looking for your feedback on canon Powershot G 10 [Archive]

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DavidNH

01-30-2009, 22:43

Hi,

I am considering getting myself a Canon Powershot G 10 digital camera. I have read some good reviews. Have any of you actually used this camera? what are your thoughts? any negatives for me to be concerned with?

I was originally contemplating the Pentax Optio W60 which is a waterproof compact 10 mp digital camera. But I read that the image quality is not great. I am thinking a the G 10 might make better pictures and I just work hard to keep it dry (place in zip lock). I am thinking of a camera to take hiking.

thanks,

David

Ramble~On

01-30-2009, 23:53

Sweet Camera ! It's amazing what they are able to pack into what used to be considered "point and shoots"

If you look at this compact package and what it offers there isn't much to debate. There are Pro SLR's out there that don't offer what this camera does and the price is right too.

28mm and great resolution! manual controls..I'm glad to see Canon is on the job when it comes to putting out backpackable cameras that offer manual control over shutter and aperature.

I got a lot of hands on a G10 and ended up not getting one...not that it isn't a great camera but because I already have several cameras that are close to the G10 - I wanted a small point and shoot for my upcoming thru that I wouldn't cry over if something happened to it...I went with an A590 IS instead. 8mp, manual controls, size, weight and price made it an easy choice.

trail ronin

01-31-2009, 03:04

Make sure you take one of these with you.

http://thestickpic.com/index.html

Really...

Montana Mac

01-31-2009, 07:49

I also had thought of the Optio by stayed away for the same reasons.

I just bought a Canon SD 1100 IS from Newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com). They are on sale until 2/2 with an 8GB card and padded carrying case.

Jayboflavin04

01-31-2009, 10:49

I bought a powershot. The next year, they put image stabilztion on even the mini-thin ones. My friend (pro-photographer) remcommended the powershots. I know why! I dont believe you will be upset!

5543

5544

Powder River

01-31-2009, 14:56

Hi David,

I carried a G9 last year on my thru-hike, and could not have been more pleased. Its a little heavier than any other camera I saw out there, but the image quality more than made up for it. (you can see my gallery of the entire hike at my journal, below) I was even able to have my 420EX flash shipped out for the last 100 miles, and got some really excellent shots I would not have otherwise. I shot RAW + jpg the entire way, which turned out eating a lot of memory space,(40 GB!) but is well worth it as I can go into any picture and 'really' fix it up for print. By far my favorite thing about it is the ergonomics; the handling, external dial for iso and the control dial I think are things I could not go without on my next camera.

All that being said, I was very dissapointed to see what they have done with the G10. Canon has crammed even more pixels into what was already too many on the G9, which only increases noise at all ISO levels, and makes anything over ISO 200 unusable. On the G9, I couldn't use anything over ISO 400. 15 megapixels is extremely unneccessary, and this could have been such a great camera with keeping with 12 megapixels like the G9, or even better decreasing to 10 megapixels. There is a detailed review on the camera at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong10/page24.asp
and this is the biggest problem they find with the camera. (click back in the article to the image testing section to see the actual tests)

I am dissapointed because even though the G10 is the best handling compact out there, it looks like the Panasonic LX3 has it bested in image quality. I don't think the LX3 comes close to the G10 in the control layout in handling however, so it as extremely tough call. Ultimately, it is the images themselves that you will still have and cherish 10 years from now, so I think if it were me buying a compact camera right now I would get the LX3 and forget the G10 even exists. Or, you might find a G9 on sale; I can vouch for it being very good, and it would have a higher ISO capability than the G10. Ultimately, I hope someone at Canon wakes up and realizes they are making worse and worse cameras each year, before they come out with a 20 megapixel compact camera.

I hope this helps!!

Powder River

p.s. As an aside, if I were going to be hiking soon I would personally be waiting on the Olympus micro 4/3 system (http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/two-olympus-micro-four-thirds-cameras-rumored-for-soonish-releas/) It will probably cost more than say the G10, but hopefully still be competitively priced. The real benifit will be a much larger sensor, meaning almost dslr quality noise, detail, dynamic range, lenses, etc. And it sure looks small enough to hike with.

Awol2003

01-31-2009, 15:14

Kaptain Kangaroo

01-31-2009, 15:44

Unless you only hike in good weather (ha ha) I would go for a waterproof model. You can keep the camera in a pouch on your pack straps & get it out quickly when you want to take a shot, regardless of the weather . Keeping a non-waterproof camera dry in wet weather means making it hard (& slow) to get too. It's also really hard to avoid getting it wet when you do want to us it, your hands are wet, all your gear is wet, it's raining........
On my thru, virtually everyone else I hiked with had a digital camera die from getting wet. They also took far fewer photos than me due to the difficulty of getting their camera out when they wanted it.

Cheers,

Kaptain Kangaroo

Pedaling Fool

01-31-2009, 18:05

I got a non-waterproof camera (Panasonic DMC-LZ2) and I keep it strapped to my shoulder harness. I cover it with a shower cap when it rains. Still working fine after many long distance hikes and biking tours. If I kept it in my pack I wouldn't have nearly as many photos in my gallery.

Bottom Line: You don't need a waterproof camera, just have a system set up to keep it dry when raining. And don't keep it inside your pack for normal stowage.

DavidNH

01-31-2009, 21:27

Professional photographer Ken Rockwell has a great site, where he has this G10 review (he likes it). He also provides a more to-the-point manual than what comes with the camera. On his reccomendation, I bought the smaller, less expensive SD880 which is great.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/g10.htm

I love the Ken Rockwell Reviews. Finally someone who puts it all in plain with a readable style!

It seems like very camera has a tradeoff (of only there was the perfect camera for all situations).

I am at this point tempted to stay with the G10. Only real issue I can see is the noise over 200 ISO.

David

RockDoc

01-31-2009, 21:54

I got a Powershot SD 400 three or four years ago and I still use it on a daily basis. The 5 megapixal is adequate for my purposes, more than enough actually. I'm extremely happy with the camera. We used it on our Maine AT hike and took 300 photos.

Caveats:
1. Battery life. We bought two extra batteries, at $20 each, and now none of the three seem to hold much of a charge. The only way we can take a lot of photos is to turn off the screen and use the viewfinder. Then you can go on for days...

2. The movie function eats battery life so rapidly that It's not useful. Should have got a model with no movie capability, would have saved money.

Overall, an excellent, very light camera of impressive capability. I would buy another!

volleypc

01-31-2009, 23:10

a great site to find out information about cameras and read post about cameras is dpreview.com they will also have people posting pictures they have taken with this camera.

dloome

02-02-2009, 01:18

My thoughts on the G10:

First, it seems like this camera has a lot of selling points that are just that- Selling points, nothing else. 15 megapixels and RAW capability crammed onto a tiny little compact sensor renders both unusable anyway. Most people don't even use 5 megapixels, so evaluate for what you're actually going to use the images you take, and do some research into what actually produces crisp, sharp digital images. Ever wonder why a compact camera like the G10 has more megapixels than say, the $5,000 Nikon D3? Megapixels aren't everything, and DON'T make the mistake of equating megapixels with image resolution.

Realistically, no matter how nice of a compact camera it is, you will encounter limitations inherent in a small camera- Limited aperture, limited optical zoom, limited focal length, slow handling, slow processing (particularly with long exposures) generally unusable images at high ISO settings, poor low light performance. But it could just be that most of the hiking photos you take won't be affected by these things and you'll love the G10- And it does have some nice features.

Personally, if I was going to drop several hundred bucks on a hiking camera that I wanted to take nice pictures with, I'd step up just a tad to a small SLR- Something like a Nikon D40 or the outrageously small and light Olympus E420. Yeah, it may be a tiny bit heavier and bulkier but you can do a heck of a lot more with it, and provided you learn how to use it properly, the images you take will be well worth it. In addition to my standard 3 season 7-8lb gear list, I carry a 2+ pound DSLR (Nikon D90, 18-135mm Nikkor lens, battery grip) and haven't regretted it a bit. If you asked me a year ago, I would have said SLR's were a waste of weight backpacking. Now I can't imagine being satisfied with a compact digital.
My $0.02.

Heater

02-02-2009, 02:46

bigcranky

02-02-2009, 09:13

I carry a Canon G-7 when I'm hiking. It's about the same size and weight as the G-10 and has similar features. So I have a few thoughts:

1. Image quality is better than my Pentax WP-30, not as good as my Canon digital SLR. But at low ISO settings, I can make very nice 13x19 inch prints which are indistinguishable from similar SLR photos.

2. Control and handling. The G-7 allows easier user control than the smaller p+s cameras. Much easier. And the G-10 even more so. This rewards a knowledgeable photographer. Again, it's not as good as an advanced D-SLR.

3. Size and weight. Well, here's where it gets interesting. I can put the G-7 into my smallest waist pack, worn around front, so I always have it with me, ready to shoot. If it's raining, the camera goes in a ziploc bag, and the waist pack is pushed around to one side, under my pack's raincover. Still easily available. The camera never gets in my way, but it's easy to shoot photos any time. When I have hiked with a D-SLR, it's either hanging from one shoulder (where it's easily accessible but hard to use hiking poles), or it's buried in my pack for protection.

In my mind, the choice reflects the purpose of the trip. If I were out there to shoot photos, then I would bring an SLR cameras, extra lenses, a big tripod, etc. But I rarely do that, preferring instead to get away from work and just hike. So the G-7 is the perfect choice for me -- it's reasonably light and small while still giving me the manual control that I want.

Things to bring with a G-10: a small tripod (Gorillapod is fine). I tried the StickPic but the camera seems a little heavy for that. A polarizer is a huge help for daylight photography, and easily fits on the end of the accessory tube. Extra SD cards -- big ones -- especially if you plan to shoot raw files.

I'd be interested in the upgrade from my G-7 to the G-10 not only for the raw files (the G-7 shoots jpeg-only), but also for the wider lens (28-135 equivalent instead of 35-200.) Need to find some extra cash, though.

Good luck and happy trails.

Frick Frack

02-02-2009, 09:39

I used a Panasonic DMZ-TZ3 with great success. Its predecessor the DMC-TZ5K (http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Digital-Cameras/Lumix-Digital-Cameras/model.DMC-TZ5K.S_11002_7000000000000005702#tabsection) is even better. The 10X zoom was nice to have & the battery life was awesome. It is a very durable camera too...I dropped it on Mt. Adams and watched it bounce a few times on all the rocks...didn't phase it (I lucked out). I carried it in a Pacific Outdoors WxTex dry bag. Mountainsmith makes a great camera bag, the "Exposure II S" which I attached to my pack strap for immediate access. Startup time is very quick and was never a problem. I liked having the SD card so I could share btw the Blackberry & camera. That Canon seems very nice though....

Ramble~On

02-02-2009, 10:35

I've been carrying a Lumix FZ20 as my backpacking "go to" camera for a while and I have been really happy with it. I want to thru hike this year and wanted something smaller and lighter..the A590 IS has everything that I want and for $100 I won't cry too much if it meets a horrid trail death.

BlackCloud

02-03-2009, 23:45

I purchased the G10 for use as my backpacking camera, when I don't feel like carrying my medium format stuff. I have blown pictures up to 10x16 while maintaining lifelike sharpness. This is the most capable camera of this weight and price that I could find (as of Dec 07).

I cannot more highly recommend this product.:jump

BlackCloud

02-03-2009, 23:46

I forgot to say:

Look @ my little gallery to see what this camera can do (standard format pix only):)

Franco

02-04-2009, 00:17

The problem with some "experts" at DPReview as well as here, is that some lose touch with reality.
There is no way that the G10 is as good as the latest batch of DSLRs but really, it is a compact camera....
Put a 28-135mm equivalent on a 1000D and you end up with 2.5 x the weight and about 3x the volume ? Same , same ?
If you are a pro photographer or photography is the main reason you go walking than it's different, however when the camera, as pointed out above, is good enough for Ken Rockwell ( "the best compact digital camera I have ever used" and he has used many....) and the guys at Luminous Landscape (final comment on a head to head with the Nikon P6000 but also with references to the LX3 "In the meantime I can wholeheartedly recommend the Canon Powershot G10 to anyone looking for a high quality coat pocket-sized digital camera with raw capability. ") then it is good enough for me.
BTW, I have seen real pictures from it. I personally prefer the LX3 because of the 24mm wide end, but that does not make it "a better camera" just my kind of camera.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/pocket-battleships.shtml (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/pocket-battleships.shtml)
Franco