What compact digital do you feel is the best?

[Dave Mills]

With the arrival of my grandson I want to take alot of images but don't want to be encumbered using my larger digital cameras. I want the best quality P&S I can buy that will give me flexibility with the best image quality. I've read alot of reviews that offer pluses and minuses but first hand use over time is always the best judge.
Looking for advise........

[David Stephens]

I owned the G7 and G9 and I'm now considering a G11 as a back up to my 5D2 and 7D. My daughters inherited the G7 and G9 and they're putting them to good use with little direction from me.

[Ian McHenry]

Hi Dave
I haven't tried the latest Canon Powershot models but still find my Canon S2IS perfect for family pix.
Something with a bit more megs would be even better.
Ian Mc

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Dave Highly recommend the G-10 .. .now G-11 Great quality and has all the controls up top, no need to go into menus searching Only drawback to all of these is noise beyond 100 but fully usable ... Fabs got her G-11 and will be posting some !!!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Al, I've been looking at the G11 and been leaning towards it. Will probably pull the trigger soon...

[Fabs Forns]

Just got the G11 from Beachcamera on Ebay, good price and fast service, no shipping charges,

[Roger Clark]

Dave,
One of the big frustrations a DSLR user will have with a P&S is the shutter lag. Check the review sites and look at "full press shutter lag." Dpreview gives the values. I'm not sure what fast P&S values are in this area. Used to be listed as half a second or so, but the problem is it degrades in low light, like indoors, so a listing of 0.5 second may turn into 1 to 2 or more seconds indoors.

Besides that, the largest sensor you feel like spending money for.

Roger

[Fabs Forns]

If we are comparing a point & shoot to a DSLR, is apples and oranges. I love the idea of having something small and always ready for a candid family or casual moment, without carrying a big load or worrying about the right lens.

[Dave Mills]

Thanks for the advice! The use will be primarily for my grandchild,family,short trips and not when I'm doing serious photography. Something easy to carry and readily accessible with good performance.
Been impressed with some of Al's images taken with the G10...I think Michael Pancier has one also...

[Roger Clark]

Fabs,
I wasn't trying to compare a dslr to a p&s. I was pointing out a frustrating fact with many p&s cameras that many people do not realize until they get one and get frustrated with it. I carry a p&s camera more hours per month than my dslr gear (most months). But it is frustrating when I want to take a picture, for example, at a family gathering, and the camera takes so long that people turn away before the shutter opens. So before choosing my next p&s, will compare full press shutter lag before choosing the camera, and low lag time will be a major factor in which model I choose.

Roger

[Desmond Chan]

Fabs,
I carry a p&s camera more hours per month than my dslr gear (most months). But it is frustrating when I want to take a picture, for example, at a family gathering, and the camera takes so long that people turn away before the shutter opens.

Sorry about your experiences, Roger. I've been using Fujifilm compact p&s, a F200exr currently (G10 and the like is not compact enough IMO :p). I'm sure shutter lag is there. After all, it's a cheapy little camera :D But, I think it also depends on how you take the photos. Are you talking about taking candid shots? Still, I think it depends on what kind of photos you want to take and how. I mean, think back when we were using manual focus lenses and film cameras, the time it took to focus the lens....

[Doug Brown]

I love my Canon S90. Many of the features of the G11, including the same sensor. Great image quality. And fits in your pocket!

[Dave Mills]

Hi Roger, at times I use my wifes inexpensive Nikon and have that problem. Big pain the neck...

[David Stephens]

BTW, just why do the P&S cameras have so much latency, particularly those on the high end, like the G11? The G11 almost a $500 camera and the body size is relatively large, so why doesn't it have enough computing power to avoid the latency? Are Canon and others afraid that they'll lose dslr sales? Are the new 3/4 cameras, without a viewfinder, the same in this regard?

[Ian McHenry]

As my compact was my first digital camera I had it set for BIF in aperture priority.
However have found that for family pix automatic (green) setting is way to go to catch these fleeting moments.
Ian Mc

[Roger Clark]

BTW, just why do the P&S cameras have so much latency, particularly those on the high end, like the G11?

David,
It is simple design. In a DSLR the phase detect autofocus system makes a single fast measurement and is able to compute which direction and how far to move to get to the focus. If the subject is not moving, no second measurement is necessary. It is very very fast. Thye AF senors are small and readout is a very short time.

In a P&S camera, the camera uses the main sensor to focus. So the sensor is read out at full resolution (and it takes a fair amount of time to read out a 10 megapixel sensor (0.1 second would be fast), then the image must be analyzed, the focus moved, another readout, compute did the focus get better or worse? If worse move a little the other way. Is it better? Move some more and do another readout. When you finally reach focus by this iterative procedure, the camera must then turn off the video output mode, erase the sensor and take the picture. Each step takes a fraction of a second and it adds up. Then add the fact that a cheap camera has a slower processor, so it takes even longer.

I'm not trying to dis P&S cameras. I have one and carry it around more than my DSLRs. P&S have their uses, despite their deficiencies.

More on this here:
Why Do DSLRs Have Mirrors?
http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/dslr.mirrors.and.autofocus/index.html

Roger

[Linda Dulak]

Dave: We have the Canon S90 and love it! It's smaller and cheaper than the G11. Take a look at the thread Deadly Beauty in the Macro forum. This was made with the S90 and it's got great depth of field at f8, probably better than I could do with the DSLR. It has all the controls of the DSLR and quite easy to access. That said, I haven't tried to use it for any action shots where the shutter lag would come into play.

Linda

PS: The thread is located at: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?69216

[David Stephens]

Does the S90 shoot in RAW?

[Dave Mills]

Hi Linda,very sharp. Thanks for showing me this...

[Flavio Rose]

The S90 has RAW. Samples here http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons90/page7.asp and also at imaging-resource.com. The dpreview reviewer stated "With very careful processing you can eke a touch more detail out of the S90's raw files than is captured in the JPEGs, but honestly you're going to have to look very, very closely to see it"

[Norm Dulak]

Does the S90 shoot in RAW?

Dave:

Yes, it certainly does. It shoots Canon .CR2 RAW files that are easily readable using Photoshop CS5. I use our S90 to shoot both RAW and fine JPEG files simultaneously, and the results are nothing short of amazing.

BTW, like Linda, I previously posted an image captured with our S90 at: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?48233-canon-PowerShot-S90-Image&highlight=norm+dulak+s90. And although we otherwise shoot Nikons, we give credit where credit is due to the remarkable characteristics and capabilities of the Canon PowerShot S90!:)

Norm

[Indranil Sircar]

I also like the swivel screen of G11. I find this very useful doing macros' specially flowers.

[Thanaboon Jearkjirm]

Fuji film is coming out with a phase detection AF system on a compact camera, F300 EXR and Z800EXR. However it will only do phase detection on central AF point and in good enough light, otherwise will be using the contrast detection instead. Wonder how good the AF will be but still a nice thing for compact camera I think. http://www.dpreview.com/news/1008/10080505fujifilmpd.asp

[Judy Howle]

I was looking at the G11 myself. Canon rumors believes that later this month Canon will make new camera announcements with a G12 almost a "sure thing" and mentioned an S95. So you might hold off for a couple of weeks in case it's true. And if they do have new models, then the prices on the current ones may go down so you might save on them.

I also looked at the S90 but it has considerably less zoom than the G11, only 105 mm equivalent and I think the G11 is 140 mm. I seem to have a problem holding tiny cameras steady. I've only shot with 2 old ones belonging to friends and they didn't have IS but it showed me that I do better with something I can hold on to better.