I have many hats, but I suppose the two most important ones after being a husband and father are my...
I have many hats, but I suppose the two most important ones after being a husband and father are my disability rights activism and wedding photgraphy. The former I do for love and the latter has been my profession since 1981
Member since:29.12.2007
Reviews:5
I have been a wedding photographer since 1981 and currently use a number of top range Canon digital SLR's with my colleagues for this purpose. When I'm not working professionally, I generally keep a compact camera with me for those must have grab shots.
There is an apparent obsession with how many megapixels a camera has which is now largely irrelevant with recently manufactured cameras. Few people now print off their work, but for those who do, the resolution of almost all new compact digitals (provided that the shot was taken properly of course) will allow poster sized images to be produced on canvas or
photographic paper. The resolution required for internet images is significantly lower making on line images possible for almost all digital shots - no matter how old and decrepit the camera looks.
The problem with most compact cameras (35mm and digital) however is not the resolution in megapixels but the lag. In lay terms it's the wait between you pressing the trigger and the shot firing. That moment when Auntie Joy opens the letter telling her she's been awarded an MBE or when one of the grandchildren says one of those remarks that cracks everyone up is lost if you have to wait for the cameras processor and red eye reduction to do its work.
Read most online camera reviews or look at the sales spin at the high street store and you are unlikely to see much about the lag time of any particular model - probably because it's usually a negative aspect. The G9 overcomes this - more later.
My lovely and long suffering wife is always on at me to reduce the hernia inducing weight of my pro camera bag and make more use of a compact for the non-professional work. Backing her concerned words up with tangible actions, she bought me the G9 in November 2007.
The picture quality (OK it's got 12.1 megapixels and I can print low noise images up to A0 from this pocket sized powerhouse) is incredible. The latest addition to the Canon compcat G series now has RAW. RAW captures the image without allowing the camera's computer to process and decide on light temperatures etc. It creates the opportunity to make huge changes to the post prodcution image and is no longer the preserve of professional photographers. Still - you might just want to point and shoot - then set it to fully automatic and you wont even have to decide when to use a flash or not - the camera will do it all for you. The joy of this flexibility is that the camera can be used by just about anyone and will facilitate very specific choices normally exclusive to the SLR range of cameras. In short (who me?) it can be used by your novice 8 year old daughter or by a professional like Richard Bailey (I recently bought his wife a G9 and he's quite happy playing with it when we're put and about - ooh matron!)
I used the video function on this over Christmas and when playing back the footage in our editing studio I realised that the image quality is better than from our dedicated digital video camera that cost us £1300 4 years ago - that's progress I guess.
The rear viewing screen is as large as the one on the Canon 1D Mk III adding another pro-quality feature to this compact. After over 26 years of reliance on a viewfinder or medium format screen, I find I have a poor posture when using the screen on the back of the G9, but the viewfinder is (as with most compacts) a bit on the small side. This is my sole criticism of the camera however.
The flash looks tiny (because it is) but packs a real punch and illuminates several metres sufficiently to overcome the lack of inherent natural or artificial light at the scene. ISO can be set to 3,200 allowing for non-flash low light shots without a tripod and for me, the best additional option where few other compacts can compete is that the G9 will take one of my pro flashes on its hot shoe connection. Canon really have thought of everything - although it doesn't make toast yet.
All in all - I think the G9 it's the best digital compact ever and satisfies all of my requirements - it takes great shots - what more do I need?
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Dec 30th, 2007
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