Canon G7 Anyone?

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landryrk

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I'm looking at a Canon G7 as my next digital P&S. I know all about how it has no RAW but it seems to be built like a tank and maybe DAG would accept it for a CLA down the road if the battery door fell off.

Anyone have this camera and lived to tell about it?
 
No, and the reviews are mixed, but I think biased based on the fact that it has no RAW. There is a nice review on Luminous Landscape, and Pop Photo is confusing, it is an Editor's Choice, but their review is less than a rave.
 
No RAW. No f2.0 lens. It's missing two of the biggest draws of the "G" line.
Considering the price and size, I think a cheap DSLR is a MUCH better buy.
 
I've had my G7 for a few months now. I love it. Since I don't want to spend an hour per image "tweaking" it to look right, I really don't have any reason to use a raw mode. The Canon processor does such an excellent job I don't even have to use the "auto enhance" feature on my computer's imaging software. I have found that by using the spot metering mode rather than the evaluative mode I can get much better exposures. I try to use it like a film camera; compose and expose correctly when you take the shot rather than trying to manipulate or correct it later.

It is built like a tank, and MUCH easier to carry around than a DSLR. Take some time trying out the options, metering modes, manual modes (both exposure and focus), and going through the menu system, and you will appreciate its capabilities. I normally use it in Program mode where I have reset the metering mode and focus point and get GREAT results, and only fiddle with the other settings for something out of the ordinary. Hope this helps you.
 
I have a Fuji F30 and bought my parents the updated version, the Fuji F31fd. ASA 1600, $200-250. Small and great low light. If I travel, I take that along side with my Epson R-D1 with two lenses.
 
I looked at one because of the very solid feel. The Viewfinder shows much more than the LCD rendering it useless.

I would not buy a P&S without a vf.


cannon XTi is the best I found for a reasonable money.
 
A review by Amateur Photographer was rather mixed. They liked its feature set, but they felt that there are too many pixels in the small sensor. I believe they said noise was seen at all ISO settings.
 
I would back down the versions of PowerShot G(x) until you reach an (x) with f/2, RAW, viewfinder. Also, lower pixel density results in less digital noise... I'm not sure my G3 is the optimum version, but it's got what I want. :)
 
My daughter needed a digital camera and for x-mas I got her the Canon G6. I had to chase down a used one, but I wanted her to have the f2. Try finding a digital fixed lens camera with a lens that fast! I was having none of what the G7 had to offer. Canon seems to want to kill that G-line. That's too bad. It fits into a nice niche in the market and Canon had a nice camera (G6) in there.


:)
 
ZeissFan said:
A review by Amateur Photographer was rather mixed. They liked its feature set, but they felt that there are too many pixels in the small sensor. I believe they said noise was seen at all ISO settings.
Click to expand...

From Pop Photo

But the G7 performs worse at all comparable ISOs in noise performance, without a significant gain in resolution at the lower ISOs than the SD900.
Click to expand...

That said, 10mp is too much for these small sensors, the Canon SD 800 IS is reviewed to be better than both regarding noise performance with only 7mp and only marginal loss of resolution.

Perhaps comparing the G7 to the SD cameras is not completely fair as it has a better lens, hot shoe/flash capabilities and more intuitive photographic functionality, but I think the G is now closer to the P&S world than the DSLR world.
 
G7

G7

I have had a G7 for a couple of months now and can recommend it highly. Build quality is superb with a reassuring weight in the hand that assists stability. It is hardly a shirt pocket P&S but with the retractable lens fits comfortably enough in the jacket or trouser pocket so it travels most places with me. I have had no complaints whatsoever with regard to the quality of shots I have taken with it - its technical capabilities far surpasses my compositional limitations on both programme, semi-automatic, and manual settings. Have just ordered the wide angle lens.

My 2 complaints (given I am not bothered about RAW one way or the other) is that a. The manual is complex because the menu structure itself is relatively highly nested - fewer but more readily accessible options would have been preferable for my needs (even allowing for the 2 custom programmes and that ISO has analogue-type control); b. the screen is a magnet for fingerprints and scratches - get a properly sized protector before opening the packaging!
Bryan
 
The G7 looks like a fun and useful camera. Despite not having RAW I would consider using the G7 instead of my DSLR. Heck, my DSLR rarely leaves home with me because it's bulky, even with a small prime lens.

The on-line reviews for the G7 bother me because they all seem to bemoan what the new camera no longer offers (tilt screen, RAW, fast lens, etc.) rather than discuss what the new camera is capable of producing. I'm not a former G-series owner, nor do I use RAW, but the G7 is still high on my list because it offers quite a bit of control in a small package. The best camera is always the one that you have with you.

Can anyone comment on the G7 image quality at higher ISOs (400-1600)? I'm curious as to whether you could coax an 8"x10" print out of those files. I won my rotisserie football league this year so I've got some prize money to spend on a new compact digicam :) . I'm also thinking strongly about the Fuji f30 and Canon A710IS or A640.
 
I have a G2. I would really miss the swing and tilt LCD. That feature works great for getting shots from some unusual angles, and it's nice being able to swing the LCD closed and keep it protected while carrying the camera.

Ed
 
We awaited our shipment of them to the store with lots of anticipation, but were fairly disappointed once we got one to play with. The whole reason I wanted one was for the high ISO range and its quite bad on that camera. Very noisy at 800-1600 so much so that the shots are pretty much useless. I'm now waiting for a G8 or something that brings back the raw format and actually has good high iso. That department is lacking in all of the point and shoots though.

Of course my other digital is a 5D which is generaly considered to have the lowest noise of any camera on the market so I am a bit spoiled me thinx! ;)
 
I used a G5 for a little over a year and didn't really realize how good it was until after I sold it... which, by the way, was a year and a half ago and the resale value is still almost the same.

Great camera, but I wanted something to fit in my pocket so I got an SD400 and then decided I didn't need two point and shoots and sold the G5. It had an infinitely better lens (and sensor, I think) than the SD, and a lot more manual control. It wasn't the quickest operating camera though, it had more shutter lag than the SD and took longer to boot.

It's a shame they got rid of the features that made the G-series good, and gave in to the megapixel-whore trend even with the same size sensor.
 
I really WANT to like the G7 for it's retro style, but I'm not really as interested in megapixels as Higher ISO performance. I'd rather see them improve the IQ on a 7 megapixel camera before craming more pixels onto a tiny sensor.

The lack of some older G features doesn't bother me, as I didn't like the G5 or G6 ergonomics anyway. I'd like to find a G7 somewhere and play with it a bit, just to see if I would like it. The 6x lens and small size compared to a DSLR is compelling.
 
Personally, I'd go for the A-series instead. I got the A710IS for the smaller size, 6x zoom and IS, but the A630 does have that swivel LCD.:)
 
I just purchased a G3. The A-series are consumer compact digital point-and-shoots. I was looking for a 'prosumer' digital camera with more manual controls and a hot shoe.

Clarence
 
Hi

I got the G7 for my wife as the lcd broke in the Kodak a few months ago. We got it with the soft case which allows you to use it with the case on, much like a rangefinder ERC, which is good and you can use it much like a RF without the Leica prices off course. I have used it on a couple of occasions, but its exposure latititude seems rather narrow and frequently the highlights seem blown out. I do not feel it alone will convert me to digital. Its quite compact, but if I am wearing a jacket, half the time I will take out the Rollei AFM 35 instead. I thought I could get rid of my film slr, now I had the G7, but its frame rate is not too fast and the zoom not fast either so I will be taking along the 300v for the tennis next week. Buy it for a good P & S, sometime street shooting, but do not expect the earth.

regards

Stephen
 
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