Canon G9: a point and shoot equivalent to a leica M?

[sirius]

What do you guys think of this camera: Canon G9?

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/html/PS_G9/g9.html

I've heard that the noise is not so nice about 400 ISO, but with the image stabilization you can handhold 1/8 second pretty easily. That's Leica territory! It's still a small sensor camera and would have all the limitations implied in that.

I've seen a lot of nice results with this camera and it looks as close to a digital rf as I can get for the price. It has a bit of the rangefinder aesthetic and has a beautiful build quality. It even has an optical viewfinder...

I know that it's like comparing a volvo to a ferrari and the optics and such will never be to Leica standards. But what would it be "good enough" to saticefy your needs as a photographer? It looks like a fine tool to me and the workflow with film theses days can be a little tedious.

Thanks for your contributions...signed,
Ponderings-from-the-Great-White-North

 

[sirius]

I sure love what street photographer Tony Marciante does with the Canon G7 on Flickr. He's the main reason I'm asking this question here. His work sure looks as nice as many older Leica camera street photos I've seen.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyshots/

 

[mackigator]

I've heard good things about it but nothing to make it jump out of a three way tie (in my mind) with the Ricoh GX100 and the Panasonic Lumix LX2. Of the three, the Ricoh looks the most interesting to me - stepped zoom and viewfinder, good manual controls. Someone who actually has the G9 chime in.

 

[steverett]

I think I would be happy with this camera. It's small and compact, which is the main reason I wouldn't get a DSLR. The pics on flickr look fine, definitely way better than normal P&S. And in daylight shots, the noise seems to look like film grain, which I could live with. Honestly, though, it's all up to you.

Here is a link to a G9 flickr group

 

[gregg]

I have the older cousin of this series, the A640 (10 mp, no IS) which is the quivalent to the G7 without a hotshoe. The A650IS is the companion to the G9 (same sensor, processing engine, etc.)

In my experience the A640 has exceeded my expectation as a PS camera. The images at 400 are good - completely fine for web posting and up to 8x10 prints. At 800 there is a lot more noise but if you really care to get a great image out of such a small sensor it will pay to invest in a noise removal program - I picked up Noiseware Standard for $30USD.

The shutter is nearly silent - no curtain, etc - just a little 'click' so it is great for discrete shooting. The zoom is stepped which limits the range but speeds things up. The focusing is fast for a PS. I usually use mine at 35mm in Aperture Priority mode. I sometimes use manual focus which reduces the shutter lag to negligible. It has a great macro mode.

All of these traits apply to the G9 and probably more since it is "next year's model".

Most reviews I've read recommend the "A" series unless you really need RAW or the external flash shoe of the "G" series. That is what ultimately swayed me to the A640 and I don't regret it a bit.

 

[Bill58]

I'm interested too, but not in any Ricoh product due to lack of service almost anywhere. Good service is a necessity w/ any digital in my experience.

 

[gregg]

Here are a few shots with the A640 at an open-air market in Highgate Jamaica:

Spice woman with Rastafarians smoking in b/g:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdbrekke/1862251911/

The butcher:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdbrekke/1862094085/

 

[photogdave]

The problem with the G7/G9 for me is that I WANT it to be a better camera than it actually is.
It looks cool, it has really good manual controls and an optical viewfinder. It's small enough to be pocketable but large enough to get a steady hold on it like a real camera. However the viewfinder is a piece of junk (too small and blurry - even adjusting the diopter), the aperture too slow and the lens not wide enough.
To its credit, it simply has the fastest focusing and least shutter lag of any digital p&S I've tried yet but image quality is no better than the A series as gregg mentions. The combination of slow aperture and small sensor makes selective DOF very difficult.
My Panasonic LC1 does everything better except for size and buffer speed in RAW. Even if the noise is horrible after 100 ISO I can still handhold the thing in lower light thanks to the faster lens and more stable platform.
For something more pocketable I prefer my Olympus Stylus Epic (full frame with noiseless ISO 50-3200 - thank you film! and 35mm f2.8 lens).
As much as I want to like the G9 I think I'd buy and A series and spent the extra $300 on a new Voigtlander lens!

 

[bcostin]

Thanks for posting those samples, gregg. I'm very tempted by the A640, especially now that RAW support is available via the amazing CHDK firmware patch. I've been using CHDK with an A570IS at work and it's quite nice. The high ISO images from these small sensors are still fairly noisy, but it's a lot easier to clean them up without JPG artifacts muddying the waters.

 

[Hexagon_Sun]

I recently struggled between the canon G9, the ricoh gx100, and the ricoh grd2. I decided on the grd2 in the end. The canon is kind of large for a point and shoot and I read about the issues of light leaks in the displays, one guy is on his 4th and its still suffering from the issue. I also like the challenge of a fixed 28mm lens on the grd2.

 

[pvdhaar]

I've looked at the G7/G9 as well some time ago. It didn't really convince. It's too heavy to comfortably sit in a shirt pocket if I don't have to have a camera with me, and it's not big enough to comfortably hold when I'm seriously shooting..

 

[gregg]

Hey bcostin - thanks for the heads-up on the CHDK firmware. I'm going to give it a shot later today and have RAW for my A640 - sweet!

 

[Todd.Hanz]

I looked at the G9 for a while, thought I'd get it for my wife and use it myself 😉.

The build quality is awesome and it feels solid, I ended up getting a Sony T200 cuz it's really small and pink...stuff my wife wanted. 🙂

Todd

 

[rover]

I have a G7 and it is a very nice camera. Image are excellent at ISO 80 or 100, very good at 200 and acceptable but not without issue at 400. The viewfinder is unusable for me, tiny tiny tiny, so you have compose with the LCD. The hot shoe is a positive as I slide my EX 220 onto the camera and can shoot very nice indoor shots at ISO 200 or less.

This said, I did just buy a DSLR, which to me is a camera. The G7 is a P&S.

 

[DNN]

A few months after I bought G7, G9 came out:bang:

G7 has a bad reputation for its battery indicator which appears suddenly when the battery needs to be recharged. When you see this indication, you don't have much time to take more pictures; G7 would not work soon...

It seems that G9 has a battery indicator which you can see when you turn it on (not sure because I don't take a look at it myself).

Images through the viewfinder tend to "off" from what is actually taken. So I decided to use LCD probably for the first time since I used a few older digital cameras.

RICOH GR II? would be great though it has no zoom, I guess. I may buy it in future...

I hesitate to call myself a photographer but here is a link to a few pictures taken my G7. These pictures are kind of experimental so that I can "learn" how to use flickr 😛

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21809086@N05/

 

[kevin m]

Canon's been moving backwards with the G series since the G5. If Canon saw fit to put all the neat features every version of this camera has had into one body, then they'd have something. f2.0 lens; RAW; swivel screen; good optical finder; full manual control, etc., otherwise, why not just carry a Rebel? It's not THAT much bigger.

 

[vha]

Bough the G9 so I could have a plain camera for color photo, Christmas stuff, family dinners and so on .. flash on a Leica M does not tempt me, and my mum (who always asks for photos) was not so happy with last years Christmas in B & W, even though i used the 35mm nocton 😉

Camera is small, quite fast to focus in lo light, gives fine enough skin tones with flash, have enough nobs and buttons for manual settings.

Does not give the same feeling as my C8080wz did, but is much faster and a bit more pocketable. Tried the GR-D for a weekend and was disappointed, did not like the handling compared to the GR1s, probably fine prints but no.

Just the final test remains, would adjust the photos and make some frontier prints at work soon, if it looks good on matte fuji DP II paper i have a new item for social photography, now and then is P & S comfy.

vha

 

[cbass]

One reason to carry a G9 over a small DSLR is video capability. How is the video mode on the G9? The G9 seems like a nice jack-of-all-trades pocket camera for family events and travel. If it makes good short videos, all the better.

I just wonder if the G9 might be overkill for family snaps & video use. I'm considering a G9 as a complement to my DSLR but might I be better served with the A-series Canons (650IS, 720IS or 570IS)?

 

[kuzano]

Ricoh... nope

Ricoh... nope

Read in-depth the reviews from www.dpreview.com www.steves-digicams.com www.dcresource.com .

After reading those reviews at great length, reading the comments about lack of responsive service, looking at the comments from users on dpreview and other location, and THEN looking at the price, my final thought was, "What were they thinking when they designed AND priced out this camera".

I guess it proves you can build anything, at any quality level and price it in the market at any price, and someone will form a cult around it.

That, by the way was my final thought on Ricoh digital. Run, do not walk to the nearest exit.

 

[Larky]

Everything I have heard about the Ricoh GX100 has been positive. The noise issues are easy to overcome, and if you shoot B&W it simply goes away.

I'll post more when it arrives. Also, you cna pick up the full VF100 kit with extra SD card and bits and bobs for £300. Good deal I think.