Exposure & Focus Accuracy of G2

[buzzmag]

After so many years of using non- automatic 35MM SLRs with built in exposure meters or hand held meters, I am a bit leary about the auto exposure and focus ability of the G2. Just started using the G2 but having difficulty feeling confident about its' auto features.

I'm accustomed to having "control" over exposure and focus simply by looking through the eyepiece and adjusting from there.

Anyone care to comment pro or con about the auto features of the G2?

[SkipD]

For general "point-n-shoot" situations, I've had real good luck with the G2 in automatic mode.

Sometimes I will move the little "window" that you see on the LCD screen to one side or the other to take advantage of either exposure calculations or focus from a portion of the picture that isn't centered. Other than that, I seldom have to be concerned about either exposure or focus.

On the other hand, when I'm shooting in a "studio" mode or trying to be especially creative, then I resort to a separate meter and manual settings. That's just me trying to gain the control that I demand at times.

[rrosener]

Overall, the G2's meter is as accurate as a modern 35mm SLR. As mentioned in a previous post, you can move the "square" to focus and read light off-center. On the other hand, with the G2's manual controls, you could simply use a hand held light meter and set shutter speed and aperture just like on a pro camera. Manual focus does take some getting used to on the G2, but I've found I rarely need to. One thing to remember about digicams is that they have much greater depth of field than 35mm. in fact, you'll have more trouble getting a blurred background for a portrait than getting things in focus.
Depth of field at f/8 on the G2 is like f/16 on a Nikon or EOS 35mm SLR.