Discussion
Hi all.
I've been thinking of getting a camera for a little while having played with the old man's Canon 350d and not currently owning a camera. I initially was thinking of getting a Panasonic TZ3 having been impressed with its lens but I have been steered towards the Canon G9 by beanbag on here (thanks for the advice
) and this seems to be even better.
The problem is I can't find many first hand experiences out there on the net so I was wondering whether anyone on here had one / had used one and how you rated it.
Basically I'm after something that is small enough to fit in a pocket but be powerful enough to take some quality images. I also find it fustrating not being able to set the camera up how I want it so I can get the shot I want so a basic digital camera is no good. The G9 appears to meet these requirements. Are there any other cameras worth looking at with similar features?
Thanks in advance.
I've been thinking of getting a camera for a little while having played with the old man's Canon 350d and not currently owning a camera. I initially was thinking of getting a Panasonic TZ3 having been impressed with its lens but I have been steered towards the Canon G9 by beanbag on here (thanks for the advice
) and this seems to be even better.The problem is I can't find many first hand experiences out there on the net so I was wondering whether anyone on here had one / had used one and how you rated it.
Basically I'm after something that is small enough to fit in a pocket but be powerful enough to take some quality images. I also find it fustrating not being able to set the camera up how I want it so I can get the shot I want so a basic digital camera is no good. The G9 appears to meet these requirements. Are there any other cameras worth looking at with similar features?
Thanks in advance.
Have you had a look at www.dpreview.com ? There are several user review for both the Panasonic and the Canon there.
Ive got a G9 and Leica D-lux 3 which is a close relative of the Panasonic and theyre very different cameras.
The G9 is way bigger and doesn’t really pocketable. To my untrained eye they both take cracking pictures. Both have a similar range of auto and manual features but on the Canon they are more accessible. With the Leica ( and I assume the Panasonic ) you have to delve into menus and sub menus whereas on the Canon most features are found with the twist of a knob or maybe a couple of button presses. For this reason I find Im much more likely to experiment with the G9. The Leica I just leave as point and shoot on most occasions.
Neither camera will be as good as a DSLR especially in low light when the small ccd’s on these cameras will produce a far more noisy photo but if you want to fiddle the G9 is the best choice.
I don’t know what prices you’ve seen for the G9 but I got mine from Jessops online. Under £300 after putting in codes from here. http://www.vouchercodes.com/ . Then collected in store an hour later.
Ive got a G9 and Leica D-lux 3 which is a close relative of the Panasonic and theyre very different cameras.
The G9 is way bigger and doesn’t really pocketable. To my untrained eye they both take cracking pictures. Both have a similar range of auto and manual features but on the Canon they are more accessible. With the Leica ( and I assume the Panasonic ) you have to delve into menus and sub menus whereas on the Canon most features are found with the twist of a knob or maybe a couple of button presses. For this reason I find Im much more likely to experiment with the G9. The Leica I just leave as point and shoot on most occasions.
Neither camera will be as good as a DSLR especially in low light when the small ccd’s on these cameras will produce a far more noisy photo but if you want to fiddle the G9 is the best choice.
I don’t know what prices you’ve seen for the G9 but I got mine from Jessops online. Under £300 after putting in codes from here. http://www.vouchercodes.com/ . Then collected in store an hour later.
Moreymach said:
I don’t know what prices you’ve seen for the G9 but I got mine from Jessops online. Under £300 after putting in codes from here. http://www.vouchercodes.com/ . Then collected in store an hour later.
gingerpaul! That's a done deal me thinks 
The best thing to do ultimately is head down to Jessops and have a good fiddle with both cameras. For a deposit, I think some specialist photography shops might even be able to lend you one of the cameras for a short while to experiment.
Just leave them the keys to the rush
I'm sure that'll just about cover the cost! 
Moreymach said:
Have you had a look at www.dpreview.com ? There are several user review for both the Panasonic and the Canon there.
Ive got a G9 and Leica D-lux 3 which is a close relative of the Panasonic and theyre very different cameras.
The G9 is way bigger and doesn’t really pocketable. To my untrained eye they both take cracking pictures. Both have a similar range of auto and manual features but on the Canon they are more accessible. With the Leica ( and I assume the Panasonic ) you have to delve into menus and sub menus whereas on the Canon most features are found with the twist of a knob or maybe a couple of button presses. For this reason I find Im much more likely to experiment with the G9. The Leica I just leave as point and shoot on most occasions.
Neither camera will be as good as a DSLR especially in low light when the small ccd’s on these cameras will produce a far more noisy photo but if you want to fiddle the G9 is the best choice.
I don’t know what prices you’ve seen for the G9 but I got mine from Jessops online. Under £300 after putting in codes from here. http://www.vouchercodes.com/ . Then collected in store an hour later.
Hi Guy.Ive got a G9 and Leica D-lux 3 which is a close relative of the Panasonic and theyre very different cameras.
The G9 is way bigger and doesn’t really pocketable. To my untrained eye they both take cracking pictures. Both have a similar range of auto and manual features but on the Canon they are more accessible. With the Leica ( and I assume the Panasonic ) you have to delve into menus and sub menus whereas on the Canon most features are found with the twist of a knob or maybe a couple of button presses. For this reason I find Im much more likely to experiment with the G9. The Leica I just leave as point and shoot on most occasions.
Neither camera will be as good as a DSLR especially in low light when the small ccd’s on these cameras will produce a far more noisy photo but if you want to fiddle the G9 is the best choice.
I don’t know what prices you’ve seen for the G9 but I got mine from Jessops online. Under £300 after putting in codes from here. http://www.vouchercodes.com/ . Then collected in store an hour later.
Funnily enough I've just been into town and stopped by a Jessops to have a look as I was passing by. They had sold their last G9 this morning which is a shame, but they were quite happy for me to fiddle with the TZ3. They also said the G9 was quite a bit bigger. It's hard to tell looking at pictures on the internet.
I realise that the quality of images will never equal those of a proper SLR, but I'd never take one with me if I had one. At least with a compact it'd get used. When I take point and shoot photos then I'd just use a phone because the chances are they won't need to be a decent quality.
Is it possible to get a remote shutter release button for these cameras, using infra red / bluetooth so that I can be in pictures that I take if I set the camera up on a little tripod or something? I know you can set a timer, but it's not quite as elegant a solution for getting exactly what you want.
Are there any other models that I'm missing that might be suitable?
Edited to say hi beano!
Edited by gingerpaul on Wednesday 28th November 15:26
i got a g9 a month ago together with a 430 speedlight. very pleased with the results and the ability to control it from a pc as a studio camera (with of course remote shoot capability). also have experience of slrs and the only drawback for me is that you cannot turn a ring to manually focus. other than that its great and allows the wife and kids to use it on auto and me to play
Hi Paul
A couple of interesting videos here
G9
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UUSPT7YnsS8
TZ3
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHW6jUM161o
I had the same thoughts as you prior to getting the G9.. I sort of wanted a DSLR but knew Id never take it with me. G9 does seem to do 90% of what a 400D will do but is more likley to be with when I see a shot I want. I said earlier it was chunky and while it really isnt going to slip in your jeans I carry mine in a coat pocket easily enough. The finish is great and it has a really nice weighty and solid feel, the grip is a little dissapointing though and it would be quite easy to fumble it so I normally keep teh strap wrapped round my wrist when using it.
I dont know about the remote shutter release, theres nothing about it in the accessories list that I can see so maybe not.
There isnt really much else on the market that Im aware of thats like the G9, there are bridge cameras like the Fuju S range but theyre generally bulkier.
The jessops site does allow you to check stock so If you fancy a play with one have a look and see where teh closest stock is held.
A couple of interesting videos here
G9
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UUSPT7YnsS8
TZ3
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHW6jUM161o
I had the same thoughts as you prior to getting the G9.. I sort of wanted a DSLR but knew Id never take it with me. G9 does seem to do 90% of what a 400D will do but is more likley to be with when I see a shot I want. I said earlier it was chunky and while it really isnt going to slip in your jeans I carry mine in a coat pocket easily enough. The finish is great and it has a really nice weighty and solid feel, the grip is a little dissapointing though and it would be quite easy to fumble it so I normally keep teh strap wrapped round my wrist when using it.
I dont know about the remote shutter release, theres nothing about it in the accessories list that I can see so maybe not.
There isnt really much else on the market that Im aware of thats like the G9, there are bridge cameras like the Fuju S range but theyre generally bulkier.
The jessops site does allow you to check stock so If you fancy a play with one have a look and see where teh closest stock is held.
used the g9 to shoot a disabled musicians concert tonight, about 100 shots. noticed that there is a definite shutter lag with flash (not using ettl-2 which does a preflash) which made it difficult to capture the right moment when there was significant action going on. still think that its a good camera for the money though
Funnily enough, I just ordered a G9 earlier on today before seeing this thread!
I wanted something that had manual control, RAW output and better quality than my little Ixus P+S, but still much more compact than my SLRs, and this seems ideal.
If it turns up tomrrow, it'll get a good try out in Poland over the weekend!!
I wanted something that had manual control, RAW output and better quality than my little Ixus P+S, but still much more compact than my SLRs, and this seems ideal.
If it turns up tomrrow, it'll get a good try out in Poland over the weekend!!
ehasler said:
Funnily enough, I just ordered a G9 earlier on today before seeing this thread!
I wanted something that had manual control, RAW output and better quality than my little Ixus P+S, but still much more compact than my SLRs, and this seems ideal.
If it turns up tomrrow, it'll get a good try out in Poland over the weekend!!
I'd appreciate the feedback! Where abouts in Poland are you going? I went to Krakow in March and some of the buildings are spectacular. There's a salt mine near by that had the most amazing underground room I've ever seen but the only camera we had did a terrible job of capturing it. I'd love to revisit it with a decent bit of kit. I wanted something that had manual control, RAW output and better quality than my little Ixus P+S, but still much more compact than my SLRs, and this seems ideal.
If it turns up tomrrow, it'll get a good try out in Poland over the weekend!!
Edited by gingerpaul on Thursday 29th November 00:03
gingerpaul said:
I'd appreciate the feedback! Where abouts in Poland are you going? I went to Krakow in March and some of the builds are spectacular. There's a salt mine near by that had the most amazing underground room I've ever seen but the only camera we had did a terrible job of capturing it. I'd love to revisit it with a decent bit of kit.
I'm staying in Warsaw, but have a day trip planned to Krakow. I've got a local showing me around, so hopefully will get taken to some interesting places! 
I bought one of these a couple of days ago. I've had it set on auto-everything, and also have it set to 'face detection' mode. I've been pretty impressed with everything, but wish Canon would provide a wrist strap instead of the pointless neck strap.
The photos of the pissed farmer were my first two photos with the camera. Set to RAW you can get some nice sharpness and contrast from the images - though, I'm PP'ing on a laptop so they may be OTT when viewed on a calibrated screen.
So far, so good
The photos of the pissed farmer were my first two photos with the camera. Set to RAW you can get some nice sharpness and contrast from the images - though, I'm PP'ing on a laptop so they may be OTT when viewed on a calibrated screen.
So far, so good
I've been pretty pleased with mine too. I have found the neck strap quite useful when I was skiing because I could just leave the camera round my neck all day tucked into my jacket. That way it was on hand to take pictures of my friends crashing into each other. 
Seriously though, I've been very impressed with what I (ie an idiot) can achieve. I'm looking forward to learning more.
Seriously though, I've been very impressed with what I (ie an idiot) can achieve. I'm looking forward to learning more.
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