canon g10 dissapointment

[DJJONES]

hey guys i just bought the canon g10
its a cool camera but have been disappointed with some of its pictures.

i just thought that a camera of this level would produce better crisper less blurry pictures.

maybe its because i dont know too much about photography?

i take most of the shots thru the auto mode.
ive been reading the manual and trying to learn different settings but i haven't been able to get good shots consistently.

i was considering getting a slr before this but then figured that might be overkill.
so i bought one of these and now i feel like this camera is not only overwhelming but has let me down.

do you guys think i should return the camera?
i hate the fact that i have to pay to ship it back and a 10 percent restocking fee.

what are some things i should keep in mind in order to take better pictures?

any advice?

i really need a camera something point and shoot that can take good macro's but can also be used to record video.
should i try learning how to use it better? i dont know what to do im a bit disappointed

my girl friends sd990 took better pictures and seemed much easier to use to get the pictures i took.

i thought maybe the g10 might do a better job at getting photo's like these but ive been struggling to get pictures like the sd990.

here are some from the g10
took many shots before i got some of these to come out even then i wasnt very impressed, the sd990 impressed me a bit more, but didnt seem as sharp i dont know?

am i expecting too much from the G10?

 

[jaseone]

Pick up Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, read it and get familiar with aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

It almost looks like you were shooting in the Portrait mode with a shallow depth of field plus using the in-built flash, the images don't exactly look bad to me so what exactly aren't you satisfied by?

 

[bertpalmer]

The sample shots look fine to me - for a point and shoot - don't forget the sensor is quite small compared to a dslr.

 

[147798]

Those pictures are technically exactly what you'd expect from the G10. There may be some things you can do differently, there may also be limitations to what you are trying to do.

Can you re-post one or two pictures only and explain EXACTLY what you don't like about them? I have a feeling one of the things you are experiencing is depth of field issues (look up depth of field in wikipedia to understand what is meant here). But it would help if you post one or two pictures and say exactly what you are uncomfortable with. And don't choose an all completely out of focus horrendous photo for starters. Try one that is almost there, but isn't quite right.

For example, I think your first one is quite nice in terms of being in focus, but you have some depth of field challenges and the lighting isn't great, also you have some blown highlights. Was the first photo one that you kind of like, but maybe you feel isn't quite there?

So, repost a couple of examples and say what you like/don't like in the pic.

 

[flinch13]

IMHO those are some nice shots for a point and shoot camera. The available light shots are pretty nice, I don't like the flash ones but they're generally sharper.

Bottom line, you'll be able to take some nice photos if you get some more experience using your camera. Read a bit about photography and just get out there and shoot.

If you still aren't satisfied, trade it in for an entry level SLR. You won't look back.

 

[Cliff3]

i just thought that a camera of this level would produce better crisper less blurry pictures.

am i expecting too much from the G10?

The photos look good to me, particularly since I am assuming that you are hand-holding the camera. If you want to get the best results when taking closeup (aka: macro) photos, then you need to eliminate the source of blurriness, which is vibration. The source of vibration is mainly you. Use a tripod - you can get cheap table-top tripods for $15 or so from Best Buy, and use the camera's self timer to eliminate the vibration you cause when pressing the shutter.

 

[synth3tik]

To be truthful with you. The pictures from your camera look more artistic and the ones from your gf's camera look more like your every day point and shoot.

 

[DJJONES]

The first 3 pictures were taking with my girlfriends sd990.
I was happy with them I was suprised with them as well.
So I decided if I got a g10 it would do a better job.

But it seemed like I had to shoot more and be more steadier to produce images i got the red record.

Ok so I understand that the pixtures I'm getting is what it's supposed to be.

But any tips on improving details of shots?
Any programs I can use to edit or sharpen them ?

Anyone think I should return it for something else?

The flash sometimes washes out pictures or it may brighten just the left side of the picture. Hate that.

Thanks guys

 

[bertpalmer]

Adobe Lightroom will help you with contrast and some sharpening.

Luckily for you the G10 has a hot shoe so you can use off camera flash.

The attributes you described above concerning the flash are completely normal - to get rid of them you either turn the flash off or use off camera flash.

 

[anubis]

I don't intend for this to be mean in any way, but to be truthful, your disappointing results have less to do with any shortcomings in your equipment and more to do with your general lack of photography knowledge and skill.

Spend some time reading your camera's manual front to back. Then google for photography how-to sites and read as much as you can. Someone earlier mentinoed Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure", which is a great place to start. Peterson also has a book called "Learning to See Creatively", which is also excellent.

Good luck!

 

[aquajet]

The first 3 pictures were taking with my girlfriends sd990.
I was happy with them I was suprised with them as well.
So I decided if I got a g10 it would do a better job.

But it seemed like I had to shoot more and be more steadier to produce images i got the red record.

Ok so I understand that the pixtures I'm getting is what it's supposed to be.

But any tips on improving details of shots?
Any programs I can use to edit or sharpen them ?

Anyone think I should return it for something else?

The flash sometimes washes out pictures or it may brighten just the left side of the picture. Hate that.

Thanks guys

The best advice you've received thus far is to buy a book on the basics of photography. It would be foolish to go out and buy different equipment and software in the hopes of getting better results before you actually know what you're doing. Having a basic understanding of ISO, shutter speed and aperture and how they all interact to affect the final result will give you a much stronger foundation which will allow you to get what you'd like. Once you have that foundation, you'll be better able to assess for yourself what tools you will need to get the job done.

 

[147798]

The first 3 pictures were taking with my girlfriends sd990.
I was happy with them I was suprised with them as well.
So I decided if I got a g10 it would do a better job.

But it seemed like I had to shoot more and be more steadier to produce images i got the red record.

Ok so I understand that the pixtures I'm getting is what it's supposed to be.

But any tips on improving details of shots?
Any programs I can use to edit or sharpen them ?

Anyone think I should return it for something else?

The flash sometimes washes out pictures or it may brighten just the left side of the picture. Hate that.

Thanks guys

Try this on the G10. It was certainly the issue with the G9.

Set the EV to -2/3 and try the shots again. This helped on the G9.

The best pics in your series are, indeed, the first 3 pics.

 

[ChrisA]

But any tips on improving details of shots?
Any programs I can use to edit or sharpen them ?

Anyone think I should return it for something else?

The flash sometimes washes out pictures or it may brighten just the left side of the picture. Hate that.

Thanks guys

First off the photos look about OK. Like I'd expect give yur equipment and technique

(0) Rull zero: Evaluate you photos using a print size the same as your final product. ALL photos look bad if you blow them up big enough. Look at a 100% zoom in a Mac is like making a 5 foot wide print. It will look bad. Judge the final product not the 100% blowup. They call this "pixel peeping"

(1) Number one rule... For shots like these you should be using a tripod. Get a tripod and use it. The ONLY reason not to use a tripod would be if the subject can't wait while you set it up. This equipment can wait forever. The tripod not only eliminates all blur do to camera shake but it allows you to use slow shutter speeds and smaller apertures. The smaller apertures will give wider depth of field. so read the "exposure book" and buy a good tripod. I think it is depth of field you are not happy with. If so then you want small apertures. Small apertures require more light and/or slow shutters.

(2) Camera mounted flash will NOT work for your usage. As you discovered. But your photos will be better if you can control the light. With light you control the direction, "softness" and amount. You don't need expensive equipment a halogen desk lamp will work. Flash is for subjects that move or are sensitive to heat. Build a nylon "tent" over the subject and light the tent. The "tent" might be a used milk jug or a square of white ripstop nylon. An external flash mounted on a light stand or second tripod and aimed through a "tent" would be ideal but expensive. Cheap halogen lights will do OK.

(3) software can help but only a small amount. You can't create infomation that has not recored by the camera

Buying an SLR will not help much. In fact you will get much less depth of field with the larger camera

 

[leighonigar]

I don't intend for this to be mean in any way, but to be truthful, your disappointing results have less to do with any shortcomings in your equipment and more to do with your general lack of photography knowledge and skill.

Good luck!

Exactly. This is simply incompetence combined with odd expectations. As far as I can tell the first three photographs you have supplied are no better than the others so I don't know what you mean by suggesting the G10 is taking worse photographs.

When you say 'blurry' are you referring to the limited depth of field? This isn't a fault of the camera. Or have you been shooting in low light and moving the camera during exposure?

The G10 is a fine camera. As the others have said, keep with it, practice and you'll get good results. If you can't get good results with it I would suggest that there is no equipment which will help, barring a decent tripod, as mentioned above. I could take indoor macros with either of my DSLRs and they'd look worse than the ones above, as they'd almost certainly be blurred as hell.

It seems you've posted the photos you like... maybe posting a couple that you don't would help? Though it seems we've got a pretty good impression already.

 

[DJJONES]

thank you guys for all of your help.
i appreciate it.

i took some photo's while i was at work.
i figured that getting into a place where i would get some natural light as well as some good lamp lighting would help make pictures better.

and i was right, some the pictures came out great some them that i really took my time with in keeping steady , came out impressive.
i took all them on the auto mode.

ok these first 3 were taking one after the other.
i think the 3rd one came out the best although i didnt like how the detail of the lettering on the line selector came out.

i liked this one it was good i guess i should of tried taken more.

these last photos were impressive.
i took allot of time focusing and being steady.

i guess in order to get good pictures you really have to be steady and get good lighting.

so atleast im seeing what my camera is capable of, thanks to the help of you guys.

now is it possible to even pull out better pictures if i knew how to "tune" the settings instead of using the lazy automode?

what do you guys think of some the pictures, like what was i doing wrong that led to some the pictures mainly the first couple shots looking a bit grainy ?

shaking and rushing?

thanks

 

[jaseone]

Okay first GET OFF AUTO MODE!

At the very least switch to whatever Canon's equivalent of P - Program mode is on Nikon's, then disable the flash. The first few pics are ruined by the on board flash with unwanted reflections and over exposure, in that light for that subject matter you shouldn't need any fill flash.

The manuals that come with cameras are far from ideal to learn about photography but they do usually offer some decent tips so I suggest start by reading that and then picking up a copy of Understanding Exposure as I mentioned earlier.

My Nikon D90 has either been stuck on full Manual mode or Aperture priority shortly after I got it and that has helped me a lot to learn about the ins and outs of ISO, aperture and shutter speed. I suggest you at least start with Aperture priority mode and then go from there.

Note: From memory I think on Canons TV means Shutter Priority (you set the shutter speed the camera does the rest eg. either to freeze motion or capture movement), AV means Aperture priority (eg. to control depth of field determining what is in focus and what is blurry) and P is Program (the camera determines both but I think you can change the depth of field/aperture) same as Nikon.

 

[DJJONES]

yeah i wanna get that book your referring too.

ive read the manual not the entire thing but ive read some things about different settings and features.
but it isnt helping a whole lot as far as getting a ideal of how i can make a shot better.

yeah the first picture was terrible with the flash, the second 2 was too much reflection so i guess just moving around a bit would of helped that photo.

so theres
iso
shutter speed
exposure

what other terms should i get more familiar with / research
any sites i can benefit from?

 

[LittleCanonKid]

Aperture, shutter speed and ISO will all contribute to the exposure. Photography becomes easier when all the technical aspects are known well. Good luck!

 

[mdwsta4]

huuuge 2nd.

in addition...

1) learn how to USE the camera
2) get out of auto mode!!
3) stop using the on camera flash! or at least dial down exposure compensation
4) if low light conditions, you'll have to either use a tripod or ensure your shutter speed is longer than your focal length to keep a sharp picture
5) if you're shooting jpeg, there's hardly a need to sharpen them much more than the camera already does
6) Understanding Exposure.... great book! get it!
7) if you want a point and shoot, why not get a simple point and shoot? the G10 is made for more advanced users
8) it doesn't matter what kind of camera you have! if you don't understand what makes a photograph (not 'pixture'), it won't matter if you're using a disposable camera or a $30k medium format camera. did you seriously think just because you're spending X amount of dollars it would take better pictures?

I don't intend for this to be mean in any way, but to be truthful, your disappointing results have less to do with any shortcomings in your equipment and more to do with your general lack of photography knowledge and skill.

Spend some time reading your camera's manual front to back. Then google for photography how-to sites and read as much as you can. Someone earlier mentinoed Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure", which is a great place to start. Peterson also has a book called "Learning to See Creatively", which is also excellent.

Good luck!

 

[DJJONES]

did you seriously think just because you're spending X amount of dollars it would take better pictures?

well thats the way companies do portray some of there cameras.

i wasnt planning on spending any more and expecting better photo's
what i was slowly coming to conclusion was that this camera wasnt worth the money and the cheaper sd990 would of been my better bet.

but i was proven wrong, it seems that learning how to use it right will help take better pictures.

lol one of my co workers seen my messing with the camera so she decided to try and take some macro's and she achieved 3 terrible shots without even knowing what a macro function was and came to the conclusion that a slr would shoot better photo's no matter what lol.

in a sense this is what i had in mind but at least compared to her im actually trying instead of just giving up.

 

[gkarris]

Not to throw a wrench into the works, but dpreview.com was a bit disappointed as well.

I guess you will be if you are expecting quality from a camera with a larger sensor, such as a dSLR.

They did like the Sigma DP1 as far as P&S - but that has a larger Four-Thirds sensor found in dSLRs.

Just know what you are getting into before you purchase, and of course, it helps to use the camera for a while to try to get the settings right for the type of pics you take.

Good luck..

 

[mdwsta4]

you know, i got an email for a drug that will make you 10x bigger! or that a rich nigerian king wants to give me $1M. believe that too?

in that regard, kudos to canon's marketing department.

the G10 is most definitely worth the money.... in the hands of the right person! if you have no idea what you're doing as a photographer, you can't expect to pick up a camera and be the next ansel adams.

would you buy a pair of Jordans and expect to be able to dunk?

and no, in the hands of a novice, or complete newb, an slr would be just as bad if not worse.

well thats the way companies do portray some of there cameras.

i wasnt planning on spending any more and expecting better photo's
what i was slowly coming to conclusion was that this camera wasnt worth the money and the cheaper sd990 would of been my better bet.

but i was proven wrong, it seems that learning how to use it right will help take better pictures.

lol one of my co workers seen my messing with the camera so she decided to try and take some macro's and she achieved 3 terrible shots without even knowing what a macro function was and came to the conclusion that a slr would shoot better photo's no matter what lol.

in a sense this is what i had in mind but at least compared to her im actually trying instead of just giving up.

hmmm.... with the exception of more megapixels meaning more noise at higher ISO's, i think they gave it a pretty glowing review. i do agree, if they kept the G9's MP count (or even the G7) it likely would have been a much better camera
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong10/page24.asp

and while the DP1 and DP2 have similar sized sensors to four-third systems (not the same sensor), it hardly received many positive reviews on any site based on focusing speed, noise, and many other negatives.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sigmadp1/page21.asp


if he wants to learn photography, what he has is a great starter at a great price. if he expects to open the box and become a professional, it wouldn't matter what camera he had. not trying to be overly harsh, just pointing out a basic fact.

Not to throw a wrench into the works, but dpreview.com was a bit disappointed as well.

I guess you will be if you are expecting quality from a camera with a larger sensor, such as a dSLR.

They did like the Sigma DP1 as far as P&S - but that has a larger Four-Thirds sensor found in dSLRs.

Just know what you are getting into before you purchase, and of course, it helps to use the camera for a while to try to get the settings right for the type of pics you take.

Good luck..

 

[jaseone]

i wasnt planning on spending any more and expecting better photo's what i was slowly coming to conclusion was that this camera wasnt worth the money and the cheaper sd990 would of been my better bet.

Well it really depends what you are looking for? You mention that you favor doing macro shots, which to me would indicate you have an interest in photography versus just wanting to take happy snaps with a simple Point & Shoot.

The SD990 is a great camera (I have the SD800IS as my P&S of choice) and can take great pictures, however it's sensor lags far behind SLR's and it's 35mm zoom equivalent is 36-133mm so it doesn't have much of a wide angle and doesn't zoom that far.

The G10 presumably has a much better sensor and has a 35mm equivalent zoom of 28-140mm so has a wider angle than the SD990 plus more reach as well. I would also presume the G10 has much better optics than the SD990 as well but haven't really researched that at all.

The G10 is basically aimed at those that want a more advanced camera that will allow them to tweak the settings plus give them a decent zoom range without needing a Digital SLR & hence needed separate lenses, so it isn't really intended as a pure P&S unlike the SDxxx models.

I think once you learn more about the ins and outs of photography then you will find yourself taking much better photos, however if you aren't willing to do that then maybe the G10 is overkill for you.

 

[DJJONES]

loll thanks

yeah it seems that i got some learning to do and im willing to do so.

i did take a digital photgraphy class at school but it was very basic was more like an art class where we take pictures of what ever then put it together in photo shop.

but anyways i will spend more time messing around with the camera outdoors , the battery life is really good plus i got a 16 gb card lol.

thanks for your help guys

are there any websites with general photography knowledge?
that i can read up on?

 

[gkarris]

hmmm.... with the exception of more megapixels meaning more noise at higher ISO's, i think they gave it a pretty glowing review. i do agree, if they kept the G9's MP count (or even the G7) it likely would have been a much better camera
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong10/page24.asp

and while the DP1 and DP2 have similar sized sensors to four-third systems (not the same sensor), it hardly received many positive reviews on any site based on focusing speed, noise, and many other negatives.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sigmadp1/page21.asp


if he wants to learn photography, what he has is a great starter at a great price. if he expects to open the box and become a professional, it wouldn't matter what camera he had. not trying to be overly harsh, just pointing out a basic fact.

Hmmmm,

The price of a G10 is $499 and the Nikon D40 is $449(from Best Buy).

Maybe the OP would've been happier with a dSLR for less money?

Just pointing out a basic fact...

Nikon - 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera - Black
Reg. Price: $499.99
You Save: $50.00Sale: $449.99

Canon - Powershot 14.7-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

Model: G10
SKU: 9051018 Our Price: $499.99