What is the advantage of the G11 over the Rebel XS?

The G11 has a similar zoom range (when comparing the stock lens, 18-55 on the rebel), and the G11 isn't really that much smaller. So I was wondering what the advantage is to having a G11 when, for almost the same price, one can purchase the 1000D (Rebel XS).

I ask this because I'm thinking of getting one or the other with a few hundred bucks I'm scrounging up.

It seems to me that the Rebel would easily outperform the G11 in low light.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

I had the same thoughts, but it really comes down to size...of the cameras vs the sensors. The G11 comes as a complete package, while the XS requires at least an additional lens to achieve the same zoom range - 28 - 140 mm equiv. The XS kit lens is 28- 88 mm equiv. I ended up preferring the all-in-one size of the G11. I've had film SLRs, so I want to avoid that size again, as well as the attraction and cost of buying more lenses. It's a personal choice.

I continually read posts by folks with DSLR kits that want the convenience of the more pocketable (jacket at least) G11. However, many just add it to their overall kit, rather than sell off the DSLR kit.

Dennis

It's convenience. Of course the Rebel will outperform a P&S like the G11. My G10 comes with me when I don't want to lug around a bigger camera.

I like the portability and if you're into street photography, its a lot more stealthier than a full on dslr.

The benefit of a dSLR is that the sensor is larger. If you have a dSLR and a compacty camera both with, say, 10 megapixels, then the compact camera has to squeeze those pixels into a smaller area. That means each pixel is smaller. The smaller the pixel, the less light it can gather, so the more it has to be amplified. it is this amplification that produces noise at higher ISO ratings.

So, the larger the sensor, the better image quality, in terms of noise.

Convenience is handy. When I went to Hawaii, I took my SX10 IS, which for a P&S camera, is pretty big. For those times that I didn't feel like lugging the SX10 IS, I bought a cheap $100 A1000 to come with me. I popped it into my cell phone holster and had quick access to my camera when it was needed. Is it as good as my current DSLR? No, but a picture with a lesser camera beats the picture you missed because you didn't have a camera with ya!

Tiberius47 is right about the noise. My SX10 IS had unacceptable noise at ISO 400, whereas I can get usable shots at ISO 3200 on my Rebel T1i (with a little help from PhotoShop). Also, it's much more difficult to get a shallow depth of field with the smaller sensors. Conversely, if you're doing landscape shots and want a ton of DOF, the smaller sensors excel at that.

Ummm...
What about interchangeable lenses?
I would have though that would be a VERY BIG advantage

The G11 also has video... It is sort of my all-in-one solution when I just want to carry one thing. The GII can do everything from a really nice macro to a landscape. The quality is more than acceptable and it is a pleasure to use.

philwillmedia wrote in post #10141193
Ummm...
What about interchangeable lenses?
I would have though that would be a VERY BIG advantage

Interchangeable lenses gives you the flexibility but it then comes down to portability again, not to mention that it starts to really add up after you buy a couple of quality lenses!

Ditto on the macro. Everything that has been said in the previous posts is exactly right, but the macro on the G series is hard to beat.

Can't get rid of my SLR though. I'll be adding a G11 to my kit as soon as the funds are available.

philwillmedia wrote in post #10141193
Ummm...
What about interchangeable lenses?
I would have though that would be a VERY BIG advantage

cyberon wrote in post #10141686
Interchangeable lenses gives you the flexibility but it then comes down to portability again, not to mention that it starts to really add up after you buy a couple of quality lenses!

Bugga...I mis-read the question.
The answer, (for me anyway) is actually none.
I can't see that the G11 has any advantages over any DSLR, even a Rebel.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #10140373
The G11 has a similar zoom range (when comparing the stock lens, 18-55 on the rebel), and the G11 isn't really that much smaller. So I was wondering what the advantage is to having a G11 when, for almost the same price, one can purchase the 1000D (Rebel XS).

I ask this because I'm thinking of getting one or the other with a few hundred bucks I'm scrounging up.

It seems to me that the Rebel would easily outperform the G11 in low light.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Don't forget the difference in Depth of Field when using the G11. You have more DOF but in many cases that's not what you want. I work with f/2 and brighter lenses which give me the shallow depths of field I like. With the G series and the smaller sensor, you can't achieve that (even when you want to). So... for creative photography, the DSLR will be more appropriate.

Hmmm, if you consider things like weight, size, articulating screen, etc. advantages.....like when you are trying to travel light or not be so conspicuous.....then there are reason to choose a G11 or similar over a DSLR. As far a DOF is concerned, certainly you have greater DOF because of the smaller sensor size but if you shoot close objects with a mid-range focal length you can achieve a moderate boketh.

When I travel I take my G11 and Sony TX1 90% of the time over my 5D2 or T2i. The convenience is a great advantage.

Now lets compare apples to oranges. They maybe similar in price but are completely different animals.

I realize this is an old post but a Point-n-shoot is just that, nothing more, a Rebel XS is a DSLR with capabilities that the G11 can only dream off.

On the other hand, it you need a point-n-shoot the G11 is a great camera.