice than the LX3 because of the larger zoom range. With a P&S there isn't a lot of point in shooting in AV since the cameras give lots of depth of field no matter what. Configure it to focus only on the center point. Put your subject in the center & press the shutter 1/2 way to focus. Then recompose the image and finish pressing the shutter button.

Actually you might be just as happy with a mid-line Canon P&S. If it were me, I'd get the G11 because it has a hot shoe and I've learned that indoors bounced flash is absolutely great!

[DjordjeJ]

369, I use dSLR for three years. It gives great IQ, but a lot of time I left it at home. When I take it with me, after long walk I wish I had something smaller. I also mainly take picture of my kid, travel architecture etc. I am thinking of selling my Nikkor 16-85 and buy G11. I will for now keep D90 and 35 f1.8. But if G11 meets my needs I will probably sell dSLR.

[369]

See, there is no doubt that my dslr gives great IQ, but if I don't take it with me as much then there is no point in keeping it. I will miss the shallow DOF in the dslr, but for the moment $$ matters and along with it practical choice, For my needs I think P&S will do the job. I already have a canon SD630 but IQ wise I need something better.

[n1as]

I may be wrong on this, but I'm under the impression that there is very little difference in IQ between most of the P&S cameras in the Canon line. If the mid-line stuff doesn't do it for you, the G11 probably won't be any better.

[MDJAK]

I own the G10, and before that the G9. In daylight conditions, the pictures they are capable of taking are indistinguishable from a DSLR. The image quality is nothing short of stunning. I'm sure the G11 is as good if not better.

That said, if you plan on using it in lowlight situations at all, plain and simple, they suck. Very noisy and grainy at 400 and above.

me

[livinglight]

Have you considered the new electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens cameras, ie the micro 4/3rds. I'd love to pick up something like the GF1 to use as a 'compact' camera.

Sure it's a bit bigger than most compacts, but they're tiny compared to my SLRs.

The reason I bring this up, is that if you are concerned about image quality, these will probably do a lot better than the compacts, and very close to a 1.5/1.6 crop camera.

[CJinAustin]

They will give you better IQ but if you want to keep them small you're going to want to stick with a prime lens.

[Ovation_m]

I've been using a G9 since December 2007, and have been extremely pleased with it's performance. This covers a wide range of landscapes, people, macro shots etc. I have many 10x8 prints with excellent detail, and am sure these could be printed larger with no problems. The specification of the G11 indicates it should produce even better results, so you should have no problem at all with 6x4 prints.
The point made above about poor light conditions is valid - the inbuilt flash is too weak for anything beyond a few feet away. I use a flashgun in the hotshoe to overcome this - using it as bounced flash produces excellent results. You would only need this if good indoor shots are critical. DSLRs win hands down in poor (eg indoor after dark) light conditions!

[denncald]

Have you considered the new electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens cameras, ie the micro 4/3rds. I'd love to pick up something like the GF1 to use as a 'compact' camera.

Sure it's a bit bigger than most compacts, but they're tiny compared to my SLRs.

The reason I bring this up, is that if you are concerned about image quality, these will probably do a lot better than the compacts, and very close to a 1.5/1.6 crop camera.

Interesting hands-on review of GF1 on LL;

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/gf1.shtml

Dennis

[CJinAustin]

Interesting hands-on review of GF1 on LL;

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/gf1.shtml

Dennis

Thanks for the post,,, I didn't realize it had a flash! awesome... hmmm, may have to look into that camera more.

[MikeFairbanks]

Those Gs look really cool. I like the G9, but could never find one new.

I'm using a DSLR, but will someday get another point and shoot.

I just wish there was a point and shoot with a mid size sensor and manual controls. I don't need all the features. I just want a small camera that takes good low light shows when I don't want to cart the DSLR and lens around.

[NEKKODDD]

The DSLR requires that you spend more money (beyond the kit cost) if you want other lenses, but the image quality that even the cheapest DSLR yields is far and away superior to any P&S, period.

Sensor size matters.

But, you want portability and a complete package (no extra lenses to buy). In that case, the P&S would be a good choice. Just don't expect miracles from it.

What do you take pictures of?

What will you do with the pics (web, print?)

Do you want lots of manual control or are you a "green box point & click" shooter who wants the camera to do everything except press the shutter button?

I challenge the above statement. I have seen amazing pictures shot with the G10(previous model) and most people would not be able to discern the difference between them. I own a G10 and it is wonderful. I have a fairly thorough collection of glass at my disposal and I still love my G10.

Without question a DSLR is a more technical tool for a Photog to use, but you must understand the spirit of the OP's question.

For your use the G10 is "amazing", I have not used the G11 but I will assume it is of equal or greater in its performance.

[CJinAustin]

I am returning my dslr because of various reasons. Portability, I use glasses and using the viewfinder with glasses is very annoying, if I need optical zoom I will need to spend more $$$, Overwhelming for me at this time. I may buy a dslr later in life. I am looking at ether the g11 or the S90. Although the S90 only has 3.8X zoom, G11 has more reach. I want a camera that I can carry around in my pocket (big pocket for G11) but still can get good IQ from it.

Is the G11 right?

In good light the results are outstanding on a modern G-series... At iso-80-100 in good light it is DSLR-like

But..... the G9 and G10 are garbage in low light.....
surprisingly the G11 looks promising at high ISO though.

[puttick]

If the OP will only view photos on screen or printed "no larger than 4x6",then IQ and even noise will not place much demand on the sensor or processor. At 300 dpi printed resolution, a 4" x 6" (1200 x 1800 px) only requires 2.2 megapixels. The G11 would be overkill, as would the S90 and LX3. I would suggest a pocket sized camera that can be used at all times, such as a small powershot (Ixus in UK). He could even set it at a lower resolution than standard, and enjoy less noise.

The money saved will pay for a weekend away in a nice hotel, and some photo opportunities if the destination is wisely chosen!

Nigel

[Mike16610]

Between the S90 and G11 I'd go G11 for sure. I upgraded from the G9 to the G10 as soon as it hit the stores but this time, I think I'll stay with the G10. The G11 looks nice and may have better high ISO performance however I’m not sure that’s going to be enough to make me jump. You might also consider getting a G10 as I’m sure the prices will be dropping and it is a fantastic camera. I think that sometimes we lose sight of the fact that it’s the photographer not the camera that makes the shot.

[369]

Is there a reason that G11 is better than other P&S camera's and what makes it so special to have $500 price tag. Also, will it cause blurry images of moving subjects.

I already have a Canon Sd630 and I get a lot of blurry images with it.

[CJinAustin]

Is there a reason that G11 is better than other P&S camera's and what makes it so special to have $500 price tag. Also, will it cause blurry images of moving subjects.

I already have a Canon Sd630 and I get a lot of blurry images with it.

A review for the G9 will answer most of your questions: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonG9/page20.asp