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Canon G9: The Mobs Have Spoken
June 19th, 2008
Every once in a while a camera comes out just at the right time, and the Canon G9 seems to have done that. I’ve been watching for signs of discontent among the masses and so far it seems everyone loves this camera. Matt Brandon has it, loves it. When Scott Kelby and I were talking about it he said he loved it and particularly praised the video quality. Gavin Gough just got one and his first impressions seem about the same as everyone else’s. All my colleagues at the Travel Photographers Network seem to be raving about the G9 as well and the number of working pros now packing the G9 as a take-along or scouting camera just keeps growing.
In fact, the only negative thing I’ve yet to hear is that the noise above ISO 400 is pretty bad. But that’s par for the course with a point and shoot – the sensors are small and while companies like Canon are making strides you just can’t expect the sensor on a G9 to perform in anywhere the same ballpark as a 5D. It’s an unfair comparison. Sure, there’s the new Sigma DP-1, but by all accounts it’s slow as molasses and very expensive.
So, like I said, the mob has spoken. Sharon’s older Powershot died a long undignified death this year and she’s taken over my Leica DLux-3, which is sexy, but it’s no G9. Once B&H Photo gets them back in stock I’m placing my order and will do a review at some point. I’m also looking at the WP-DC21 underwater housing so I can take it snorkeling. In places like the beach, a small camera and a housing makes photography much more carefree.
Any G9ers want to confirm all this or warn us all away from it due to some horribly scarring incident you had with one? Chime in.
I think i’d have to disagree with the masses. I read all the positive online reviews and praises for Canon’s flagship p&s so i decided to give this tiny camera a go. I gave it a solid week of effort before i returned it back to the store from where it came. I liked the G9’s UI, but i’ve been spoiled by the beauty of the images from my 5D. And as said before, it’s not a fair comparison, but personally, I can’t move my personal tastes from where they are. I think for most people the G9 is perfect for what they need/want. And even though my motivation to consider the G9 was for a portable pocket camera capable of decent images, i’d rather sling my 5D with a prime lens on my shoulder than to lose out on one-time images.
Long story short: The G9 is a great little camera if you really don’t mind the decrease in image quality; which you personally may find acceptable. Only your own eyes can tell you if this camera is good for YOU. All the super positive reviews gave me really high expectatations of what this camera was capbable of… and in my case, these high-expections lead to greater levels of disappointment.
Cheers,
Ben.
I got this camera several months ago before a trip to Peru. I used it with a polarizing filter for landscapes and my 30D for everything else. The G9 was basically my backup while I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I was able to use it on a tiny tabletop tripod for slow shutter night photos. All in all I really love this camera but I think its too slow for serious people photography. I also really like its diminutive size and wish the shutter lag wasn’t as bad as every other P&S. This camera re-awakened my interest in smaller cameras and I’ve been playing with a Leica M3 to see if it would work for the unobtrusive “don’t want to put a giant black box in front of my face” kind of photos. Hope that helps.
Thanks Ben – All viewpoints are welcome. I think you’d have to go into this with the assumption that you’re getting a compromise. I too would rather have my 5D, but for those times when I want a simple snapshot or some video/audio recording, I think the 5D is perfect. And I’d like a waterproof housing and be able to take it to some beaches – in which case I anticipate it being bright enough that I can shoot with lower ISO.
Still, what’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander, as they say.
Thanks Jeremy. Nice to hear some balanced thoughts. I know the other readers will appreciate the insights.
I bought a G9 for a trip this spring so I’d have a decent camera for shooting the Sebring 12-hour race when we weren’t working. I couldn’t take my Canon 20D and long lenses because the following week I had a conference and had no place to safely store that camera gear. The G9 fit the bill because of it’s 210mm (equiv) zoom, reasonable noise up to ISO400, easy pocketability, and reasonable shooting speed (not like the 20D or pro/semi-pro DSLRs). Feel free to look at the race pics I took with it and judge for yourself.
The one thing I’ve noticed is that no one looks at you while you’re shooting. With the G9 I don’t appear to passers-by that I’m a photographer; with my 20D and the 70-200mm f8 L IS there’s no doubt that I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER…and everyone looks at me and scurries away. The G9 does what the early Leica’s did: it allows the photographer to get good images, but stay unobtrusive. It’s an acceptable scouting, backup, and “undercover” camera. It’s not a primary camera for what I normally shoot–indoor volleyball, baseball, and auto racing.
David,
yeah, I was expecting compromises when I got the G9. But given that there was a lack of negative comments out there; I had hope for this little one.
I already had the Canon A630 for which the G9 was supposed to replace. But it wasn’t a big enough upgrade to justify keeping it. Especially when considering that the G9 cost 3x more than the original price of my 2 year old A630 that runs on AA batteries.
I don’t own it personally but I’ve used it a lot of times (they sell like butter in the sunshine at our camera store) and I agree with the masses. It’s just about one of the best, if not the best, compact out today
I’ve got a 7.1MP SD750. I like it as my p&s. You can throw it in a pocket and forget you’re carrying it, something you can’t do with a G9. I just keep it pinned on ISO 80, and I can live with the pics it delivers (especially if I set it to underexpose slightly).
The huge plus the G9 has going for it is the high-speed sync capabilities. But when you can do that with a Nikon D40 for the exact same price it’s a hard sell for all the other compromises.
Long and short: the G9 doesn’t fit on my grid. But if you try it — and keep your expectations realistic — I’ll bet you’ll like it.
http://gruessgott.prashanteju.de/2008/05/13/canon-powershot-g9/
David you can read my impressions about the camera here. It is a wonderful little camera and coupled with Lensmate accessories it gets even better. However, at the end of the day it remains a PS camera.
I got this camera about 5 days ago, and I really like it. I have a DSLR camera already, but I wanted something to tote around and to be able to stick in my pocket. This camera is great. The images have turned out really well. If you’re wondering about image quality, just look on flickr and search for G9 images (beware the photoshoppers). Mostly I got this camera for its video capabilities. I looked into getting an HD camcorder, but I know it would just sit around collecting dust. The key word for me is simplicity. Short of getting a “Flip”, I opted to get the G9. I am expecting my first child in about 20 days so I wanted something small and compact to shoot video with. The G9 seems to have worked out very well for me thus far. We’ll see once the little one gets his chompers on it whether it’ll last the saliva test.
i was considering a G9, to but opted for a used 30D instead (with 50 1.8) . compared to the two 1D mk2’s I have the 30D IS a point and shoot.