You've Got To Be Kidding!

[Bill in WV]

Michael,

Have you considered, or would you consider, a brief appraisal of the G10 as an instrument for street photography? I've just been going over some of my G7 and G9 shots and continue to think either or maybe the G10 would make a decent street camera. I've truly enjoyed the street photography segments you do for the LL videos and I just want an inconspicuous digital rangefinder style camera that is light and quick to use. But for all three of these G series cameras my main complaint/concern has been the optical viewfinder being of little utility. At 80% of total scene . . . well, that just doesn't seem adequate to the purpose. I suppose the real question is, why is it so difficult to design and build today an optical finder that was in use two decades or more ago? Kind of a poor man's Leica.

Don't get me wrong, I love these G cameras; I just can't get used to looking at my camera's LCD instead of through a decent optical finder.

Bill in WV

[michael]

The G10, nor any digicam for that matter, just don't have the reflexes (no pun intended) for street shooting. Not that it can't be done, but the combination of relatively slow AF, slowish lenses, and poor viewfinders makes them less satisfactory than they should be.

I'm curious though how something like the Panasonic G1 might fare at this. A different animal, but possibly with the chops if enough fast micro 4/3 lenses become available.

Michael

[situgrrl]

GX200?  I only suggest because of the hyperfocal focusing mode that I love on my GR1.

[dalethorn]

.....why is it so difficult to design and build today an optical finder.....

Not difficult, but the target demographic wants a big LCD, and viewfinders are sacrificed accordingly. Just go to Best Buy and see for yourself. Now, if the big camera makers could make a model with viewfinder NOT for distribution by Walmart et al, then we'd have a chance at more pro features.

[jjj]

The G10, nor any digicam for that matter, just don't have the reflexes (no pun intended) for street shooting. Not that it can't be done, but the combination of relatively slow AF, slowish lenses, and poor viewfinders makes them less satisfactory than they should be.

GX200?  I only suggest because of the hyperfocal focusing mode that I love on my GR1.

Another vote for the Ricoh here. Particularly as it has a clever[optional] electronic viewfinder which allows 'waist' level shooting, fast lens too and a '24'mm w/a lens.
I'm very surprised you have not considered it alongside the other quality compacts you've recently reviewed. A bit flawed but some very clever design aspects to camera. More of a pocketable camera than the G10 too. I had a play with a G10 the other day, very, very nice, but a little too big for my requitrements for a P+S. Now if it had a bigger sensor.....
Shame Canon gave up on the slightly smaller S60/S70 range as the S80 was a big improvement on the design, bar the droping of RAW. An S90 with 8MP + RAW and good 400+ ISOs would be nice.

[Gordon Buck]

The G10, nor any digicam for that matter, just don't have the reflexes (no pun intended) for street shooting. Not that it can't be done, but the combination of relatively slow AF, slowish lenses, and poor viewfinders makes them less satisfactory than they should be.
...

I don't have a G10 but have been using the G9 very regularly for a year.  I agree that it (my G9) is not good for street shooting.  Strangely, even if the camera is set completely to manual mode -- including manual focus, no flash, focus assist lamp off, display off -- it just does not fire quickly.  Sometimes, if the shutter button is just jabbed (yes, I know I'm not supposed to do that), the camera does not fire at all.  I maintain that the G series needs a "half pressed shutter button" button (or menu option) to accomodate these fully manual intentions.

[dchew]

Strangely, even if the camera is set completely to manual mode -- including manual focus, no flash, focus assist lamp off, display off -- it just does not fire quickly.

I always thought this was due to battery capacity.  P&S cameras have small batteries, and to prolong battery life they don't keep the sensor "alive and ready."

The shutter lag has nothing to do with focusing, flash or display. It's simply waking up the sensor.

Dave Chew

[Ken Tanaka]

If I did not already own a G9 I'd probably grab a G10.  But the G10 is just not a $500 step forward from the G9.

Since my earlier remarks I have had quite a bit more time with a G10.  After my remarks here, and at TOP, I was -ahem- "encouraged" to take another look at the camera.  I am not a camera reviewer, per se, but I must now largely agree with Michael.  The G10 is a noticeable and verifiable leap forward in Canon's Powershot G series.  Images are sharper and cleaners, the camera's start-up is almost immediate, general handling is tighter.  In terms of imaging the G10 can rival my M8.2 for certain types of scenes.  For that matter, it can also rival my 5D for certain scenes.  Unfortunately, shot-to-shot gap time has not improved.  But Michael's remark that the G10 feels like a more "finished" product feels correct to me.

So if you're a fence-sitting G9 owner try to get an opportunity to take a closer look at the G10.